JLSleather

I got blue guns. And I got aluminum guns. I'm constantly wondering why I didn't get the ones that are "holster prepped" with the sight channel already in and the port blocked out. Course, if I had those, then I'd still want to customize 'em a bit, so ....

I hate it. Fiebing's saddle tan dye -- what IS in there? For like the 4th time, I've trash canned a holster dyed with this stuff. Not 4 this week, more like 4 (or was it 5) over a year or better. Dye the leather, everything looks fine. It stinks ... worse than other colors (nobody ever notice this?). But when the project is wet-formed, the resultant color is pretty rough. Blotchy. Random. But only occasionally. So, first time my first thought wasn't all teh way dry.. like literally mixing oil and water. So I made a point of allowing ample dry time between dye and water. But still the problem. And the stuff IS smelly, so maybe I got an old bottle, or a bad batch? So I pitched it out, and bought a new jug. At some point, same problem. Maybe something in the water? I've seen deposits in teh water cause issues (not here, but another place n time). So, at that point I'm up to using distilled water only, both for carving and for forming. And allowing 2 days drying time between dye and water (or water and dye, depending). And using a new bottle of dye (though, who knows how long it's on the shelf before you get it). Still.... And the WEIRD and AGGRAVATING part is.. it's not every time. Dye 4 projects from the SAME hide and get 3 that are fine and one that looks like a saddle tan colored hyena (spots n blotches). And it's not the leather, since it's ONLY the saddle tan color. I like that color. Really like it. But I just don't need that headache, so ... I like this walnut color... you folks tried it?

We're not talking about the same thing. Yes, you paid for the book. And you can use the pattern to make the holsters, and sell the holsters. I have made -- and still get asked to make -- the one on page 22. But I can't sell you the pattern on page 22, since it's copyrighted. Nothing expired - I see it was renewed (the digital version says copyright 2010 Tandy Leather Factory). I can sell you the holster. I can even sell you my copy of the book (or 10, if I happen to have them). But I can't legally reproduce the image and sell it. Lawsuits have happened over just that, and the "damages" sued for are far more than the dollar value of your sales.

They's prolly a y-tube (pronounced WHY-tube) video about shortenin' belts somewheres. Thought from time to time about seein them dianchi videos for about 20 years now -- still haven't ruled it out

Well, since we're talking about 10 sides, likely be more like throwing it in TWO boxes

Belts can be shortened fairly easily. Lengthened not so easy.

Where you located? I just spoke with Renee at HO who says that's not a problem combining weights. I'd likely go with the 3/5 for what i'm doing. She says she'd like the heavier 5/7 (BSS ↑). Wait.. did someone just make reference to my underwear ..

That is -- among other things - one of the uses I would want this for. Someone will pipe in shortly to ask why not just order heavier leather to begin... but it aint the same.

Yep, I mean the sueded "under side" of "split"... not the top grain people normally think of as "leather". W/C has sent me the splits on occasion, but since I'm splitting 10 oz down to 7.5 or 8 oz, the resulting split isn't much of anything useful to me. Still haven't called to verify, but I am going to talk to HO to see if the 30 splits need to be all the same weight.

If you're referring to Sam making a Glock 19 holster, you're in the right spot. To date, STILL the only holster making video I've seen worth watching. But he doesn't use dye (on that one, at least). Oil only, and sunlight. Which would not darken the thread. Dye WILL color thread -nylon or poly. I often use natural thread and then dip after forming so the thread complements the leather color. Complements, as in not "match", since they are two different substances with different make up and texture, so they don't "match". Personally, I've found that nylon accepts the color a bit better than the poly, though it's possible that's simply due to the brands I'm using -- thread from another manufacturer could well act differently.

I've never seen it "come apart" like you describe (doesn't sound very "bonded"). It IS different, though.. generally requires a change in top thread tension going from nylon to poly (or back).

Yeah.. see there.. NOW they're coming out

I think Bob is talking about this one. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/the-art-of-hand-sewing-leather-book That angled stitch seems to be more of a European thing

Crowding 40,000 downloads on the site (not including any files here, cutesy, or in your email). Know what the prize is for being number 40,000? NUTHIN'! SERIOUSLY.. you folks got 40k free downloads and you wanna prize?@#!@!!

well, close Those flip-up guides are purdy durn handy. I can machine 'stuff', but they're so cheap it's just not worth it to make yourself unless you already have all the stuff right there in one place.

Welcome folks. Always more in the works ...

