kevinhopkins

Hi... it's also pretty easy to adapt to other things if you know a machinist, and if I remember correctly, there are quite a number of dies that will fit that thing. Kevin

I spilled a qt of contact cement on our carpet while I was building sections of an ice house in my living room while living in Fargo ND. That was back when I was married to my 1st wife.... Kevin

Hi... the heavier leather will be more difficult to work with, but there is one thing that you want to keep in mind when making a mask. There aren't any hard and fast rules. Many of the mask makers have their tricks and tips for sure, but if you keep at it, you'll find that you develop a great many of your own. So don't be afraid to experiment! But for what it's worth, I'd start with a thinner leather, and keep in mind that your second mask has a pretty good chance of being nicer than your first! Kevin

Hi... very nice job on the holster... I'm betting it was easier than you thought! Kevin

Hello Chataw, That's a very nice job of styling on the bag... It's always nice to see something different from another country! Thanks for being here! Kevin

Hi... I think you've either got to get lucky, and find some leather crafter that had the tools and has decided to quit and wants to sell his stuff, or you'll need to talk to a machinist. Actually, as simple as those things were, I think a person could make them with out too much trouble... A machinist friend would be nice tho! Kevin

Hi...Swivelsphinx is on the right track! Joining ostrich, especially the neck, can be a bit tedious. You do have to sand it on the back, and sand the other pc on the top. You'll need to be working with a razor sharp exacto, (it's what Bo and I use) or something similar. just make sure that your glue is thinned properly, and glue it down. You should have one of those little all purpose erasers that will take contact cement off of finished leather. If you don't, you'll have to be more careful than I can be. (those erasers are worth their weight in gold) With a bit of practice, you can splice so that no one will be able to see it..... especially if they're over 50. Kevin Hopkins

The crocs having tails would probably indicate that they're legal. that's where they put the little fish and wildlife tag. Sounds like you might have a good deal there.... Croc is expensive! Kevin

For what it's worth, there's simply no way to stop that on a snake skin. Some types of snake are less prone than others, but that's about it. It is what it is, and the scales are going to come up. Unless it's karung, then it won't do that, but karung looks more like lizard than snake. Kevin

A mistake like that is just an opportunity to show how good you really are! Kevin

Hi... Actually, there are several ways to go about it... You can do your cut out, dye the edges, then lay it over the hair on, and sew around it. You can sand the edges of the hair on pc if it's big enough, to remove a bit of the hair around the edges if you want. That way it's a bit easier to glue. I've done them where I've sewn around the edge of the outer leather, and then sewn the hair on pc down to the lining. If you do that you need to sew right next to the edge of the outer leather. You can also put a little foam under the hair on to sort of give it a puffy look. I'm sure there are other ways to go about it, but those are a few things that I've done in the past. Kevin

Sorry to be so late... we have 1/4, and can get any thing that you want... it just might take a little longer for a special order. the 1/4 is 44.00 for 25 yds. 25 yd spools of everything else is 21.99, and 50 yd spools are 36. Kevin

Hi Lindsay, Actually, I've got a very large variety.... It's not on my site tho. You might want to email me, or call, and we'll get some samples to you. Kevin@springfieldleather.com

Hi Regis, if you can let me see a picture of the whole skin, then I could tell you. it's pretty hard from just a piece. Kevin Hopkins

Hello Justme, I am a rockhound from waaaaaaayyyyyyy back, and will never outgrow it! We've been incorporating stones and leather for a while, altho not on a large scale, and it goes over really well with our customers. It's sort of a leather version of wire wrapping. I've also got a picture that I'll try to post monday that I'm thinking might blow you away. If I forget, remind me! Kevin Hopkins Springfield Leather co

Hi... You can pretty much use anything acrylic, but the application method is the key. Just need to spray the happy little stuff! Kevin

