A Stitch in Time

[Redmeadow Knives]

How's that Cobra 26 looking?

Yeah Don has a lot of good info. We watch his videos often, him and Aaron from Maker's. I've been doing the flower carving on this outfit recently just having taken over from Nichole so she can focus more on her bags. I've never really used the bar backgrounders before. Nichole has four incrementally sized bar backgrounders (all Barry's), and I find I'm using all four on a project. My third sheath attempt. She's trying to teach an old dog new tricks:

I was pleased with this sheath. First few times I tried using a bar backgrounder there were words going around all over the place spelled like @$^$ and )&*^%* or &&^%$(!

Man that looks great Dave, we're gonna get into more carving when I get home. I'd like to put some purdy pants on my knives in the future.

I'll be bringing 10 new stamps home, all Barry Kings and Wayne Jueschke's.... will be selling some organs when I get back.

 

[Horsewright]

Man that looks great Dave, we're gonna get into more carving when I get home. I'd like to put some purdy pants on my knives in the future.

I'll be bringing 10 new stamps home, all Barry Kings and Wayne Jueschke's.... will be selling some organs when I get back.

Ouch. I know what they cost, which seems crazy, but then its really crazy the difference between the work a good stamping tool does and a cheapie. Makes the good ones not near as expensive. Thanks for the kind words.

Very cool on the kids wanting to enter next year. I'll be glad to help my lil leather buddies however I can. There was a guy there this year showing a saddle that I'd helped some years back. He just had a couple questions I don't even remember what he asked me (it was on IG). But during our conversations I started following him and noticed he'd built a saddle for the show this year. The #1 question I get from other leatherworkers on IG is how do you get that color? #2 is how do you get rid of the foot marks in the channels when you tool the Carlos border stamp? Its funny. I get the color one sometimes a couple of times a week.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Redmeadow Knives

I just spanned this entire thread, you have impeccable taste my friend. Truly a craftsmen if there ever was one.

 

[Horsewright]

Hey John. Here's some more Stitches In Time for Ains and Roy. Thought they might like this old post I did years ago:

Climbed the Summit!

Years ago there use to be this little restaurant here in town called The Summit. They were very close to where Hwy 58 crossed the summit of Tehachapi Pass and thus the name. Could easily see it from the ranch. Their claim to fame was they had 58 different beers from around the world. They'd give...

www.bladeforums.com

Bout all the different types of chaps. Lots of leather work and horses.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Ouch. I know what they cost, which seems crazy, but then its really crazy the difference between the work a good stamping tool does and a cheapie. Makes the good ones not near as expensive. Thanks for the kind words.

Very cool on the kids wanting to enter next year. I'll be glad to help my lil leather buddies however I can. There was a guy there this year showing a saddle that I'd helped some years back. He just had a couple questions I don't even remember what he asked me (it was on IG). But during our conversations I started following him and noticed he'd built a saddle for the show this year. The #1 question I get from other leatherworkers on IG is how do you get that color? #2 is how do you get rid of the foot marks in the channels when you tool the Carlos border stamp? Its funny. I get the color one sometimes a couple of times a week.

Yeah it definitely hurt the pocket book, especially the Jueschkes but man are they crisp. I took a block of Cherry and drilled out a toolblock for everything, really makes a difference to have everything organized.



The Kings and Jueschkes.


There were some beautiful saddles at the show, a lot of impressive carving. I know the answer to your #1 most asked question but as far as #2, how DO you clean this channels up on a Carlos border? I've only fooled with it a bit and have tried everything with the best result from a flat screwdriver bit

Redmeadow Knives

I just spanned this entire thread, you have impeccable taste my friend. Truly a craftsmen if there ever was one.

I really appreciate the kind words, I don't consider myself a craftsman at all but I give things a shot!


The Newsletter I'm working on has a lot of leather info in it from Sheridan, I might post it here as well.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Roy beveling around a maple leaf, he has a knack with a belveler. He did well carving it out with a swivel knife, they aren't easy to manipulate.


Them learning a skill at this age has been great. If they grow tired of it and quit at some point that would be fine, so far they're still full steam ahead.

 

[Horsewright]

Roy beveling around a maple leaf, he has a knack with a belveler. He did well carving it out with a swivel knife, they aren't easy to manipulate.
View attachment 2203040

Them learning a skill at this age has been great. If they grow tired of it and quit at some point that would be fine, so far they're still full steam ahead.

