Making A Pen Case

[amk]

I'll be happy to share some pics when I finish, but it's slow work. I've broken one of the threads twice! I think I didn't do enough work with the awl before I started stitching, and when I stitch the other side I will make sure to prepare better before I rush in with needles and thread. I will also at some point get round to making a pony which think will make life easier!

 

Certainly this leatherwork isn't as easy as your pictures sometimes make it look!

 

I did have one little break today, though. I found some leather in exactly the right blue to replace the old broken straps on a little accordion. It goes just right with the marbled blue celluloid cover of the instrument. So that's all cut out, waiting to be stitched till I work out exactly how the straps will attach to the accordion - the old one was riveted on, but that's not really the right way to do it,and it might be worth buying the right fixings.

[my63]

Can i ask what thread you are using I have snapped needles before but never thread.

I am not a big fan of rivets I find them difficult to work with due to my restricted use of my right hand. I use Chicargo screws or bificuated rivets.

This is my stitching pony very cheap to buy and not worth making

 

http://www.leprevo.co.uk/photos/lacing-pony.htm

 

Awls are funny things and rarely work well until they have been fettled. I spent three hours sharpening and polishing two of mine yesterday after I had dropped them.

[my63]

The four pen case has now been delivered so i can share the pictures with you.

The big challenge of this case was to keep the body of the case to 30 mm but still to protect 4 pens of 22 mm in diameter.​

 

IMG_0921 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_0915 by my0771, on Flickr​

 

The case has been well received by its owner

[my63]

I have some orders for single pen cases that you might find interesting here is the first

 

IMG_0955 by my0771, on Flickr​

 

As you know inside the super soft pink Nappa leather is a kydex tube to add strength.

[drafty]

The Pink Tuxedo coming along...excellent!

[stonezebra]

Love the 4 pen case!

[Anne-Sophie]

Love the 4 pen case!

 

It is really sharp looking!

[my63]

Thanks for the comments Stonezebra and Anne-Sophie it was not an easy case to make especially with out the edge welt.

I sewed through the corner at 45 degrees and used the same saddle stitch as usual three and four pen cases are not ordered very often but it was interesting to make them.

 

At the moment I am making a group of single pen cases.

 

The orange leather is hand dyed veg tanned and was wet formed to the shape of the kydex tube

 

IMG_0969 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The leather covered tube next to its non identical twin

 

IMG_0970 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The second of the twins is now receiving its dark blue suede liner

 

IMG_0974 by my0771, on Flickr

 

These are the first two they are a pair but very different you will understand once the outer covers go on.

[my63]

Once the inners were complete I started on the outer pieces.

 

IMG_0981 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I think you can guess what I did this afternoon.

For some unknown reason I had marked the rear of each piece to match up with the other half with a sharpie after this I soaked all of the pieces in cold water for a few hours.

During the soaking process the sharpie ink transferred to backs the front of other pieces they were touching fortunately all bar one were recoverable.

Another important lesson learnt, I have also discovered that the mystery ink spots I have suffered from in the past were small pieces of dried ink from the outside if the bottles. I can now avoid this in the future.

 

I am not showing close ups of individual pieces as yet as they are darker until they are fully dry. lighter colours are always very difficult to get right. There is a fine line between enough dye to get the right colour and too much dye.

 

The piece with the sharpie marks has become an experiment the base coat is yellow dye which I have covered with a top coat of diluted oxblood dye. It will be interesting to see how this comes out.

 

Thanks

 

Michael

[my63]

I have to be honest mass production is not for me as far as first coats go I can live with this but I have returned to making one at a time.

The first case started was the pink leather lined case.

In my upgrade to windows 10 I seem to have lost some images of the making of this particular case I will endeavour to find them and post them when I do.

I wrapped the pink leather and kydex in 2mm leather which I then dyed black. contrasting pink thread was special ordered to create this

 

IMG_1020 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1021 by my0771, on Flickr.

 

Here is the next in line it is the first of a pair

 

IMG_1028 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1029 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Thanks for looking

 

Michael

[drafty]

Wow!!!

Michael it looks so amazing!!!!

[my63]

This is one of my current projects it is an oxblood case with red suede interior and red stitching all was going well

 

IMG_1035 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Until I put the wet leather cap on to my desk next to a metal tool which touched the cap and left a black mark. The mark is a chemical reaction and it changes the leather permanently.

