Leather Sheets

[Martin Boekers]

Thought I'd pass this on for those looking for something different (esp. football fans)
Check out these dimpled leather sheets from Laserbits.

www.laserbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=525_577&products_id=1451 (http://www.laserbits.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=525_577&products_id=1451)

A whole lot easier than engraving a football! With adhesive on the back. Too cool!


Marty

[Steve Clarkson]

I thought that they would be cool too.......I tried them and totally did not like them.

[Mike Null]

Maybe it's just me but I have the feeling that this is another instance where it looks like Laserbits is charging retail. Of course, if you can't get it anyplace else then it's whatever the traffic will bear.

[Martin Boekers]

Why didn't you like them Steve? I was going to order some of the glove leather ones tomorrow.

Was it how they burned or just wasn't as neat as you expected?


Thanks!

[Martin Boekers]

Maybe it's just me but I have the feeling that this is another instance where it looks like Laserbits is charging retail. Of course, if you can't get it anyplace else then it's whatever the traffic will bear.

Maybe a bit high, but they do come pre-cut and with adhesive so to me that would save a bit of time to by leather scrapes locally the cut and paste per say.
The leather I bought locally when I did some bookbinding, unless you bought premium designed for that wasn't consistant in thickness and quality. Wasn't real
cheap either. Heck a 5x7 piece of .125 marbled acrylic from JDS is $4+ depending upon the discount so it's in the same ballpark as that.

Just may try it anyway, getting close to our open house in March so time to bring in some new ideas.

Laserbits is higher than competitors on quite a few items, I used to get the folding pen cases from them, til I found a penturning vender (Penn States Ind)
Quite a bit cheaper. I have to buy a few more at a time but anything to help the bottom line.

I have started to explore getting an ASI membership (not cheap at $400 yr) but it really opens the door to buying blanks of many items that you don't normally
find from the Recognitions industry. Some will sell to you without you being a member, but many require it. Still crunching some numbers to see if it's worth it.
Although it opens the door to promotiona l items also. We'lll see......

[Mike Null]

Marty

Check PPAI. I believe they're still free and you can get the wholesale prices with most PP companies. Also look up SAGE as an alternative to ASI.

[Martin Boekers]

Mike, the best I can tell from their web page, in my category it would cost $495 a year for PPAI, they have linked up with SAGE couldn't
find much about SAGE seems you have to pay quite a bit though for their searching software.

It's a bit confusing. ASI has been "courting" me for a year or so, maybe I'll see what they offer at NBM show in Indy.


There may be a way to join without getting their "searching software" I'll have to check and see.


Thanks!

[Steve Clarkson]

I was working with a framer almost exactly a year ago.....right after the Saints won the Super Bowl. He was trying to come up with something unique (he typically frames jersey's and newspaper headlines) and I thought the dimpled leather might look good, so I bought a sample. I was thinking that I could cut it in the shape of a football or a Fluer di Lis and engrave something like the final score and then attach it to the matboard.......it took a God awful amount of power to cut the stuff and afterword, the edges looked horrible.......and small print got totally lost in the dimples. So, if you don't plan to cut it and plan to use a large typeface, it might work for you.

[Martin Boekers]

I was working with a framer almost exactly a year ago.....right after the Saints won the Super Bowl. He was trying to come up with something unique (he typically frames jersey's and newspaper headlines) and I thought the dimpled leather might look good, so I bought a sample. I was thinking that I could cut it in the shape of a football or a Fluer di Lis and engrave something like the final score and then attach it to the matboard.......it took a God awful amount of power to cut the stuff and afterword, the edges looked horrible.......and small print got totally lost in the dimples. So, if you don't plan to cut it and plan to use a large typeface, it might work for you.

Thanks Steve for the input. I know when I did a football once had the same issues with the text.
It looked terrible! ended up buying a new football and tee mounted it to a plaque instead.


I do believe I will try the smooth leather though, we'll see how that works.


Marty