Leatherworking Equipment

So, my workshop is pretty well stocked right now, but stemming from my leatherworking course there are still some things I'll need to get to be fully functional now that I'm starting to get into more stamping, carving and dyeing. So, mostly for my own benefit, I'm starting a list (in no particular order):

1) Rubber cement
2) Coffee can for storing bottle of rubber cement (apparently helps stop the lid from getting stuck)
3) Rotary cutter
4) A couple of plastic containers for storing my water/carving solution mixture
5) Plastic bowl/tray for water/carving solution
5) Good quality sponges that won't scratch leather
6) Some basic 3-d stamps (letters, period looking designs etc)
7) Jewelers rouge
8) Tracing paper

Probably more to come for the list as we get further into the class.

Leather Carving Class - Day 2

Well, another interesting class this week and I'm increasingly happy I decided to sign up for this. Just the basic instruction on how to use the tools, what tools should be used for what, and tips on what not to do (or buy) are going to be really helpful.

Today, we started to look at the effects that you can create using the basic stamping tools, how to use both 2-D and 3-D stamps, plus we started learning how to use the swivel knife.

We made a quick coaster using pre-cut leather rounds as a way to do some patterns using the basic camouflage tool, and then put a 3-D stamp in the middle (mine was a fleur-de-lis). We also saw the difference for stamping between the inexpensive leather that came in our kit (it was apparently from Mexico) and the better quality scraps we are using (apparently they are from Brazil). The better quality leather made a much cleaner and more detailed impression.

After that, we moved on to our main project for the course, which is a luggage tag. We started out using rubber cement to stick the leather to a piece of cardboard (the thin leather circle would get out of shape from the impact of the stamp if the cardboard wasn't holding it into shape). We then copied our pattern from the tracing paper (which we had prepared as homework) onto the leather and cut along the lines using the swivel knife.

Once the lines were cut out, we started using the camouflage tool to start filling in some detail on the pattern.

Next week, we will apparently be using the pear shader and the beveler to add more depth to the image. We're supposed to try them out over the course of the week so we get an idea of how they work. Our book has some exercises to work on too.

Couple of notes that I need to remember:

1) Need to watch the depth of my cuts using the swivel knife. Mine were too shallow. A couple of them were a bit ragged on the curves too. Will need to work on my technique.

2) Don't recycle those cereal boxes anymore. They apparently are the perfect cardboard to use when working with thin leather to stop the shape from warping as you stamp.

3) I can totally see minimizing my use of chrome-tan leather now for SCA pouches and such (at least once I use up the piles I already have). Why not just buy nice thin veg tan, which I can then carve, stamp or dye to the right colour? It's a bit more expensive but I totally see what my judges at Kingdom A&S were talking about now.

4) Need to look into what stamping tools and techniques were done in period so I can figure out if what I'm learning would actually apply for the SCA (for authenticity sake at least).

Leather Carving Class - Day 1

So yesterday was the first night of my leather carving class. We didn't do too much carving etc, but it was still a really helpful class.

We started out by watching a video from Hermann Oak Tannery to see the process that is used to make veg tanned leather - which can take as much as 3 months for each hide as compared to more modern types of tanning that can be done in a couple of days. It also covered how they grade the quality of each skin and a few other interesting tidbits about different kinds of leather. A part of the video is available on YouTube for those interested (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyCaonpEd70)

After that, we went down into the leather shop and got a tour of the different kinds of leather, what they are each best for, and how to recognize the different tanning methods and types of skins.

The last part of the class we started using some of our stamping tools and made a bookmark. He showed us how to prep the leather using water and carving solution, proper technique for using the basic stamping tools, and a sample of the variety of stamping tools available.

My bookmark turned out OK, and we will apparently be using it for later in the course when we play around with dying the leather, so that will be interesting.

For next class we have to trace out a pattern from one of our kits onto tracing paper so that we can jump right into the carving work next week.

So far so good. I picked it up fairly quickly and it looks pretty good for a first try. I can see how this could be used in my SCA work, although I'd have to look into what tools and techniques might have been used in period for the stamping and carving.

Tumbleweeds

Well, I have to say I have been slacking when it comes to my leatherwork since Kingdom A&S. I haven't even gone down into my work area what with Christmas and all. I had actually planned on doing some work over the holidays while I was off work but just never seemed to get around to it.

My time off from leatherwork is about to come to an end though. Next Wednesday my five week leather carving course from Zeli's starts. I should probably take a look at the books I bought for the course and make sure I have all the equipment pulled together.

