some of my leather work

[Jack142]

wow, after looking at some of the wonderful pics of leather work here I am almost embarrassed to show pics of mine. There is a lot of real talent on this forum.

I am kinda a  novice and have mostly been practicing on scrap pieces to learn. I am having a hard time getting my leather to dye the way I like and well any suggestions are welcome. I am  going to show a few pieces here, I am going to make a belt for myself and been stamping and dyeing 12 in pieces, after I finished them, I turned them into leather wrist bands. So here are some pics and comments are always welcome.

this first wrist band was me practicing how to block dye. I really don't like the look

 

I did other wrist bands trying to decide how and what I am going to stamp on my belt I don't really like this one either

[bikermutt07]

They look great for the beginning.

A few tips....

Look under how do I do that and find the pinned thread about casing leather. This will help even out your stamping.

Good leather also will affect the stamping.

I just recently learned to simplify the dying process. Lightly rub on some full strength fiebings pro dye and walk away for 24 hours. Don't saturate the piece and it will come out better.

The good news is you are starting the way I just learned to start. I am doing a whole series of bracelets working up to making my first belt.

Jumping around to different one off pieces was causing the basics to suffer.

Then nvleatherworks, I believe, said pick one thing and do it over and over until you are good at it.

Bracelets are a cheap way to learn leather basics. You don't need much material but you still have to do all the process steps.

And you can do several at once. I dyed up about 20.    5/8" straps to work on.

Now, I don't wear or love bracelets, and I don't even care to make belts. I need new belts and because I work with leather I should be able to make myself a few. But when I wear them I want them to look good.

I don't have any tooling tips. I don't tool because years of construction work has spent up my hands. They hurt really bad just looking at a swivel knife. And since this is a hobby, I'm not down with the hobby hurting.

Good luck.

[TheCyberwolfe]

That's one piece of advice I keep hearing and never quite pay enough attention to:  _light coats of dye_. Don't get impatient, and like 'Mutt says, walk away after the first coat and come back tomorrow for the second (if it needs it).

Unless, of course, you're using black dye - then you do want to saturate it. But still walk away after that first coat and give it time to soak in.

[bikermutt07]

And I only recently heard that.