 

IMG_1043 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The case I am making is for a special Nakaya pen which is red and has a yellow background which shows through I have seen this pen before and I think they are amazing so I have been trying to recreate the appearance in leather

 

IMG_1045 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1046 by my0771, on Flickr

 

To get this look I dyed the leather yellow and when that had dried I made up a diluted batch of oxblood dye and applied that over the yellow I applied less at the edges to allow more yellow to show through. It is very much a work in progress.

[Anne-Sophie]

I have to be honest mass production is not for me as far as first coats go I can live with this but I have returned to making one at a time.

The first case started was the pink leather lined case.

In my upgrade to windows 10 I seem to have lost some images of the making of this particular case I will endeavour to find them and post them when I do.

I wrapped the pink leather and kydex in 2mm leather which I then dyed black. contrasting pink thread was special ordered to create this

 

IMG_1020 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1021 by my0771, on Flickr.

 

Here is the next in line it is the first of a pair

 

IMG_1028 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1029 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Thanks for looking

 

Michael

 

Exquisite! What beauties!

[Anne-Sophie]

This is one of my current projects it is an oxblood case with red suede interior and red stitching all was going well

 

IMG_1035 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Until I put the wet leather cap on to my desk next to a metal tool which touched the cap and left a black mark. The mark is a chemical reaction and it changes the leather permanently.

 

IMG_1043 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The case I am making is for a special Nakaya pen which is red and has a yellow background which shows through I have seen this pen before and I think they are amazing so I have been trying to recreate the appearance in leather

 

IMG_1045 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1046 by my0771, on Flickr

 

To get this look I dyed the leather yellow and when that had dried I made up a diluted batch of oxblood dye and applied that over the yellow I applied less at the edges to allow more yellow to show through. It is very much a work in progress.

 

Owners of Nakaya and other urushi pen, are going to flock to this two dye technique, because it indeed is reminiscent of lacquer layering.

 

Such a smart innovation!

[my63]

Thanks Anne-Sophie

It is very difficult to predict how the colour will show through the yellow comes through the diluted oxblood dye darker colours do not seem to work as well. They seem to turn black very easily leather is always darker when wet so it is difficult to guage the colour until it dries out and by the it is too late.

I ordered some Yellow nappa leather from a different supplier yesterday afternoon for the inside of this case and it arrived this morning.

 

Thanks again

 

Michael

[my63]

To correct yesterdays problem I simply made a replacement

 

IMG_1050 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I have trimmed the edges and smoothed them ready for dying I have also made a tag with initials for the owner I will also be making a wooden toggle which will also serve as a pen rest.

[my63]

I have been asked to make a wrap for six pens in red leather.

I cut some thin leather and soaked it ready for dying

 

IMG_1089 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I could not leave the leather plain so I added some suede

 

IMG_1094 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The next step is to bring the front and rear pieces together there will also be an outer cover more of that later

 

IMG_1099 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Ok so now I am able to admit this does not work well at all even though the leather is only 0.8 mm thick the fold over flap does not roll well in fact it resists rolling.

 

Back to the drawing board which in my case is a piece of plywood my next attempt will be in the same style but this time the inner piece will be in suede which is much more flexible than the leather.

[my63]

I have an order for a case with a wooden toggle / pen rest it is a little while since I made a wooden toggle so my first attempt was not so good

Here is the source piece of seaple a type of mahogany. I sanded it too much which made the centre too narrow

 

IMG_1118 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The colour is a little light so I dipped it in mahogany wood stain

 

IMG_1124 by my0771, on Flickr

 

This coin is 18 mm in diameter

 

IMG_1132 by my0771, on Flickr.

 

I have sealed it with wax I just need to attach it to the case and all is finished

[my63]

Another single case finished it has been wrapped ready for posting tomorrow this one has a wooden toggle and a round leather disc with the owners initials

 

IMG_1150 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1150 by my0771, on Flickr

[my63]

My first attempt at the red pen wrap was not too successful however version 2 is a lot better the pen slots are made from red suede I find sewing the soft suede very difficult so it will take some time

 

IMG_1174 by my0771, on Flickr

 

IMG_1177 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The outer wrap will be made from two pieces of soft kip leather why two pieces well you will have to wait and see.

Making a wrap work is not as easy as it looks

Edited August 24, 2015 by my63