Whacha Been Up To......

[A.L.]

I too am digging it! Ain't said that in a while.

Thanks for the kind words!

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks for the kind words!

Ya bet! What kind of leather is that?

 

[7stitches]

Very nice. Horsehide is an excellent leather for such an application. Are you worried about dye transfer at all? It has bit me even after a couple of years.


Fantastic work my friend!

Thank you very much. I use Resolene as a top coat, and that seems to work in preventing any dye transfer. I apply it in two thin coats, then buff it with sheepskin.

 

[A.L.]

Ya bet! What kind of leather is that?

It’s called dark green gaucho oil buffed. It was on sale and I bought some when I ordered the belt materials. Very nice stuff, thin yet seems very tough. I haven’t yet worked with anything like this. It’s 1,8mm / 4,5oz.

 

[Horsewright]

Thank you very much. I use Resolene as a top coat, and that seems to work in preventing any dye transfer. I apply it in two thin coats, then buff it with sheepskin.

Yeah I've done that too and still had dye transfer. Had it transfer from one holster to another In a storage box while going to a show. Had to throw a couple of things away. Hope it works for ya cause that is a nice project.

It’s called dark green gaucho oil buffed. It was on sale and I bought some when I ordered the belt materials. Very nice stuff, thin yet seems very tough. I haven’t yet worked with anything like this. It’s 1,8mm / 4,5oz.

Good deal. Sure made a nice looking wallet.

 

[7stitches]

Wow, I never had any had anything like that happen. I use oil dye and let it dry for a day before rubbing briskly, and applying Resolene.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

So packed up and took a trip. Boo kitty did not get to go:

We met one of our sons at the Grand Canyon.:

Nichole had never been and it'd been 44 years since I was there:

Saw lots of wildlife up close:

Had plans on taking some product pics the next morning with the canyon in the background but it was snowing so hard that you couldn't see the canyon:

Still were able to get a few:

Back home we've been busy too.

Whacha been up to?

Is that a Pendleton on your bed? It's a beaut.

Edit to add: out of curiosity, when you're speaking of dyed sheathed not holding up as well as non dyed sheaths... were you using an oil based dye or a water based dye? This is a really interesting footnote that I've never heard before.

 

[Horsewright]

Wow, I never had any had anything like that happen. I use oil dye and let it dry for a day before rubbing briskly, and applying Resolene.

Is that a Pendleton on your bed? It's a beaut.

Edit to add: out of curiosity, when you're speaking of dyed sheathed not holding up as well as non dyed sheaths... were you using an oil based dye or a water based dye? This is a really interesting footnote that I've never heard before.

Yeah I used oil based dye Fiebings Pro Stuff. I've read that it wasn't oil based really that it was still a spirit based product but don't know for sure. But I do know that I certainly oiled every piece after dyeing. Didn't help. Even tannery drum dyed has some dye transfer albeit very small but it doesn't crack. Don't think so? Take a piece of drum dyed scrap. Even my favorite, the russet Wicket and Craig, that I use almost exclusively. Take a clean white t shirt and wrap it around a couple fingers (this is my normal finish applicator) and wipe it on that piece of scrap. Now turn your hand over and look at your t shirt wrapped fingers. That light brown color on the t shirt is dye transfer. Now working it through my normal sheath making process makes that go away so the dye transfer is slight but its still there. But like I said the tannery drum dyed doesn't crack under heavy use.

Back when I quit dyeing leather I was working at a much higher volume than I do now. I was kicking out a batch of knives and sheaths at least once a month and closer to every three weeks of 60- 100. For years my average of knife making was around a thousand. So for sheaths it was quite a bit more as I have always been building my sheaths for other knives too. I always had five to ten outside sheaths in every batch to do. I offered the standard Oil Dye colors of saddle tan, light brown, dark brown, mahogany and black. I also did my oil tan which was just warmed up neatsfoot oil like I do now. With that kind of product out there, I was basing my decision of lots and lots of product in use and seeing how it held up. While not part of my decision making process I can tell you it sure simplified life not offering the different colors. Couldn't even begin to tell you how many times: "Dang that one was suppose to be saddle tan, not mahogany!" Became a big believer in the KISS principle!

 

[Horsewright]

Is that a Pendleton on your bed? It's a beaut.

Edit to add: out of curiosity, when you're speaking of dyed sheathed not holding up as well as non dyed sheaths... were you using an oil based dye or a water based dye? This is a really interesting footnote that I've never heard before.

I forgot to answer your question on the bed spread. No sir its not a Pendleton. That was a gift from the folks that own the store where we've bought all our handmade Hacienda style furniture, so its a Mexican blanket that we use as a bed spread. It is gorgeous, thanks. I'm a big Pendleton fan though and am fact wearing one of their shirts as I type right now. Its also interesting you mentioning that because on that trip to the Grand Canyon we were looking very hard at the Pendleton blankets for sale. Besides some of their regular patterned Pendleton blankets for sale both in the gift shops and in the general store, they had a unique pattern for the Grand Canyon made up in the colors of the canyon. It was gorgeous. Largest they seemed to have was a queen though and we needed a California King so we didn't get one. But we looked at em extensively and was close to buying one even though it wouldn't have fit our bed.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Yeah I used oil based dye Fiebings Pro Stuff. I've read that it wasn't oil based really that it was still a spirit based product but don't know for sure. But I do know that I certainly oiled every piece after dyeing. Didn't help. Even tannery drum dyed has some dye transfer albeit very small but it doesn't crack. Don't think so? Take a piece of drum dyed scrap. Even my favorite, the russet Wicket and Craig, that I use almost exclusively. Take a clean white t shirt and wrap it around a couple fingers (this is my normal finish applicator) and wipe it on that piece of scrap. Now turn your hand over and look at your t shirt wrapped fingers. That light brown color on the t shirt is dye transfer. Now working it through my normal sheath making process makes that go away so the dye transfer is slight but its still there. But like I said the tannery drum dyed doesn't crack under heavy use.

