JLSleather

Still looking ... anybody??

VERY NICE And that from a guy who don't even carry a purse! Really .... lovely ...

From a "Weaver" point of view (or anybody else who sells hides AND finished goods), the hides they sell is only another of their "products". On the other hand, the guy has a point. Your competition and your supplier is the same guy ... so ... you have retail price on materials, they're paying tannery price. You're paying WAY more in shipping a few hides at a time than they are for a rail car or truck load. And if they have a "cash flow" issue, they can get you to fix it for them (?????). In the end, all you can do is decide if what you want is worth the price they're asking - and then buy it or don't.

I'm the OTHER guy ... meaning I LIKE some color, but have never cared for even the IDEA of coasters But I will say that I've always thought you had a talent for design, and I'm always impressed with your use of color. [Yet another] attractive piece :)

I use Fiebing's spirit dyes - think you could get that shade with either the british tan OR the mahogony (or the oil dye "saddle tan"). For reference, the pic at left is done with Fiebing's red (not "dark red") and dark brown with reducer (which is NOT the same as the medium brown).

Not so! You paid money for it, and shipping isn't free either. This craftaid in usable condition gotta be worth $10

A couple thoughts ... from a guy who admits I haven't made a holster in quite a while ... That looks more like a 5/32" or 3/16" lace. - some of the old folks pro'lly bought it called "Florentine" lace. Don't know why the natural color lace isn't used so much any more ... I've always liked that look. Should be able to do that with a set of dividers (which will scribe a guideline for the lacing AND mark the stitch spacing. Then it depends on the look you want ... I would have spaced the stitches just a little farther apart (though i like this way too). Slits can be made with a punch or a nipper. I prefer the nipper for this type of thing ... doesn't "rock" the project when punching. I'm probably overly cautious, but I like to see 'em stitched myself. I like a well-made holster, but in the end their PURPOSE is to contain, protect, and enhance the GUN. The thread will last longer than the very best lace and will be stronger. If you want to keep this look, you could easily stitch it half way between the edge and the lacing line, then keep the tight lace spacing and "conceal" the stitches. Keep in mind that Tandy is as bad as any of them ... take a $3 item and advertise it for $30 for a year - then "sale" it at $21 and try to tell you what a "deal" you're getting, hoping you'll forget it's a $3 item. One thing worth the time and money there, though, ... spend a few bucks and get Stohlman's "How to Make Holsters" book. Doesn't cover every model or method, but will give you all the information you need to start mkaing holsters and designing your own - short and sweet version on tools needed, too (one of the few things Tandy has worth owning).

As Clay notes, there are LOTS of different types of trees. Alas, I don't have those books any more, though they contain lots of good information and techs that I still use. Depends on the type of tree and the size you want, just what technique you'll want to use. Since you mention wallets, here's a couple showing varied styles/types ...

Yeah, times do change, I s'pose. I used to buy ALL my leather down there when it was The Leather Factory (BEFORE it became "Tandy Leather Factory"). Mail ordered it all, with never a problem. Gotta wonder, though, which of those hides they woulda sent if I wasn't there to pick it out myself. Top 1 or two hides on each pallet had BOOT PRINTS, like we just go ahead and walk across it when it's convenient. Several hides down had INK, like the square footage markings from the hide UNDER that one wasn't dry, and leached onto the next one. So, I didn't think I was "crying" .. but in case I was, at least I know it'll be the last time Oh, I've never paid $11+, either ... I left those at the store The one I bought was a little over $6/ft but ... sadly ... I couldn't find another one in the 8/9 oz pile I was willing to use. For my money ... Springfield Tandy

Just back from the Tandy store in Des Moines. Looked around a good bit ... amazing how the stuff just keeps getting cheaper and cheaper quality - and the price just keeps going up. Recently been to the Tandy stores in St Paul and Bloomington, MN, too ... same deal. In the end, I picked up ONE double shoulder (I wouldn't ordiinarily waste a trip for just one) as it was the only one in a stack of about 20 that I would give money for. I did see one other GOOD hide down there, but at over $11.00 a foot I'm thinking the stuff should carve itself. Oh, well .... guess I'll save the money for the wholesale club renewal that would have been coming up... Now, to find a rational supplier before it gets where I need it NOW ...

Years ago I had this one, and haven't seen it since someone thought they needed it worse than I did. Good money paid (PayPal) if somebody has that old craftaid template and wants to not have it Must have been in the 80's ???

That's just purdy!

You should be purdy close to that color just by oiling with Neatsfoot oil. But if you're not satisfied with that, I would thin out some Fiebing's buckskin dye.

