Finaly got something done!

[Ace Lungger]

Had a decent pain day yesterday! So I tryed to get some leather work done  as per normal me, I get in a hurry if I get a day that I can stand up and move.

Quick question, what do most of you pards use to cut you leather out with?

Thanks
  ACE

[Whiskey Creek Adams]

Large and small utility knives.  For really thin stuff I have used a Rotary Cutter

[santee]

Ace, I like the spots and stars on those. Color is great! Good job.

[Wymore Wrangler]

Nice job pardner...

[cowboywc]

Howdy Ace
Nice job on the cuffs and holster.
I don't use any one thing. It depends on what I'm doing.
I have 3 different head & round knives for heavy leathers. Rotary cutters for soft leathers and scalpels for
thin leathers. I use a point or trim knife for trimming my linings.
WC

[Irish Dave]

Looks like you're off 'n' runnin' there Ace. Good first effort. Keep after it.

[Ace Lungger]

Thanks Guys for the Kuddo's! To me leather work is like every thing else, practice practice practice, !!
At least all I have involed is the spots, and the cost on them are nothing, ( Thanks to a member here who wants to stay unknow) donated and shipped me practice leather to get on the road  . I would of like to have put more detailed work in them, but that oil tanned leather will not take a stamp, the holster has little rose's (home made stamp) all the way around it, when I first stamped it, it didn't look bad, within a few hours it had almost disaperd! The Big Star is a draw pull  bought at a nick nack store and I just ground off the stem, spray it with clear poly, c clamp it as tight as I could, then every hour for 4 hours I would put more pressure.

  Thanks again, and if you have anything you want to tell me about work that will help me do better, please let me know!
  ACE

[santee]

Interesting about the stamps disappearing. I can't imagine doing all that stamping and watching it fade away.

I have noticed that some of those "flower" stamps at the leather shops don't seem to make as deep and impression as the border stamps. has anyone else noticed this?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Alright, looks nice, pard. Good job on those. I agree with the advice you've already had on stamping the leather. I use oak or vegi tanned leather for my stamping projects. The spots accent the simple star nicely. Good choice.

I use a wide selection of knives for cutting leather. My most commonly used three are in this picture. Two of them I had to make myself from a power hacksaw blade.

[santee]

The third one (curved blade) seems to be the one of choice for cutting around tight curves. Would this be an accurate statement? I'll go get one if it will help with those trigger guard areas!!

[Slowhand Bob]

A good technique to get down into the trigger guard relief is a proper sized round hole punch.  I like to stay just a hair off the actual line when punching this hole for a couple of reasons.  No matter how sharp the punch there will be some leather compression around its cut and I usually dress down in this area, before edging, with a small Dremel mounted drum sander anyway.  Lacking a set of hole punches this little concave cutting blade would be my second choice for freehand cutting tight inside radiuses.     

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Slowhand Bob is right. Although I use the little one for tighter curves, I generally use a round punch for the smaller curves where possible. After I punch the hole, I dress the curve slightly with that little blade. If you don't have a punch, then, yes, that little one will do fairly well but be sure to practice some before going for it on a finished project. The middle one will cut moderate curves nicely and the top one is great for straight cuts or very slight curves.

[santee]

Good info. Thanks!

[cowboywc]

Howdy All
These are what I use most for cutting. As others have said, On inside curves I also use hole punches if
needed.
WC

[Ace Lungger]

WC,
Did you make those round knifes?

Santee,
The reason the stamping went away, is because of the type of leather it is, it is 5/6oz oil tanned I am sure, I did line them.  I am just playing with that stuff.
I am going to make a cross draw holster to match, and yesterday I took a piece of 2" veg tanned 11oz and stamped it with a new stamp I made, for the belt. When I am done, I am going to put it all toghter, and ask around to see if anyone is starting off in the CAS that can't afford to go out spend the money it takes to get started in CAS and send them this rig. Because i have meet so many good folks like you guys and many more on other forums, What goes around, Comes around.


QUESTION TO ALL ?
I thought about putting bullets loops, but I wont know what cal. the person I give it to will be shooting, I was thinking about 38's and I am going to have to use the 5/6oz oil tanned leather (thats all I got to make belt loops right know) thats stuff does strech, I think you could about put any bullet you want in the 38 loops.
  I would be great full if you guys, If you would tell me what you think I should do? 38 LOOPS  OR NO LOOPS 

Thanks
ACE

[Dalton Masterson]

Ace, I would go with no loops, and build a bullet slide to the caliber they want. Or add them later to the belt. DM

[cowboywc]

Howdy Ace
The one knife is an Osborne and the other is from Weaver leather. I made the covers.
Both knives run about $100 each. You can find good old ones on e-bay for less.
WC