Ok. Let's see' em........

[UKRay]

This is a very early piece of work (from the early 1980s) that I was so pleased with I hung it on the wall in the shop rather than finish the pouch. I found it in a box when I moved house and hung it up again to remind me there is always room for improvement!

[bikermutt07]

We are our own harshest critics.

[UKRay]

On 15/02/2017 at 7:24 PM, bikermutt07 said:

We are our own harshest critics.

Ain't that the truth!

 

[cjartist]

Here is mine.  I didn't post it earlier in this thread because I thought some would not believe it was my first.    Now that i see other great firsts, I've decided to have a go too.  The only thing I did prior to this was a small 3 inch phoenix carving on a scrap piece of leather to practice.  This took a few months to complete.

 

[Bodean]

On 2/12/2017 at 10:34 PM, bikermutt07 said:

I was watching a thread and people started posting their first projects. It got me a little nostalgic.

How far have we come since the beginning?

I took up leather as a hobby after my wife and I lost our 2 week old son, Eddie. After his battle was fought I needed something to get my hands moving again. Her and I have come a long way since August of 2014.

Some how we grew stronger through our experience. She got us into counseling almost immediately (big help).

She has poured herself into her middle school teaching program like no one ever has. She is about to do her 2nd annual "The Arts are Always in" event. It even includes a fashion runway show out of upcycled goods with her advanced class. This is a huge undertaking. And I am very proud of her.

I made a few leather goods to get me going and then kind of took a break from it. I hadn't done anything since probably November of 2014, then we had some unexpected space become available in our home last year. Since then I have been puttering when I can find the time.

I enjoy myself when working with leather. I don't want to do it for a living. It's my little escape time. I want to do it for fun and if people want to buy what I make, great. But I'm not doing it for them. It's for me.

So, the point of this thread is.......

Show us your first ever project, and maybe share why you got into it. 

Here is my first piece.

First my condolences to you and your wife. I can't imagine what you guys went through. I applaud you for finding an avenue to take your mind to a better place. I enjoy making guitar straps for people, and to see the reaction or read the reactions from them is the best part. I just started as something to do, and never imagined it would have gone where it has.

 

[bikermutt07]

5 hours ago, Bodean said:

 

Thanks for that, Bodean. I used to tell people we couldn't imagine it either, but we had to go thru it.

On the other note, I wouldn't mind a few orders but I can't do tooling or much with stamping. It makes my hands and wrists just feel like they are in fire. I work some pretty physical construction and I have to save the pain for the 40 hour week. Plus, hobbies shouldn't be painful ( unless you're sadomasochistic ).

5 hours ago, cjartist said:

Here is mine.  I didn't post it earlier in this thread because I thought some would not believe it was my first.    Now that i see other great firsts, I've decided to have a go too.  The only thing I did prior to this was a small 3 inch phoenix carving on a scrap piece of leather to practice.  This took a few months to complete.

 

Champagne problems, CJ. Champagne problems.....

It reminds me of the first tattoo I got. If I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna drive right in and go big. I got this when I was 18.

 

Edited March 31, 2017 by bikermutt07

[kellyblues]

First thing I ever tooled was when I took a class several years ago with Jim Linnell during the IFLOG show in Indianapolis. I had made small pouches and such for years before I got into tooling. This is my very first tooling in my life.

[Bodean]

3 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

Thanks for that, Bodean. I used to tell people we couldn't imagine it either, but we had to go thru it.

On the other note, I wouldn't mind a few orders but I can't do tooling or much with stamping. It makes my hands and wrists just feel like they are in fire. I work some pretty physical construction and I have to save the pain for the 40 hour week. Plus, hobbies shouldn't be painful ( unless you're sadomasochistic ).

 

 

I too work construction. Tooling hurts me if I do it any extended time. I take lots of breaks. I push myself till my hand goes numb sometimes. No pain no gain, lol. I guess????

 

[bikermutt07]

43 minutes ago, Bodean said:

I too work construction. Tooling hurts me if I do it any extended time. I take lots of breaks. I push myself till my hand goes numb sometimes. No pain no gain, lol. I guess????

 

Yeah, not doing it. Maybe a little stamping on a bracelet or belt, but mostly just for me.

[Bodean]

47 minutes ago, bikermutt07 said:

Yeah, not doing it. Maybe a little stamping on a bracelet or belt, but mostly just for me.

I am looking at taking some SS tattoo tube grips I have and modifying them to hold stamping tools to provide a larger handle for easier gripping. I notice the smaller handle ones hurt more to grip.

[bikermutt07]

True that. 

My boss has had me ripping apart showers for months now, it seems. I just have to reserve my hands for the job site.

[Bodean]

2 minutes ago, bikermutt07 said:

True that. 

My boss has had me ripping apart showers for months now, it seems. I just have to reserve my hands for the job site.

Been there done that many times. Zero fun.

