cv66seabear

Thanks Dwight! I'm in the middle of Wisconsin, I think the nearest Tandy is 2 1/2 hours away, but good ideas , I'll save up and go in person! I assume you're a vet. I'm ex-Navy - mostly on a bird farm. Any hand stitching thoughts? Thanks again everyone!

Fred, thanks for the offer! I didn't realize Tandy had a free library! I'm looking right now for a belt bag for a Western belt, so about 4" X 4", 6"X4" with a 3" loop. I have a stitching pony the kind you sit on, some skivvers, waxed thread, various needles, knife, stitching hole cutters and some pattern punches. How much room do I need? I have a VW bus, tools and some woodworking equipment already. Is a 6' bench a good size? Would 4' work? Since I'm not doing a machine now? Or should I allow for that possibility in the future? I build my benches on wheels so I can move them around. What's a good height? Do mist of you Budget wise, I can't spend a fortune, seems like leather will be pretty pricey! Here's the set I bought. Sorry the one got inserted in the middle. I couldn't delete it.

Haven't worked with any kind of leather since Boy Scouts in the 70s, and those were kits. I am going to get back into Single Action (Cowboy) Shooting, and also hopefully retiring and I'd like to do some leather crafts. I have some leather I bought years ago, and some I just got along with some tools (Chinese). I've got cutting mats from puppet making. I'm not thinking of getting a machine, id like to make some leather belt bags and maybe work up to holsters. I'm very much a plain kind of guy, not thinking of carving, but some stamping for borders. Maybe I'll feel carving is something I'll like later. Just looking for suggestions on tools- like what is really necessary for easy patterns, where to buy leather, if there's a site with some free patterns or templates. Advice for an old newbie! Thanks so much in advance! Kent