Back Ground Tooling Does It Add Value To An Item

[jshill]

I'm about to start back ground tooling a piece I'm working on at the moment. Although aesthetically I think it will make it look better would I make the time spent tooling back if I did sell the item. it made me wonder if spending the time back ground tooling actually adds any value to an item for a non commission buyer?

Does any one sell items that are similar with and without background tooling?

[Chain]

In my opinion, backgrounding that work would:

1. Add to the design

2. Make it easier to sell

3. Make the price a bit higher.

4. Add to your work experience

[Kulafarmer]

In my opinion, backgrounding that work would:

1. Add to the design

2. Make it easier to sell

3. Make the price a bit higher.

4. Add to your work experience

Its not worth doing things half way either is it

[Dwight]

I tend first to agree with all the above, . . . but sometimes I want to see just the simplistic, basic item, . . .

So I guess what I'm saying, . . . it is not mandatory, . . . but a lot of your customers have come to think it is, . . . or expect it.

You have to look at it through the eyes of the customer.

One of the prettiest tooling pieces I ever did, . . . a rose on a black holster, . . . only tooled, not painted, . . . to this day I love that simple piece. It was done for an uncle who has since passed on, . . . I got the holster back from his estate, . . .

May God bless,

Dwight

[jshill]

Hey thanks for the replies. I tend to always think pieces don't look finished until they have also been back ground tooled as well, but like Dwight says not in all cases sometimes the simplistic designs are the best!

If it does make a piece sell more easily and for a little more all the better.

Chain how much is a little more as a percentage of a piece do you think?

[Bob Blea]

Here's my opinion from an artistic standpoint:

I think it depends on the look you are trying to achieve with your work. How do you intend to finish this piece? Will you be dying the flowers and vines? If there is some color or dye that will help to make the vinework and flowers stand out from the background of the piece, you would probably be OK leaving the background areas alone. The background tool is usually used to help offset the floral carving from the rest of the leather especially when using antiques. There are techniques like inverted carving when you leave the 'background' areas natural or un-tooled. However, usually people dye the tooled areas to make them stand out.

We're it me I would matte those areas down with something to get contrast between my floral carving and the rest of the piece. It would give more dimension and depth to your piece and for most potential customers that would translate to more eye appeal. However, if you are going for something more historically accurate (and that is your target market) then a non-backgrounded piece might make more sense.

Just my two cents,

Bob

[Leatherneck76]

Did the backgrounding on this purse faceing. It does add to the appeal.