Pocket Wallet 2.0

M

mt_hangglider

Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
312
Thought I'd share my more refined version 2.0 pocket wallet. Finished this one up Sunday night. There were some firsts with this one too. First time trying a meandering / serpentine stamp, first time using a wing divider (how did I ever get along without one before?!), first time using a money clip, etc. Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with the results. It's still something from a self taught amateur who has only been doing it for 5/6 months but each one gets a little better and that's the goal, right? Oh yeah, I had a makers stamp made last week too. Love being able to mark my work. Anyway, thought I'd share. Have a great week guys!

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Looking really good!! Congrats on the maker's mark and on the meander. Around here its called a Carlos border stamp but its the same deal. Much more uniform then the firt time I tried that stamp.
 
I would love to test it out for you free of charge! Send wallet and cards to.....lol

Very nice!!
 
Very cool! Thanks for sharing. If my current wallet wasn't a present from my wife I'd try making one like that for myself. As usual I like your use of the shark skin.
 
Horsewright said:
Looking really good!! Congrats on the maker's mark and on the meander. Around here its called a Carlos border stamp but its the same deal. Much more uniform then the firt time I tried that stamp.
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Thank you Dave! I'm probably using the wrong term with meandering border. I may have seen something similar online and thought that was the correct term. Good to know what it's actually called. I definitely need to start measuring my stamp distance out so it terminates uniformly. So far, I've been stamping freehand without measuring and end up where I end up.
 
Just figured out there was a multi-quote option, lol...

WEB2 said:
I would love to test it out for you free of charge! Send wallet and cards to.....lol

Very nice!!
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Thank you sir! I think this one is going to stay in my pocket for a while :)

Eaglestroker said:
That is a very handsome set up, nice work!
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Thank you! Much appreciated!

vilePossum said:
Very cool! Thanks for sharing. If my current wallet wasn't a present from my wife I'd try making one like that for myself. As usual I like your use of the shark skin.
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Thank you! I have to resist using shark on everything... so far, as you can see, resistance has been mostly futile :D
 
Meander is ok. It is called that too. I've head it called a Running W as well. Who's right? Quien Sabe? Your spacing looks pretty darn good wouldn't worry about that too much. I would tighten up your channel. I like the prong of the hourglass stamp to be at about 50 percent of the space between the prongs of the stamp next to it, if that makes sense. One thing I did to help on this was to make a short practice section 2" long on a scrap piece. When I got the channel where I liked it and the stamping looking right, I cut off all the ones I didn't like and kept the good one. This template now lives in the tool chest next to the dividers. So when I'm ready to use this stamp I have a template to set my dividers too and it comes out right everytime. Takes a lot of the guess work out of the deal and helps your work to be more consistent.
 
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WEB2 said:
I would love to test it out for you free of charge! Send wallet and cards to.....lol

Very nice!!
Click to expand...

Eaglestroker said:
That is a very handsome set up, nice work!
Click to expand...

vilePossum said:
Very cool! Thanks for sharing. If my current wallet wasn't a present from my wife I'd try making one like that for myself. As usual I like your use of the shark skin.
Click to expand...

Horsewright said:
Meander is ok. It is called that too. I've head it called a Running W as well. Who's right? Quien Sabe? Your spacing looks pretty darn good wouldn't worry about that too much. I would tighten up your channel. I like the prong of the hourglass stamp to be at about 50 percent of the space between the prongs of the stamp next to it, if that makes sense. One thing I did to help on this was to make a short practice section 2" long on a scrap piece. When I got the channel where I liked it and the stamping looking right, I cut off all the ones I didn't like and kept the good one. This template now lives in the tool chest next to the dividers. So when I'm ready to use this stamp I have a template to set my dividers too and it comes out right everytime. Takes a lot of the guess work out of the deal and helps your work to be more consistent.
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Absolutely Dave, I see exactly what you're talking about and those are great suggestions. Another thing that's going to help greatly with this kind of border is I'm going to pick up one of those border cutting tools you use with a swivel knife as seen in the picture below. Never even knew something like that existed (hence why I probably should be seeking some help from an experienced leather worker rather than just guessing how some of these things are done). After all I live in one of the leather capitals of the country, Sheridan, Wyoming. To get my borders for this stamp I just used my wing divider and pressed hard repeatedly to get the lines. After stamping, I ran a toothpick on the outside to define the lines a little more. Had I known how to actually carve those grooves properly, I could have made this a lot better in the first place. Oh well, live and learn. I am about to start on a checkbook cover I want to make for a friend and plan to use this border on it as well (with the same stamp but a size up). Being able to properly cut a border on either side of where the stamping will go with the swivel knife and guide will make a lot of difference. I'll be sure to post the results. Thanks again for the helpful tips! Always appreciated!

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I got one of those things and cuss it more than not. I've only used it a couple of times. I will use the dividers to mark the channel and then cut it free hand with the swivel knife. Biggest reason that hthing don't work for me is I' not near an edge most of the time. It'llwork great on a checkbook or a belt probably.
 
Horsewright said:
I got one of those things and cuss it more than not. I've only used it a couple of times. I will use the dividers to mark the channel and then cut it free hand with the swivel knife. Biggest reason that hthing don't work for me is I' not near an edge most of the time. It'llwork great on a checkbook or a belt probably.
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Yeah I'm thinking that it'll probably work well for the mostly small stuff I do. Never even thought to pick up a swivel knife until today since I haven't tried any actual carving. It should have dawned on me that it would be used for this kind of thing too. I probably have a steady enough hand I can follow a line from a wing divider if I have to. We'll see. I would imagine with practice on scrap, I can definitely learn. Also picked up a smooth beveling stamp tool today as well. The guy at the leather shop was telling me about beveling the edges of the line once you cut it. That makes a lot of sense too.
 
I use to bevel those lines but don't anymore. Good cut, open the cut with your pokey tool and then just stamp it. Good placing of the stamp pretty much eliminates the need to bevel. For that use a push beveler works better then bevelling with a stamp. I've got a $5 from Osborne and a $100 one from Bianchi. I much prefer the $5 Osborne. Barry King makes one too but I've never tried it.
 
Horsewright said:
I use to bevel those lines but don't anymore. Good cut, open the cut with your pokey tool and then just stamp it. Good placing of the stamp pretty much eliminates the need to bevel. For that use a push beveler works better then bevelling with a stamp. I've got a $5 from Osborne and a $100 one from Bianchi. I much prefer the $5 Osborne. Barry King makes one too but I've never tried it.
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Dave, can you expound on this technique a bit? I went home last night, marked where I wanted my lines to be with wing divider and used my swivel knife to cut the lines. All I ended up with were v shaped troughs that looked like crap. I was not able to come anywhere close to this:

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Any ideas? I do see where this guy uses what is called a "double cut border swivel knife". Apparently, there is a swivel blade just for cutting borders... Here is a link to the blog that I am looking at: http://saddleblog.blogspot.com/2007/02/stamping.html

I might walk down the road today, I actually work two doors down from Barry King Tools. I've known Barry and Ryan King for many years.
 
Will do but it will be a couple of days. Leaving on a camping trip this morning. Will be off line for a few.
 
Barry King makes the double border blades. I can't work a swivel to save my life but I've seen them on his site.
 
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