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Hey, @JoDeeH13, I moved this over to the braiding sub forum. Let's see if we can get you some responses over here.

There's not enough leatherworkers in my area who would have the types of machines I'm looking for, so Marketplace won't help me much either.

I used to mine Craigslist years ago. I don't care much for Facebook, but today I find most of my deals on Marketplace.

A brave friend asked me if I would try to put new braiding on her bag. It was broken and worn in a few places. Of course, I can't match what has been used, but I think I found something that will work, and have ordered it.{Calf, 4mm} Now, I'm trying to find a good "how to" video, and don't know the name of this braid. It looks like double loop, but I'm not sure. Or, is it Mexican round braid? TYIA

Thank you, I did watch that video, but I would like to see the inside, to see how they designed it. I have searched to try to find a picture of the inside but all I can find is how to make adjustments which are all done on the outside of the machine/embossor. I am looking for pictures of the inside (with cover off) of the Weaver Master Tool Creaser and Embosser where the gears are and the release mechanism is. I would like to see how they designed it. Thanks

Welcome! Nice looking Landis 3 machine. I have an early one just like that one.

Sole Bend is SOLD SOLD

SOLD

Thank you Sir very much. I appreciate the warm welcome and the help! Take care, Greg

@ClaimedVacancy Those German bags look great for the price, I just went to order one but unfortunatley the shipping cost 4X the bag cost to get it up here in Nova Scotia. Cool website and wares they have though. If I ever make it back down there I'll be sure to stop in and see it in person.

Nice work, I love that color.

@OLDE WYLIE, Welcome aboard. I split you out into your own topic, rather than conflate your 20-2 issues with the other poster's 20-20 restoration. I turned your couple of shoutouts to a "tag", which will notify the users that you've mentioned them. I did the same thing to your user name so you got a heads up. Do that by typing the "@" symbol and start typing the users name. Then, select it from the drop down that appears. Good luck with your 20-2. Let me know if I can help you navigate the forum.

I use stitching chisels right now, and they leave a fairly big hole. I just always tap down my stitches with an old bodywork hammer, and it does the trick usually. When I get my own separate workshop, I would love to have a few different machines. As far as a triple feed, it's simply too far out of budget. I keep searching eBay and Craigslist, nothing comes up.

Practically everyone I know has custom made dies. Some hobbyists do prefer pre made dies for simple projects. I'd say that split is like 30/70. (Hobbyist/more pro). Serves to reason really. If someone wants to make a wallet or 2 or a few keychains, etc. It's easier to just buy a premade die set on Etsy or whatnot. I've commissioned a couple hundred dies and maybe bought 5 or 6 premade. (I was lazy to draw up dies). If you're going to make custom/production dies for thicker leather you need to use real 1.25" die stock. The smaller 3/4" thin stock that's backed by plywood or plexiglass is ok for thin or soft leather, but not for the types most here like to use. The "precision" of the die is kind of a relative thing. More precision is usually desired on thin leathers for watch bands/wallets etc and you get that with 3/4 stock. (Especially if CNC bent). Heavier 1.25" steel stock is usually worked by hand and fit/welded up etc. If you're keeping 1/16" tolerance to pattern with it you've got a good die maker. On thick leathers you really DONT notice a lack of precision unless it's really bad.

Hi everyone, I wanted to share some pictures of my private collection of Python skins from Dolmen and Caravel. The colors and the 'hand' of these Italian skins are incredible. I've just posted the full inventory and details in the Marketplace (Leather and Lace section) for those interested.

[FOR SALE] Premium Italian Python Skins (Private Stock) 🇮🇹 Selling a private stock of authentic Python skins from top-tier Italian tanneries (Dolmen / Caravel / Reptilis). High-end quality, perfect for luxury bags, boots, and accessories. Certification: 100% CITES legal (all documents included). Variety: 11 colors available (Glossy, Suede, Iridescent). Large Sizes: Up to 13 ft (4m) long | Widths up to 14" (36cm). Condition: Grade A (First choice), perfectly preserved. 💰 PRICE: Average under $28 per linear foot (approx. 85€/meter). Open to reasonable offers for mini-lots or the entire stock. 📍 Location: Italy (Shipping worldwide). 📲 DM me for the full PDF inventory and HD VIDEO e-mail: Matteocalzettarai@gmail.com telephone: +39 349 735 2998

I am the poster child for this. When I first got into this "hobby" I attended a class. Two different students in the class convinced me that a Luberto #9 was the best machine for doing leatherwork, so I traveled three states away to get one. And it was NOT cheap. It turned out it WAS the best machine -- if you wanted to stitch 3/4" leather. As KGG said, that thing punched BIG holes. It took me many years to sell that machine at a fraction of what I paid for it. I now have a 50 year old Juki LU-563 that I picked up for $100. There are a lot of things the Juki won't do, but I use it it way more than the #9. My 2 cents: Read Wiz's article on sewing machines, watch Facebook & pick up a cheap triple feed. Learn how to sew. Learn the ins and outs of machine sewing. Understand how to tune and adjust a machine. After all that, decide which direction to go. If you decide to change machines, the one you bought and tuned will probably be worth more than you paid for it. Just be careful, or you will end up with two (or three, or more!) sewing machines. They are so awesome and fascinating!! Good luck on your journey!

Good Morning, I'm brand new to the forum, been reading many things on here for sometime but have not been engaged in conversations. I'm looking forward to learning and contributing what I can to this forum going forward. @Asentaja I Hope your restoration is going well, these are really beautiful, old machines. @catskin and anyone else that may have some thoughts, I'm wondering if you would have a moment to take a look at my photos of my Adler 20-2 and see what your thoughts are? Any assistance is greatly appreciated. I'm currently looking for parts for a few parts; 1) The tension discs/assembly that go on what I would call the endplate 2) The tension assembly that goes on the thread holder near the belt pully end of the machine. I may be missing other parts that are not obvious to me, so interested in your feedback on the photos. I'm located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Thank you very much for your time, Take care, Greg

Lets face it, It ain't a hobby it's an addiction. Just depends on which rabbit hole you go down. The worst is buying a machine that will not do what you thought it would. I think a lot of use have done that at some point. No one machine will do everything. My personal thoughts If you are: i) sewing wallets and typical belts, a Class 341/1341 like a Juki LS-341 / LS- 1341 or clone with a table top attachment would be a good choice. ii) sewing thick / tough leather with V207 and above, a Class 441 like a Juki TSC-441 or clone or one armed bandit is needed. The thing a lot of people forget is if you buy a Class 441 machine the needle is basically the size of a 2 1/2" finishing nail which is going to punch a really large hole that may not be suitable for say a wallet. The 90 percent rule: Buy a new machine that meets 90 percent of your sewing needs / wants. For the other 10 percent buy a good used machine. kgg

Some of those buckles in the pics look a bit like bridle/ harness buckles that i have used. If they're strong enough for a horse, I'm sure they'd be strong enough to use on a restraint. HS

I went through this a couple of years back. Just a seeming few dollars more gets you a little more capability. Then, if you're at that level anyway, why not a little more money..? Such a slippery slope. Be interesting to find out where you land. 😃

Thank you.

Best use a roller buckle as those are easier to tighten and something that has some strength (chrome or nickle-plated steel or stainless; zinc die-cast may be ok, but check breaking load in the spec). Otherwise go for what you like best. Roller buckles are available in all kinds of finishes and widths. Lockable buckles exist too, but those are usually limited in width. Note that for lockable buckles you need an oblong punch for the holes instead of a round one and you can't use eyelets.

My first attempt at a Ranger belt for a mates brother... Roger

I looked for one, I couldn't find one on eBay.