JLSleather
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Posts posted by JLSleather
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Is that tooled? Looked like maybe burned in ...
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Not sure I understood that... so the 19 is HIGHER?
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Thought maybe the K frame. Thanks!
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Recommendation on holster mold for this one? 4" .357
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You'll get a lot of different answers for this one. My best .. depends on the size of the book cover.
For a small, say 5 x 8", 4/5 oz leather is heavy enough. For a covering on a hard cover book (the book itself is a 'stiffener", then teh 6/7 is fine. For a 8 x 11", no hard cover inside it, I like a TOTAL weight of about 8 or 9 oz, but since i like them lined i generally would use a 6/7 with a 2 oz lining.
No skiving, but on the heavier ones I do gouge the fold lines.
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I bought ONE of those "top grade" tooling sides a long time ago. Never again. Nor will I ever pay for a "craftsman' side (even if it says HO on it). The "B" grade HO is much better than that, though I have seen some HO that's a bit 'spongey' from time to time.
As a rule, foks (including SLC) sell the hide closest to what you asked for. Just a little math for the new (ish) folks ... whether to buy a side, a back, a bend, etc.
The sides ...............................................around 25 feet, .........................@ $8.19 / ft ............. = $205
Backs (side without the belly) ................around 17 feet...........................@ $8.69 / ft ............... = $148
Bends (side without belly or shoulder)....around 12 feet ..........................@ $130 / ea ............... = $130
This pricing is SLC wholesale price for HO "B" grade (just for example). I don't buy sides, except in 2/3 or 3/4, because i know i won't use up the belly of the heavier weights. The bends work out at about $12 / ft when you add shipping - while this is the 'cream of the crop' part of the hide, that still seems excessive. So, I generally get backs. For an extra $50, I could get 6-8 feet of belly, but no point just to cut it off.
A better approach is to first determine what you'll use it for. Backs, I think, are prime for holster boys (an girls), since you can make belts from the bend section and make the holsters from the (less rectangular) shoulder area of the same hide.
As one who enjoys making belts, I let them pick sometimes. If they have a side long enough to cut two belts from one strip, that's fine. If not, then I might just take the bend, as this is certainly the best leather for carving.
I have found useable leather at Tandy on occasion, though I just go pick it out myself. SLC gets some attention because they will cut you a piece if you ask (expect a charge for this). They skived a couple of long pieces down to 3/4 oz for me once - when I had a bunch of 3/4 but not a piece long enough for the current issue. So, in one case, didn't wantt to buy a side of what I already had quite a bit of. I paid WELL for those two little pieces, and wouldn't do it that way again, but that's there if you like ....
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These are sold.
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Oh, hey, Dwight .. sorry, din't see your response. Couple folks was askin, so I took one quick picture. I'll give 'em a bit to respond, who already did, then I'll throw up a price. There's a bit more than this, but this is the 'top shelf'.
Oh, that piece the square is layin on is 3/4 oz, the one under it (and most of this) is 8 oz
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Cleaning out the shop, plus I seriously hate inventory. Somebody can get some decent leather at a bargain, and I get the place cleared, everybody's happy. All H.O. "B" grade. SLC has the strips for $12 (wholesale price), here you git em for half that. Everything cut from 7/8 or 8/9 HO leather.
Good news and bad news. The price is great, but I'm not piecing it out. Since the point is to clean the shop, then it only makes sense if it all goes.
I'll get some pics as I get organizing, but I know I have ,
at least half a dozen strips, 8 oz, mostly 1 1/2" wide, one about 47" and the rest are 50" or more.
a couple that are longer, and quite a few shorter (20-40", so still good for collars/wristbands/billets/etc).
a few cut out 'cobra' style rifle slings, 8 oz tooling leather
Any interest in some clean "B" grade leather, send me a message and I'll add to this as I clean shelves ...
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Great texture -- this is nice!
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That's lookin like pretty quick learnin's
Your first one has some VERY choppy bevel marks, but in the second you can see you're already eliminating much of that. Knife cuts look pretty smooth (as opposed to start/stop, jagged, drag marks).
By way of suggestions ... for the type of design you're doing, you might look up a bit about matting. No time to find it at the moment, but I remember a good while back there was a (quite good) example and discussion on matting figures by yaklady (member name). You might try the search bar either for matting, or for her 'content'. No point re-inventing the wheel, I remember her discussion was quite good and so were the pictures...
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Many people never realize how much better their work would be if they used good tools since they have nothing to compare too.
Aaron
Agreed. And tha's true of leathercraft in general, I think. So much crap out there, the new guy might actually think it's SUPPOSED to look like that.
I think i met that guy, doesn't care to improve anything. After all, somebody bought some of his stuff - maybe even more than twice - so why make it better?
I figure - each his own. Only irritates me occasionally when I see someone who doesn't know a "G" chord from a "C", trying to teach music (just to borrow your analogy for a minute).
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Actually, I've seen yours. I think I'll just stop there.
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...YOU decide if you need it, or it's just someone repeating something they heard from someone who heard from someone ...
Pretty sure that's what I said.
AND, Aaron's correct -- the craftools currently for sale 'over-the-counter' are not the same ones available years back.
