Finished My Cowboy Rig

[Larry]

I finished my cowboy rig. It was a pattern package from Tandy and originally done by Will Ghromley for the movie 3:10 to Yuma. I posted a picture of the holster here some time ago and now it is all done. I hope I have not posted this picture before. Age has taken a toll on my memory.

Anyway I hope everyone enjoys it and let me know what you think of it. Larry

[Toney]

Very nice

[jlrowe]

Definitely nice work...looks like you got some good depth on the tooling.

[Wild Bill46]

I like it alot ! --------- Wild Bill46

[mudman]

Nice work.

[compound]

Great!!!

[silverwingit]

I really like the tooling and the construction. Super deep, clean and well executed. Something to be truly proud of!

Now, I don't mean to be the lone dissenter, especially in the face of the respect I hold for such otherwise nicely done work. I would really prefer to give you a nice pat on the back and move on. But that won't answer any questions or allow me (or you) to progress in our technique. So I am going out on a limb here and offering what I hope will be constructive criticism that will be received in the positive spirit in which it is given.

I just wish there was a better way to line up letter stamps. I find it nearly impossible to line even two letter stamps up together correctly. When I go to three or more, the problem of getting the letter's bases on a straight line is compounded by the difficulty of getting the space between them uniform.

I've used straight edges taped to the leather (problematic in its own right). I've made custom plastic jigs with spacing marks specific to each project. I don't want to think about the number of times I was absolutely certain I had the stamps lined up precisely only to find out how wrong I was. And, of course, once the letters are struck, you will live with them for a long time.

Having had such difficulty with my own letter stamping I am now highly sensitized to the appearance of other's work. Your letters are probably within a fraction of a millimeter of being placed spot-on. But the fact that they just slightly off, I am sorry to say, make them stand out like a sore thumb to my over-critical eyes. It's probably just me but my eyes are drawn past the wonderful tooling and construction and directly to the the initials.

So I ask, does anyone have any suggestions that might help me and Larry line up our letter stamps... perfectly? I haven't found it and as a result end up carving and tooling letters that I line up and print on my computer. Is there a better way to put alphanumerics on vegtan leather?

Thank y'all very much and please forgive my candor, Larry.

Michelle

Edited December 26, 2015 by silverwingit

[Nick Bowles]

Awesome...I've got that same pattern and am going to start mine soon!! Thanks for the inspiration!