JLSleather

Tough to email poster board

Decide on the buckle you want to use, and cut the straps and slots to suit the buckle. Stohlman's BELTS GALORE book explains this easily, and there are others just as good. I don't use strap end punches. WAY too much money for something so simple. If you're making 10 belts per week, just make a posterboard or card stock template and cut the tips with an x-acto knife. If you're making 100 belts per week, get a clicker die to cut the ends (it won't be that much more than a "strap end punch" anyway). As a rule, I use a strip 10" longer than the "size" I need. I say "as a rule" because the buckle length will change that (a 2" long buckle needs an inch LESS leather than a 1" long buckle). So if you are making a size 40, then the leather would actually be 40 + 6" past the middle hole + 3.5" past the fold in teh leather, for a total of 9.5" longer than the "size". If you have 1 1/4" long buckles then the fold to the middle hole is 38 3/4. Plus the 9.5 is 48 1/4". If you want to cut the "keeper" from the same strip, then around 53" should work.

W/C has nice leather. There's no difference in the tannage between the "skirting" and the "tooling". HO does the same thing, they sell "strap", "tooling", and "holster", but its' the same leather. The guy who first posted is in PA already, which I would consider a no-brainer. I really like HO, and use a good bit of it, but if I lived where I could make it an afternoon trip I'd be at W/C a LOT more often

I requested info on the file type you need the patterns in, but no response. Guess I was expecting a fairly quick answer-- if quotes are same day, surely an answer to a question .... Not emergency just yet, but can't wait long.

People probably able to help you , but would need to clarify .... what are you calling 25° ? 25 off of horizontal? or 25 off the vertical?

I see along with the web site change, springfield has abandoned the free shipping. Drat, just when I was ready to spend a bunch of money there. Actually, I did just recently place a small order down there.... dye, glue, buckles, somethin' else- can't remember right off. Order arrived correct and quick.

My comments got nuthin' to do with this part, but tha's jus' funny right there. So, the guy who uses it likes the fit, AND it brought in "work". No problems there! NAILED it. Green is tough to do well, I don't care WHO ya are And while the color on the S/W is too much for me, that was exactly the ORDER of the day, and if you were after "girlie"... NAILED IT Overall, I don't think mine would look that sleek if I took 15 year breaks! Nice job.

Looks purdy good. That stitchin' is meh tic you lus! And I'm the guy who usually hears about stitchin' and thinks "meh...".

My wife uses a wallet daily which was airbrushed with leather dyes. Years later, still looks good. But that isn't heavy use under harsh conditions. If you want suspenders to look good like "for show", then either way would be fine. If you want suspenders that look good AND will 'take a beating", I'd probably cut them from drum dyed english bridle leather.

Ridiculous, isn't it? But then, I had a specific purpose, aimed at showing people here that you CAN get these to fit that machine. And there's no modification needed -- just get two parts. And show where to get those parts. Hey, I'm the LAST guy to tell people watch a video. Usually. I pacify myself with knowing that it's not 'fluff' and noise -- actually DOES something FOR leather workers. No hour long, 2 or 3 part "series". No loud, fast "hype" to pump anybody up. No sales pitch. No offer to show how to do something, then not actually show it. Answers a question I had, and shares that answer with others. No need to sign in. No subscription necessary. Don't 'like' tweet, twit, or twizzle. But I agree. Ridiculous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWd4FlRHv-Q

Yes, "whelp" was an attempt at hillbilly humor, a personal rendition of a "redneck joke", farce. Officially, it's a welt (in this case, single layer of heavy(ish) leather stitched between the back 'n' front to open the form without making it wider side to side.

Perhaps he's very skilled at measuring 12".

Yep, and W/C got good stuff, too... not just marking up somebody else's low end stuff.

Yeah, I'm not sure what was life-altering about that ball myself Still, I can tell you can get one of these drop-down thingies for CONSIDERABLY less than a side o' cow. Uwe (above) has them in his ebay store for about 1/3 of a side (ish). The 867 guide and 205 bracket work as is.... no modification necessary. Screw in 4 bolts and off ya go...

Is that an embossed belt, or are you left handed (or both)?

Front, back, whelp.

i haven't sewn anything in the 1/2" or up range for a long time. That's 4 layers of 8/9, and I'm generally about 'capped off' at 3 layers (which I DO sew all the time). I think the CB3200 is good money -- prolly what I would get. I DID have one of the 206-RB5 machines, and if that girl gets tired of it i'd buy it back. Maybe she'll use up the $100 worth of thread I gave her and then not need the machine any more ?? But the Boss.... I dont see the point. While I understand it will throw a little heavier thread than the 3200, I have NEVER needed 415 thread (or whatever that size is), and if you add about $300 to the price of the boss you could be running under power

Now, here's a bit of the issue I have with these things. I know it's not a precision instrument, but it could have been done better than this ...

Oh, gotcha. Either is tall enough for most of what I sew, so that's not an issue for me. Can see your point, tho.

Oh, boy.. this does bring back a point I've tried to make more than once. Finished goods are often priced by some "formula" involving cost of materials. So, if someone buys "B" or "C" leather at $12/foot, is there finished item then worth 20% MORE than the person who bought GOOD leather at $10/foot? OR, (and this gets MY vote) should leather goods (and about anything else) be 'judged' based on the quality of what it actually is made of, and the quality of the work in it? Compare, compare, compare ...

If she does the grocery, she'll understand. Tell her you aren't going to drink a gallon of milk today, so you've decided to just buy one or two of those little cartons from teh school lunch menu, which cost as much for 4 as that whole gallon she's "wasting' money on

Maybe they get their "own" sewing machine first! That one is from one or more factories in Asia. But now that i've seen the mark-up on these little edge guides, maybe I'll "come out with my own" too!

Glad I was able to help. Honestly, tooling is quite simple. You DO need to start with good quality leather (or it won't matter much if you know how or not). But with a good chunk of leather, the only ones who can't tool are those who are telling themselves they can't! Gimme a good piece of leather, and I can teach a monkey to tool it -- long as he aint too drunk. But if you want to see REAL talent, check over there in the braiding section!!

YES - that's my point. I got emails about prices going up, but emails were not FROM H.O. A number of suppliers "around here" raising prices (again!). Sometimes they bump up the price. Sometimes they downgrade the quality or the grade of the leather, but charge the same, so they get a "price increase" without looking like it to the untrained customer. SO to be clear .... Hermann Oak has NOT had a price increase. The reason I add "For Your Information" is because it is just that - information. I'm just letting people know where and how to get the best leather you can get - delivered to your door - for about $185 each (no belly leather). H.O. "B" grade backs (no belly) running $9 / foot. Add the shipping, and it's at $10/foot (19 feet for $185). And it really IS "B" grade. So, WHY would anyone want to pay $12/ft, when you can get BETTER leather for $10/foot?#@#@!! This is a 25% MARKUP on the LITTLE GUY price (and don't kid yourself, they're brokering a MUCH better deal). Even with the "free shipping" some yelp about, you're still paying $2 per foot MORE for leather that isn't as good. I have certainly received sides from "suppliers" which were NOT "B" hides, though that's what they were calling it. Sometimes, I find a good deal, or a good idea, and pass it on to other folks around here. But it's just information. If for ANY reason people prefer to pay more money to buy lower quality, not up to me