All Activity

I assume the UK is too dear also? I did a post a while back about this where I posted a link to Partwell. Usually sold in packs of 60/100 so heavy. Better off looking for die makers who might sell you some.

Haven't used it yet. I've been trying to find where to buy the steel rule to make my own dies, no success yet. All the searches point me to either the US or China (alibaba), neither of which is feasible. I've found someone selling hoop (banding) steel pretty cheap so might give that a try. It's the same size as 2pt steel rule so it's worth a try. I also have to make a device for bending/shaping the stuff. But the Vevor is a nicely made tool, built like a tank!

You get soft plastic mallets specifically for this, these days. Amazon.com: barenx Leather Craft Puzzle Mold Punch Stick Cylinder Rod Hammer DIY Handicraft Just holding it in place works for me because I can see where I need to hit the soft mallet and am not working blind like when the die is placed cutting side down.

Well done! Wonderful work. Even more so it being your first time out!

I made one of these when I first started leatherwork 2 1/2 years ago. Used scrap embossed leather because it was firm enough. Just rivets, no stitching, one of the reasons why I made it! Still in use today and family swears by it. Got the pattern from Etsy. I was an absolute newbie, so needed a pattern then. The wrapping lace is also scrap but soft upholstery leather. It is supposed to have a stiff tip to insert into the cross piece after wrapping around the case but never got around to it. It stays in place tucked in and family says that that is easier. Even for a newbie, it took all of half an hour to make it. Incidentally, nice to hear someone else call it a spectacles case. Everyone here insists it is an eyeglasses case. Eye glasses, for some reason, makes me think of monocles and lorgnettes and pince nez. 😄

I drafted a pattern myself. I took inspiration from an early USAAF B-3 flight jacket. I will warn you that It is a production cutters pattern and I have not drawn up a tech pack or instructions, no order of operations, just the bare bones pattern. It does have seam allowance included and the seam line is marked as well. Notches and markings for hardware placement are on the pattern as well. I think it even includes the patterns for the rolled edge belts and straps. If this is something that might interest you feel free to reach out. I would just post it attached to this posting but it was initially intended for my use so I’m pretty sure I would need an hour or two to clean it all up a bit so someone else could more clearly understand it. I’d be happy to do so if there is interest. The size of this pattern is for a 46” chest. I’m 6’, 220 lbs. Here is a of a jacket I built based off the pattern.

You can make headstalls out of all the leathers you referenced. There are many different types of headstalls. Tooled, untooled, lined unlined, wide, narrow, single ear, split ear, western, English, browband with throat latch and multiple variations of all of them. The leather you choose can depend what type you want to make.

Thank you. Looks uncomfortable but I have never worn one that way, always worn one on the outside. kgg

I don't have experience making headstalls, but a Google search of this site using the syntax "site leatherworker.net headstall" turned up quite a bit of information. Seems folks use bridle, harness, and latigo for headstalls and some recommend doubling the leather or lining with latigo. I've been very happy with Hermann Oak bridle, harness and latigo leathers for making tack. Their bridle leather has a firmer hand than the bridle I ordered from Wickett & Craig. Beiler's Manufacturing in Ronks PA sells HO bridle and harness leathers at good prices, and a variety of unnamed bridle, harness, and latigo leathers that I haven't tried. I've been very happy with the quality of Beiler's merchandise and their service. No website - call for a catalog. There are a number of other retailers that sell HO leather and many are listed on the website of the Hermann Oak Leather Co. You can buy directly from the tannery if you order a roll (5 sides) or if you're purchasing item(s) that aren't stocked by their retailers. For example, I buy sides of chocolate harness leather in "rein selection" (big cow size) directly from the tannery. They fill orders (finish the hides) as they are received and that takes 5-8 weeks in my experience.

Hi I'm wanting to make a couple of headstalls for some friends. And I'm wondering what everyone likes to use for leather Bridle, Harness, Latigo,lined or not lined,what oz and where you usually order it from? They are going to really get used so I want them to last. Thanks

I've been making stitches with the lock screw removed. And after every 50 stitches or so I see if I can move the adjuster. It does seem to move a little. But has not let go like I would prefer. Saw your comment about heat, so I tried some heat on the adjuster with one of those butane torches sold for kitchen use. I didn't get it all that hot, though. Still about the same.

Whilst I can take or leave spam as is, I'm quite partial to a spam fritter.

Placing leather on an upturned die and tapping around with a soft plastic mallet is perfectly feasible but the leather will move around unless you can find a way to stabilise it. Perhaps spray gluing on to a soft cutting board or some MDF might hold it. As dikman says, an arbor press and a soft board will work for smaller dies.

Here there are different levels of Spam; from the downright awful you wouldn't feed to your dog to the quite tasty stuff. All come in tins. The awful kind has loads of jelliefied fats but the nice stuff has minimal fat. I mostly avoid eating it as it reminds me of taking a packed sandwiches lunch to primary school This may be a measure of how it is disliked here; In the 1970s we had a national strike for 3 months. Everything became near impossible to buy due to shortages. But not spam. The shops always had plenty of stock of that!

@Montanadave Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

How’s that Vevor press working out for you?

Thank you for your input, guys. I think I’ll try the stud sandwich first (lumber, guys, lumber…) and start with a mallet and move up. Like I learned from my time framing, When in doubt, use a bigger hammer… 😁 Luckily, it’s really only for small pieces, keychains/coasters/bracelets and the like, but anything that will help my efficiency. AZR

That's possible, ideally I'd have some firmer 4 oz to make it from. That would hold up real well. I just used the essex because I had it. Idk like to draw up a tooling pattern and tool one one day

Here is a photo being worn if that helps

I have a couple of small dies for cutting out key fobs so I thought my arbor press should work - it did, but not very well. So I tried a block of wood and a hammer, it also worked, sort of. Next was a bench vise and a couple of pieces of wood, that worked ok. Use a plastic chopping board under the leather as it will be better for the cutting edge. One of those shop hydraulic presses should work well but will be a bit slow if you want to cut out a lot of stuff.

Do you want to sell it? Mr. Lumley rented a building for his shop from my Grandfather, T. L. Lathrop on east Main Street in Cushing, Oklahoma. I owned one of his saddles most of my life. I am now 82 years old I gave my last one to my cousin’s granddaughter because she needed a really good one. Now that they think I am no longer circling the drain, I want another one

Looks good Larry. The best thing with a natural finish is to leave it in the sun for a while to speed up the darkening, it will eventually get that rich look of old leather.

Not dumb, kgg, it took me a while to figure out what IWB, OWB and such terms meant and why the holsters have funny shapes. This forum was my first exposure to them. While the holsters wouldn't be illegal here the small handguns are, so there is literally no market for such holsters, which is why I knew nothing about them. They look like interesting things to make.

That will polish the pattern up very well. But it will get tossed around a bit in bags and in cars and drawers. So this might be sturdier.