bex DK

Thanks Tina and Bobby. That should save me some experimenting when I finally get that far. I am a big chicken about coloring my stuff at all, so I keep putting it off.

Can the water based sheen stuff be used as a resist for Tandy's antiques or the fieblings? I have some of both and intend to try it at some point, but maybe you could fill me in before waste a lot of energy messing around? I don't think the others are easy to get here. I might be able to get them from England but the cost would be high.

It helps to moisten the leather slightly so the wheel makes a better impression.

The different moisture amount also influences the tool marks, in my experience. I found letting it dry a little more helped in some cases.

You can minimize the sewing by using a single layer of thick leather instead of two thinner layers for your breast collar. Then you only need to sew where the rings and buckles go. If you really hate it, you could consider whether you'd be happy with rivets or maybe a style that needs less sewing? I was all paranoid about the sewing until I tried it. I found it quite enjoyable. Now I just need some more practice.

We pretty much only use a leather grease/cream that contains beeswax. You can probably find something similar in a horse tack store, because it and leather oil are the two main treatments for saddles and other leather tack. The beeswax in it helps a little more with resisting water, but it is still quite natural. My husband's wallet that I made a few years ago has a really nice patina now and it has only been treated as needed with the leather grease/cream/butter/whatever. In Danish it is called "læderfedt".

You can go to an art store for the acrylics. I've seen tons in Harald Nyborg, which you probably don't have up there, and also the have-everything stores like Bilka and A-Z. Art acrylics are thicker than made-for-leather-acrylics, but you can thin them with water. You probably get more color for your money than trying to find the leather ones anyway. The little I have done, I have thinned a LOT. Right now I have several projects waiting for me to get time to mess with the spirit dyes (the narvsværte). I like the results better with those than acrylics, but it seems that the only way to get white is acrylic. Sounds like those metallics are also a type of acrylic. Try thinning it to the point that it just barely colors the leather then apply many layers to get the color right. I think the thin layers will be less likely to wear or peel off. The problems with thick acrylic is that it can be easy to catch something under the edge and pull it all off like a piece of plastic.

Our cutting table is covered with food quality plastic. Fine for cutting, but I find it wears hard on the punchers and the chisels. I try to use a piece of scrap leather under when doing that. Just using the table isn't na option here... I am always working either on the good dining room table or the coffee table. So lucky I have some different sizes of plastic. No idea where you get this stuff. Most of ours is scrap / trash from the factory where my hubby works. It's about the same as the plastic cutting boards sold cheap all over, just bigger pieces.

The book I use is "Lacing & Stitching for Leathercraft: 10 Different Lacing & Stitching Techniques" I do find it quite useful with both good illustrations and explanations. p 16-17 No pictures with corners, so nothing it is worth having me scan. It says "Note: When lacing around corners lace through the corner slit four times and through the slits on either side three times each." Now you want to remember that normally you do 2 in each hole, so that is one extra on the two sides and 2 extra (a whole extra stitch) in the middle. What I remember was tricky was getting the right over and under patterns in the corner. I used the stylus to help loosen a path up sometimes. Other than that, I pretty much just did it and ended up with what you see in the picture. I don't remember huge amounts of stress beyond the fun of getting that many strings through the holes. But there I also used the stylus, putting the tip through before I tried with the needle, so the hole was big enough. My hands aren't as strong as most, so I also had a pair of pliers handy for pulling the needles. Also the tips of the corners were rounded off. I can imagine dealing with a sharp point could be tricky, because it would want to come out between the laces. Otherwise post some pics of what you've got and maybe I can help figure out better what is going wrong? It might be, if I remember correctly, that if you do one extra in the corners when you are going through the holes the first time, that the rest works itself out because of the patterns. It's been a little while and my memory isn't very good either.

Been gone al weekend. Just got home. Will try to dig book out tomorrow and see if that can hlep me explain it better. HAd hoped someone else would reply in mean time.

