druid

Dwight, with as much respect as I can possibly project.... Many of the projects here are works of art for paying customers. The customer gets what they want and the artisans post their pride in what they've sculpted, carved or created. I tend to think ideology of your 'Pastorship' is influencing your commentary. "F" bombs aside [because I agree with you], this site is about sharing artwork and ideas in leather - not [necessarily] religion. I noticed there are quite a few works of a religious nature on this site. Would you be equally passionate if I were to, for example, cite the same complaints about Christian Crosses, Crucifixes, busts of Christ or anything of the like? I think you might have some disagreeing words to say about that. You know, if you don't like what's on channel 10, you can change your channel. If you don't like a particular art, then don't look at it.

beeswax, boiled linseed oil and turpentine solution. Recipe: 1lb pure/filtered beeswax. 8 oz BLO 8 oz turpentine. * break the wax apart and melt slowly and CAREFULLY into a cleaned metal coffee can. * when liquid, add BLO and turpentine. Remove from heat and stir until semi solid and then let cool. Put lid on the can. There are two ways to use: 1.* slowly melt the entire can worth of compound and use a clean [and dedicated] paintbrush and apply it to the leather. It will soak in part of the way and the rest will scab on the top surface. Use a heat gun on LOW and apply the heat to the wax. It will absorb the rest of the way. Remove excess wax and polish with natural wool or clean cotton rags. When cool, you are done. 2.** Triple the recipe and put it into a clean gallon paint can [Lowe's and Home Depot sell them], using the same method as described above. Except in this method, you slowly heat the entire can into a liquid and submerge the project for about 20 seconds and remove it. Set it aside until it cools. Again, use the heat gun on LOW and melt the compound so it absorbs into the leather. remove excess and polish. *note on #1 - This is our preferred method for thinner leather [like garment thickness, finished sides like goat skin, etc], for cotton canvas, canvas tents/awnings and other cloth items. It's awesome for book bags, haversacks and hard-to-service-when-finished- projects like holsters, knife sheaths and etc. Paint it on one side [outside for holsters, sheaths, etc] and heat gun it in as prescribed. **note on #2 - this method tends to make the leather fairly stiff. It's great for finishing pistol pants belts, axe masks, leather helms, shield bosses and would probably do very well on dog [canine] collars. It's somewhat similar to "cuir bouilli" which means "boiled leather." Cuir bouilli is thick leather boiled in water, or beeswax hardened and formed into a lamellar or scale armor. Since you add the BLO to it - and you aren't boiling the leather - AND you are only submerging if for < 20 seconds - thinner leathers remain more supple and thicker/heavier leathers retain some bending qualities that you won't get if it's done like armor was. The example would be that Cuir bouilli was done to make a Coat of Plates or a Hellenistic / Roman Cuirass or the leather predecessor to the metal-plate lorica segmentata. They would drop the leather into the boiling mix and leave it there until the oxygen vacated the leather [when the leather stops producing a bubble stream, they were done]. They pulled the hot plates out of the bath and quickly form them into the armor and let them cool. They were rock-freaking hard when cold. I would also avoid using this recipe on suede or pigskin belly/splits. In either case, the turpentine will evaporate away in the open air after a day. This recipe is a long-standing family recipe and will waterproof ANY natural material - leather, cotton/canvas/wool and any/all unfinished wood. It will protect metals like axe heads, tool shafts and blades, knives [but not good for food knives BC of the BLO and turpentine. Use plain, pure, unaltered beeswax for food tools.

I'd think "pillow ticking" would work very well. It's strong and flexible and relatively easy to work with. Many of us who use muzzle loaders use it as patch material. It's very resilient stuff.

dunno if that ^^ is exactly what you are looking for...the Triquetra stamps vary somewhat. Here's some I found you might like http://customleathertools.com/leather-stamps/celtic-triquetra-leather-stamp.html http://mail.elysiumavenue.com/index.php/fr/home/celtic-triquetra-leather-stamp-detail http://shop.lasered-stamps.com/product.sc?productId=113&categoryId=2

depends on the sporran...A Rob Roy type is pretty much a simple pouch, but a semi-formal sporran is a little more involved. Then there are Hunter sporrans and then full masks........ IF this is for a bagpiper, then I'm thinking you want a typical day sporran. http://www.troop7.net/Resources/6.%20Modern%20Sporran%20Pattern.pdf or http://www.readbag.com/troop7-resources-6-modern-sporran-pattern As to the seal skin, that might be a problem being they are a protected species. Use rabbit...it's very handsome.

surveys completed. I added in the second link, an option for a drop-leg/thigh holster option for large handguns - S&W 629 Classic .44 Magnum was the example I gave.

yes, you can paint over dye but it will take a few coats to make it "pop." The first application absorbs into the leather....see the progression: first application. See how 'dark' it is, even wet: 2nd application: Final:

The problem with answering your questions are that we have no idea what you intend to carve or stamp. Each one is designed for a different purpose and so, the project will dictate the tools you need. Unless you plan on a decent amount or a lot of carving or stamping, you could probably get way with just using: * swivel knife * poly mallet * small/large round ball stylus http://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/craftool-pro-modeling-tools * perhaps a round or pointed spoon from that same link ^ * any stamp that shades the back or foreground that you wish to show. ...but again, the outcome of the project will dictate the tools you need.