[kellyblues]

I've been a professional mechanic all of my adult life. It's taken a toll on my hands. And my elbows,kness , back and shoulders. If I have a large project to tool I do it in stages. I've gotten pretty good at covering parts with saran wrap and letting my hands rest.

[HENDREFORGAN]

I'm enjoying the history of this forum thread for within it is an inestimable total of decades of leather working experience.  Thank you @bikermutt07 for a superb idea.

In my own case my first ever project is long gone but just under roughly fifty years ago I made a simple wrist support in leather, it was tan leather and the two rectangular pieces were bound together face outwards by lacing around the edges through punched holes.  It was secured by large pop-studs.  I can neither remember where I got the materials from or the tools either, nor why I chose to make this item this way.  I do remember that in my late teens I broke my right wrist badly playing ice-hockey and for many years cold or damp weather made it ache.  I reckon that was the reason why I made some kind of support.

Your thread @bikermutt07 has reminded me of that first simple piece and, when I think of the complicated articles I've made over the years especially for museum displays, I have to stop and say  . . wow, what a ride that has been.  Yet it all started with what was certainly a very poorly made amateurish piece.  Very much the case of  . . "from an acorn an oak will grow".  Thank you for the reminder. 

[bikermutt07]

6 hours ago, HENDREFORGAN said:

I'm enjoying the history of this forum thread for within it is an inestimable total of decades of leather working experience.  Thank you @bikermutt07 for a superb idea.

In my own case my first ever project is long gone but just under roughly fifty years ago I made a simple wrist support in leather, it was tan leather and the two rectangular pieces were bound together face outwards by lacing around the edges through punched holes.  It was secured by large pop-studs.  I can neither remember where I got the materials from or the tools either, nor why I chose to make this item this way.  I do remember that in my late teens I broke my right wrist badly playing ice-hockey and for many years cold or damp weather made it ache.  I reckon that was the reason why I made some kind of support.

Your thread @bikermutt07 has reminded me of that first simple piece and, when I think of the complicated articles I've made over the years especially for museum displays, I have to stop and say  . . wow, what a ride that has been.  Yet it all started with what was certainly a very poorly made amateurish piece.  Very much the case of  . . "from an acorn an oak will grow".  Thank you for the reminder. 

Glad you are enjoying it.

[NVLeatherWorx]

Guess I will add my offering to the list.

Here is a Western Classic II shoulder bag that I made back in 1981, it is all original with the exception of the clasp as those do tend to wear out over time.  It is still in use today and is much darker than it was when originally made (I did an application of Neutral Antique and it has aged to the point where it is actually approaching Dark Brown now).  The entire back panel is also full of Oak Leaf & Acorn tooling and the lacing is a Triple-Loop stitch.  Total time of 40 hours into the whole thing with 14 of it on the lacing alone.  I was still in High School when I made this one.

[alpha2]

On 3/31/2017 at 7:19 PM, Bodean said:

I am looking at taking some SS tattoo tube grips I have and modifying them to hold stamping tools to provide a larger handle for easier gripping. I notice the smaller handle ones hurt more to grip.

How about this? Repeated dips make for a thicker coating on the stamp handles. Plus, it's plastic, so a better grip than the raw handle. There is spray and dip, go for the dip can.

 

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, alpha2 said:

How about this? Repeated dips make for a thicker coating on the stamp handles. Plus, it's plastic, so a better grip than the raw handle. There is spray and dip, go for the dip can.

 

Good idea.

[Bodean]

4 hours ago, alpha2 said:

How about this? Repeated dips make for a thicker coating on the stamp handles. Plus, it's plastic, so a better grip than the raw handle. There is spray and dip, go for the dip can.

 

I like that idea. May have to see how much you can build it up. 

[fredk]

I didn't know you could still get that stuff. I used to get mine from a firm called Eastwoods [afair] in the 80s & 90s. I must see if I can get it my side of the A.

Repeated dipping can give you quite thick layers. On one car part which I wanted coated I stopped at about 6mm thick

[kiwican]

ive used this a few times on a few different things, works well

[NVLeatherWorx]

1 hour ago, fredk said:

I didn't know you could still get that stuff. I used to get mine from a firm called Eastwoods [afair] in the 80s & 90s. I must see if I can get it my side of the A.

Repeated dipping can give you quite thick layers. On one car part which I wanted coated I stopped at about 6mm thick

Don't know where you are located but if it is in the U.S. you can get this very product from any Lowe's store, located on the same aisle as their spray paints and other such items (typically).

[cjartist]

Great idea.  To get even more to hold with less dips, maybe try a foam pencil grip in between dips.

[Mattsbagger]

First leather project in September. Holster I made last weekend.

[cjartist]

3 minutes ago, Mattsbagger said:

First leather project in September. Holster I made last weekend.

That's an amazing improvement in short order. Congrats!