First time tooling/practicing in 17 years (since Boy Scout camp).

G

GrizzlyBear

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Dec 5, 2009
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Well I picked up some basket weave stamps, a spoon modeler/stylus, and a package deal from hobby lobby that had several stamps and a swivel knife. Grabbed a piece of leather from there and headed home to start practicing.

This is the first time I have picked up any tools since making a belt, knife holster and other things at Boy Scout camp about 17 years ago.

I've got Wild Rose's DVD for tooling reference and have watched several youtube vids to rekindle my brain.

This is what I wound up with after a hour or so of playing around. Did some squares with basket weave patterns, then drew out part of a tooling pattern from the tool kit and worked it up as described in the booklet.

It looked better before I tried to dye it with Birchwood Casey's walnut gun stock stain LOL...just playing around for sure.

One major question that I have concerns the swivel knife. Is the knife actually supposed to 'cut' into the leather or to simply create a very defined line? Mine doesn't cut, I even attempted to sharpen it on a piece of sand paper, and still no dice. So one one of my squares, I used an exacto to lightly cut in the line created by the swivel knife.

What, exactly, is the purpose of cutting around your tooling design?

Also, upon inspection of my practice piece, I see that I need to hit my stamps a bit harder to make a more defined image, mainly with the basket weave.

What can you do when you get a stamp outside your lined area? IE: working the basket weave stamp at an angle and you go just a tad too far. Chuck shows using a spoon modeler to do something, but I couldn't really tell what.

Going to get some more pieces of leather maybe tonight and practice more before my sheath leather gets here.

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BTW, I don't have a marble/granite slab (yet) nor the proper mallet/hammer. I was using a heavy acacia cutting board (2" thick) on a towel on my kitchen table and a rubber mallet. I think the mallet is what was working against me on getting a good deep stamp.
 
Griz, I don't even know where to begin.....oh well.

First, you MUST have hard (granite) solid, thick very smooth surface to stamp on. I have a 2+ inch thick granite slab about 15" X 22" Anything less than this thickness and weight will tend to work against you in terms of quality work.

The swivel knife must not only be SHARP!!! but should have the edge polished to mirror finish. It IS designed to cut and not just leave a depressed line. You might pick up a copy of "Leathercraft Tools" by Al Stohlman Tandy/Leather Factory stock number 61960-00. It covers most of the tools you will ever use and gives examples on use and sharpening. A must read for any serious leather crafter.

Dyes and stains. Please use ONLY those dyes and stains that are specifically for leather regardless of what any of the videos or other people say or tell you. This is in regard to your final satisfaction with the work and to protect your sanity.

The purpose of cutting a border around your tooling area is to do just that. To give you a border around your tooling area, or to separate two different tooled areas, etc.

Stamping outside your defined area can be cleaned up sometimes with that modeling spoon you mentioned.......and sometimes NOT. It's best not to need to clean up by tilting the tool close to the line so you get a "half impression"

One question you did not ask concerns "casing" of the leather in preparation for carving and stamping. You wet the leather thoroughly and then allow it to air dry to almost it's original color and then carve or stamp. If it seems to dry out too much you can re dampen an area with a semi dry sponge and plain water.

All of these answers are very brief and not in a great deal of detail but all of this information is available via Google or other sources.

I'm not trying to sell DVDs (in fact I don't have any to sell), but much of what you want to know is covered in segments within my instructional DVDs "Basic Pouch Sheaths" and "Advanced Blade Sheaths" which are now available.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=781218

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=787023


Good Luck

Paul
 
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sheathmaker said:
Griz, I don't even know where to begin.....oh well.

First, you MUST have hard (granite) solid, thick very smooth surface to stamp on. I have a 2+ inch thick granite slab about 15" X 22" Anything less than this thickness and weight will tend to work against you in terms of quality work.

Planning on getting one, the acacia cutting board was all I had. It is extremely smooth and very heavy (certainly not as heavy as granite, but it worked in a pinch) :)


The swivel knife must not only be SHARP!!! but should have the edge polished to mirror finish. It IS designed to cut and not just leave a depressed line. You might pick up a copy of "Leathercraft Tools" by Al Stohlman Tandy/Leather Factory stock number 61960-00. It covers most of the tools you will ever use and gives examples on use and sharpening. A must read for any serious leather crafter.