Yes he did do well with the swivel knife. Does he have some undercut bevelers for the inside curves of the leaves? I've heard em called petal lifters too. They used to really lift the edge of a leaf or a flower on those curves. Look at the far flower:

Or here on these oak leaves:

Really helps with the depth of your carving.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Yes he did do well with the swivel knife. Does he have some undercut bevelers for the inside curves of the leaves? I've heard em called petal lifters too. They used to really lift the edge of a leaf or a flower on those curves. Look at the far flower:

Or here on these oak leaves:

Really helps with the depth of your carving.

We watched a video the other day on lifters where they curled up the edges of a leaf, we're gonna pick one up. We've got a fair range now of basketweaves, borders and geometrics, now we're gonna focus on getting some stamps for carving. I'd like to get a steeper beveler too.

Edit: Here's the video I mentioned

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

We watched a video the other day on lifters where they curled up the edges of a leaf, we're gonna pick one up. We've got a fair range now of basketweaves, borders and geometrics, now we're gonna focus on getting some stamps for carving. I'd like to get a steeper beveler too.

Edit: Here's the video I mentioned

This is madness. I had no idea leather carvers had an entire niche world of their own with methods like these.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

This is madness. I had no idea leather carvers had an entire niche world of their own with methods like these.

I've barely scratched the surface, carving is it's own animal in the leather world. When the kids and I were carving the other day I told them that they're learning to do one of the most difficult skills in leathercraft. Their eyes lit up over that.

 

[Horsewright]

We watched a video the other day on lifters where they curled up the edges of a leaf, we're gonna pick one up. We've got a fair range now of basketweaves, borders and geometrics, now we're gonna focus on getting some stamps for carving. I'd like to get a steeper beveler too.

Edit: Here's the video I mentioned

Good deal! Roy has learned to "walk" the bevelers? I didn't when I was first learning and it was difficult to unlearn or rather to learn to walk the beveler when ya hadn't been. As to question #2 above. Here is a little tutorial I did on how to do the Carlos Border stamp:

Carlos Border Stamping an How To

Been asked a couple of three times for this tutorial over the years. Finally got the pics done to write er up. The Carlos Border, Running W or Meander Stamp is all basically the same thing. Different names I guess. Its used often in western applications. I will use it on sheaths, holsters...

www.bladeforums.com

So yeah how to ya get rid of the foot marks of the stamp?

Two passes of the red pokey tool in the channel will usually get rid of them:

I'll do it again after wet molding the sheath as you are going to collapse your tooling a lil bit by wet molding:

Collapsed above, particularly the upper corners of the pattern. Below after rehab with the red pokey tool:

Just opening the channels back up brings a lot of life back to the tooling ya squished wet molding.

This is madness. I had no idea leather carvers had an entire niche world of their own with methods like these.

The carving is very common in the western world particularly on saddles. Here's mine when it was new a couple years back:

Dave's New Ride....Lots of Leather

As many of you know I've had a new saddle on order for quite a while. Well its showed up Tuesday and WOW!. I've been so busy riding it, I hadn't had a chance to take any pics. Finally did yesterday (Saturday), so here they are: It's a partial roughout, partial carved saddle. All the carved...

www.bladeforums.com

 

[Horsewright]

Yeah it definitely hurt the pocket book, especially the Jueschkes but man are they crisp. I took a block of Cherry and drilled out a toolblock for everything, really makes a difference to have everything organized.

View attachment 2202967

The Kings and Jueschkes.
View attachment 2202973

There were some beautiful saddles at the show, a lot of impressive carving. I know the answer to your #1 most asked question but as far as #2, how DO you clean this channels up on a Carlos border? I've only fooled with it a bit and have tried everything with the best result from a flat screwdriver bit


I really appreciate the kind words, I don't consider myself a craftsman at all but I give things a shot!


The Newsletter I'm working on has a lot of leather info in it from Sheridan, I might post it here as well.

You above and me below. A sign of genius perhaps? Probably not.

Very nice stamp block btw.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Good deal! Roy has learned to "walk" the bevelers? I didn't when I was first learning and it was difficult to unlearn or rather to learn to walk the beveler when ya hadn't been. As to question #2 above. Here is a little tutorial I did on how to do the Carlos Border stamp:

Carlos Border Stamping an How To

Been asked a couple of three times for this tutorial over the years. Finally got the pics done to write er up. The Carlos Border, Running W or Meander Stamp is all basically the same thing. Different names I guess. Its used often in western applications. I will use it on sheaths, holsters...

www.bladeforums.com

So yeah how to ya get rid of the foot marks of the stamp?

