First Leather Carving Project

[Djones]

I've been making gun leather for about 6-7 years. This is the first time I attempted to carve any of my work. I need a smaller basket weave stamp but I learned a lot and had fun.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/duckwhackercmon/593DBD71-B731-45D5-B372-A461948C6629.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/duckwhackercmon/media/593DBD71-B731-45D5-B372-A461948C6629.jpg.html)

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/duckwhackercmon/2BC76B2D-3ACC-4D6E-895F-1111E100FFD9.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/duckwhackercmon/media/2BC76B2D-3ACC-4D6E-895F-1111E100FFD9.jpg.html)

[Beagle333]

Looks like good work to me! 'Jealous here! :drinks:

[Denny303]

very nice!

[waarp8nt]

Mighty Fine work, although the initials are all wrong...mine are WH. :smile:

[Djones]

Thanks everybody for the compliments!



Mighty Fine work, although the initials are all wrong...mine are WH. :smile:

If you have any 20:1 or soft lead to trade I could make you one with "WH". PM me and we can discuss details!

[1989toddm]

Looks beautiful! What weight of leather did you use?

[Southerngunner]

Nice job, I also work with leather from time to time and I have made dozens of holsters and such but the whole tooling art concept seems to be beyond my meager capabilities. Do you use a stitching awl or a machine, I usually use the old 2 needle saddle stich with waxed cotton thread.

[Djones]

Looks beautiful! What weight of leather did you use?

I want to say about 6 ounce leather. It was from an old side I had under the bed in a stack.


Nice job, I also work with leather from time to time and I have made dozens of holsters and such but the whole tooling art concept seems to be beyond my meager capabilities. Do you use a stitching awl or a machine, I usually use the old 2 needle saddle stich with waxed cotton thread.

I too thought I was incapable of tooling or stamping the leather but is actually easy and a lot of fun. I too hand saddle stitch everything. Much more durable than machine stitching but very time consuming. Have a good weekend.

[Southerngunner]

I have a few stamps that I use and I haven't bought the basket weave set yet. I did buy a nice set of letters so I can at least put initials or names on projects. It seems like anything to do with guns will lead to another habit.You have yourself a good weekend as well.

[odis]

I started doing my own leather work many years ago, I found using a small marble slab for doing my stamping on really helped with good clean impressions.

[shoot-n-lead]

Nice work...and jealous, also. I would like to give leather a try, sometime.

[Tackleberry41]

I have been searching high and low. Those old WW2 shoulder holsters had a special kind of snap on them, I can find the posts everywhere, but not the actual snap. Any ideas?

[flint45]

Great job I like it .

[Djones]

Just finished these up.

http://i604.photobucket.com/albums/tt124/duckwhackercmon/E8D112B1-5F76-4EEA-8797-089FD9E6E16D.jpg (http://s604.photobucket.com/user/duckwhackercmon/media/E8D112B1-5F76-4EEA-8797-089FD9E6E16D.jpg.html)

[Gunslinger1911]

Yes, the man can work leather ! 45/70 and 22 Hornet
149590149591149592149593

I wasn't sure how the Hornet pouch was gonna turn out, that's an awful bitty round.
Must have taken some work, the loops work great !
I really like nice stuff !

[lancem]

I have been searching high and low. Those old WW2 shoulder holsters had a special kind of snap on them, I can find the posts everywhere, but not the actual snap. Any ideas?

This http://www.perfectfit.com/15333/Lift--the--Dot-Fasteners.html

or this? http://www.perfectfit.com/39290/154465/Pull---The---Dot-Fasteners/Pull---The---Dot-Fasteners.html

[gunshot98]

Looks good to me. I've been tooling since I was 10 yrs old and love every minute of it. Keep up the good work. Original work is the best.

[Blackwater]

Very nice work, D! I like the single snap version best, but that's just personal preference. The double snap version has to be more secure for your reserve ammo, the single snap just a dab quicker, and I just go for the quicker, usually. Good to see someone trying different things. When I do stuff like this, I usually try to give myself a chance to be wrong, just to see whether or not I was right to start with. Experience is the only real proof we'll ever have, really, and the only way to obtain that is by trying different stuff. And FWIW, I'd MUCH rather have a real hand-crafted piece of work like yous than an off the shelf sample that was made with stamping machines, machine sewn, etc. Your stuff has real CHARACTER and personality, and that is something that makes work like yours more and more valuable and appreciated as the years go by.

Leather always impresses me. They found some leather from shoes on the Titanic after all these years that was STILL intact! At the depth it sits, there's very, very low oxygen, so it's been preserved, but has NOT disintegrated like most of the other stuff that was down there. Leather is a very tough and resilient material that just flat works, lasts, looks good, and is satisfying aesthetically. It just doan git no better'n THAT! Excellent work. You should be proud.

[TXGunNut]

I took a few leatherwork classes in High School, still have a few projects around. Seems like I enjoyed it, may have even been pretty decent at it. I really enjoy custom leatherwork, have a belt and holster coming from EP Saddlery and couldn't help but think about giving it a try again. These threads are not helping, lol.

