Too Critical or not critical enough?

[Boriqua]

This is a Craftsman/business question. I was a builder guy, then a project manager guy for a design and fabrication house and a couple of museums. I was notoriously picky. Now I am a retired leather bum and have a question. I just screwed up a holster. I have been working 2 pancake commander patterns. One a slightly basterdized JLS pattern and one a more basterdized JLS pattern that combined some of my own sensibilities with his cleanliness and order.

On one I set my inside belt slot stitch 13mm in from the mold line and one I go 3cm from the edge. I was making a tiny run of like 5 holsters which included both patterns and inadvertently marked the stitch line for one that belonged to the other. I marked that line oh so faintly with the tip of a scratch awl but there you have it .. its made in damp leather and there forever. I could have tried rubbing it out but I haven’t had great success with making it look good trying to spoon out mistakes. It shows like the sun in the pic I took of it because I am not interested in fooling anyone and want it to be seen by any potential purchaser so I lit it to see it and took a close up.

Outside of that mark the holster pix dont do it justice. The holster in person really is gorgeous at the risk of being immodest.

So here is my question .. That is not a cut or score but a dent in the leather. I held the awl at a shallow angle to just make a light sewing line. I took $25 off the price because of it. In truth I was going to throw it out once I realized what I had done. In your humble opinion .. did I take off enough? Did I take off too much ... should I have just thrown it out?

When I was ready to toss it my wonderful wife said but .. if you finish it and its nice then someone who may not have alot of money can have something really nice for not alot of money and that is good. Catholic school may have ruined her! 

 

I was trying something new in coloring so I finished it but .. I would like to hear from other leather workers .. and hopefully leather workers that may do this for profit although I dont know I make a profit .. should I have just thrown this out?

 

 

 

 

[electrathon]

I would dampen the leather and use a texture tool to scar up the entire untooled area.  The other line at the bottom of the basket weaved area is a problem too.

You are correct to be critical, it is what makes your work look top notched.  Your level of quality is judged by your worst work.

[Dwight]

Actually, . . . Electrathon has the "professional" view, . . . and it is a good one, . . . no questions asked.

Your wife has the "practical" view.

I subscribe to both, . . . depending on the circumstances.  On this one, . . . Electrathon gets the nod, . . . but I have put back one that had a flaw I could not eradicate one way or another, . . . my customer was happy with his purchase, . . . I got my money back, . . . all is well.

About the time I got into middle school, . . . things were being sold in the "seconds" stores that popped up like warts on a frog with poison ivy, . . . and they have been in the mainstream market all over.  Leather work included as far as I am concerned.

My rule is "if I can fix it, . . . I fix it", . . . but if I cannot, . . . it gets discounted and most of them went to happy customers.  I still have a few.

May god bless,

Dwight

[JLSleather]

Man... lemme jus' start by saying that's a new rule... nobody says 'screwed up' and 'JLS' in the same page

Took me a couple minutes to figger what that meant .. So, just that one line by the red mark?  

Aaron is correct about being concerned about stuff like this.  You may have noticed that folks with a "that's good enough" attitude don't generally get much of my time / comments.  It's a true statement.... those who aren't interested in improving... won't.

Now, as for this particular batch... them WRINKLES in the back got me stressin pretty hard... kaint afford the therapy neither!  Wrinkles don't go in holsters... not even in the back..  The exception can be seen in some of the rigs by fgabesz (or something like that)... where his blending of cowhide fat marks and wood stain is an art in itself.  Don't tell him I said that.... gotta keep him humble and workin' hard  

As for what to do about that mark... like you siad.. it's a dent.  And I have historically used this 'mistakes' as you did... good spot to test a new color or finish, etc.  And if the new 'plan' doesn't work, well- it already wasn't par.  But I wouldn't pitch this one.  I've certainly pitched some that shouldn't have been scrapped.  Are you sure you can't 'smooze' it?

Smooze... as in maybe we measure the distance from teh front stitch line to the "oopsie" mark.   Set a divider to that distance, and "crease" all the way around the stitch lines at that distance, going over the ''oops' also so it's all the same depth....

 

[klaykrusher]

Alex, I would offer it as a blem with the discount you took off.  I certainly would not pitch it....I think your wife said it right....

[Josh Ashman]

I might see if you could do as JLS says and score a line parallel to the front stitch line to "hide" it. Or maybe score it then sew it, basically hide it by covering it up with something that you did mean to do. 

Everybody's standard is different, one guys "piece with a minor flaw" might be another guys "best he's ever done". We've all seen work get posted that gets a lot of praise that can be picked apart depending on what you consider to be important and how picky you are. 

If the standard is that it has to be perfect or it must be tossed then we all need to toss everything we build. Me, you, Electrathon, Dwight  and everybody else, because nothing that any of us have, or will build is perfect. You do the best job you can every time and try to make the next one better than the last one. 

All the best, Josh

[dikman]

I tend to agree with your wife. It's still a perfectly functional holster, and let's be honest if these things are actually used they will inevitably end up getting marked/scuffed/scratched etc. So let someone who can appreciate it have it at a good price.

[Red Bear Haraldsson]

I'm with the wife on this one.

Heck of a job on the basketweave though. I cannot do it without the camouflage border tool. I always have one or two impressions outside the area (was never much with crayons and lines, either).

[Boriqua]

It sold it the day after I put it up and I have asked the gentleman to get back to me with his thoughts when he receives it. In some pix you cant even see the mark but ... to me it could be seen from the moon and was killing me. Still the coloring generated alot of attention to some of my other stuff and I have since sold 3 holsters and have 2 new custom orders at full price so I guess putting it up turned out OK and I got to try something new for me with the color. Like my wife said ... some dude is going to be sporting a nice holster and it does make me feel good

I hope the guy who got the bargain could use the price break and it wasnt some fat cat just happy to save a few but I cant control that. I got back my materials and a take out night at mcdonalds for me and  the missus. Good deal all around!!

[chiefjason]

It's a good thing to be your own worst critic.  Keeps you on your toes.  I bring stuff in and show my wife, complaining the whole way.  She usually looks at me and tells me to get over it.  lol  FWIW, since that leather looks a bit distressed anyway I bet you could have used a modeling spoon and worked it out.  I've fixed worse.