Basic Leather Stamps - Part 1

In the previous post I listed the basic stamps that you might want included in your set. I have included a photo of how the stamps will look on the leather if you want the full effect of the stamp on the pattern you are tooling. The order of the stamps in the photo are not necessarily in the order that they were listed in the previous post. They are labeled according to the type of stamp they are and the number that was listed for each.

When I first began tooling leather I followed the guidelines set forth by one of the best known leather craftsmen in this country, the late Al Stohlman. Mr. Stohlman designed a lot of leather projects and tools for the Tandy Leather Company. Many of his patterns are still available from various online outlets and some businesses where leather craft products are sold. After working with one saddle maker I got some new ideas about the order in which I was tooling/stamping my patterns. I had always done the background stamping as the very last stamp that I used because it was oftentimes very time consuming. The background stamp is probably the most used stamp and one of the smallest as well.

Each stamp was designed to be used in a particular area of the pattern, but you can add some amazing effects to your design by getting a little creative with your tooling. Remember, you don’t want to get too creative and make your project look as if it was run over by a truck.

Background stamps are used to give more depth to a pattern. It is used around the stems, leaves, and flowers pattern. I have found the A104 background stamp to be the easiest for me to use of all. Some of the other background stamps can more difficult to use because if they aren’t used in a consistent manner they will develop a pattern that will take away from the main pattern.

The pear shader, called a bruiser by some stamp makers, is used to give definition inside some leaves or the flowers of a pattern. A pear shader will allow the user to pull it along while tapping it with a mallet, to extend the crease being made in the leaf or flower petal.

I will explain more about the uses of the other stamps in the next post.

Have fun!
 

Basic leather stamps revisited