Leather Custom Axe Sling Build

I was lying to myself thinking there was nothing more to do before stain. I’m just chompin at the bit to dye.
But before I get into that there is plenty more to do.

Cut out this channel for the utility ring to be sewn into the seam rather that tacked to the back.
I skived both the straps of the d-ring holder and the thick back piece of the sheath.
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Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
 
With some of my previous masks I tucked the excess flap into the corner guard. Like these two. (My first leather work ever on the left, don’t tease. LoL)
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But I don’t think I’ll do that with this one. The axe isn’t large and I want the sheath to reflect its funky shape. I’m afraid that too much flap will make it bulky up front there.
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Another tip here: This is something that I like to do prior to staining. I’m slickering up the edges. Not really burnishing them as though I were going to leave it natural. These will be painted but I want them to be smooth and clean. How you finish your edges can make a big difference in how professional the completed project looks.

A good way to start is by plunging the edge beveler into your thumb several times.
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Hard to show in photos what’s going on here. The unfinished edges are fuzzy.
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The best way I have found is to use just a little water on your finger, you want wet the edge a little bit. Then laying it flat and against something shape that edge with your slicker. Only doing about 6” at a time so you can get it at just the right wetness.
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With some patience the finished result will neat up the edges and ready them for edge paint.
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I have the black stain so I couldn’t help myself but get into it. Trying this Eco-Flo Waterstain for the first time and really loving the results! In my preliminary tests it seem to be more durable and penetrate deeper than Fiebing’s.
I use some delicate release tape here to mask off the front of the strap.
Major decision made when cutting the strap. Without any extra, I sure hope I got it right the first time... :confused:
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Is it colorfast now or does it need further treatment? It looks incredible, absolutely.
 
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Fmont said:
Is it colorfast now or does it need further treatment? It looks incredible, absolutely.
Click to expand...
I should add that, yes, this Eco-Flo Waterstain is not supposed to bleed or rub off and my initial experiments with it even prior to putting finish on would suggest that it won’t. Super flexible and resilient!
You could buff it after it dries and leave it like that but I’ll put the finish on it for good measure.
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Absolutely outstanding work, ithinkverydeeply! I've got a pretty good amount of leatherwork under my belt and I know how much work goes into doing all of that by hand, you'll have hours in just the stitching alone . Your attention to detail and design are excellent, well done :)
 
ithinkverydeeply said:
Punching these holes with a diamond stitching chisel.
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The local store was out of the particular color of light brown in the product that I want to use to dye it so I ordered some. Not too much to do till then...
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Click to expand...

I can't imagine the hours you must have in this. Let alone the hours you spent learning how. It's all just very impressive.
 
Alright! Got the stain in the mail today... and I hated it.

The reason I wanted Light Brown was to get away from the red tones that the Tan had but it was no better. So I went to the store for a bottle of Dark Brown that was available the whole time. :(
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But The dark brown was great! I wanted something that would work with the tones in the handle and it’ll be better than those reddish ones. Plus it hides those cut perfectly. I was able to smooth them with a pencil eraser pretty well.
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I’m still lovin’ this waterstain! Before staining, I mist the leather ever so lightly with water and let it case for just a minute or two then airbrush it with a light coat of stain.

It’s all downhill from here. The leather sealer, the climactic assembly, and the stitching!

Edit: because I left out an Oxford comma like some kind of animal.
 
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