Using Background Stamps

As we continue the progression through the various stamps that I recommended for a beginners set, I thought it would be a good to discuss the stamps that can make or break your tooling project. That being said, we already discussed the bevellers, which I think is one of the two most important stamps that you will use. The second, and not of lesser importance, is the background stamp. I have seen some fantastic tooling on pieces of leather, which was degraded because the person doing the tooling did not take the time to do a good job on the background.

I used to scare the leather with my background stamp when I first started. In other words, I did not get the full, deep impression of stamp and make the background look as if it were lower than the pattern. The background stamp is used to do just that, make the area that it is being used in look as if it is the background. The idea behind the use of this stamp is to give more definition to the pattern. It is similar to looking at a flower in a field or in a flowerbed. There is always something behind it, whether it is the sky, another flower, or maybe some weeds. Although there may be only one-thirty-second of an inch between the upper layer of your pattern and the upper surface of the background, it will significantly define your project.

For this iteration of using stamps, I have used five background stamps and one matting stamp in an attempt to demonstrate how important it is to get the background stamped well. If you are wondering why I would have a demonstration of a matting tool I wanted to show how important it is to get it right the first time when using a stamp. Besides that, I freehand carved six boxes and I wanted to make it look like it was something that I had planned instead of one of those things that happen to us when we get up in years. It happens when the “OF” stuff starts catching up with us. (If you want to know what “OF” is the acronym for drop me a note.)

Carved boxes for background stamp demonstration

Before I proceed on with the photos of the boxes stamped with the backgrounds, I need to let you know that larger background stamps that are available. They are really great as long as you can figure out how to get them to work for you. The background stamp that I recommended for your starter set of tools was the A104, which is a teardrop shaped stamp with a sharp point for getting into smaller areas.

The larger version of the A104 background stamp is a rectangle that is a little longer and maybe a little wider. The larger size will save a lot of time, right? Not necessarily so. I bought the A106 background stamp because I thought it would speed up the whole process of stamping large areas of background. It may be the stamp that I got, but it actually made things worse. I could see each individual impression of that stamp because of the way in which it was made. Look at the photo below and you can see what I mean. 

Background stamped with the A106 rectangular tool

This photo is a little embarrassing because I actually tried to get it right the first time. Can you see the individual stamp impressions? Do you see the distinct lines between the rows? I found that if I used this stamp that I had the problem of developing a design in the background that was quite distracting from the main part of the pattern. You definitely do not want a pattern showing in your background. It should look as if it was all done by one large stamp that actually fits the area being stamped. After over forty years of doing leatherwork I have, yet to find a stamp that will accommodate that. I like to stick with the A104 stamp for all of my background.

The photo above shows the shape of the A106 stamp and my attempt to dress up the previous problems that I saw. I can still see the lines between the different stamp impressions. Another problem that I can see is that in some of the places where I overlapped the second round of this stamp is that there is more of a matting effect on the leather than I would like to see. Please bear in mind that the photos you are looking at are done with the ISO setting on the camera that I am using so they look large. The size of the boxes on this piece of leather are less than an inch square.

The A104 background stamp is teardrop shaped and covers less of an area than A106. To complete a stamping the background on a project is it necessary to have an A104 background stamp. This stamp was designed to allow the user to get into the tight areas that are “V” shaped and have sharp angles that require the point of the stamp to be used. I use the A104 background stamp exclusively. The photo below shows some of the issues that can arise with the use of this stamp.

A104 Background stamp improperly done

For me, the ease of using the A104 background is the seller. The photo above shows how easy it would be even with this stamp to have problems with its use. When I look at this photo, I almost cringe. I did a very poor job of stamping this background on purpose just to show you what you should be looking at and for when using the stamp. If you look just above the box, you will see the shape of the stamp. The stamping in the box looks a lot different. The background should look as much like the stamp as possible.

The photo below shows how much different the box would look when the stamp is done correctly. I res-tamped the background here to demonstrate how much better it would look if it were all stamped at one level. You be the judge and decide which you like better. Can you see a difference?

A104 Background stamp redone

Another background stamp that I find difficult to use is the A889. As you can see, the stamp is rectangular and allows the user to get more area done in a shorter time span. The problem is that you have to be very careful not to develop a pattern with it. A pattern is easy to get if you follow a curved line with the stamp for a few rows and then begin to follow another line and join the two areas of stamping together. Larger areas of background lend to this tendency.

