Frank James Floral Stamps

anvilring · May 08, 2008, 06:57:55 AM

Thanks Will.

I found a pic at Carrico's site too; an old one in black and white. I'm adding them to my treasure trove of pix! I'd love to see John Wesly's S&W holster with the loops on the front sometime; wonder who's got that one?

Now for another question. On El Paso Saddlery's site, they have a pair of scabbards repro'd after Jesse's holster and they call the decorative work in/on the leather "tear away"... has anyone ever heard that term before and were? How old is such nomenclature?

From their site: http://www.epsaddlery.com/pc-211-9-jesse-james-holster.aspx

"A replica of the rig used by Jesse James in the 1870's. The holster features "tear away" style carving that was popular on the frontier and usually done with crude tools such as nails. The 3" wide money belt has loops that cover the entire cartridge in order to protect the fragile ammunition of the time. Our museum quality Jesse James Rig undergoes a special hand patina process that gives it the beautiful color of an antique."

I'm very interested in the making the money/cartridge belts and holsters of the late 19th but also, these early holsters such as the slim jims. Of particular interest to me anyway is "how" they were decorated.

For instance, the two scabbards in Packing Iron done by Gallitan of Denver certainly weren't done with a damned old nail. Those two examples are cut with a sharp gouge like the ones used for the stitching grove. I have made 4 of those (modern ones?) just yesterday in three different width holes and am now wondering "how" the two mentioned above were cut. Could the small hole drilled in a small piece of tool steel with simple sharpened edges like the ones we use now have been around in post Civil War leather shops? I wonder when that little tool/invention showed up? I see on ebay now and then, very old leather working tools such as head knives, edgers and the like but there is so little history available on the subject it leaves a lot still in the dark as to the techniques used for so much of what we admire in "old leather".

The leather workers of earlier times were much more at home with just a hand full of tools and did way more with a swivel knife and beveling than all the tool/stamp happy leather I see out there today. I know there is a calling for that sort of work, but Meana, Shelton Payne, Frazier and many others did a lot more with a lot less, at least in my way of thinking.

Here's what I'm after; at least its a start...

little homemade cutters...

Dalton Masterson · May 08, 2008, 12:19:40 PM

Howdy!!! Thats a good looking rig you got started there. I did the same pattern a few months back, but goofed and put the left hand pattern on the right hand holster and viceversa.

On mine, I just used a swivel knife to cut, which didnt remove anything. There are a few others in PI, that I have been toying with making, that have the gouge decoration. Good luck. DM

Marshal Will Wingam · May 08, 2008, 06:09:40 PM

Those look great, Pards. Outstanding, in fact. I really like them. Thanks for posting those pics.

A quick note, pards. For any dealings on the stamps, remember to contact Will directly. We've been pushing the rules of CAS City regarding selling on the forums. My fault completely, so I apologize if anyone is affected by this. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

Now back to leatherworking....

outrider · May 08, 2008, 07:30:00 PM

Anvilring...great looking...I have looked at that picture in the PI book numerous times and have studied that carving...now I have a better idea how that was done.

Dalton...nice rig for sure

..I am assuming that thiose are Star revolvers

yes

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · May 08, 2008, 07:55:44 PM

Howdy Gents

Anvilring great pictures, and this looks like a nice way to achieve this look by altering a few free hand stich groovers, nice work on the new holster, the large pictures make it real easy to see. Thanks for sharing

Dalton I love these two holsters you made for your Star revolvers, and the way you layed them out for your pictures, AWSOME, I just have to give this a try. Thanks for sharing Pard.

tEN wOLVES

Dalton Masterson · May 08, 2008, 10:57:14 PM

Outrider, Yep, Starr single actions. Great if ya have loong thumbs, which I dont. Still fun anyway.
DM

anvilring · May 09, 2008, 06:31:05 AM

Dalton...

I'm not "sure" that's how it was done, but thats how I did it!

What is the specific angle of your swivel knife edge? is it almost a 90o? I ask because the one I'm using is more like a 45o degree edge which produces a deeper cut. I'd not thought of this before, but wider angled blade would indeed make a look much closer to a gouge. I'm buying a few new blades to alter and try that myself. Your interpretation looks great to me and a swivel knife is much easier to control than these little pencil cutters I've made.

Thanks Ten Wolves.

Those three cutters are ones I actually made myself. Thats why I was asking about "when" that little tool showed up. I'm very interested in an accurate history of this old leather.
Seeing these original specimens up close and in hand would really help a lot but they're all over the place. I have no idea who owns those two Gallatins but if I could hold one in hand, I think I could see how they were cut.

The three little cutters I made were done by heating up a little round piece of tool steel (old worn out burrs from work of which I've plenty) forging it flat, annealing then drilling a hole in the flat center then sharpening it up. That largest one cuts a full 1/8 inch in width.

I'm also making myself a few stamps starting with a new background stamp. What a piece of trash the Tandy one is! So; I'm doing my own "five dot" background stamp layed out proper and filed close with the indentions actually drilled in for a really clean look. Then I'm going to try and make a border stamp that I saw in Packing Iron that I've found nowere to date....

I'm an American Bladesmith Society Journeyman smith so I'm always fooling with steel some way or another.

Here's a link to a small page of my knives...

http://people.consolidated.net/mwilkins/homepage/page3.htm

And this one I just finished up... it's got no sheath

yet!

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · May 09, 2008, 11:46:51 AM

hELLO Anvilring

Thanks for sharing your web site , you're a very talented pard , your knives are beautiful, That is a neat trade , there isn't too much you cant recreate, be sure to post any new projects you have, I was wondering about those stich groovers you made, nice job on that too.

tEN wOLVES

Dalton Masterson · May 09, 2008, 12:13:34 PM

AR, I use the ceramic filigree and the regular ceramic straight blades. I cant remember which one I used on this, but I usually use the filigree blade anytime I am cutting curves, so am leaning towards that one.
I like your little tools so much, i think I am gonna make one or two myself. Kept trying to figure out how to use my stitch groover to do the designs I want, but those make much more sense. DM