AND, you're correct -- I sometimes say things my own way. You don't really need to spend all that energy suckin' up if people know the leather will be done right. I leave the long-winded facebook/tweetybird/pinholer stuff to people who talk better than they carve.
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Yeah, it aint always in the right pile, that's true. That .155 "should" be in the 9/10 pile, but it doesn't hurt to check. Of all the complainin' about Tandy, I actually LIKE their 'Royal Meadow' leather, but I know ahead of time that the 3/4 is actually going to measure more like 4.5 oz. Long as I know that it's fine.
For myself, I prefer a belt in the 10-12 oz range (7/8 or 8/9 backed with a 3/4).
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Thanks, Aaron .. and those stars are stamped (yep, cheap crap, Tandy Z-something)
Oh, and jus fer fun, here's the rest of that design. I think these are hard. NO part of the design is original, except the size and shape of the binder. With an original design, you can do whatever shape you think of, and you can make it any color you want to. With this, and a few others, some Coast Guard boys went nuts needing these for some kind of rank thing. The design had to adhere to the original and the colors had to be at least quite close. The anchor design is standard USCG 'stuff', and the grey (which was a bit difficult to match) is some kind of job classification (hydraulic guy, I think).
So, the emblem and classification courtesy of the USCG boys, the banner mine, and the color belongs to a little chubby girl. Still, I kinda liked it.
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Oh, and all these belts made with the same useless 'junk' (some by me, some by that chubby girl). Crap - I should just throw those old tools away, maybe ... (I admit it seems a bit rediklus to use a compressed file to talk about detail
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That sounds heavy for double - 8/9. I've made them about .240-ish, but that doesn't like some belt loops. Lately, seems folks have been wanting them 3/16-ish", which is about double-6/7oz, and skive the inside so it goes all the way through to the end. And, 1.5" wide is definitely most popular.
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It depends on what you call "small" and "detail". I bought that B197 a LONG time ago, still use it. There's always some monkey wanting to talk you into buying some more stuff around the leather shop. YOU decide if you need it, or it's just someone repeating something they heard from someone who heard from someone ....
If you want to spend more money, get the best grade of leather available. learn the proper moisture content, and have fun. These were done with those "cheap" craftools (including the 197) with chubby little fingers ... (oh, yeah, the anchor picture actual size is 6" circle, chain links are about 1/4" long x 1/8" wide).
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Lookin' good
Musta took like over a ower ta lace that thing .... -
Buy the side. It's going to be less expensive. Beyond that - define 'useable'. Ordinarily with a side, it's all useable, less i cut a bit off of the neck / outer shoulder area (whre it joins the belly) to use for testing colors / setting sewing machine tensions, wiping my feet at the entry, etc. And the bellly is generally noticeably "looser" grained, really not for tooling. Still, it lines belts just fine.
If you're making billfolds, I'd go with a 3/4 oz (some prefer a bit on either side of that) and get the side. Depending on where you shop, you may get away with 1/2 side (but expect a cutting charge). As a rule, figure about 3.5 billfolds per square foot. This will depend on the style wallet you make, obviously.
Short version, I like to buy backs most of the time, whicih is a side with the belly removed (for the reasons already stated).
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I usualy get Barge by the gallon, but ran out early a while back so I picked up a qt of the "Tanners Bond" stuff at Tandy I was passing by. VERY strong grip, but also VERY strong chemical. I used it all, and it works just fine, but you really need to have a ventilated area to use it in.
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Thats a teeny picture, so ...some guesswork. If it's actualy skippin the stitch, make sure you go all the way down and start to come back up before pivoting.
If it's not skipping, but actually pulling the bottom thread up and over (which is how it looks in that little pic) then yes, tension issue. But, keep in mind that tension can be altered a bit by the needle size (bigger hole, easier to pull up). If it appears fine elsewhere, and issue is at the corners - I would check to see that I'm not pulling (distorting) the hole or pulling on the top thread when the leather turns. Doesn't take much to cause that with the foot up.
I might try the same material with a size smaller needle (or maybe a fresh, sharp one the same size) before altering everything else.
I'm certainly no 'pro' behind the wheel of these things, and if Wiz chimes in and tells you I'm wrong, then the smart money says go with what HE tells you
But, I do thinnk this is worth a shot ...
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Try to keep in mind the POINT for the tools you're using. I certainly WOULD reverse the vein tool as suggested. The idea is not 'cause it's in some pattern' so much as the idea is to give the illusion of roundness and shape to the leaf.
This seems common for new guys, and long as you are aware of it you likely won't fall prey to it. Don't think about placing a tool that looks like veins -- think about making a leaf.
And, if you don't have one already, I would suggest picking up a modeling spoon. A few minutes at the end rounding those hard bevel lines will make a world of difference in the final look.
Keep it up.
S/w Model 65
in Gun Holsters, Rifle Slings and Knife Sheathes
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Gotcha. That is the correct firearm and you are a gentleman. This will be an envelope 'western' foldover. That 19 is a LOT taller.
On the glock autos, I have some kabob sticks that are just the right diameter for sight channels.
THANKS!