Back when I quit dyeing leather I was working at a much higher volume than I do now. I was kicking out a batch of knives and sheaths at least once a month and closer to every three weeks of 60- 100. For years my average of knife making was around a thousand. So for sheaths it was quite a bit more as I have always been building my sheaths for other knives too. I always had five to ten outside sheaths in every batch to do. I offered the standard Oil Dye colors of saddle tan, light brown, dark brown, mahogany and black. I also did my oil tan which was just warmed up neatsfoot oil like I do now. With that kind of product out there, I was basing my decision of lots and lots of product in use and seeing how it held up. While not part of my decision making process I can tell you it sure simplified life not offering the different colors. Couldn't even begin to tell you how many times: "Dang that one was suppose to be saddle tan, not mahogany!" Became a big believer in the KISS principle!

I can totally understand why higher production makers end up gravitating toward drum-dyed. Dye is a pain in the ass but a lot of the drum-dyed leather looks like plasticky and without soul imho, whereas your wicket and craig looks vibrant. I think properly sealing it is a big deal, helps to add to that slightly uneven mottled look that I personally enjoy.

If anyone would know about the kind of longetivity involved on dye vs no dye, it would certainly be you. I myself have never taken a shine to oil based dyes for anything outside of black (because black water based dyes bleed profusely). More and more lately I've been leaning towards properly treated natural veg tan but when I dye I use water based. I'm going to have to give this w & c that you use a shot, because when I look at your work it still has that "soul" of the leather I'm looking for.

 

[7stitches]

Yeah I used oil based dye Fiebings Pro Stuff. I've read that it wasn't oil based really that it was still a spirit based product but don't know for sure. But I do know that I certainly oiled every piece after dyeing. Didn't help. Even tannery drum dyed has some dye transfer albeit very small but it doesn't crack. Don't think so? Take a piece of drum dyed scrap. Even my favorite, the russet Wicket and Craig, that I use almost exclusively. Take a clean white t shirt and wrap it around a couple fingers (this is my normal finish applicator) and wipe it on that piece of scrap. Now turn your hand over and look at your t shirt wrapped fingers. That light brown color on the t shirt is dye transfer. Now working it through my normal sheath making process makes that go away so the dye transfer is slight but its still there. But like I said the tannery drum dyed doesn't crack under heavy use.

Back when I quit dyeing leather I was working at a much higher volume than I do now. I was kicking out a batch of knives and sheaths at least once a month and closer to every three weeks of 60- 100. For years my average of knife making was around a thousand. So for sheaths it was quite a bit more as I have always been building my sheaths for other knives too. I always had five to ten outside sheaths in every batch to do. I offered the standard Oil Dye colors of saddle tan, light brown, dark brown, mahogany and black. I also did my oil tan which was just warmed up neatsfoot oil like I do now. With that kind of product out there, I was basing my decision of lots and lots of product in use and seeing how it held up. While not part of my decision making process I can tell you it sure simplified life not offering the different colors. Couldn't even begin to tell you how many times: "Dang that one was suppose to be saddle tan, not mahogany!" Became a big believer in the KISS principle!

I can get a transfer from undyed leather using a white rag. I'm just not having the problems that you experienced. Furthermore, I like using different colors Glock users seem to like black holsters, so I dye them black.

 

[Horsewright]

I can get a transfer from undyed leather using a white rag. I'm just not having the problems that you experienced. Furthermore, I like using different colors Glock users seem to like black holsters, so I dye them black.

I think different greens would appeal to that outfit too as well as the black.

 

[Horsewright]

I can get a transfer from undyed leather using a white rag. I'm just not having the problems that you experienced. Furthermore, I like using different colors Glock users seem to like black holsters, so I dye them black.

While I don't consider myself a Glock guy, I do have one a (G43).

I would often wear it at the ranch when I knew things were gonna get grimy, dusty and muddy. Why cause I knew that lil Glock was always gonna go bang.

Glocks really are the holster makers dream gun. With just a few Blueguns ya can cover just about their whole line up. They have 3 or 4 frame sizes and then all their models are just variations on that. Also their website is very specific on frame and barrel measurements. Really makes it easy.

Ya really bring up a great point. My experience may not be your experience. Gotta do what works for you, in your shop, in your situation.

 

[bladegrinder]

Just finished a holster for a Smith & Wesson Shield...

 

[Robber58]

Very, very nice work!
Randy

 

[Horsewright]

Just finished a holster for a Smith & Wesson Shield...

I'm with Randy, very nice indeed. Intriguing stitching pattern.

 

[bladegrinder]

Thanks folks!

 

[Glenn54]

Very impressive leather work. Congrats!

 

[Horsewright]

Some recents:

Hadn't made one of these in years. It was my part of a trade:

They cut out their own sheath as a test that they are ready to ship:

Another batch of knives and sheaths:

One of the first ever water buffalo overlay horizontal sheaths:

And the other:

Whacha been up to?

 

[ecallahan]

I haven’t posted here in a while. I spent most of my leatherwork time making wallets and the like. I’m getting back into knife sheaths and recently just tried a Finnish style sheath for a Mora Classic. I made this one without a belt loop as it will just get tossed in a pack. They are fun to make, I’m trying to figure out the best way to sew etc.