[Sandy Morrissey]

Dave, my friend, about a year ago I made a prophecy suggesting that people keep an eye on your work as you were meteoric in your rising skill level. You have more than borne out that prophecy---like the square of the root! For me to critique your work would be unseemly---as the student critiqueing his teacher. Nevertheless, I can accentuate the positive--which is plentiful! Your incised lines, borders, and decoratve cuts are clean, uniform in depth, no furrowed edges, and taper out nicely. Your decortive cuts are properly comma shaped, deep start to gentle taper out. Your bevels are smooth which indicates you are "walking" the beveler. This is where your practice shows! Your pear shading accentuates the petals and leaves with the shading causing the rounding of the edges with shading tapering out gracefully. Camouflage stamping follows stem curves and is not choppy or too deep thus softening the appearance. Your mule foot placement is accurate around the stop, but IMO could be less in number. Backgrounding is uniform and not choppy and overworked. The dyes and finishes and related items shown here are self evident in their attention to detail.

I very seldom do work as intricate as you have shown here for a number of reasons. I do 99% of my work on sporting equipment (holsters, sheaths, gun belts, etc) where intricate design is rarely called for and is cost prohibitive as a rule. Most sportsmen seem to rebel when their leatherwork starts to rival the price of the equipment stored therein!!! I am not a fan of the "Sheridan" style of carving as I find it a little too ornate, almost to the point of being gaudy. But, then, I am rather conservative in makeup and action--- (stick in the mud)!!!

Now that I have thoroughly trashed your work, I think I will retire to my shop and get some "practice" time in----I think I can use it!! ---Sandy---