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Please post your photos here. 3rd party hosted photos frequently disappear due to changes in the host's policies, host out of business, users moving files, deleting files, closing their account or the account expiring. When this happens, the post becomes worthless to all future users who are researching or looking for help to solve a problem. Post your photos in jpg or png format. They display automatically. Many members will not download unknown files or file types. If your files are too large to post here due to file size restrictions, you need to resize your files to fit.

Prototyping out a weekender style bag from wool and leather. I've always loved these natural materials. Wool and leather. They seem to fit together, natural products for the natural world and so when I came across some affordable Greek surplus wool blankets I knew I'd have to experiment with making a bag out of them. This was all hand stitched and has a canvas liner to the wool, something I might not repeat in future as it made elements of hand stitching more difficult. I'd also use a chunkier zipper. The zipper pull is Ostrich leather for some added flair.

@fredk your "be careful" comment ... you must know my neighbors! I think these people spend their retirement on fireworks. One guy has a show (in the mountains several miles away) that is bigger than the city's show - and the city spends >$10k on it!

wow - talented artist indeed!

I googled "how to download data from WhatsApp" and found a few pages. Here's one https://www.imyfone.com/whatsapp/download-from-whatsapp/. After that, you would have to figure out how you wanted to host the file. It would have to be somewhere that you could hyperlink it like my link above (i.e., on a web server of some sort). Permanent storage will likely incur a per-month cost.

I forgot to ask if you could provide a photo of how you have your top threaded. kgg

Still available?

Given the number of places that sell Wiss 22W scissors, I'd say there's definitely a market. I can get them to my door for $32 to $60. The question is whether you want to play in that market or can you build a better mouse trap and get a premium price for it. You've piqued my interest. But remember, you're dealing with a crowd for whom the hundred dollar servo motor seems to be the holy grail. Price will definitely be a factor.

That's sharp! I have a pattern that is similar, but is all made from one piece of leather.

Welcome from SW Missouri! Nice looking bag. Mom, I am sure, is proud to carry it.

Lmao. Sorry. Didn’t get it!

Just trying to get a short vid from a Chinese factory on WhatsApp into L/W because some peeps won't have WhatsApp.

There are shears in the market that are large although not the brands known well here. They work well on thinner leathers but they do not work on thick leather, at least none that I have seen. So there is no reason why your shears should not sell well. Best of luck.🙂

There's a market for virtually anything produced. Price will generally determine how big that market is. May God bless, Dwight

Greetings. I make tools, and have been making tools for over 40 years. I spent many months this year learning the skills of refurbishing, sharpening and tuning, tin-snips, shears and scissors. Along that path I discovered WISS #8 Belt Shears for cutting leather and fabric belting. They are very nice, but a bit small for my taste. The largest commonly available WISS Shears are #22W, at over 12 inches long They can be purchased new but the old ones are better. I ended up with several pairs of 22W's and decided to super-size the #8 Belt Shears. The WISS Belt Shears are interesting because the lower blade is serrated to hold the leather and the upper blade is knife-edged. My new shears cut 1/4" sole leather like paper. Kind of amazing. As a knife-maker these aren't too hard to make, but I'm curious if there is a market for them. I've been using these for the last few weeks on various knife sheath projects and really love them, but there are lots of ways to cut leather. I am curious what others think of these.

Top left corner, click "Source" and paste away. I think that's what your asking for. Wouldn't your BOLD tags be in whatever you typed up?

Welcome to the group. Nice work. It looks great!

You might get more traction in the "computer help" subtopic. All ways I know of posting involve shrinking things to 800x600 pixels. Hosting files is a different beast, you could try GoogleDrive or something (but then, only people with Google accounts would click on your links).

I think some of your problem is you are using Tex 270 (V277) which the machine is not rated for. The 341 / 1341 clones of the Juki LS 341 or 1341 are rated for a #24 needle which will accept Tex 210 (V207) but the machines typically will only sew that in thinner material. A lot of clone machines rate their machines on the max size thread you can stuff through the eye of the needle vs Juki rates their machine on what it can sew with the max size top thread and bobbin thread in max. sewing thickness. That is why you see the Juki LS-341 or 1341 rated for V138 thread not V207. Insert bobbin in the top cap and through the tension spring so the bobbin spins counter clockwise when you pull on the end of the bobbin thread. I leave about 4 to 6 inches of end thread dangling. Place the bobbin and cap in the palm of your left hand. With your right hand grab the end of the bobbin thread and lift the bobbin case of your hand. If there isn't enough tension the bobbin will just spin in your hand and probably fall to the floor. You should be able to lift the bobbin and case off your hand otherwise you have to tighten the little screw by turning it clockwise about 1/8 of a turn. You do not want to flat that little spring or unscrew the screw to much as if the screw comes out chances are you will never find it. Try again. When you get the tension just about right you should be able to lift it off your hand. Once you can lift the bobbin off your hand try giving the end of the thread a couple of quick jerks it should cause the bobbin to spin slightly and yet be lifted off your hand. kgg

Sorry. I was quoting a line out of "Have a Cigar".

Hello, I'm a hobbyist who's sold some things on the side so far. I've gotten so much out of this forum thought I should make an account as well. Been trying to make a variety of things, quite enjoying small bags currently. Still all hand cut, punch and stitched at this stage. Here's the latest, a bag I made for my mom. Exterior is using Salmon leather and is lined with Kangaroo leather. The back piece was a dark blue bridle. Thanks for having me!

Looks good!

How does one do the drop test with a vertical hook shaft? I tried it but the bobbin fell out of the bobbin case cap.

I just saw this post today (7/22/25), and it was the first time I learned of Jerk’s last name. I have a Jerk saddle on a 12.5” tree that had to have been built in the late 1940s or early 1950s. My grandfather had Jerk make it for my Dad and Uncle to ride as kids. My Dad was born in 1941 and uncle a couple years later. My uncle was riding this saddle along with a guy named Dub McQueen moving cattle in a thunderstorm when Dub was struck by lightening. It killed Dub and both horses, but my uncle survived. If memory serves correct, he was 9 years old at the time. Dub’s saddle is in the museum in Thermopolis, WY and I think still bears the burn scars of the lightning strike. About the time I turned 9ish they had Wilsey Barrett (I think Jerk taught Wilsey) in Powell, WY refurbish it so that I could ride it. He made 2 sets of fenders and stirrup leathers, one smaller and the other larger, so I would be able to ride it as I grew. I rode it and then my sister did some and a half dozen other cousins and kids, and even my first two kids rode it some up into the early 2000s. I was making my first saddle about 1997 and Wilsey mentioned that he though Jerk was still alive at that time and teaching 4H kids leatherwork somewhere in Montana. Anyway, I had it in a storage shed that recently went through a wildfire, and I’m assessing the damage. The tree looks to have northwest bars and I was always told it was a Chuck Shepard…sorta looks like one. The tree and ground seat seem to be ok, but most of the exposed leather is pretty scorched. I’ll probably rebuild it for the grandkids, just trying to decide exactly what I want to do. Originally it was rough out. And it has a horribly uncomfortable seat…can be compared to riding a 55 gallon drum! Lol.