A889 Background Stamp

The other problem that you can see from the photo above is that it is somewhat difficult to keep the pattern of the stamp flowing, as it should. I can see the edges of all four sides of this stamp when I look at this box. I do not know if it is the way the stamp is made or if it is just that, I am unable to use it properly. Looking at the top of the box that is stamped you might be able to see where I overlapped the stamp to attempt to make it look better and it did not work. It might just be me and it could be the quality of this particular stamp.

The photo below shows a rather lousy background-stamping job using the A888 stamp. I did this on purpose to again show you that a poorly stamped background can definitely take away from a project that was well stamped. This first photo does not show the shape of the stamp but the one that follows does. The A888 background stamp can present the user with problems similar to all of the previous ones described. What do you think?

A888 Background stamping poorly done - purposely

The photo below shows the square re-stamped with the A888 background stamp. This stamp is well made but a challenge use as well. Again, it is easy to develop a pattern by following the edge of a curved line, such as a leaf or flower petal. Notice how there is only a slight improvement in the quality in which the stamping was done. By the way, I do not recommend going back and re-stamping, especially when using any stamps unless it is necessary. In most cases, it will look as if something happened instead of something that was planned.

A888 Background stamping redone

The last background stamp that I want to discuss is the bar grounder. I find this stamp to be one of the most difficult and least rewarding stamps that I own. I love the looks of it when it is done properly, but that is a challenge. I face many of the same issues with it as I did with the other stamps, not being able to make it look as perfect as I would like. I do not think that the bar ground stamp will ever be one of my favorite to use simply because of the difficulty I have with making it look like I want it. This is another stamp that is easy to develop a pattern with that will take away from the other tooling.

Bar Grounder background stamp demonstration

One last stamp to take a look at is a matte tool. I do not even know why I have this stamp. I probably wanted a project to look just like the one that came with the kit I was planning to purchase. I did not have to try to make this one look bad. I believe that the stamp looks good but it has some issues with the ease of use, especially for me. Can you see where the basic shape of the stamp lends to the difficulty in use? 

Matte stamp demonstration

The last photo in this post shows the piece of leather that I used to demonstrate my inadiquacies in using some of these background stamps. I guess that I like things too easy and that I have been too lazy to practice using these stamps. Anyway, this little demonstration will allow you to see the difference between the appearance of the different background stamps that I own. There are other stamps that are available but I already have enough that I do not use.

Background and matte stamp demonstration

Have fun!

How to Use a Beveller on Your Project

Here I am with a new post, finally. Again, I apologize for not getting it put out here for you to take a look at and learn a little more about my craziness. I have been pretty busy with other facets of my life, mostly doing as little as possible, mainly procrastinating. Anyway, here comes another verbose post with a few more photos to help you decide whether you want to be a leather craftsman or not.

In the last post, I discussed using a few different methods of finishing your project after the carving and stamping was finished. In doing this series of posts on finishing leather, I discovered some new ideas that I liked pretty well and at least one I will not recommend or use myself. That being said, I do not have a problem if someone does want to finish his or her project in any way different from mine. It probably will not look as good as mine will… Actually, it will probably look much better than mine will and I hope it does.

The photo below shows the same piece of leather that I had stamped and finished using the cream saddle soap. If you look back on the photo of this little project, you will notice that the leather had more of a darker cast to it. That is because the saddle soap had not dried completely. I had not looked at it since I ome other things. You will notice that it seems a little duller than the first photograph did.

Project finished with cream saddle soap, shown previously, after one month.

I do use the cream saddle soap for other purposes and it works very well. I believe that it is an excellent product but I would not put it on something prior to using a different finishing type of product. I have used it on saddles to restore the leather and I have found it invaluable for softening and lubricating the lacing that I used to lace up the leather coverings on stirrups and on cowboy cuffs. Maybe I can show the lace that I am talking about and how I use the cream saddle soap.

Now with that rant out of the way, I want to talk about using some of the leather stamps over the next few posts. The first one that I will cover is the beveller because it can make or break the looks of your project. The beveller is used create a distinction between the layers of your pattern, such as the petals on a flower over the top of some leaves or the stem. It can pretty much add beauty to your project or it can add a touch of “elegance” that you wished it had not. It will take some practice to figure out your beveller and its individual characteristics.

I believe that you will find that many mass produced leather stamps will each have their own unique characteristics. It is not that they are not of good quality, but each one will have a slightly different angle running from the front or toe of the stamp to the back or the heel. This angle might not vary a lot but it might be enough that you would notice a difference. If you were to use three of the same numbered stamps though, you might find that each would produce a slightly different impression on the leather.