Hello! Very nice to see your work! Thanks for joining! Kevin

Hi... It's pretty difficult, (depending on how serious the mistake) to completely eradicate it. Adding water as was mentioned, will indeed help to "swell" the tooling impression out, and may do it quite well... But I don't think I'd rub on it, under any circumstances, because any pressure on the surface of the leather will affect the dyeing process, at least to some degree. If you're dyeing it black or another dark colore, it might not matter tho. Sometimes you can actually push carefully on the leather from the back side with a modeler, or stylus, and get that incorrect impression to darned near go away. You might have to let the piece lay flat with some weight on it to avoid mis-shaping the piece a bit tho. I've made mistakes similar to what you're describing, and have been able to make them undetectable, and on the other hand, I've made those mistakes and had to live with them. But those are the only mistakes that I've made in my whole entire life, so I don't feel so bad! Oh...I forgot to mention, I've got an automatic decorative cut maker for sale..... Happy experimenting! Kevin

Hi...for what it's worth, I think it will cause you more grief than what you want if you're going to do handbags.... But at 135 bucks, I'm sure you'll come up with a use for it. The problem for it on handbags is the footlift clearance for seems, and the ability (or lack of it) to climb over seams. Roller feet, even on more expensive machines, generally don't like to step up, and if you're not an experienced operator it will be a problem. If you possibly can, find a way to spend the money, and get one that will for sure do what you want. A good sewing machine always costs more than you want to pay, but it will open doors for you that you might not have considered.... Happy sewing! Kevin

Jim is right... you've probably heard the term "sueded split" or "finished split"? When a company like Hermann oak splits (or levels) a side down to the desired thickness for the customer, they've got a split that falls off, and has to be dealt with. They prefer to sell it to someone that can use it the way it is, or to a finisher that can turn it into suede. You can actually make all sorts of leather from a split, and there are many leathers out there that actually are finished splits. Sometimes it's almost impossible to tell the difference. Finished splits are used quite commonly in the upholstery/furniture world. When you see that couch on sale at good ol' Handsome Hanks Furniture Liquidation..... Many garments are made with finished splits too. Many of the leathers that have a "print" on them are done on splits. Just no end to what you can do with those happy little things! Kevin

Hi... I've always liked pressure in the 25 to 35 range. And a good airbrush is worth whatever you pay for it... Make sure you learn how to keep it clean. Kevin

Actually, we use the plastic ones in our shop, and keep separate glues in their own container... We've not had any problems with them at all over the years, and they don't break like the glass ones. Brushes are easily available. And I think the brushes actually fit the old glass bottles if I remember correctly... Keeping your cement thinned is the big deal tho, no matter what container you use. Kevin

There are a lot of things that you can use to seal latigo with, but keep in mind that some latigos have waxes and oils that will sort of prevent some finishes from adhering. You can use masters quick shine usually, but it's not a really heavy duty sealer. You can wipe the surface down with acetone, and then use some of the standard finishes like leather shene, pro clear, etc, but I'm not a big fan of that..... Oils work ok for sealing, and I'm sure everyone out here has a zillion recipes where they mix some of the favorite products together. Aussies works well on latigo too. My advice is to get all creative and do some exotic experimenting, and then let us all know what you come up with! Kevin

Hi Vikti, Personally, I've never liked thin blades for decorative cuts, but someone else may simply love them. The real key to decorative cuts is making sure that what ever blade that you're using is not only sharp, but polished... If it's polished correctly, you'll notice such a difference that it will almost make you gasp if you've been using a blade that isn't polished. And for most folks, all it takes is a little scrap of leather, and some jewelers rouge. Happly slashing! Kevin

Hi... I believe they were distributed by Partrade some time ago, but I don't think they carry them any longer. I could be wrong there..... They didn't make them tho, they just distributed them. I'm pretty sure they originated in china. Both Partrade and Walsall have a lot of hardware that they've just accumulated over the years, and no longer catalog. If you can arrange to send them a photo, and if you can reach someone who's willing to go to a little effort, you might get lucky. Hopefully you'll need enough to make it worth their while to look. Best wishes! Kevin