It's old but still good!!!

[HorsePen Henry]

Christmas gets a feller to thinkin' about some of the times gone past. Here is my mother's old Bible that she brought me up with. The cover is about forty two years old and is a bit used lookin', because it is. The Bible inside it is even more tattered from use over the years.



My mother believed in using that old book like a favored tool and like an old pair of comfortable boots, it never gets thrown away. I made this cover for her Mother's Day present way back when I was about 14 years old...
Anyhow, I thought I'd show ya some of my work from when I was a kid.

Merry Christmas to y'all,
Horse Pen

[JD Alan]

Well I'm impressed! Good work for 14, or frankly any age!

This Bible cover is what inspired me to give leatherwork a try, something I've often thought of doing over the years. It was made for me by a woman in our church. Her husband got me started in CAS, Mike and Jay Weedman.

Jay asked me what I liked in leatherwork, and I told her oak leaves and basket weaving. She designed this herself. She's been doing this 30 years now. Her brother in law gave her his leather tools to try out, and never came back for them.

Mike's SASS alias is Paisley Sage. Paisley is a small Eastern Oregon town where Mike's family owns a working cattle ranch. He's over there twice a year, herding cattle out to the sagebrush range, and back in for the winter.

He's a great Pard to Ride the River with, a retired county sherrif and real live cowboy. We're blessed to have them as a part of our fellowship family in Sherwood.

God bless, JD

       

[Ace Lungger]

HP,
As allways, even when you were a lad, your artistic ability shows threw the age of time! Very nice work, and I will bet you that there wasn't prouded or happier mother in the world on that mothers day! To take the very book that we base our lifes on and to in case it with love for all time!

HP. i am sorry that we didn't get toghter last year!

JD, Beautifull Job!
And thank both of you for Sharing!
ACE

[RollingThunder]

I agree ... look how that has lasted! Lovely work, and a lovely dedication! Your mother must have been incredibly proud then, and now!

[Johnny McCrae]

Howdy HorsePen,
What a beautiful memento to have.... Treasured memories of your mother and your youth. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Howdy JD,
How nice it is to have a memento of your introduction to CAS and your inspiration to take up Leather Working. Thank you for sharing this with us.

I have two mementos of my parents I would like to share.

My mother was an accomplished seamstress. These are her "Singer" scissors. They are at least 65 years old and I use them to cut out holster patterns. Best pair of scissors I've ever used. http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk81/jvsaffran/misc/100_1048.jpg

This is my parent's first radio. It is a "Silverstone" and it's around 70 years old. My dad and I listened to the Lone Ranger, Amos & Andy and the Shadow on it.
http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk81/jvsaffran/misc/100_1049.jpg

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy All, hope everyone had a nice Christmas 

        So many nice mementos, it brings back memories, of my family, Johnny, my Grandmother was a Seamstress, and my Mom still has her Singer scissors that look just like the one your showing, and the Radio is the same as we had back in the day , except the back ground material was a medium brown, my folks and I use to listen to the same programs as you, Mom used to make cinnamon toast or popcorn along with hot chocolate and we would enjoy a night of great radio shows. We use to have a radio station here in Southern California that would play all the old classic radio shows late at night, and that was just recently,  during the holidays when I would pull a double shift I use to love to listen to these old classics late at night. Thanks guys for sharing these things.


                                                  tEN wOLVES 

[santee]

That is something to cherish. You were great at 14! Darn, I love how leather ages.
JD, you and Horspen are gonna get us all excited about book cover projects, now.

[Dalton Masterson]

That is some nice work all of you. It is nice to be able to have a usable memento on your leather bench as well.

For you old time radio guys, I subscribe to www.rusc.com. Its an old time radio download host site. For a minimal fee I can download all I want, including Gunsmoke, greenhornet, etc. All the goodies. I listen to them at work. www.rusc.com

DM

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks for sharing all the momentos and early leatherwork. What great stuff to have to pass down to future generations. Here's a checkbook cover which was my mother's. It was the second leather item I ever tooled. At that time, The only stamps I had were in the original Lucky 7 set I bought. I still use most of those first stamps today.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

              Will this check book cover is absolutely beautiful, and shows how nice leather can get with age if well kept, not to mention the great job you did making it.


                                                          tEN wOLVES 

              Dalton thanks for the web site 

[JD Alan]

Man Alive, Will! That's first class carving, and to know it was your second effort is downright scary for me. I know you work hard at your craft, but you also seem to have a lot of "Natural Talent" to boot. It also puts to rest (for me anyway) the idea that a guy has to have super spendy tools to do good work.

Thanks for sharing the pic and your story, JD

[RollingThunder]

I'd say the checkbook cover's worth more than what is in the checkbook itself! Nice work Henry!

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks, pards. One thing I can recommend is that anyone starting with leather should always keep a piece or two of his/her early stuff to help remember what it was all about "back then". I love seeing early work that people have done.