A big "First" for me ;)

[JazzBass]

Well, I did it! I've been doing leather for a little less than a year, where my attempts at carving were on small things (like initials on a belt),
here is my first "big" project - a fully carved and lined guitar strap for myself. Despite a dozen mistakes here and there, I'm kinda proud of having completed this.

The liner is 1.5-2oz Pigskin.

Comments and critiques welcome - I know I'm among friends here

 

 

 

 

[kiwican]

Well done !

[Troy I]

Very nice

[immiketoo]

Nice work dude.  Goes with that bass perfectly!

[rodneywt1180b]

Nice work!  It's obvious you play a lot.  That bass wears it's experience well. I love the patina of honest use.

[TSes]

Looks good!

[JazzBass]

2 hours ago, kiwican said:

Well done !

 

1 hour ago, Troy I said:

Very nice

Thanks, guys.

54 minutes ago, immiketoo said:

Nice work dude.  Goes with that bass perfectly!

@immiketoo    Wow...thanks, Mike - I hope to live long enough to have my work look like yours!

32 minutes ago, rodneywt1180b said:

Nice work!  It's obvious you play a lot.  That bass wears it's experience well. I love the patina of honest use.

Oh yes... that one was put together for me in 1983, to be a modern "clone" of my '66 Jazz Bass, sans frets.
Wanna see some REAL character?? A buddy of mine calls this one "the canoe" since the grooves where my thumb go are actually quite deep after playing this one for almost 40 years!

[immiketoo]

As I got a very late start in leatherwork, I can tell you you can do it! I wish I had started 20 years ago!  Ah well.  Love the canoe!

[YinTx]

Looks pretty good!  The backgrounding resembles stingray.  The slash for the peg is a bit painful for me... your stitching is pretty nice for having only been at this for a year!

YinTx

[JazzBass]

2 hours ago, YinTx said:

Looks pretty good!  The backgrounding resembles stingray.  The slash for the peg is a bit painful for me... your stitching is pretty nice for having only been at this for a year!

YinTx

Peg slash...Yup, that one hurts.
Background was just a small seeder. Tedious, but much easier to avoid the "hamburger" mistakes I make with a bargrounder. LOL

Stitching - I'm trying the "traditional" method, using an awl...it gets a bit wonky in spots, especially when having moved the piece in the pony. Seems I have a tendency to meander a bit. Ah...more practice!

Thanks for the comments

[bikermutt07]

Great job.

[JazzBass]

Thanks, @bikermutt07

[DV8DUG]

So I like the Sheridan style of carving. Tell me... What style of music do you play and does it match that? I could guess blues because the ashtray but I see no bourbon in pix.

[rodneywt1180b]

I'm going to guess JazzBass's name is a pretty strong hint.

@JazzBass I love the canoe.  I can't even imagine how many hours you've played on that.

[JazzBass]

1 hour ago, DV8DUG said:

So I like the Sheridan style of carving. Tell me... What style of music do you play and does it match that? I could guess blues because the ashtray but I see no bourbon in pix.

Well, I studied classically from age 9 through college, but got my first electric bass in 6th grade (11-12), playing everything that was on the radio, tv, and records.
Today I consider myself a jazz player, as it's the greatest challenge, and the style I probably do the best. Blues is cool, but it's so harmonically limited, I lose interest quickly.

Here's a link to a group I've been involved with this last year, called Jazz Juice. There are studio, live, and video recordings if you scroll down the page.
http://www.markdalzell.com/jj.htm

58 minutes ago, rodneywt1180b said:

I'm going to guess JazzBass's name is a pretty strong hint.

@JazzBass I love the canoe.  I can't even imagine how many hours you've played on that.

I can't either!! 

[GRod]

Your bio is, hands down, the best one on the page.

I tried to play jazz through college (saxophone), but couldn't make it stick.  Unlike the guys I sat in sections with, I wasn't majoring in music; it became hard to hang with them in pretty short order.  I gave it up by my junior year because I felt like too much of a liability.

We have a big band 'club' at work that's populated with folks like me.  Mostly duffers who can't play out with real musicians anymore, but with a few ringers thrown in who make the rest of us sound really good.

But you've given me an idea for a (simple?) project:  a snazzy neckstrap.  (I haven't actually made anything yet - I've become thoroughly smitten with some of the accomplished work around here and am deep in 'knowledge acquisition' mode - I have yet to buy tools and start a project).

This is actually my first post on the forum.

The strap looks fantastic, by the way.

[plinkercases]

Excellent!!! Lets see more of your stuff

[JazzBass]

4 hours ago, GRod said:

Your bio is, hands down, the best one on the page.

I tried to play jazz through college (saxophone), but couldn't make it stick.  Unlike the guys I sat in sections with, I wasn't majoring in music; it became hard to hang with them in pretty short order.  I gave it up by my junior year because I felt like too much of a liability.

We have a big band 'club' at work that's populated with folks like me.  Mostly duffers who can't play out with real musicians anymore, but with a few ringers thrown in who make the rest of us sound really good.

But you've given me an idea for a (simple?) project:  a snazzy neckstrap.  (I haven't actually made anything yet - I've become thoroughly smitten with some of the accomplished work around here and am deep in 'knowledge acquisition' mode - I have yet to buy tools and start a project).

This is actually my first post on the forum.

The strap looks fantastic, by the way.

First of all - One needn't be a "pro". There is no better reason to just play music, than for your personal enjoyment. For those who play music, at ANY level, simply because they love it, I am always helpful and encouraging, and never overly critical. It is only when some turkey thinks he/she is a pro, that my rather stringent standards of musicianship apply. In that regard, I can easily come off as an arrogant p**k! LOL!

Enjoy the music, and GO MAKE THAT NECKSTRAP! The first one doesn't need to be pretty, and everyone on this forum will give great input, since they understand what it takes just to get started.

I know what you mean about the "knowledge acquisition mode", but what got me to do it was realizing that with ~$200 of hand tools, you can literally make almost anything. It's a LOT of fun to pick up something in videos, etc, try it, and find out, "hey, I CAN do this!"

BTW...welcome to the forum. I've met a LOT of nice folks and incredible craftsmen in the short time I've been here. Jump in. Ask questions. Marvel at the work. You won't be disappointed.

 

3 hours ago, plinkercases said:

Excellent!!! Lets see more of your stuff

Thanks, bro - I work in slow motion in spare time, but will indeed continue to post - the folks here give comments and input that are often an epiphany for us burgeoning leather crafters.