Jimmy
With pig skin or goat skin you start to wrap the leather around and make a whole bunch of small pie shaped cuts in the leather. These will look like a row of shark teeth when you glue them down on to the back. To get these "teeth" down flat I put a length of packing tape(the smooth clear kind) against the edge of the counter top in the kitchen. I glue the teeth shaped cuts and slowly move the pad while pushing it into the counter top. This pulls as well as holds the pad "teeth" down. When dry you can sand the teeth on the pack against something flat. I use 400 grit paper and rotate the pad. I push it forward and then turn it around and push the bottom first. This gets the leather flat and makes for a nicer transition to the wood.
At this point I use a tool I made to incise the two lines in the leather. I don't know what these lines are called but they do add to the finished pad. Then it's leather dye and a polish.
I have used Cordivan and Cordivan and Red in a 50,50 mix.
Regards, Gordon