Do you mean this kind of lacing? If so, you're already doing each hole twice. The corners here were slightly rounded, so it wasn't a sharp point. Then one hole right in the corner. I think I ended up with 4 strands through the corner hole and 3 to each side. Something like that. It is tricky because you need to count the strands closely and get under and over the right ones. I dunno if others consider my job very good, but I didn't find it that impossible, just a little tricky at first. It helped that my lace was quite thin and the holes were small round ones as opposed to slits. I also used a stylus to stretch the holes a bit when it got tight in the corners. Forgot to mention, I think this is described in the lacing and stitching book. My copy isn't accessible at the moment, but maybe someone else has a copy and can give more precise advice.

Not sure on that type for the front attach. We have nylon front attaches for our BCs but have contemplated making our own in leather in similar designs. The fact that the nylon sometimes loosens is really annoying, although we've fixed it on the one done growing by burning holes on both sides of the D ring with a hot ice pick and putting a plastic cable tie through the holes so it can't slide. The front attach harnesses I have seen are usually a "collar" around the chest to which a piece that goes around the chest is attached. The tricky part is that size needs to be adjusted several places to keep things fitting right... like on both sides of the ring on the front and to both sides of where the front piece attaches to the chest. Haven't worked all that out yet to start on making our own. Also concerned about what exactly might be patented with those designs. To convert to leather, we'd definitely be using significantly different hardware and materials, but whether that is enough to be free from copyright/patent conflicts, I have no clue. No good ideas for padding either. Maybe some kind of foam with a softer leather over it on the inside? Pig skin is both strong and soft...

Yeah, the metallics are different. "dækfarve" would translate to "cover color". I haven't used those at all and haven't really studied them yet either. Not sure of the type. The easy way to work it out is to find out what should be used to thin it. The thinner shows what type it is. We do use the other ones though (narvsværte) . They're spirit dyes, so you can do whatever else can be done with spirit dyes. I am sure someone else that does similar work will have good ideas. We pretty much only use "læderfedt med bivoks" -- a leather cream or grease with beeswax. As for the white, probably acrylic paint. Thin it a lot with water and build up in layers to get a more dye-like effect. If you use it thick, it would lay on top and probably peel off more easily. They probably have a dækfarve with that too, but it is cheaper to just buy some acrylics somewhere else (akryl maling på dansk. ved det ikke på norsk) I don't think we have the selection of other finishes here that are often used in the US, but I haven't looked into it much either. We like our læderfedt and the result. just important for us to buff off any residual dye to avoid transfer. But that only seems to be a problem with projects we dip or coat heavily. The ones I do more like "paint" don't seem to have that problem.

Have you checked the ones on Jim Linnel's web site? I think I remember a Grizzly or some sort of bear in ones of his patterns. It might be smaller and need to be scaled up, but that would probably help. Otherwise look for a drawing or photo and convert it to a pattern yourself.

Sending with USPS does NOT guarantee that the recipent is free of a brokerage fee. We are charged by the danish postal system for every item that has been sent to us through USPS. A fixed-rate brokerage fee, customs based on the item category, and standard danish VAT of 25%. But the rules vary from country to country even within the EU. It is easier for your customer to find out what to expect than it is for you. So just make it clear that the responsibility is theirs and that they should do the research if they aren't experienced with it. Marking an item as a gift when it is a purchased order is not legal. Not everyone cares about that, but it is something to consider. Some people do it, some don't. It's a bad idea as a business IMO to lie on customs forms. It can bite you later if your tax paperwork gets examined and it may be evaluated if you send much. It is fraud on both ends. Marking as a gift also is no guarantee that the recipient will be free of fees. I once had to pay a couple thousand danish kroner on my christmas presents from my parents. The value of the package exceeded the limit so I had to pay customs and VAT and the fees on all of it. I've never been in or sent to Australia, so I have no idea exactly how it works there. But I've both received from the US and sent int'l packages while living in the US. The system generally just works. You only need to care about all this if you want to know how much it will cost in charges on both ends. The paperwork is pretty simple but needs to be exact. They've been tightening the rules in the US system lately too. So you need to be more specific on content than used to. And clarity helps make sure the item is taxed appropriately on arrival so the customer doesn't end up paying too much. Also be aware that the package may be opened and the item examined. Anything looks suspicious and they will open it up and study it all.

