Waldomir, my Master Cordwainer at Bethpage Village Restoration, told me in my apprenticeship that finish work is 90% of the appeal in leatherwork. That’s hard to argue with, especially in Living History where appearance sometimes trumps historical knowledge. It is all about Patina, Texture and Color.
Maybe 90% of Patina, Texture and Color starts before you cut your patterns. Here are mostly tips and ideas taught to me by other craftsmen. Left unto my own devices, I may never have thought of reading a hide, adjusting and blending color and managing texture in my projects by myself.
So, what means it to…”READ”… a hide? It’s mostly done with leather that has a flower and flesh side, rather than a brain tan or piece where both sides are fleshy and not smooth.
Some guys, particularly those who carve leather, will swear by rubbing down a cowhide with a damp ( NOT soaking ) sponge because it will highlight hard to see flaws, grain idiosyncrasies, brands and marks in general. I was originally taught to do this with veg tanned cowhide. I suppose it is possible to try it with other hides.
If you are looking to make a clean looking, evenly colored and bright new bag then by all means do this but be careful to buy only the best quality ( usually the most expensive) hides out there. After you blaze through places like Tandy, Springfield or Weaver, networking with other leatherworkers and forums will lead you to top quality stuff .
If looking to antique or just add character and controlled irregularities, then either buy the economy hide or, better yet, head out to a Rendezvous or Encampment that attracts sutlers. Sometimes you get a vendor who knows what he is talking about and sometimes you get an entrepreneur who bought a truckload of seconds and dumps them on the blanket…albeit a broad blanket. The former will often help and advise you on your upcoming project based on the level of detail you share.
The latter, however, is my favorite. Many times they will buy a lot number of seconds…leather that won’t make it to retail, or splits or uneven leather that is scarred and/or splotchy in coloring. They may not often know the value of what they carry. The less they know the more I like it. They want to move product and I consider it my Christian Duty to help them. This is where you get hides with the flaws and character you will put into your project. And…it’s all subjective…
Although it does not photograph with the detail seen by the naked eye, take a look at this chunk of economy grade, retail veg tan;
Note the irregularity of arrow point one, the discoloration of arrow point two, and , barely visible, the number five showing through the flower by arrow point three. These show where you are going to get that…”old friend”…quality in your pouch as they drive where you will place your patterns. Most guys love that old friend quality.
Now take a look at this hide garnered from the blanket of the guy whom I HOPE will show up at Jacobsburg again this year
The very same flaws that got this piece thrown into the trash can will guarantee some eye appeal. Arrow one shows some oil spot discoloration. I love oil spot discoloration. It means somebody inadvertently prepped this hide before I even got to it. Arrow point two shows the ugly marks and surface irregularities which will really add the same kind of look that folks in the 18th century had to work around given what they had on hand.
Again…it’s all subjective…
This is where managing the color of your pouch comes in. The samples in this piece are all cowhide in various end results of tanning. Sometimes you pre-dye the pouch before assembly and sometimes you don’t. That’s a working flow preference. You read the leather here.
Here is the front panel of a pouch I have yet to assemble. I tend to use a lot of neatsfoot on my piece before applying dye. That’s a personal preference. After one coat of dye on the oiled surface, the irregularities will show up.
Arrow One, at the top of this panel, is what happens over time to the area of the panel where the flap covers it. Very little fading and, depending on how you work with the pouch, not much wear. Arrow two, on the other hand, pointing to the added pouch, is where my bags and a lot of samples I have seen get the most abuse. That convenience pouch is where you put stuff that leaks, where your hand forces it to stretch, where grease migrates to it or where you want to put a little contrast to fancy your eye.
Again and Again, it’s all subjective.
Arrow three…yeah…that’s where you put the pouch down, you pick the pouch up, where it gets roughed and abraded most. That’ll be where the color starts to give out over time. No beating up the leather, no manipulating the dye…just placing your pattern to get your effect before assembling the bag.
Underneath arrow two and directly above arrow three…see how irregular the stitching gets compared to the stitching on the left side of the pouch? That’s what’ll happen to any seam when you rub and abuse it enough. My hand tends to come into my pouch by first brushing over the front area of the bag and sweeping backward. I dunno why. The way you get that kind of look is to switch from stitching with two needles to tacking with one where you go in and out and then run back over the seam. It’s the only way I have ever been able to show some wear effect and still not abuse the seam. If I had more talent like some of the guys in this forum I would probably do a better job.
Again, Again, Again…it’s all subjective.
PATINA is a word that often gets thrown around in most areas of craft in our sport and hobby. Unfortunately, I could not get the camera to behave and highlight well here.
Arrow one here could do a better job of showing where it’s a darker patina to simulate where my sleeve and wrist are going to rub across the flap when accessing the bag, You can see a little bit of shine where I used a soft brush to gussy it up, but the only thing that will get the effect is usage. Arrow two only slightly shows the area of the bag where the dye turned out almost a full shade lighter that is the original color and area of the bag that does not get a lot of contact.
Now, this bad boy is made out of Rendezvous leather. It won’t gloss but will shine, and you can still manage the flaws in the leather to get to the Patina you want. Work with some 3-4 ounce, 5-6 ounce or maybe 7 ounce veg tan that has a far more pronounced flower side, and you will ultimately achieve a normal wear that gets the leather looking like glass with rubbing wear.
Once you have read your hide and positioned your patterns, the most pronounced thing you will do for appearance sake is to manage your dye. This frustrates a lot of new craftsmen until they learn the technique that the work best with.
Arrow one is just plain coatings ( maybe two) of Neatsfoot Oil. Some guys, particularly holster and scabbard makers, will swear by this stuff and I have never gotten less than pleasing results with it. On high quality veg tan it’ll give you a patina and rich color before you lay it out in the sun. On the irregular leather I use here it’ll bring out a lot of character as a standalone.
Using sheep wool about two inch square, I don’t take any prisoners when slopping it on. Over a short amount of time it will even out. An hour of two in the summer sun and it’ll get glorious.
Arrow Two shows one coat of dye on oil that is still wet
. The oil will help spread the dye evenly almost every time with enough attention to your application. Waldomir could get an even coat of dye using only water, but I never mastered that technique. Hence the oil.
Arrow Three shows one application of dye without any pre-treatment. Frustrates the new guys every time because without reading your leather and prepping it first the result ranges from ugly to hideous. No matter how much dye you glop on there you will get unsatisfactory results until you master your read, prep and application techniques. You can ruin some really expensive leather that way.
One parting word; Don’t let inexperience discourage you. The Masters you see displaying in their posts will all tell you they had to start somewhere. Moreover, the first items you come out with can’t be any worse than those from some trapper sitting by the fire who grudgingly worked with leather back in the day. They’ll have their own character.
You get better with the help of others, so don’t stop making stuff and please make sure you post it. That way I get to steal knowledge and ideas, because….it’s all subjective…
