Exotic Eye Patches by Armadilloman -- A How I Did That Photo Blog. The Natural Python Eye Patch

I make a lot of custom leather eye patches both for costume and everyday wear. Here is eyepatch number 186 made from natural python skin laminated to cowhide.

Following are photos detailing how a custom made Armadillo Leather Works eye patch is made. I will put this patch up for auction on Steembay in a few days so you can spend some that Steem you have rolling around in you account on an Armadilloman original.

First, it all starts by making a cowhide eye cup. The cup is cut from 7-8 oz vegetable tanned cowhide.

The eye patch shaped piece of leather is soaked in water for 2-3 hours. The water washes out some fo the tanning solution, makes it very flexible and moldable as well as harder when baked.

The leather pieces are laid on the grate in a 200 degree oven.

When the leather pieces are starting to dry I take my thumbs and mold the cup shape. This is done several times while the piece dries.

Once dried, the cup is shaped, trimmed and edges beveled with a Dremel rotary tool with a course sanding wheel.

Here is the piece of snakeskin I am going to use to cover the eye cup.

The snakeskin is a bit flimsy, so to thicken it up a bit I glue a thin piece of black pig skin on the spot and in the shape of where I want to laminate the cowhide cup.

I color the inside of the cup black.

Contact cement is smeared on both the python and the cowhide cup. This cement is allowed to dry for 5 minutes.

After the contact cement surface has dried the cup is press into the snakeskin, starting in the center and stretching the snake around the edges.

Then cut around the edge of the cowhide cup with a leather shears, leaving about a 1/16 of an inch extra snakeskin around the ears where the straps are going to attach. Then we have the python covered patch. I take the dremel and smooth out the edges once again.

3/8" wide straps are cut from 3/4 oz cowhide and what will be the backs are dyed black...

...then glued to the back of a piece of python....

...and carefully cut out with a pair of leather sheers.

The straps are attached to the cup with small rivets at a slight up tilting angle to better clear the wearers ears. Glue is applied over the strap end and on the unglued ear of the python and allow to set up. The 1/16" extra cut around the edges of the python allows it to glue down to the cup perfectly around the strap end.

Rivet on a 1/2" watch buckle with a strap keeper and .punch the tang holes in the strap and...

...I am done with a left eye python patch good for costume or every day wear.

You can see all the eye patches and more at the ArmadilloLeather Shop on Etsy.

Stay tuned.... I will put this patch on Steembay in a couple days and give you the chance to own it for a few Steem!