There are two more books now. One is Drawing Floral Patterns for Leather Tooling by Gordon Andrus. The other is Sheridan Style Floral Drawing by Gabor Pinter. They all seem over priced to me, though.
Me again! Feeling inspired I hauled out my economy Tandy swivel knife. Question, was the swivel knife designed by a person who does not have average fingers? I have a heck of time trying to position my index finger where it felt comfortable. My cuts were jagged. And the set screw won't keep the knife snug and secure. I actually had a smoother cut using an exacto knife. Then there is the issue of ensuring a razor sharp swivel knife. Do you use a ceramic knife on the end of your swivel?
A quality made and maintained swivel knife is pretty important. I use a Barry King swivel knife. It costs about $50 + or -. It adjusts to your comfort and the blade carves beautifully. Although I sharpen it after every use. The knives Tandy sells to beginners give you the bare minimum, and if it hasn't been used in a while or sharpened I'm sure it might give you some trouble. I hope this helps! Thanks for asking. 😉
+Fischer Workshops I was hunting around and came across this magazine. There are discounts associated with a subscription in particular Bob Park's Floral Design Book. Should anyone be interested. www.leathercraftersjournal.com/product.cfm?product=784
there are a lot more resources out there today than there was even 5 years ago. Facebook has become a huge tool, to bring the leather industry together. I personally am an admin for at least 4 different FB groups. the one I am a member of that has helped me the most though is "The Leather Artisans Digital Guild". it isn't actually a guild, where you pay dues, but more of a group that you can join to show off your work, ask questions, find resources, ect. my number one group that I created is "Leather Tools and patterns for Sale or trade". come check us out.
I am a big fan of Bob Park's work. However, I find his style (commonly known as "Sheridan style") to be a bit too busy. I like just a little more open space in my work. I'm more a fan of the Texas or Porter style.
Nice video.....glad you found a good resource. There are several other books that precedes Bob's book, but his book seems to be the most updated. There are some good videos out there to help you from the likes of Don Gonzales, Cary Schwartz, Jeremiah Watt just to name a few. Though for me, a book is much better than a video. There is also a publication that may help you on your endeavors, the Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal published 6 times a year. As for KBO Leather, depending on how the swivel knife body fits your hand, at the very least upgrade to a quality blade. As mentioned, you cannot go wrong with a blade from Barry King. Wish you both good luck! #thegrainsideup
