The Cowbell Build Thread

jlauffer said:
Don't apologize John...knife pics (especially good ones like that) on a knife forum is a good thing!:thumbsup: Plus it's your forum...it's good to be the king!
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Hey I just do my best to keep the lights on! You guys are welcome to post whatever kind of threads you want, hobbies, interests, sports, whatever, none of that "wrong forum" business in here:thumbsup:
 
Are YouTube videos like that one I posted worth the effort? Does it give you guys a better idea of how the knives are or does it just feel repetitive?
 
Thanks Mike, I tried to do a talkie but I'm much better in silent movies:D
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Redmeadow Knives said:
Are YouTube videos like that one I posted worth the effort? Does it give you guys a better idea of how the knives are or does it just feel repetitive?
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Definitely useful to see things in motion - gives a better sense of scale and shows more angles. Pics are good for staring at details.

Btw, I agree that your hand stitching has improved. I'd say it was very good before (judging by pics, of course), but it seems to have gotten more consistent, along with other parts of the work. Any lessons you've picked up that can be passed along, or is it mostly just developing a better feel for everything?
 
I think repetition of the same design helps, I'm learning the quirks of the Cowbell sheaths and can anticipate them now. I'm realizing that quirks are a part of the process, instead of an anomaly.

One thing that helps is dressing the stitch line during wet forming with either a stitch wheel or the punch you used. It seems to freshen up the row well.
 
Redmeadow Knives said:
I think repetition of the same design helps, I'm learning the quirks of the Cowbell sheaths and can anticipate them now. I'm realizing that quirks are a part of the process, instead of an anomaly.

One thing that helps is dressing the stitch line during wet forming with either a stitch wheel or the punch you used. It seems to freshen up the row well.
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Thanks, John, that's good info.
 
Redmeadow Knives said:
I think repetition of the same design helps, I'm learning the quirks of the Cowbell sheaths and can anticipate them now. I'm realizing that quirks are a part of the process, instead of an anomaly.

One thing that helps is dressing the stitch line during wet forming with either a stitch wheel or the punch you used. It seems to freshen up the row well.
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Practice ~ Practice ~ Practice and so I share apropos - Once upon a time, in a long ago age, when I was different and not, I used to work nights in a sail loft. We made sail boat sails. Whole team of people on one side of the room at the sewing machines and then a little cadre (6 to 8) people sitting around in a circle hand stitching hardware and leathers on sails on the other side.

1st off, this was such a fun way to work, especially because we all got along so well. We would compete to finish off extra work in an evening for a bottle of wine or a growler of porter all the while telling stories and making each other laugh. A perfect job for a 20 year old. Would end my night shift at the beach.

POINT IS THOUGH - that when I first started my hand stitching (with white waxed thread) was pitiful - loose, dirty, crossed threads (and other flaws - even though I was doing my best) and I was ponderously slow. After 6 months or so though, my hand work was amazingly tight, clean, consistent and fast and artful too. You could tell that these were hand stitched - there's just something about good handwork that shines through - still though, casual observation would lead you to believe that this stitching was done by machine if such work COULD be done by machine.

You are into the rhythm John. All your practice is standing proud. Your work is stellar. I hope my Cowbell sheath at the end of this run is a hand stitched job - because it is so cool. Just sayin' though, I'll take whatever you send me and still be happy. :thumbsup: :cool:
 
Thanks for posting that Ray, I hear you about hand done work, it's like it gets imbued with a presence that can't be duplicated. The current Dibs will be hand stitched as that's how they were offered. I doubt I'll have a machine anytime soon, the model I'm looking at runs around $3200 shipped. I'm a "Buy Once, Cry Once" guy and all about investing in the right machinery but that's a hard pill to swallow. Hell, my HT Oven and Mini Mill cost around that much combined:eek:

Having said that , I do recognize that leatherwork grinds my productivity to a crawl. Stitch layout and prep is over half of the overall time involved in a sheath for me. The result though is a stitch that looks the same front and back and that's important. If a machine can shave hours (literally) off each sheath though and maintain the same quality of stitch, I'm in.

My Grandmother used to build Goodyear Blimps in the early 1950's. She'd talk about the huge amounts of fabric laid out in a humorous hangar, giant needles and how much fun it was working there. Your story reminded me of that, which I haven't thought about in years.
 
gunspease said:
If you do happen to get the machine before my next dibs comes up feel free to use it if you think it will make it easier for you.
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Thanks Greg, it really is a difficult decision for me but I think getting one is the right choice. I need to pick the brains over in the sheath forum.
 
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