Does anyone know how to get my Brooks seat engraved? I've been wanting to create my own design for a while now. I already experimented on a generic seat with a tattoo machine, but it didn't give me the same result I'm looking for.
Here's an image from Pinterest of how I want my design to look:
And the last one is the one I tried.
by cadope69
2 Comments
You need a leather worker.
In leather terms, that first photo would be carved rather than engraved, which is a term used more in metalworking. Think of carving as sculptural, removing material, and engraving as embellishment on the surface.
I would be really curious what a western-style leather guy could do with your pattern. Floral motifs are the bread and butter of that world. If you’re not set on having such deep relief cuts, the whole thing could be done purely with stamps. Look up “tooled leather” or “leather tooling” for some more inspo.
What a leather worker would do is remove the rivets to get the leather off. I’d wet the leather, lay it flat, and wait until it is still wet but looks almost dry (cased). I’d draw the outlines of the flowers with a swivel knife which cuts about 1/3rd of the way through the leather. Then I’d use a series of stamps; bevelers, backgrounders, seeders, etc. to compress, shade, and create dimensional patterns. Then, while it’s still damp enough, I’d put it back on the frame and set it with copper post and burr rivets. The tooling wouldn’t be too tough. If you were able to do what you’ve done already, you could do the tooling with a bit of practice. The riveting might be the trickiest bit. But honestly, I’d encourage you to give it a go. [This is a great video](https://youtu.be/kWW6Sg08O2s) by an old timer not looking to sell you any tools. Check it out and see if it resonates with you.