Here's the class description:

Students will learn how to use the 7 basic tools of leather carving, leather terminology, Dyeing techniques, lacing, etc. Class is limited to 6 people.

http://www.zelistore.com/courses/58-introduction-to-leather-carving.html

I suspect not all of it will be applicable to making period leather goods but learning the basic techniques will be helpful I'm sure, even if its just so I have some idea of what people are talking about if I seek advice from more experienced SCA leatherworkers.

On an unrelated note, we are still waiting to receive our judging forms from Kingdom A&S. I know a number of people have received theirs, so I'm not sure why ours haven't come in. I got some good verbal feedback on the day but it will be nice to see if my judges added anything else to the forms.

Armour Projects - A List

So, at Kingdom A&S, Avelyn was the subject of a Royal order to get her armour fixed up so that she can get back on the field.


So, with that in mind, we have some projects that need to get finished:

Lamellar armour: (made from plastic so not technically a leather project but I am making the straps and such out of leather). The main torso section is done but Avelyn needs to finish her padding for underneath it so I can finish the sizing. We'll also want to test it out to make sure it gives her enough protection. I'm not entirely sold on the thickness of the plastic. Back-up plan is to find someone to make steel plates for a new coat of plates so she can return the one she borrowed from Constance.

Shoulder/Upper arm protection: I was originally going to make the shoulder protection out of lamellar but will need to see how that will work once we can get it on Avelyn. We have her current lacross pads that can go under any upper-arm protection so lamellar could work I suppose. Would be worried about the tops of her shoulders though.

Legs/knees: Avelyn is looking into ordering some new knees, so we'll need to reconstruct her leg armour and probably her kidney belt that I made. I'm thinking metal strips backed by leather is the best bet. I think she was planning to build some of the leg armour into her fighting pants, so we'll have to see how that will work. Needs to be easier for her to armour herself up however we end up doing it.

That's the bulk of it for now I think. May be other projects as well but I'll update as they come up.

Pictures - My Kingdom A&S project

As promised, here are the pictures of my pouches from Kingdom A&S. As a bit of a pre-explanation, the main difference between the two pouches is the way the mouth of the pocket is formed. On the first pouch (the red one), the piece of leather that forms the pocket simply ends before you get to the flap, forming the pocket. In the second (black/grey one), and more documentable pouch, the front piece goes up past the flap, so I sew the three layers together and a slit is cut into it to form the pocket.

I actually like the design of the second one better anyway. It would help keep items in the pouch better given that they don't have a buckle and strap to keep them closed. It would also be harder to pickpocket.

So, here we go:

The first pouch which I didn't use:

Front

Opening

Back

The second pouch, which is the one I entered into Kingdom A&S (Notice the slit cut in the front pouch to form the pocket):

Front

Opening

Back

Update from Kingdom A&S

Well, I made it through my first Kingdom A&S. Fortunately, I approached it as an opportunity to get some feedback on how to improve, rather than entering hoping to win, because the lady who won the studio arts division (which is the category where leatherwork is listed) was amazing. She'd made several leather bottles, and also brought in semi-finished ones as well as the wooden moulds she'd made to shape them so you could see the process. They were really impressive. It was also really intimidating because her project was right next to mine on the table. Talk about contrast. Turns out she was the Pentathalon winner from last year, so she's obviously hard-core!

I think to summarize the comments I got, the pouch was structurally sound, it worked well as a pouch and my research was solid. We had a bit of a discussion around why the design would have been good for use in period, which was nice.

What I was missing was some refinement on my technique. I need to work on cleaning up the lines, making sure my cuts are straight and clean, and working on my stitching. They also gave me some tips on materials that would be more period.

I definitely think I made the right choice in scrapping my first attempted pouch, which was much better constructed but not accurate from a research perspective. This is Kingdom A&S after all, and I just couldn't put forward something that I knew was wrong.

I think at this point in my A&S career I'm just into making functional objects, rather than the ornate stuff that tends to do well in competition. I think that's why I really appreciated Aelfwyn's comment that it's nice to see a simple, well made project entered at Kingdom A&S. I might argue with the suggestion that it was "well made" given some of the things I think I could have done better, but I appreciate the point. It'll be interesting to see their comments on the judging forms.

The truth is if I had wanted to enter a stronger project I could have easily done a pouch design that I was more familiar with. I've made a number of falconry pouches that I know how to do well. That wasn't the point. The point was to expand myself and try something I hadn't done before, and then get suggestions on how to do it better. With that goal in mind, I would say it was a success.

Pictures of both versions of the pouch will follow in the next couple of days.