The Tandy Leather Company made the first stamps that I purchased. I was very excited to get them and I was really very cool, I was a leather craftsman! After the new wore off I noticed that my competition, at least that what I thought of them as, were using different bevellers than me. Theirs had a crosshatched pattern on them that was enough to knock my socks off and I had to have one. I fell in love with the texture that this beveller added to my projects. Did I say it was really cool?

When I worked in the saddle shop, one of the saddle makers offered to let me try his custom made bevellers. I had already used my beveller for over twenty years and as perfect as his stamps seemed to be, I could not fall in love with them. I went back to my Tandy beveller because I knew what to expect from it and I still do.

The photos shown below show a comparison between different bevellers. The first photo shows that the basic difference is pretty much in the width of the stamps. If you look closely at the front edges of the stamps, you will notice that the bevellers are not straight across the bottom or the point at which they contact the leather. This is by design to help the user not to have what might be called “trailing edges” showing along the beveled line. This happens because the stamp is angled across the front from one side to the other or because the user had the stamp tilted while using it.

Front or toe view of three different bevellers

The bevellers shown above accomplish the same purpose, but the two larger ones are used in stamping larger projects. I have seen them recommended mostly for use in completing figure-carving patterns where some of the lines can be very long. For example, someone might use one of wider bevellers to bevel the sky behind some mountains, or the mountains behind something in the foreground. The photo below shows the bevellers from the heel side of the stamps.

Back or heel view of the three bevellers.

You will notice that the wider bevellers have more of an overall curve on the stamping surface. If you look closely, you will notice the unique characteristic of the beveller on the right side of the photo. Look at the left edge of the stamp and you will see that it is lower than the one on the right. I realize that the stamp angled slightly in the photo, but the edges are not even. This could have a drastic effect for someone who bevels from left to right or vice versa. Being right handed I prefer to bevel my lines from right to left, although I can do it either direction.

How each of the three bevellers looks after stamped

Looking at the photo above, you can see how each beveller looks after one whack with the mallet. I chose these examples to demonstrate the challenges that you might run into using a beveller. Looking closely at the two larger bevellers, you will notice that there is a slight difference in shape of the stamps. The smooth-faced beveller on the left produces a trapezoid like impression in the leather. The large crosshatched beveller in the center is almost semicircle from the front to back of the impression. The beveller on the right gave more of a square like impression.

Each of these bevellers provide the user its own unique challenge other than just the shape of the front of the stamp being a little less than perfect. The shape of the stamp from the front to the back offers its own challenge. The photo below shows the three individual stamps on the left and to the right of the crosshatched beveller you will notice a series of impressions created with the smooth-faced beveller. Look closely at those impressions. If you were to move the beveller to the right one full width of the stamp, the carved line would look as if it were not completely beveled. Ridges will be left between the stamp impressions. The same holds true for the other two bevellers as well.

Smooth-Faced beveller used to the right of the crosshatched sample

The other issue that you will notice is that the back of the two wider bevellers do not give the full width impression of the stamp on the heel. This means that when using them it will be necessary to move the beveller no more than half of the width of the stamp to the left or the right, depending which way you are moving it. The photo below demonstrates this challenge well when using the large crosshatched beveller. The ridges between the stamp strikes are very noticeable and will detract from what might be a job well done otherwise.

Crosshatched beveller samples

Looking at the far right end of the beveled line you can see some lines between the stamp strikes. These lines represent the “trailing edge” effect that I mentioned earlier. This can occur if the stamp is moved too far before striking it with the mallet or if the stamp is not held straight up and down. Notice how much smoother the line is after the first three of four impressions.

I am not sure how to describe the technique that I use for beveling a pattern other than what it might sound like. Rather than tap and move the stamp exactly half the width of the stamp I simply do a tap-tap-tap and move the stamp only a little between strikes. It will take time to get this technique down, but you will find the results more rewarding and possibly much quicker. By doing this you will not have to go back and try to cover your tracks.

Not only will you need to observe the shape of the stamp, but you will also probably find that you will not want to use the whole surface of it when beveling. Some of the bevellers have a flatter angle from the toe to the heel, which means that the heel edge of the stamp at the will show. Look back at the photo showing the three bevellers and you can see the whole stamp on the leather, including the edge of the heel. When I made up this sample, I did not have to smack the stamp very hard to have the whole stamp show on the leather.

What I got in the habit of doing with bevellers is to angle the top of the stamp towards the front or toe of the stamp. This will increase the angle at which it strikes the leather and will help to keep the edge of the heel from creating an unwanted line on your project. I can promise you that this type of thing will show up on your leather and it will stick out like a sore thumb.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Have fun!