So, I haven't been around actively for a while, but I do linger
Things have been a mix of good and bad since the K2 was complete. The K3 still awaits final assembly and is well stored for now, just waiting for the right time when all competing priorities (largely family matters and to some extent my day job) are out of the way.
That said, to retain my sanity, I haven't missed a single riding season, and I do manage to find bits of time here and there to work on smaller projects when I can. Last summer was rather depressing being stuck at home and global shutdowns, so the house got some much needed attention when it comes to small repairs and upgrades. A couple of years before that I redid my entire home theater (big time HiFi geek), perhaps I'll post in another thread if I can dig up pictures, this was quite fun as I enjoy wood working quite a bit.
This summer I wanted to learn something new in the few evenings I can make time, so I decided to teach myself basic leather work. Why you ask? Well, when I was new here I had shared that I grew up watching shows like great biker build off and orange county choppers which made me fall in love with working on engines and motorcycles in general. The other thing me and my cousins watched pretty regularly was wrestling. Not the "official" sport, but rather WWF, largely for the entertainment factor
It was like a soap opera that kids could follow. We loved those shiny title belts and I had always dreamed of holding one. Then when WWF/E eventually announced they were selling replicas, I couldn't have been more excited, only to end up utterly disappointed how lousy they turned out
. Fast forward to 2021, I figured it can't be that hard to make one of these things. Quick search on ebay and found several sellers (mostly from Asia) selling better replicas that the official ones, though the leather work was awful. I ended up finding a seller who agreed to sell me just the plates and I decided to teach myself leather tooling, do some research into TV/ring accurate versions of these belts and make them for myself. I did a bunch of practice pieces, practiced a tonne on scraps and eventually was able to make something of it. Obviously I am nowhere near skilled enough to do those complex florals and basket weaves typically done by leather work enthusiasts but I did learn the basic beveling, beading, backgrounding etc. just enough to get the title belts done. While not perfect, these are satisfactory for a first try. Who know, maybe with better quality leather and if I find the motivation and time again, I'll make better ones. But for now, these will have to do