I would also back stitch, but I would consider making what is usually the back side of the stitch the velcro side. The extra threads there will help hold the velcro onto the leather and keep it from ripping off. Might want to consider sewing an X right on top of it as well. That would hold the middle down and help decrease the strain on the edges for a heavily used closure. You'll want to consider the impact the stitching might have on the outside of the item. That might influence how you want to stitch it. Maybe stitch to a lining piece that is glued in then stitched around the edges of the piece? Needs to be a strong lining though. Backstitch is easy for me. Saddle stitch I am still working on. You could do saddle stitch, but I think back stitch would hold the velcro in place better.

The USPS recently made international shipping insanely expensive. The surface option is no longer available--everything is airmail. This changed maybe 2 years ago? It more than doubled the costs and made it unreasonable for us to import many items we used to get from over there. Considering the weight $70 is probably quite affordable. It is not unusual for my parents to spend more on shipping than on the gifts themselves. Be sure your customer is aware that he is responsible for all customs and import fees. That is the real kicker usually. When importing to DK, we need to add customs depending on the item type based on value+shipping, an administrative fee (which also might cost more than the item is worth), and 25% tax on top of all that. If you mark the item as a gift, most countries won't charge import fees unless the value exceeds whatever level they have set. But that isn't really legal. If you do decide to do that despite the legal issues, do NOT include a copy of the bill. Send it in a separate envelope or only electronically. Wrapping it as a gift might help too. You will want to be sure to insure it and set the item value appropriately. Undervalue items at your own risk but I advise against overvaluing as well becaus that increases the risk of the item going into customs. Be sure to make the listing on the package very clear as to content type. We had to fight with the PO once to get saddle pads evaluated properly--they had charged us the customs rate for women's clothing, which is much higher. A saddle pad US to DK costs about $60 USD, by the way. Probably best to verify that the customer is aware of the costs involved and understands that they are responsible for any fees or customs charged. Probably a good idea to call the local embassy to verify that your item can be legally imported there. I think Australia is pretty strict and animal products are one of the most moderated items, but we've had no problems sending leather presents to the US and receiving leather tack from other here in Denmark. Good luck expanding your business overseas. For a good item that cannot be obtained locally, it is often worth the high costs involved for the customer. But not all buyers are aware of how high these costs really are. We generally only buy things if we are really willing to pay twice the cost on items over $50 and even more for less expensive items.

I use ink jet transparencies for things I plan to use a lot, but sometimes the stylus scrapes the ink off, but it leaves a dent, so I can find it again. I need to try pricking them with a pin and see if it works like a craft aid. Just haven't gotten that far yet. I find that paper patterns can generally be used once or twice before they deteriorate. If yours are deteriorating that quickly, I wonder if you are letting the leather dry enough after casing. But with an ink jet in any case, I can't use paper that has been printed on the other side. I tried once to use scrap paper that had been printed before and it left spots on the leather.

I might be able to help with some Danish translation. I don't want to translate six tons of stuff, but if you have a particular issue you need help with, I can give it a shot. Haven't seen much of this stuff, but I don't go to the local knife show either. The local leather shop that is closing used to sell a lot of stuff for making knives as well as the leather stuff.

I did a small project for my husband a few days ago. Some letters stamped onto a strap for putting on his keys. He wanted the letters colored tan and the strap itself left natural. I am still pretty new to coloring and started with the straight tan spirit dye and the finest brush I had. I wasn't very happy wiht the results. Then I got an inspiration... Many years ago I had purchased a fountain pen for dipping in ink made of glass. I dug that out and gave it a try and it worked GREAT! Much more even coloration and much easier to get into the letters without getting spots elsewhere. One of these days I am going to go get my regular "cartridge" fountain pens out of the attic and try filling empty cartridges with the spirit dyes and see how that works. But has anyone tried similar? I am not sure whether it will draw well through the regular fountain pens. If it does, it might also be nice in a calligraphy one for signing more artistic projects or putting a name on something too small to carve or stamp effectively. Something like the glass one might be worth trying if you need to do small areas like the 1/4" stamped letters. Also worked well coloring the inside of our small makers mark. I will definitely be experimenting more with it. Just an idea from a less-experienced maker.

