Advice needed: DIY leather stamps!

[Will_]

For my 30th last week my wonderful wife bought me a leather stitching set from Tandy Leather
I'm really excited to get started and have a number of projects lined up: MOD survival knife sheath, Hultafors large trekking axe mask, axe belt loop, a couple of pouches and a Svord Peasant sheath... (Should keep me busy for a while!)
Anyway, before I begin stitching, I really want to emboss the leather that I'll be using with a personal stamp.
I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on how to make some DIY leather stamps...
I think I'd be most interested in finding out how to make them in a similar way as the ones that Kerne designed and made on this thread: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=110485

Merry Christmas!
Will :theyareon

 

[John Fenna]

My makers mark I simply carved out od end-grain boxwood (in reverse of course ) Kerne's are computer carved ...

 

[Will_]

My makers mark I simply carved out od end-grain boxwood (in reverse of course ) Kerne's are computer carved ...

Thanks John. Is boxwood this stuff? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxus_sempervirens
If I can get hold of some, is it just a question of drying it and then carving it?

 

[John Fenna]

Thanks John. Is boxwood this stuff? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxus_sempervirens
If I can get hold of some, is it just a question of drying it and then carving it?

Yes that is the stuff -
and
That is what I did

 

[Mesquite]

Thanks John. Is boxwood this stuff? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxus_sempervirens
If I can get hold of some, is it just a question of drying it and then carving it?

Quite often old chisels had their handles made from box wood so that's a possible source for you if you're only needing a small section.

 

[grey-array]

Personally I use Beech for my custom stamps, and instead of cnc'ing them I just stick on the mirrored image I want with glue on the end grain and route it out.
Hope that helps,

Yours sincerely Ruud

 

[HHazeldean]

Personally I use Beech for my custom stamps, and instead of cnc'ing them I just stick on the mirrored image I want with glue on the end grain and route it out.

Surely it'd have to be an absolutely tiny router for that? Interesting idea though, how well does it work?

 

[grey-array]

It works superb, and usually I use my University's "3 axis" bigrig router with a 2mm bit for the bigger stuff and a 0.8 mm bit for the tiny gaps, and finish off with a small precision blade.
But have done them completely with knife as well works well but takes allot of time to get right and if you have a big boy standing in the shop, why not use it right?
ps this is the kind of machine I use XD " http://blog.sterlingmachinery.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/A1898.jpg " might be a bit overkill to use a 12k milling machine, but it does the job XD