Well, I have certainly had not-so-wonderful things to say about some suppliers of leather and leather-stuff. But I'm really not the sit-n-whine type... whatever I said was intended for teh benefit of other leather people. Here's the POINT, tho.. leather is sold by GRADE -- whether that's A, B, C or 1, 2, 3... whatever. And those grades come with descriptions. So I'm not asking anyone to go through a bunch of hides to find me the "pretty" ones -- just sell me leather out of the pile for the grade I paid for. If I can't tell the difference between what you call A and what you call C, then AT LEAST one of us is confused. Either I don't know what I'm looking at (sure, okay) or those hides don't belong in that "A" pile. I've never objected to paying the "A" price IF AND ONLY IF I'm getting the "A" leather. So if I get less-than-acceptable leather, you're getting it back. Once, or even twice, could happen. But 3 times? Now we're just playing 'mail tag', and I'd like to think I could be doing something better than calling to order leather, wait, view leather, call to complain, return leather .. repeat.... But, 'suppliers' don't "get a pass" because they're a business and "things happen". I can't see me ever telling a customer .. Yes, I know that holster is hard to get the gun out....you just need to learn how to use it differently, true, that belt could have been 1" longer. Or you could hit the gym occasionally. I agree that what I sent doesn't look like the picture, but hey-- they can't all be 10's ! I say I can't see ME saying that, because there ARE some who do just that. Oh, those wrinkles? That adds charm and character to the project. Oh, that blotchy dye? That's 'rustic' - I meant to do that. Separated grain layer? Call it a "zombie" project. For me, KEEP your wrinkles -- I don't want 'charming' leather. If you can't send me the "A" I'm paying for, then have the spine to say that.

HEY,.. tha's the same little 'tub' I use to hold dye for dippin'! Wonder if I git me summa them there gloves, would corn on the cob taste differnt?

Well, your claim to intellectual property can be renewed - so that's no trouble. And I don't have issue with those old patterns... I STILL get asked to do them on occasion, and "back when" I did a LOT of them, just because it makes it very easy to compare my tooling to the next guy (who also did those). Only issue is, I don't then move a couple lines on the pattern and then SELL the "new" pattern. No surprises here, really -- this went about like I expected it to

Okay, still trying to clean up a bit as I go... meaning without actually shutting down to clean. Making progress, getting stuff back where it should go. Here's the thing, though... HOW MANY times have we seen Stohlman's 'How to Make Holsters' book quoted, clipped, recommended, borrowed, sold ... and that's just on THIS forum. I've had a copy (at least one) of that book for years. But I rarely see it.. over in that pile of other patterns and carvings and such. So I went through it, be sure there aren't tracings or other patterns between the pages (hey, I want EVERYTHING where it's supposed to be). And there it is.. in the intro... Al wanting to give "a special thanks to my wife, Terry ...." Wait.. what???? I thought Mrs. Stohlman was ANN. Maybe her name is Terry Ann, and she goes by Ann? Is it marketing (Al n Ann)? Was he married more than once? Is there a reason I never noticed that (normally pretty thorough)? Is it even my business? But more to the point ... gotta 'skirt' the issue a bit, because I'm thinking there are copyright issues involved: So, if I SELL patterns -- how much do I need to ALTER a previously available one before it's not considered "copy-ing"? I mean, if you do a rose, and I do a rose, and they're similar -- it may appear to be a copy when in fact one person may not have seen the other. For this reason, I don't sell carving designs. If I make one, it's for me or someone I know. But we see carving designs offered for sale all the time. Always somebody wanting to sell us something -- whether we need it or not! And flipping through the pages of that vintage book, THERE is that carving design I've seen again and again (without even looking for it). I kept seeing slight variations of the SAME pattern, and in time I started thinking I KNOW I've seen that before. Then I'd go back to not really having an opinion, since I don't sell them and I don't buy them. THE QUESTION THEN: Is it legal to use the design to make holsters? Of course .. that was the point of the book. But we all agree that it would NOT be legal to reproduce the PATTERN and sell it. Since the designs exceed 50 years old, some will tout "vintage" and "public domain" -- but that book is still in production. So if I scan it, and use software to "smoosh" it a bit this way and that... is this a copyright issue? Can I "smoosh" it, and then claim copyright protection for my 'smooshed" pattern, even though created by someone else? Not gonna post the thing -- for the reasons I just gave -- but somebody look at page 18 of that book and tell me you don't see that design in a dozen slight "variations".

Now there's an honest man. If you believe what you hear -- around here or in fact most of the internet posted by anyone with an item to sell -- then you 'n' me are the only ones who do this type of thing on occasion

Yeah, they got some they didn't have back when I started. LIke chocolate, but not Colors we used to have to experiment and mix by hand are now on the shelf (sometimes). BUT, the floor is concrete and needed repainting anyway, and the fish didn't die (which makes sense, since I don't have any) and there is probably enough left in that little bottle to second-coat the project I was doing.. so might as well have a laugh about "feaux" wood floors!

Dropped a half full 4 oz plastic bottle of walnut fiebing's pro dye on the floor. And splashed my white leather sneakers pretty good (walnut actually looks good on white, though.. rather "dapple"). My little girl isn't going to like this.. it "ruined" the spash of purple I put there last time I made her a belt -- she was a bit proud of that purple spill Progress, though... plastic bottles means no glass to sweep up this time. The 4 oz was a test... and I kinda like this walnut color. So there's MORE good news... it wasn't a quart I have heard from some sources I know pretty well that a quart plastic bottle dropped just right on a concrete floor will crack the plastic cap and the pressure from the fall will blow it -- and a good percentage of the dye --- like a pump. Just what I hear ...

No metal to tarnish and stain and no wood drawing the moisture out of the leather --looks like it otta work.