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Just curious why only @chuck123wapati, @Frodo, @tsunkasapa, myself and two others are the only ones with CFM under their title. How come @Constabulary, @mikesc, @toxo @Sheilajeanne, @Retsweb or anybody else in the political section doesn't have the CFM. Is it only the people who was supporting President Trump? @Northmount LeatherLady takes $25 out of my bank account every year. I am a Contributing Member, but nobody would know that from the CFM title.

@Yukonrookie "The notion that the glue you use is just supposed to bond until it’s sewed, is something I have to get used to. I think that if you’re using glue for something why not use the best you can find." I think when it comes to the type of leather work you do you are correct . The glue will still hold up for many years maybe even for a lifetime. The stitching is where its at . Always use the best quality thread you can get your hands on .I always use a nylon thread for both uppers and soles . I think a braided nylon would be perfect for your sheaths . I use it for stitching soles to the welts . I have not known of it breaking down over time like cotton and flax does . Last week i repaired an old 1950's leather jacket which is of the field style jacket . The stitching had deteriorated along the back panel and shoulders The thread was a cotton . After checking the rest of the jacket i realized everything else was going to fall apart . From what would have been a simple repair i had to remove the lining and re stitch everything . While at it i used a padded flannel shirt to make a new lining . I spent the better part of a day on it , but the customer was over the moon and happy to pay I used to see thread deterioration quite a lot 30-40 years ago. Mind you the jackets and shoes were already 20 - 30 years old back already . I was told by my master tradesman at the time that this was because of the acidity of the water proofing product namely dubbin and neatsfoot oil which would dissolve the stitching over time . I believe that lanolin based products does this as well . Because of the almost universal use of nylon threads this is no longer a problem . When it comes to preserving and waterproofing leather in cold harsh environments I think mink oil is probably the best to use . Bees wax just seals the leather but doesn't nourish it much . Think of it this way . Mink oil is a leather conditioner as moisturizer is for skin . Beeswax and polish are like make up for leather . The 2 serve different purposes but are compatible with each other . As i do with my shoes i first condition and then polish . The leather stays soft and flexible with the conditioner and the polish shines and protects the leather from dirt and water . Due to your location and lifestyle you will need a good pair of boots. from the videos i have watched nothing compares to Nick's hand made boots . The construction and materials of those boots are next level. They are like T90 tanks for your feet. Too hard core for Australia but for Pacific North West USA and Canada they are perfect and you know they won't fail you .

Very interesting post. This forum is awesome. To be able to hear first hand, long term experiences from pros about things that the “average” guy, or someone from a very different background would never learn of. My sheaths, holsters, belts and such are constantly exposed to the north Canadian bush. My first saddle will be exposed to tough outdoor use. I suspect that water based stuff won’t be quite up to snuff. It won’t hold up to extensive exposure to water, I know that for sure. The notion that the glue you use is just supposed to bond until it’s sewed, is something I have to get used to. I think that if you’re using glue for something why not use the best you can find. Anyway, I’m still relatively new at all this so I might be talking out of my … here.

Yeah, I think you’re right. I ended up buying a can of Le page heavy duty Cement at the local hardware store on my trip to town. It seems like decent stuff. Time will tell, but it behaves the exact same way as the more expensive ones I used thus far. Just about half the price from the Renia options.

Your laser-made stamp looks to be good. Yes, if you want the impression to stand out more antiquing would certainly do the trick. For comparison, here's a stamp I had professionally made and the impression it makes. This one is 1-1/4" long. You may be onto a good sideline, as well.

Wow this place is dead these days

Good evening, I am interested in the table. My plan is to use it for an adler 205 that I currently have on a flat table. If still available please message me back. Thanks, Ralph in NH i

While on the subject of glues i thought i should mention an observation i have made that would be totally irrelevant to almost the entire population of the world except a for a few cobblers .It concerns water based contact glue . I dread when Italian made shoes come in for repair . There is a common denominator . The leather sole comes unstuck from the upper . The shoes are usually about 5 years old or more . Most women will buy a pair of Italian shoes while visiting and think they have something special . Well they don't . Italian shoes are like their cars , They can be well designed but poorly engineered . In other words they look good but consistently fail because of poor construction . Italians are just as capable of making a crap shoe as the Chinese . In fact i would go further and say that a Chinese shoe is usually better constructed than your average Italian factory shoe . Why you ask ? The reason is the glue used to attach the soles . It's a low VOC ( volatile organic compound) glue usually water based . Some time in the early 2000's the EU in their infinite wisdom decided that thinner based glues are a bad idea so they put in place regulations for occupational health and safety reasons banning thinner based glues .In factories at least . The banned ingredient is toluene which can cause health issues in some people .I believe that the state of California also has restrictions of toluene . What happens with water based contacts is that after a period of time the glue breaks down and loses its performance , in other words it comes unstuck .In Australia we have no restrictions so we can still use the good stuff . Another factor affecting the performance of water based contact is heat . Australian pavements in summer get really hot and walking on them with thin soles glued with water based contact loosens the sole . To fix the problem i have to sand the original glue off both sole and upper and use a proper contact . The are a few brands which have consistent failure in hot weather , one of them is Birkenstock and Hugo boss and quite a few others but Italian women's shoes consistently fail . To give an analogy . 20 years ago car brake pads lasted about 3 times as long as they do now . Why ? Asbestos . Longer lasting and very little black brake dust over the rims .I make no judgments on what is good or bad for the environment but i have noticed a steep decline in performance and longevity of many products in many fields . As many will be familiar with there is a certain noticeable difference between the steel of an old knife to a new one . Most of my shoe making tools are very old and still perform better that anything new especially blades that can maintain an edge 3 times longer than a modern blade does . Having said that ,a shout out to Victor from Starko tools in Ukraine who still makes some impressive shoe tools and blades . Sorry for the rant but if its worth saying its worth saying good .