Two passes of the red pokey tool in the channel will usually get rid of them:

I'll do it again after wet molding the sheath as you are going to collapse your tooling a lil bit by wet molding:

Collapsed above, particularly the upper corners of the pattern. Below after rehab with the red pokey tool:

Just opening the channels back up brings a lot of life back to the tooling ya squished wet molding.


The carving is very common in the western world particularly on saddles. Here's mine when it was new a couple years back:

Dave's New Ride....Lots of Leather

As many of you know I've had a new saddle on order for quite a while. Well its showed up Tuesday and WOW!. I've been so busy riding it, I hadn't had a chance to take any pics. Finally did yesterday (Saturday), so here they are: It's a partial roughout, partial carved saddle. All the carved...

www.bladeforums.com

Is red pokey took the technical name for that by chance lol?

I've actually been looking for a tool to leave flat indented lines in wet leather for my sheaths. As of now I've been using a stitch channeling tool (one without the guide on it) to make the lines in my sheaths. Something a little broader that would leave a more consistent mark without removing the leather would be great.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Good deal! Roy has learned to "walk" the bevelers? I didn't when I was first learning and it was difficult to unlearn or rather to learn to walk the beveler when ya hadn't been. As to question #2 above. Here is a little tutorial I did on how to do the Carlos Border stamp:

Carlos Border Stamping an How To

Been asked a couple of three times for this tutorial over the years. Finally got the pics done to write er up. The Carlos Border, Running W or Meander Stamp is all basically the same thing. Different names I guess. Its used often in western applications. I will use it on sheaths, holsters...

www.bladeforums.com

So yeah how to ya get rid of the foot marks of the stamp?

Two passes of the red pokey tool in the channel will usually get rid of them:

I'll do it again after wet molding the sheath as you are going to collapse your tooling a lil bit by wet molding:

Collapsed above, particularly the upper corners of the pattern. Below after rehab with the red pokey tool:

Just opening the channels back up brings a lot of life back to the tooling ya squished wet molding.


The carving is very common in the western world particularly on saddles. Here's mine when it was new a couple years back:

Dave's New Ride....Lots of Leather

As many of you know I've had a new saddle on order for quite a while. Well its showed up Tuesday and WOW!. I've been so busy riding it, I hadn't had a chance to take any pics. Finally did yesterday (Saturday), so here they are: It's a partial roughout, partial carved saddle. All the carved...

www.bladeforums.com

Roy started walking the beveler right off the bat, I was surprised. The only problem he was having was that he would go past the area to be beveled and where two lines would meet like at the tip of the leaf there would be a little x where he went too far. Other than that he didn't need any direction.

That's a great tutorial, both the link and what you posted. I need to get some stylus doohickies like that.

You above and me below. A sign of genius perhaps? Probably not.

Very nice stamp block btw.

I'd day your genius is well documented. I'm feast or famine, either everything is in it's place or it looks like I poured a five gallon bucket of tools and trash on the bench. I can't seem to work in between the two

Is red pokey took the technical name for that by chance lol?

I've actually been looking for a tool to leave flat indented lines in wet leather for my sheaths. As of now I've been using a stitch channeling tool (one without the guide on it) to make the lines in my sheaths. Something a little broader that would leave a more consistent mark without removing the leather would be great.

Not sure what the red pokey thing is exactly but a search for modeling stylus or clay stylus would get you in the right direction. Dave will have a better answer for you but I think they're called grooves, they have ones with different inserts for different lines.

 

[Horsewright]

Is red pokey took the technical name for that by chance lol?

I've actually been looking for a tool to leave flat indented lines in wet leather for my sheaths. As of now I've been using a stitch channeling tool (one without the guide on it) to make the lines in my sheaths. Something a little broader that would leave a more consistent mark without removing the leather would be great.

Nope pokey tool is completely colloquial, Nichole my wife came up with it. It is a Tandy modeling spoon with a blunt tip on the other end.

I think what you are looking for is a creaser, an Osborne #12 or sometimes its called a tickler creaser:

Traditionally these were warmed over an alcohol lamp/burner and then used warm. There are lots of adjustable creasers to make lines close to an edge or different size single ones to do the same thing but this type of creaser is designed to be used away from an edge.

Roy started walking the beveler right off the bat, I was surprised. The only problem he was having was that he would go past the area to be beveled and where two lines would meet like at the tip of the leaf there would be a little x where he went too far. Other than that he didn't need any direction.

That's a great tutorial, both the link and what you posted. I need to get some stylus doohickies like that.