[JesterGrin_1]

I took a few leatherwork classes in High School, still have a few projects around. Seems like I enjoyed it, may have even been pretty decent at it. I really enjoy custom leatherwork, have a belt and holster coming from EP Saddlery and couldn't help but think about giving it a try again. These threads are not helping, lol.

What gets you is when you need something and nobody has it you have to make it lol. I pulled out an Old Ka-Bar 5" Buffalo Skinner but I believe the blade was made by Green River to use for Deer and Hog and could not find a sheath for it. So I probably messed up and spent way to much since I have never done this before and went to my Local Tandy and picked up a piece of belly cut off leather and made the sheath. And now dang it I am thinking of making other simple sheaths lol. But now where is the cheapest place to find good leather? As I now have needles and thread. :)

[Littleton Shot Maker]

St. Louis Leather supply has great stuff, carries all brands- Herman Oak, veg tan, chrome tanned every thing , if you don;t see it ask them , you'll be surprised.

They also shop all the other suppliers and will beat or match any price for same item I been able to find else where. I got a couple full sides to get started, 7-8 and 9-10 oz for heavy belts and holsters.

Same for me , I needed a piece , no one made it so I got a few books, patterns , tools and now a couple guys around me call me the leather guy- weird though- I've only done it for 3 years and only made maybe 10 holsters for autos maybe more, 3 complete cowboy rigs, and some other smalls, phone carrier, wallet, wife full sized briefcase. Same or like bag I have seen gong for 400-800$ - so I learned to make them and did it as good with out the NAME..or $$$

DJ, I have one of those from the 60's or 70's for some round I don;t use but keep the leather work around so I can replicate later with a 6.5 grendel or 308 rounds
Carving and tooling seem so strange I just like the old plain look .
your work is great - I think lighter leather for the loops will give you that rounder look you want on those small cases- I tried to do 22mag with 8 Oz. never going to happen, maybe go to a 3-4/ 4-5 on that part for and the 8-10 for the out sides...

You need some tools??? I will not be using any of the basket weave stuff I have- or the letters- or the little odd shapes that are in those stamp sets...
heck I may need to sell off the Ruby? blades and carving knives too, won;t use them in this life time-

[JesterGrin_1]

This is where it semi started lol. Way back in the early 70's I got a C.A.MYERS CO. Sewing Awl and never used it but I remember recently running across it still new in the box lol. Got it from my Grand Father at the time so I have no idea how old it is really. But as said I needed a sheath for a knife and so I picked up some leather and traced the knife shape I wanted on the back side of the leather with a pencil and cut it out with the same knife lol. Sewed it together and Magic Presto I have a usable sheath lol. But I did learn a couple of things by accident and that was I was informed at the time to smooth the edge of the leather to use a piece of wood rod. Well I found a piece of HDPE rod works better. :).

And just after I typed in this thread I did place an order with Track of the Wolf for a couple of 5" Buffalo Skinner knife blanks. :) One I plan to give away to a Friend so he will stop using mine when out hunting lol. Plus due to the fact that I keep mine so sharp it does worry me when someone else borrows it as most people are not used to sharp knives lol.

[toallmy]

I have no artistic abilities , but have a love for hand crafted art. I can just say beautiful simply beautiful.

[paralaska]

Well it"s probably not the cheapest, But I get most of my leather and supplies at Tandy because we have a store here and I can: go in, look at it, touch it, smell it, take it home with me. I really hate paying shipping costs and hate waiting for the mail or ups. I've gotten into leather crafting the last year or so . . . here are some of my creations:

~152561152564152563152562152559~152568152567152566 152565

[Littleton Shot Maker]

nice - very nice work

[freebullet]

Very nice work fellers!

[Tackleberry41]

This http://www.perfectfit.com/15333/Lift--the--Dot-Fasteners.html

or this? http://www.perfectfit.com/39290/154465/Pull---The---Dot-Fasteners/Pull---The---Dot-Fasteners.html

Once knew what they were called, they were easy to find. Its a bit odd, being used in holsters, I didn't find a single leather place selling them, had to go to a boat canvas place.

[Talon300]

As an Army Brat growing up in AK, we got introduced to different crafts at an early age. Mostly because when the temp outside dropped, we had to stay inside. We did ceramics, leather working/tooling, wood carving/burning, sewing, crocheting, embroidery and macrame. My mother was truly a skilled artisan when it came to ceramics, leather, sewing or anything in the kitchen.
I look back and am glad that I was given the basics of all the above and more at such a young age, and continued to build on some of them over the years. Along with those, I added a few more throughout my life.
A few years ago, my older sister was cleaning and sorting through some of our mothers things after she had passed on. She sent ALL our mother's leather stuff! All the leather scraps, lacing, patterns, the old Tandy and other books and pamphlets, stamping tools, swivel knives and some of her completed and untouched projects.
This is my first working/tooling project in 40+ years. The leather is as old/older than that! The rose was my mother's favorite flower and leather design pattern, the leaves-1 for each member of the family. The gun a Glock 20. Not too bad, need some practice on the leaves;)