Thanks. We picked up a couple more colors than we had and she had pretty many in stock, so we can go back in a few weeks. I am pretty sure they are the equivalent of spirit dyes. Also found the "Coloring Leather" Stohlman book (not How to Color Leather...) and that helps some. Looks like the spirit dyes are mainly the effects I am interested in, althogh I should get some antiques if she has them next time we go in. The hubby has some ancient Tandy something-or-others... probably Cova but I haven't dug them out. So I can mess with that some too if they are still any good. Turns out I can order the Peter Main one from Norway, so that will save me shipping and customs hassle. Have to wait a little before I do that, because the hubby is already overwhelmed by the cost of the heavy hide we bought today for spur and slobber straps... It was the last the shop had. So now I need brushes and to get some small pieces carved to experiment on. I am thinking maybe I should make some key rings as experiments... less to throw away if really screw up.

Do acrylics allow the natural texture of leather to show through? Is coloring leather around carving basically just painting with one product or another? I suck at painting... I've tried doing some searching and I've seen some really nice works where either the foreground or the background is colored just slightly... so it still looks like leather but it is very enhanced. Is that acrylics or dyes or what? ClayB, are you around? I've seen a lot of things of yours with the slight coloration that I really like. Do you mind telling what technique you use? It would give me a hint for getting started. with this shop closing, I feel really lucky I can order from Tandy in the UK, but the shipping gets quite expensive. I also hate not being able to feel the leather. I don't have a real sense for the different weights and we've mostly just gone into the shop and looked at the hides until we found one we liked then got a big enough piece. Sounds like the attitude on this forum to tandy leather is pretty mixed, which makes me even more nervous. We've also requested a catalog from a further away place here in DK that seems to have a lot of leather and the right kind of supplies, but it hasn't come yet. The shop had been supposed to close THIS WEEKEND (we only found out two weeks ago...) but now it is extended for a few more weeks, but she told my husband most of the leather is gone. We are going this afternoon and hoping to get at least some of the things we really want.

I vote for the lacing. THat's what I did on the handhold of my euph way back when... A grayish color upholstery leather goes well with the silver euphs... but i only did the handhold.

I've been working on getting better at leather carving. I'm not up to the skill level many here have, but I am getting good enough that I hope to be able to slowly start selling some projects (the hourly wage I end up with would be ridiculously low, but it would pay for the hobby...). The thing is that it might help to enhance some of the carving with color to make it more appealing to regular people. Normally I would spend a long time reading and researching before I buy anything for doing this, but we have a bit of a crisis at the moment. Our local leather store is in the process of closing, so we need to buy NOW... if they even still have what we need... because otherwise the price will go way up with shipping from other locations. So any tips for what I should get to start out with? We're thinking more just to enhance the carving as opposed to fully coloring things in... like to darken a background or foreground object... that sort of thing. But where to start? I am going to look for the Coloring Leather book, but the book selection here is pretty limited even before things getting sold out. The only good part of it is that the shop owner likes us and is likely to give us a good deal on buying a bunch of stuff... but she is already sold out in much of the tooling leather. :-( we're too slow. So any tips for the basic essneitals would be great as would pointers to online tutorials. Library has very limited options in leather books as well. (the curse of being in Denmark.. even on interlibrary loan there isnt much of this sort of thing)

We've very satisfied with our marks from Laser Gift Creations. Went there after seeing many recommendations here for Brenda there. We got two different marks and both are great and easy to use. Our large one could use a heavier mallet but we'll do that eventually.