Free hand leather embossing

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falling rain

Native
Oct 17, 2003
1,737
29
Woodbury Devon
Hi all, I'm making some leather craft items and wondered if anyone can recommend a technique for free-hand embossing (IE not using stamps) I'm fairly new to leatherwork so is there a tool for this or could I use a pyrography pen maybe (don't laugh if that was a ridiculous suggestion!! :)) I wanted to do some script writing onto the leather and maybe a simple pictoral image. Thanks in advance - and happy springtime!! (nearly :D)
 

Niels

Full Member
Mar 28, 2011
2,582
3
26
Netherlands
I've seen it done on a sheath while wetforming. The knifemaker used a rounded chisel shaped piece of wood to push a nice pattern into the leather. I've never tried it myself but I would like to.
 

Bardster

Native
Apr 28, 2005
1,118
12
54
Staplehurst, Kent
The modelling tools work really well, stylus for drawing and the spoon and ball ends for achieving depth. Ideally you want to cut a shallow line around the pattern and press down one side of it for true crisp definition.
 

Dreadhead

Bushcrafter through and through
as Bardster put modelling tools work very well. Trace you design onto tracing paper, dampen leather lay design on top, and trace over it with a ballpoint pen or a modelling tool. this will leave the impression on the leather. you can then make shallow cuts or just deepen the lines with a modelling tool to get what you want
 

Buckshot

Mod
Mod
Jan 19, 2004
6,466
349
Oxford
Did this a while ago
2010-11-21083907.jpg

wet leather is very pliable
Some of it is using stamps but some is freehand
 
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falling rain

Native
Oct 17, 2003
1,737
29
Woodbury Devon
Wow!! Mark that's amazing work mate. Thanks for the tips everyone. I'll practice on an off-cut and see what results. Thanks one and all. Love Mark's work there,
you can see the trees are birch. Great detail..............erm they are birch arn't they? looks like birch with the lines on the trunks!!
 
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