JPH Report post Posted October 18, 2007 Hello: My name is Jim..I live in Southern Nevada, Henderson, Actually. I am a "hammer head"..aka a blacksmith and well, I do Ok with the metal stuff but my leather working is well, an embarassment beyone belief. I would call myself a neophyte if it wasn;t for the fact that I am not even good enough for that. This is why I am here. I need to get some help with leather work. Namely sheaths and a few other things. I don't expect to be some "world's greatest leatherworker" or anything like that. I just want to not be ashamed of the leatherwork I do.. Best described it is rather ummmm "rustic" and plain, and that is being far too kind in describing it. I have a whole lot of vegetable/oak tanned leather (I buy then by the dzen sides..when you are doing sword sheaths it gets eaten up quick) and a lot or questions. I have asked around my local area (greater Las Vegas) and well, no one has the time to spend with a "hopeless case" like me.. So hopefully I will be able to actually learn something and my leatherwork won;t be an eyesore any more.. Thank you for your time.. JPH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Regis Report post Posted October 18, 2007 JPH, Welcome to the best place to get help....but, you'll probably have to get a little more specific (design, cutting, tooling, finishing, etc). Get one of your projects in front of you, a cup of coffee, and ask away. Pictures will help (and I assure you that your's can NOT be worse than my 1st ones). There are a number of absolute experts here in each of those areas and best of all, they are willing to help. Again, glad you found us. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beaverslayer Report post Posted October 18, 2007 Welcome to the forum Jim. As Regis said, there are many people here that are more than happy to help uou out in any way they can. If you have questions, post a pick of what you've done, and someone will be able to describe or show you through pictures just what and how to do it. Good luck, and don't give up. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Don101 Report post Posted October 18, 2007 Jim welcome to the forum as mencioned already your at the right place for help and there is so much talent here you cant go wrong, with you beeing a black smith you could easly make your own special tools easly that would be cool to have one of a kind tools, Don Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JPH Report post Posted October 18, 2007 (edited) Hello again!! Thank you for the welcome..like I said all I know is the basics of the most basic. The work I am doing is well..as I said an embarassment beyond belief when you compare it to my metal work. I am doing OK on the "utilitarian" sapects..the sheaths do protect the blades quite neicesly but I would like someway to make them a little bit..I dunno..looking for a word here..not so plain?? I put out a whole lot of stuff, more than most folks do and I do need these to be a bit higher on the "decorative" scale but not an "art object..I hope you know what I mean... Dyes and all..I mix my own...I am too chea---ummmmm frugal to spend good money when I can mix up my own dyestuffs for 1/3 the price of ready to go dyes. Plus I am getting pretty good at that as well..have to be when I am doing my infamous "bovine ivory" for grips.. I can do a very simple and basic welt sheath and a even more simple one piece, seam up the back one..other than that...for get it...ain't gonna happen..that is why I am here. For a sealant I am using a mix of Beeswax and Ballistol (I love that stuff..Ballistol is the "wonder snake oil of the Universe"...) but I would like to use something that has a little more "sheen" to it but the finishes I have tried all looked a bit "off" and they look rather ratty after getting wet...so... I guess I am in the basement looking to come up to the ground floor.. Right now I would like to know where I can get some of that edge "sealer" that dresses the raw edges of a welt seam?? THAT would be a major inprovement over what I am doing now using a worn belt on my grinder to wet burnish the edges. Any and all help will be appreciated.. THANK YOU once again.. JPH Edited October 18, 2007 by JPH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beaverslayer Report post Posted October 18, 2007 JPH, it would be interesting to know what and how you make your own dyes out of. We are always looking for new ways of doing things. Making dyes has always interested me. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JPH Report post Posted October 18, 2007 Ken: I am mixing up annaline wood stains...works great. I use the alcohol based stains...4 oz of powder makes a gallon...comes in all sorts of colours and you can mix you own "custom colours" as well... It does a great job on bone..I can take a piece of bone and make it look like fossil ivory using these dyes.. JPH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Ellis Report post Posted October 18, 2007 Hi Jim, welcome aboard. Edge finishing - there are a couple of threads on here discussing the use of gum tragacanth, and various other options people have come up with, including just a bit of white glue thinned with water and buffing with a bit of scrap cloth. I'm constantly amazed by just what a difference it makes to buff the barely damp edge with an old denim scrap... from fuzzy unfinished to shiny slick, with nothing more than a bit of friction... Have fun wandering around reading the various discussions on everything from which tools to use to what leather for which purpose Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JPH Report post Posted October 19, 2007 Peter: what I am looking for right now for the edges is that brush on edge "dressing"..if something else works that is waterproof that is available or make-able..by all means PLEASE let me know.. Even using that on what I am not doing would be a major upgrade to what I am currently putting out. I am so embarassed by my leatherwork and well..it just brings everything "down" if you know what I mean... I will post a pic later today if I can of what I am doing leatherwise..and I am quite certain I will get a lot of groans and upset stomachs attributed to viewing said photos. Metal working wise..I have been called one of the best in the world at what I do..and granted I do know metals pretty much inside and out but the leather end..man it sucks...The only thing I know pretty well on leather, well.. is that I don't know anything and it shows... JPH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Ellis Report post Posted October 20, 2007 Jim, take a look at this thread http://www.leatherworker.net/forum/index.p...hl=finish++edge It has some good advice on finishing edges, including use of Edge Kote, or gum tragacanth, and methods for burnishing and sealing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JPH Report post Posted October 20, 2007 Peter: Ok I know what edge Coat is...that is what I am looking for but what is the gum tragacanth? What are the differences between the two?? Ok I know is is a dumb question but I don't know... JPH Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