I bought a class three from Steve years and years ago when he was working with another company. I got transferred and so I sold my machine. I am just now moving yet again hopefully for the last time. I have found the table in my gear. If you want a class 3 table, I will send this to you if you cover postage. My Scottish side would hate to waste it!.

Looks like it will go anywhere IMG_1184.mov

Thank you all Many more projects to come I'm considering a flat bed adapter in either d3 printed plastic or stainless steel with tack grove I it to take a 90deg and 45deg sliding square edge to help me get accurate 45deg and across width stitches

You absolutly could add a back rigging, but why do you want to? Is your plan to work in it daily roping big critters or are you in steep rough country? From the pictures it looks like it is aleady rigged back at 3/4 or 5/8, could be wrong the picture angle is not the best. The back of the rigging probably wraps behind the cantle and it should pull pretty flat and not flip up in the back. Cost prohibitive? What is it worth to you to have the ability to have a rear cinch? I think you could probably have it done for $300-$500. It would alter and devalue the saddle some. Just my opinion, but I would ride it like it is or pass on this saddle and find one you like for the job you are going to do on it.

Regarding pliers, I use a pair that that have flat smooth jaws but more importantly have a mechanism that keeps the jaws parallel at all times. They work very nicely for pulling needles through leather.

Nothing wrong with the bog-standard contact cement, and as a bonus it keeps you happy while you work!

Very effective. While "traditional carving" is always nice, in this case the laser lets you get fine detail on what are small items, and also lets you produce them quicker. The Hotel California is very whimsical but I daresay the subtlety will be lost on many due to them being too young!

I like it!

Try rubbing in black shoe polish

With a nod to 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!' I thought a thread like this would be fun I'll start with; The B-52 has been in service longer than the period of time between its own first flight and that of the Wright Flyer. From earliest times up to the end of the Medieval period men carried their personal items in a shoulder bag called a Scrip and women carried their items in pockets under their dresses. At some time it all got reversed Belt loops on trousers were not invented until about 1896 So if you see a cowboy film set before this and they are wearing belts through trouser loops they've got it wrong Anyone who has seen the 'Back to the Future' trilogy has seen the scene where modern-era Marty has a gun-fight showdown with Western-era Biff. In that scene Marty wears an iron stove door under his jacket to stop being killed. Its a nod to a Clint Eastman film where the 'man with no name' does the same thing but the script writers of the Clint film were drawing on real life In 1893 to 1896 'Decon' Jim Miller, from Arkansas but living in Texas, some-time lawman, but mostly a cattle rustler and gunman wore a steel plate on his chest under his overcoat, which in a couple of gun-fights with his enemies confounded them on how he could survive a hail of bullets to his chest.

I attempted to make a stamp with my laser, Im going to try black antique gel with it, the brown doesn't stand out as much as I'd like. I called this one "pug life"

Been a while since I added anything to this topic . Here is my latest carving and shading attempt ..... brown is with oil and black is dye of course hair tool on 8/9 oz HO .

the Burb

Oh! Then everything I have is sharp enough. I have things going half way through my fingers all the time! Planning to buy share in a band aid company.😄 Seriously, That means really sharp. I will work on my awls.

I get mine from the thread exchange

I just had to repair a dog leash I made four years ago. It has been used hard on a daily basis. The Weldwood I used on it was still flexible and strong enough that the leather tore before the glue gave way. Glue is only as strong as the leather is, no matter the price you pay for it.

Hey Tastech, thanks for the reply. When compared to I.e. weldwood, barge, masters etc. the difference to Syntic Total, for example, isn’t as big as I thought. At least in Canada. Weldwood is $45,95 and Syntic is $59,95. Still a 14 bucks difference and if I used up a quart bi-weekly, or even less, it’s quite a bit. For me a quart would last me a couple to three months. That said, the likes of Weldwood and barge are easier to get on a regular basis up here. If there’s no real difference between them, for just leather, then they‘ll be my choice after all. Weldwood (red) is especially quick and easy to get for me. Would you say that’d be a good choice?