Showcasing how hot stamping on leather goods are executed. In view is a vintage Kingsley hot stamping hand operated machine that is potentially 30-50 years old ! These machines have stopped production many decades ago. However most of the electronics and heating elements have been updated to newer versions. Once the customer’s initials are chosen, the types (metal fonts/characters) are loaded onto a cartridge holder which is then slotted into the machine. Its subsequently heated to approximately 250 degrees and stamped onto the leather surface after placing a piece of foil over it. The heat combined with the pressure imprints the foil onto the leather. Executed properly, each character stamped should be clean and crisp. Notably, the length of time the stamping head is pressed onto the leather is crucial. A little too long and the print is smudged or blurry, too short and the stamping is partial/incomplete or might flake off . The length of time or temperature required to imprint clean and crisp prints is correlated to the type of leather and foil used, it will vary when either variable has changed. To an extent, stamping in itself is a “mini” craft on its own. Maybe a little akin to letter presses. . #heicrafted #handmade #handtools #handcrafted #handcraft #handstitched #handwork #bespoke #custom #madeinsg #style #leather #leatherwork #leathercraft #leathercrafttools #sgmakers #sgcrafters #thosewhomake #craft #kingsley #hotstamping