Well, that aggravates me terribly then, because the knife's blade isn't sharp enough to cut leather at all. Should I continue to try and sharpen the blade I have, or just order new blades and toss this one? I like the set of tools the s-knife came in, and I got them for 40% off at Hobby Lobby, so I don't want to take it back if I don't have to. I will look at picking up that book.


Dyes and stains. Please use ONLY those dyes and stains that are specifically for leather regardless of what any of the videos or other people say or tell you. This is in regard to your final satisfaction with the work and to protect your sanity.

The stain I used was just me screwing around because I had it handy. I've ordered Fiebings pro black and dark brown dyes with my leather from usaknifemaker.com


The purpose of cutting a border around your tooling area is to do just that. To give you a border around your tooling area, or to separate two different tooled areas, etc.

I understood that, and yet I didn't. For some reason I was trying to over-think why cutting was used. :)...I tend to do that alot.


Stamping outside your defined area can be cleaned up sometimes with that modeling spoon you mentioned.......and sometimes NOT. It's best not to need to clean up by tilting the tool close to the line so you get a "half impression"

I know not doing this will only come with experience on learning how to hold the stamps, how hard to hit them, etc. Was mainly curious about fixing the problem when it happens. Watched what Chuck does again, closely, and it looks like he just rubs out the mistake with the spoon.


One question you did not ask concerns "casing" of the leather in preparation for carving and stamping. You wet the leather thoroughly and then allow it to air dry to almost it's original color and then carve or stamp. If it seems to dry out too much you can re dampen an area with a semi dry sponge and plain water.

Did that and understand the process and what to look for when it's ready to tool. Also re-wet the leather if it seemed like it was drying out. Only question I have, is just 'how' wet do you make the leather initially?


All of these answers are very brief and not in a great deal of detail but all of this information is available via Google or other sources.

I'm not trying to sell DVDs (in fact I don't have any to sell), but much of what you want to know is covered in segments within my instructional DVDs "Basic Pouch Sheaths" and "Advanced Blade Sheaths" which are now available.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=781218

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=787023

Will probably pick these up in the future, thanks!


Good Luck

Paul
Click to expand...

BTW, the piece looked a LOT better before I put that stain to it lol. Ah well, it's all just practice and learning what TO and what NOT TO do.
 
Okay addressing the swivel knife. Most craft knives except Exacto #11 blades have to be sharpened prior to effective use. The link below is to a little tool which facilitates the sharpening of the swivel knife blade. The blade is sharpened on the same type stones used for other knives. Remember what i said about a polished edge. this final polishing can be done on a strop stick with red rouge compound.

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/home/department/Tools/88118-00.aspx?feature=Product_100

The book on leather tools I mentioned in my first response to you is linked below.

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/home/department/Books-Patterns/61960-00.aspx?feature=Product_174

Regarding the casing, the old timers (I guess I am one now) used to submerge the leather until it "quit bubbling" and then let it air dry sometimes for hours until it was ready. Others would wrap it is plastic and put it in the ice box or refrigerator over night. The point is to get the flesh side (fibrous part) and the top grain evenly dampened to the point that the moisture "levels out" and then dried out to the point that the impression would actually take slightly sub surface and hold up.

I just spritz it with my spray bottle of water now and wet the top grain fairly well and wait five minutes or so and I'm good to go as demonstrated on the DVDs.


It can cost quite a little bit to get set up properly so that you are not working against yourself, so if you are not able or not comfortable investing quite a bit of cash up front, you might want to rethink getting into leather crafting right now. Some people might consider the investment sizable, while others would consider the same amount insignificant.

Paul
 
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Well I ran to Hobby Lobby and picked up another piece of practice leather, 40% again :).

I think I improved quite a bit over my first attempt. Was able to sharpen the swivel knife a bit more so it actually cut, still learning how to curve with it though.

Also did a couple more basket weave squares and figured out what I was doing wrong with them.

Here's my 2nd ever attempt at tooling/carving:

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Craig, that's really looking pretty good considering your long lay off and the fact you will have to retrain your muscle memories. The smooth swivel knife cuts will come with practice, but you are off to a good start.

Paul
 
Thank you sir. My fiance came in from work as I was finishing it up and she loves it :) and, of course, wants to keep it.

After seeing how it turned out, my want to do more and get better went way up.
 
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