Please note: In this segment, guest Chuck Smith focuses on how to trace a design on the leather, rather than on the construction of the purse. Smith states that viewers should be experienced at leather cutting before starting a project like this.
Materials:
Purse components:
- leather back panel
- leather front panel
- leather side panels
- liners
- inside pocket
- outside pocket
- pattern custom-designed on tracing film
snake skin
contact cement
rubber cement
vegetable oil
leather lacquer
two pieces of wool
stylus
water
sponge
X-Acto knife
OL' Smoothie swivel knife
leather tool stamps
mallet or maul
Steps:
- Wet or "case" the leather using slightly damp sponge.
- Use a stylus to trace the custom-designed pattern onto the front panel of the purse (figure A).
- Use a swivel knife to carve the pattern into the leather.
- Use a maul or mallet with various leather tool stamps to decorate the carved leather pattern. This process gives your piece a three-dimensional effect. The basic stamps used are the sunburst, the pear shader (thumb print), the beveler, the veiner, the seeder and the background tool.
- Add the final decorative "cuts" with a swivel knife after the stamping or "tooling" is done.
- Use an X-Acto knife to cut out background areas. Place the area to be cut on top of a thick piece of leather (figure B). This will allow your knife to cleanly cut out a design and remove any excess leather. It will also prevent damage to the knife blade tip.
- Use a piece of wool dampened with vegetable oil to apply a light coat of oil to the purse panel. This gives the leather a slightly brighter, natural color. Let dry for about an hour.
- To seal the leather, use a second piece of wool to apply a coat of leather lacquer.
- Apply contact cement to the back side of the tooled purse panel, and press the snake skin on the back to cover the area that was carved. Turn the cover over and remove any excess contact cement from the front side.
- Apply rubber cement to the back side of the tooled purse panel and to the back side of the inside liner. Press both pieces together.
- Apply rubber cement to the matching edges of the inside pocket liner and assembled purse back. Glue the remaining leather pieces together.
- Use a sewing machine to finish assembling the purse.
Resources snake skin
Leather, Suede, Skins Inc.
New York, NY
US
Phone: 212-967-6616
Email:
leather.suede.skins@att.net
URL:
www.leathersuedeskins.com
leather carving knives and blades, leather stamping tools, seminars - Ole Smoothie
Smith & Company
Calabasas, CA
US
Phone: 818-222-5757
Email:
olsmoothie@worldnet.att.net
URL:
www.chucksmith.addr.com/gallery1.htm
Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal
bi-monthly publication
Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal
Rhinelander, WI
US
Phone: 715-362-5393
X-Acto craft knives - Hunt
Available at craft, hardware and home improvement stores nationwide.
Hunt Corporation
Website:
www.hunt-corp.com
Guests Chuck Smith
Leather Expert, Smith & Co.
Calabasas, CA
Phone: 818-222-5757
Email:
olsmoothie@worldnet.att.net
URL:
www.chucksmith.addr.com/gallery1.htm
Also in this Episode
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