Techniques
Materials
I use veg-tanned leather for the most part and finish it with oils and clear finishes . Veg-tanned is what is used for tooling and most formedprojects, (other than for shoes, etc.) It has a firmness and malleability that the other leathers don’t have. The edges also polish in a pleasing manner. This type of leather comes in thicknesses from about 1/64 inch to around 1/4 inch, this is often referred to as armor leather. I do also use a variety of other leathers for lining and decorative effect, i.e. some garment quality suede, etc.
Most projects are glued together with Rubber Cement or Contact Cement. Rubber Cement is good for holding objects together for sewing etc. but can be separated later. Contact cement is essentially a permanent bond, very strong.
For stitching, I use a linen thread rubbed with bees wax.
There is a multitude of hardware items available for leatherwork. I use a variety of conchos, rivets (both copper and decorative), latches, buckles and snaps to name a few.
Tools
All the projects are individually designed and produced, I am not using any ‘mass production’ processes. For sewing, I use the traditional process known as Hand Stitch using an awl, two needles and waxed linen thread. Most of the containers are formed around wooden blocks or cylinders, (ABS piping works pretty well too). Many of my tools are visible here in this picture.
This work has required that I learn how to sharpen tools to a very fine edge and my favorite blade is one I made, specifically for this work, from a metal file. For those who know something about sharpening, my stones are 1000, 4000 and 8000 grit, then I do a lot of stropping for the final edge.
Most of my tools have come from the Tandy Leather Co. and are featured in their catalogues.
Carving
Carving leather is done with water soaked veg-tanned leather. A pattern is usually scribed onto the wet leather and then cut with a swivel knife on major outlines. It is then compressed with a variety of tools at the outline on the background plane leaving the foreground raised. This process is usually completed without letting the leather dry out and so must be done quickly and efficiently.
Types of Creations
To date, most of my output has been the making of cases, containers for healing tools, crystal shifters, ceremonial objects, obsidian knives, smudge, feathers etc. The Gallery has examples of many of these items.
Process
To make custom specific cases, etc., I first define what is to be secured, protected or contained and how it is to be used, then, what are the specific measurements of the objects and how much embellishment and decorativeness is called for. The Design page goes into this in more detail. The process of designing is where I spend most of my time on many projects: figuring out these parameters, what level of complexity and detail am I willing to do or attempt and how will it work as a pattern. Then comes the cutting, glueing, sewing, etc. It is not really obvious at first glance but the actual steps taken and the order in which they are taken are most important. For instance putting a snap into a case after it is otherwise completed may be nearly impossible, definitely something to be avoided. Finally, the project is finished with either oils or a variety of solid finishes like Super Sheen, (not my favorite), Satin Sheen, antique finishes or other types of finishes. The case for my obsidian knife is a good example of a protective case which also serves as a splendid presentation of the knife when opened, see an example of the obsidian knife case in progress.
Click here to see other projects in progress, such as a Feather Case, Pipe Case or Knife Sheath
