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  • Members
Posted (edited)

I feel that I’m slow at tooling. Question for those that tool, Wondering how long it should take to hand tool this logo? Obviously I would get faster on repeat patterns but just want to have an idea on how long it should take so I have a goal in mind  

 

the badge is 4” wide

 

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63CBB171-CCED-476D-832D-A3AEB54F7677.jpeg

Edited by chriscraft
  • Members
Posted

That is beautiful work.

 

  • Members
Posted (edited)

Since I started tooling, I’ve focused on quality verses quantity. Like you mentioned, Speed wasn’t the objective then.  I haven’t seen anyone in person tool leather in a very long time and never paid any attention as to how much time went into tooling. I just feel that I’m slow since I can’t compare myself to anyone else, side by side.  I know it’s not a race but I’d like to know what an average time frame it takes to complete work such as the sample I’ve provided. 

 I’ve always had a hard time judging time as To how much time it will take me to complete a project. My mind tends to think faster than my hands can keep up. My mind says for this project it will take me 2 hours but in reality it ended up taking me 4 hours. Double the time I predicted. 

I haven’t spent hundreds of hours tooling yet to be efficient. I’m still learning and probably always will be. 

 

Edited by chriscraft
  • Members
Posted

Here is another example of my recent tooling. I have 8 hours into this piece. I originally thought I’d be able to complete it in about 4-5 hours. I was wrong like with the first pic I posted. 

 

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  • CFM
Posted

That is awesome work no matter how long it took. 

Worked in a prison for 30 years if I aint shiny every time I comment its no big deal, I just don't wave pompoms.

“I won’t be wronged, I won’t be insulted, and I won’t be laid a hand on. I don’t do these things to other people, and I require the same from them.” THE DUKE!

  • Members
Posted

Slow draw McGraw here.  I couldn't tool that in 8 hours if I had practiced it 6 times.  It would take me a month of Sundays.

In all seriousness, it would take me at least 8 to 10 hours, and wouldn't be nearly as good.  There is production tooling, then there is art.  One is fast, the other is just going to take as long as it takes.  And then some probably.

YinTx

  • Members
Posted (edited)

Thanks for the reply. I don’t mind spending a ton of time on items I’m gifting away to friends and family. 

  My issue has been on pricing my work. Am I spending a rediculous amount of time on a $60 item. I just don’t know how to go about it and have ended up just stopping trying to sell stuff over that issue.  I haven’t tried to sell anything over the past few years. Which has lead me to just stop tooling leather all together. Yeah, I’m not into making standard production leather goods. It’s just not for me.  I like and enjoy the challenge of drawing and tooling unique designs.

I just need to charge a price that I’ll be comfortable when making stuff so I can get back into tooling leather again. I do miss it.

Edited by chriscraft
Posted

You are an artist. What you are producing is the images created in your mind, reduced to the artwork produced with a piece of leather as the medium.

There are millions of artists, but very few who will ever be paid fair value for their talents.

Personally, I did production-level work for many years. I used the services of a couple of very talented leather carving artists for those customers requiring that level of product. I have never had the talent to do much more than basketweave tooling. I made a pile of money in the leather business, but I never claimed to be much of an artist (I was able to envision new designs and production methods and convert those visions to marketable products, but that is an entirely different skill set).

We can do things because we love to do them, or we can do things because others like them enough to pay us for them. Each approach offers different rewards.

I wish you well.

Lobo Gun Leather

serious equipment for serious business, since 1972

www.lobogunleather.com

  • Members
Posted (edited)

If people want superb items like that, they will pay the going price just like they do for LV or other items, your not selling to the average guy down the road, but to people who understand quality and quality costs

Time to get down to basic business sense  and work out how much your hour of work should be paid for a skilled tradesman then the cost of materials, include design time and all other costs, then add some real profit

With your skills you are only looking for well off people and they understand quality items are not cheap and that notebook will last a lifetime

Look at hermes goods and try to figure out what the actual costs are to make them, probably a tiny percentage of the selling price

Get free publicity by writing a story about yourself with images of your work and send it to all the top quality magazines in the states and hopefully one may do a article of you, imagine a free quarter page item on say Playboy about you  and your work

Good luck

Edited by chrisash

Mi omputer is ot ood at speeling , it's not me

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