Tooled Leather HandbagsTooled leather handbags are uniquely crafted by hand into a one of a kind piece of amazing wearable artwork. Hand tooling means carving the design into the leather with specialized tools. This work is especially suited to western fashions and in fact wherever you find leather goods in the great South West, you will find these beautiful hand tooled designs. Every handbag will enjoy its own unique marks of distinction. This is what draws people to specific handbags, as each bag has a story to tell. Tooled leather handbags should never be confused with 'stamped' leather where the patterns are created by stamps. This is quick and easy and requires no specific artistic talent. Authentic hand tooling on the other hand is like a sculpture, and is easily detected as there will be a visible difference in the depth of the cuts. Tooled leather handbags, wallets and purses are favorite items for anyone that lives the western dream. Just the site of these conjures up images of days long gone by, of cowboys and horses, wagon trains and cattle yards. The more highly carved the better. Down in these parts of the world just about all leather is hand tooled. The full grain cow hide provides a perfect canvas for the artists to create their masterpieces. The tooled work that is applied to the leather has such a huge audience that much of it becomes collector's items.
Tooled leatherwork is not new and has been around for as long as man has been working with leather. With use, the handbags develop a beautiful patina adding to their uniqueness. The designs are very personal and thematic and this is what will draw the eye and capture the imagination. Just as in other forms of art, the artisans will specialize in specific designs. Certain designs lend themselves to specific leather items. For example, handbags are often decorated in floral motifs and spirit dyed in exquisite natural colors which adds even more beauty to the bags. These items are nearly always hand stitched as well. Many tooled leather handbags become collector's items. Just as some folk go crazy over designer bags there are many that collect the work of certain craftsmen whose leather handbags are prized for their colorings as well as the design. So clever and talented are a lot of these people that they create three dimensional landscape 'paintings' precisely carved and then just as precisely colored. They need to be seen to be appreciated. Many hours of work goes into their creation and mistakes are not so easily corrected. If you are looking for something different to give as a gift or to add a special touch to a favorite outfit then consider investing in a tooled leather handbag. Because of the type of leather that is used, with a little bit of love and care, you can be assured that your bag will last a lifetime. The artisans who specialise in this type of work create unique, one of pieces that tell a story, and more importantly that will talk to you.
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