I used this Google link: https://www.google.com/search?num=30&newwindow=1&q=small+escutcheon+hardware+for+leather&oq=small+escutcheon+hardware+for+leather&gs_l=serp.3...209457.210446.0.211180.6.6.0.0.0.0.108.538.5j1.6.0....0...1c.1.64.serp..1.5.451.zM0fpptKoCw https://divina-denuevo.com/shop/small-leather-products/escutcheon-keyhole-fob-keychain/ http://www.leevalley.com/us/hardware/page.aspx?p=53680&cat=3,43496,43492&ap=1 I looked around for about a half hour and only found those two that might even be remotely usable for your projects. Everything I find seems to be geared around furniture-sized plates. Good luck

I used 14 oz on this one: I had that leather laying around from another project and decided I'd try it. It's a bit of a beast to mold and even worse to stitch. I had to drill the stitching holes because my awl is too thick and makes a gargantuan hole when you try to get through the other side. This leather would take tooling/carving very well but since it's actually a personal concealment holster, I'm fine with it being plain.

Stu...yes, I prefer my magazines on the same side...even when I carry them in a separate holster/holder. I carry my handcuffs on the [weak] other side so I can manipulate the cuffs with one hand while still in control of the firearm with the strong side hand. If I need a magazine change, I'm not exactly in a position to handcuff someone [yet] LOL. I can easily reach the magazine with my weak hand by reaching around the small of my back.

Bought a Canik TP9SA [9mm] to retire an old but faithful companion. Since the firearm is relatively new, there aren't many options for a replacement [of the manufacturer-supplied] Kydex holster...which I don't like....so I made one. I guess it's done, nothing fancy but serviceable nonetheless... Surprisingly it's easy to draw...primarily because I made the 'cut out' from the ejection port, back. Retention is really good...shaking the holster with the firearm in it yields no movement and it's intentionally high-ride to prevent the muzzle from showing under a tee shirt [my wife's major gripe when we go out]. Materials used: Tandy Leather 14oz tooling leather X-Acto knife Fiebing's Dark Brown oil stain Fiebing's Brown Edge Coat Tarred Bank Line [as thread], pair of needles [hand sewn] Tacky Glue Dremel [to drill the stitch holes]. The awl/punch was providing too big a hole for such a thick project.

ok...the grain on the back side is long and loose. If it were me, I'd either 1. not use leather with that 'open' a grain structure.....but if I were limited to using that kind; 2. use some method of "splitting" the piece or 'shaving' the back side to try and remove that 'hairy' grain; or 3. use some sort of lining cemented and sewn at the edges to completely cover it. In a perfect world, I'd probably go for #3. Use a nice, soft and supple goat or pig skin as a lining. cement it in place and while it's curing, bend the watch band around a tube similar in diameter to the wrist. Once cured, sew the edges together, edge bevel it and then burnish the edge to a nice round contour.

It's still a handsome holster. Perhaps it will seat better if you removed the light and tested?

agreed on the burnishing. You could also use any good beeswax, rubbed into the flesh side and heated to absorb it. Burnishing can be done with anything smooth....piece of antler tine, wooden tool handle [like on a file or hand stitcher], sharpie marker....but tragacanth would work too...

There are several to choose from according to Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=new+jersey+leather+suppliers&oq=new+jersey+leather+suppliers&aqs=chrome..69i57.5443j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8

The odor of turpentine goes away after a while and to be honest, isn't all that 'powerful.' Set it outside in the fresh air for a day or two...out of the sun and rain though.

Mink oil...or any oil...rehydrates the dried leather and makes it supple by design. What you are looking to do is almost to the point of "Cuir Bouilli" or 'hardened leather'. Cuir Bouilli is the way they made hardened leather armor in antiquity: http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/~marc-carlson/leather/hl.html .....but that's not necessarily what you want to do with a belt. You are looking for "stiff but flexible." I used a homemade beeswax/boiled linseed oil/turpentine compound on mine. 1 lb beeswax + 8 oz BLO + 8 ox turpentine, melted together into a clean can and stirred to solidification. Apply it with your hands as a paste, it goes on with the consistency of chapstick. Cover the entire item and use a heat gun on LOW to melt/absorb it into the leather. It's primary function is a waterproofing agent but it also stiffens leather [and canvas, and cloth in general] by bonding to the threads [or fibers in case of leather] at the interior structure of the material. It soaks in and stays there. Granted, my belt is a holster belt and is two layers thick. However this should work equally well for your single layer belt.

very nice work.

Double thick belt so my holster doesn't distort it from weight...

I did think about that after the fact... I can still add rivets to the sheath [i've been stuck working doubles the past few days] to prevent the cut-through..

that's an altoids "Arctic" mints tin for fishing hooks, sinkers and such.

the rest so far:

A friend at work has his father's KABAR fighting knife. The sheath he says, is pretty shot. Made this one for him so he can enjoy the blade while fishing. Still a work in progress: Used white leather. dying it dark brown:

"Whip" stitch the liner to the main body?