Tips for Casing Leather

In this video, Daniel Reach goes over his best tips and tricks for casing leather like a pro! Casing is simply adding moisture to our veg tan leather to prepare it for tooling. There are three common methods for casing: Dipping or soaking, using a spray bottle, and using a sponge. All three methods have advantages and disadvantages, so choosing the right one will ultimately depend on the kind of leather you're using and what you want to accomplish with your tooling.
For supplies and project inspiration, visit weaverleathersupply.com/?ref=danielreach

[@briancohen2555]

The added advantage of a spray bottle is it adds water to your leather in the middle of tooling without closing your cuts or smushing your bevels and shading, as you could do with the pressure of a sponge or the saturation of a dip. Also, the size of the project determines how I case, When I've made a guitar strap or waistbelt, I've dipped the 8/9 oz leather and let it sit for a day in a plastic bag. When tooling, I cover all but the current working area with plastic wrap, which I pull away gradually as I make my progress along the project. That helps keep the moisture in, so I don't have to add as much water if the leather starts to dry out and affect my carving.

[@er-ick]

Rock and Roll! Love your videos!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!

[@th.burggraf7814]

I use the spray bottle most of the time and it works just fine. (I usually work on knife sheaths or gun holsters)

[@carlithebikerguy3873]

Daniel just want you to know how much I love your videos. You’ve been so helpful to me in my work.

[@DanielReachCreations]

Thank you!

[@joseulloa4191]

Thank you!👍🏼

[@wild-radio7373]

Definitely earned my thumbs up🥰👍

[@AzraelThanatos]

More of something that I'd have loved to have seen when I was starting out, but I think one short thing that needs said is for tooling/stamping if it's best to do it before or after dying. I've seen something that have said either way and I tend to tool first then dye, but I've seen others go in different orders for different types of projects and dyes.

[@utkf16]

Thank you

[@Arcane_Leatherworks]

Great video! I don't do a lot of intricate carving but, when I do, I've found that sealing the wetted leather in a plastic bag overnight helps with getting the moisture content to spread evenly through the piece of leather. One other item that might be worth touching on is the difference in how you would wet the leather for wet-forming versus carving or stamping.

[@AzraelThanatos]

Yeah, that's what I've been doing...mainly I've used stamps for some things or for softening a piece to work it a bit if it's tougher...such as with certain pouch designs where I can dampen it enough to let it flex more easily to start and it remains more flexible...or for flipping things when I've stitched them inverted. But I do some tooling, and most leather goes into a ziplock with some water and leave it there overnight. I've got a spray bottle for hitting it if it starts drying out in areas

[@Freeman-Dl70]

Everything the beginner needs to know from the start.

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

As a beginner my take away is for the simple patterns on a small area the spray method may be a nice choice. For a larger area where I will take more time the sponge may be the method to use. Then for detailed patterns or large areas the soaking method is to be used. Your thoughts? Thanks for sharing.

[@DanielReachCreations]

Yep. Pretty much exactly what I do.

[@timormsby1722]

Informative as always. But could you also include leather thicknesses in millimetres for the audience in parts of the world that don't use ounces😊

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

We have a handy chart that shows the thicknesses in oz. and MM, if that would help to keep in your shop. www.weaverleathersupply.com/pages/leather-thickness

[@timormsby1722]

@@WeaverLeatherSupply thanks for that. But I rarely watch videos in my shop🥴. I'm either elsewhere in the house or on the train. Having the mm measurement in the video at the time of need would be much more useful😊

[@carlithebikerguy3873]

Daniel can you do a video with tips on doing dragon or mermaid scales. Bought a scale stamp and boy I’m bad with it.

[@DanielReachCreations]

That's actually one of the videos I'm working on, although they are more "free hand" scales and not a stamp.

[@RavenLunaticLeather]

@carlthebikerguy3873 I find 3 things that help me tremendously with any of these stamps are scribing a reference line, taping the back with solid packing tape, and working from the center out. If I try to freehand it, I am guaranteed to mess it up. If I don't tape the leather, it distorts and my stamps don't index and mate up properly. Even when taped, if I don't work from the center out, the leather still distorts (though less than if I don't tape) and my stamps will miss their indexing. The bigger the area that is going to get stamped, the more it is going to distort - in my mind, these (and especially the tri-weave stamp) are some of the hardest to work. Keep at it, keep enjoying it, and you'll get there!

[@carlithebikerguy3873]

@@RavenLunaticLeather the scribe line is actually the issue. I use a scribe with basket weaves but with this tool the line will show either down the center of the stamp or on one of the sides of the adjacent stamps. Can you recommend anything for this issue.

[@RavenLunaticLeather]

@carlithebikerguy3873 you might try a VERY soft leaded pencil - like a 4B artist pencil. Run it just heavy enough that you can barely see the line under good light, and, when you're done stamping, you can easily erase with a white eraser.

[@carlithebikerguy3873]

@@RavenLunaticLeather thanks

[@quickbreaks5865]

If I’ve soaked the piece, started tooling, but had to do other things for a couple days, should I soak the piece again before tooling or is it ruined?

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

If you place it in an airtight bag while you're not working on it, it will retain some of the moisture. When you're ready you tool again, you can add more water using a sponge, start lightly and add more as needed. We don't recommend leaving it in the bag for more than a few days to keep mold from appearing (or place the bagged leather in the fridge on the days you aren't tooling.

[@raymondsotheby5045]

That question is for Mikeboone

[@mikeboone4425]

I have an unrelated question which i have ask many leather people and have yet received an answer. why when using the dip dye method in my case on Knife sheaths There is something going on, the leather corrodes brass and some steels . This happens everytime no matter what I us for a sealer ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????/

[@JohnTBlock]

Also, HOW SHARP AND POLISHED is your swivel knife blade!! That matters as much if not more than casing method...

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

Thank you, we've got a video on this coming up as well!

[@rebelmarshall3632]

I've never had a problem with the leather I get from my source, and it's absolutely not premium leather.

[@raymondsotheby5045]

Are you using chrome tan leather ?

[@jackiemowery5243]

You don't tool chrome tanned leather. Why would you case it?