I'd day your genius is well documented. I'm feast or famine, either everything is in it's place or it looks like I poured a five gallon bucket of tools and trash on the bench. I can't seem to work in between the two


Not sure what the red pokey thing is exactly but a search for modeling stylus or clay stylus would get you in the right direction. Dave will have a better answer for you but I think they're called grooves, they have ones with different inserts for different lines.

Good deal on Roy's beveling. Glad that link helped out some. Half and half is really the secret to Carlos border stamping. Aw shucks on the genius deal. If ya only knew. I throw away a sheath almost every batch. I sure did on today's batch just sooopid!

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Nope pokey tool is completely colloquial, Nichole my wife came up with it. It is a Tandy modeling spoon with a blunt tip on the other end.

I think what you are looking for is a creaser, an Osborne #12 or sometimes its called a tickler creaser:

Traditionally these were warmed over an alcohol lamp/burner and then used warm. There are lots of adjustable creasers to make lines close to an edge or different size single ones to do the same thing but this type of creaser is designed to be used away from an edge.


Good deal on Roy's beveling. Glad that link helped out some. Half and half is really the secret to Carlos border stamping. Aw shucks on the genius deal. If ya only knew. I throw away a sheath almost every batch. I sure did on today's batch just sooopid!

Makes sense to alternate sides like that so you can space things as you go, I've been running one side and then the other and I end up with wonky spacing.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Roy started walking the beveler right off the bat, I was surprised. The only problem he was having was that he would go past the area to be beveled and where two lines would meet like at the tip of the leaf there would be a little x where he went too far. Other than that he didn't need any direction.

That's a great tutorial, both the link and what you posted. I need to get some stylus doohickies like that.

I'd day your genius is well documented. I'm feast or famine, either everything is in it's place or it looks like I poured a five gallon bucket of tools and trash on the bench. I can't seem to work in between the two


Not sure what the red pokey thing is exactly but a search for modeling stylus or clay stylus would get you in the right direction. Dave will have a better answer for you but I think they're called grooves, they have ones with different inserts for different lines.

Might indeed be called a groove, I'm looking into it now! Technically I'm already using a free hand stitch groover to make these lines



but I'm looking for something that makes slightly broader lines that's more even and flat faced. Maybe just compressing the leather insead of removing it, not sure.

Nope pokey tool is completely colloquial, Nichole my wife came up with it. It is a Tandy modeling spoon with a blunt tip on the other end.

I think what you are looking for is a creaser, an Osborne #12 or sometimes its called a tickler creaser:

Traditionally these were warmed over an alcohol lamp/burner and then used warm. There are lots of adjustable creasers to make lines close to an edge or different size single ones to do the same thing but this type of creaser is designed to be used away from an edge.


Good deal on Roy's beveling. Glad that link helped out some. Half and half is really the secret to Carlos border stamping. Aw shucks on the genius deal. If ya only knew. I throw away a sheath almost every batch. I sure did on today's batch just sooopid!

I'm familiar with creasers, super old school and very nifty tools! Give a nice little added pinache. Creasers give more of a thin deep line, but maybe they make different styles of heads that leave different marks? I'll be investigating this too, among your other excellent advice

Thank you gentlemen.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Might indeed be called a groove, I'm looking into it now! Technically I'm already using a free hand stitch groover to make these lines

View attachment 2205047

but I'm looking for something that makes slightly broader lines that's more even and flat faced. Maybe just compressing the leather insead of removing it, not sure.



I'm familiar with creasers, super old school and very nifty tools! Give a nice little added pinache. Creasers give more of a thin deep line, but maybe they make different styles of heads that leave different marks? I'll be investigating this too, among your other excellent advice

Thank you gentlemen.

I have a groover like the one below, you can replace the cutter with the little spoon that comes with it. You could try turning it sideways or modify it to get a wider valley?

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

I have a groover like the one below, you can replace the cutter with the little spoon that comes with it. You could try turning it sideways or modify it to get a wider valley?

That just might be perfect. Looks like a craft tool, I will have to snag one (could aways use another stitch groover anyway). Thank you

 

[Horsewright]

Makes sense to alternate sides like that so you can space things as you go, I've been running one side and then the other and I end up with wonky spacing.

Yep thats what I mean by half and half. Half way down or up and half way in the previous stamp.

I have a groover like the one below, you can replace the cutter with the little spoon that comes with it. You could try turning it sideways or modify it to get a wider valley?

Ya know I've got three or four different high end stitching groovers including a BK. I keep using the cheapie Craft Tool ones. We have five. Just leave em set on the different sizes we need. Nichole's got three inside and I have two outside.