Then we used the same guns to slaughter the native americans - including women and children - who were in the way of the "progress" of us civiilized folks. I grew up with guns since I was a boy. I hunted a lot of critters. But I haven't owned a gun of any type for almost 30 years. And, I admit that I have never had anyone reaping and pillaging around here - even with no guns. I don't have a problem with guns, either. My wife (who is a Kiwi and also from where handguns are banned) and I BOTH appreciate the craftsmanship of a good holster, and enjoy the art work involved even if we don't like a particular holster. But the TRUTH is, us caucasian folks aren't Americans at all ... really just 10th generation European immigrants. Yes, even the ones in Texas. Anybody who thinks that isn't true shouldn't have a problem with the children born in THIS country to "illegal aliens" being called Americans. To borrow someone else's words ... stong willed, independent individuals that voluntarily migrated to this "new land".

Their service is pretty good, but apparently their web administrator is out. Those prices ARE old. If you call, they'll send you a free 2010 catalog. You can email in your order, but I find it's best to just call them. I get all my liquids there ... dyes, thinners, oil. And their brown "kidskin" goat lining (stock no. L3777) just can 't be beat, the stuff is top of the line - better than stuff I've seen for a LOT more money. Beautiful chocolate color, with a sheen (without being SHINY) - incredibly strong, tight grained skins. And you get those prices WITHOUT paying a "wholesale club" fee or membership. I probably sound like a spokesman for them, though I'm not. In fact, if some others had given the same speedy and reliable service, I'd be saying good things about them, too.

We have a $35.00 thingy from the Dollar Store. We bought it at the last show. We didn't use one, just a table nicely done ... but it rained on the other side of the lake all day, and we didn't want to "hope" it wasn't moviing over. Lady told us where the store was, and we got the ONLY one they had. Worked well, and the stripes looked nice over the leather We're not investing in alot of "in between" stuff .. just going to get the enclosed trailer with a side that opens. Maybe we'll add burritos?

Very nice ... LOVE the color!

Ohio Travel has 'em in the hardware catalog, page 26-27

Is it same as this one ?? I've bought stuff from this gal before, never any problems (for what that's worth).

Shoulders will be sold by the sqare foot, so you need to know how long the belts need to be, and then if you know how wide you want them just do the math. A 10' shoulder is pretty small, though they do exist. Figure the hide needs to be the waist size plus about 8" --- so for 44-46" belts, you'd need about 54" wide. Doing the math, that's 4-1/2 feet, so a 10' shoulder 4-1/2' wide is going to be 27" across, which is 18 1-1/2" wide belts. Keep in mind that with shoulders you're going to have one end slightly narrower than the other, but if you can live with a few belts more like size 32-36 (or a holster or two) you should be fine. As a rule, I buy shoulders 12+ feet, and I like 'em 14 feet when they're available. At this size, I might just as well buy a side instead of a shoulder, but then I know I'm getting 4-6 feet of belly leather I don't want. The exception (and disclaimer) ... shoulders around here are for carved belts often worn with jeans ... for "heavy use" or extreme carving detail you might stick with sides or backs. By way of example, the belt shown is for a 40" waist, 1-1/2" wide, and cut from an 8/9 shoulder.

Grain of the leather runs butt to neck (the markings and striations running back to belly are wrinkles and stretch marks). LOTS of very nice holsters made from double shoulders, in weghts varying 5 - 9 oz leather. For belts, the best part of the hide is the butt, close to the spine. I have and do make belts from double shoulders, though I stick to the butts (parallel to the spine) for those items made for "heavy service", as this is the strongest, most dense part of the hide. Not sure what the other thing you're referring to though ... I've seen hides that cut easier than some others, but don't remember getting a hide that showed a significant difference in cutting based on cutting direction. Not sure what that's about ...

Unless you personally know the guy(s) at the store, it's ALWAYS a good idea to SEE the leather you're buying. Appearance, smell, feel, ...

You're the only one kin answer that, really. What do you WANT to do? Why did you get interested in leather in the first place? I personally don't know what I want to end up with. I have reason right now to NOT have the web site up and running (actually pays me to have it OFF), but I bought the domain anyway because of the propensity for jerks to see my work and create that domain name for THEM. But I do leatherwork because I LIKE leatherwork. I like doing it, I like seeing what others have done, and I like coming up with new stuff. I like to make money with it, but really don't NEED to. Thus, there are things I can afford to NOT do because I don't want to. Just as example, I have never done skulls and / or flames - and I'm not going to. There's no reason to come to my place and count your money, because if you want skulls & flames you don't have enough. In fact, in the event that someone didn't know that and asked for that type of thing I'd refer them HERE and someone else could do it. Not to be the rude jerk, one more example. There were TWO items we had quite a few posts on, that most will remember seeing this year. One guy made that "evil clown" seat, and the other guy made that "tappedero" lamp. Lots of pictures and talk about both. Neither is really "my thing", and I don't personally want one OR want to make one. Still, there was talent evident in BOTH - so if I talked with someone looking for those things I would send them HERE. So, without going on about how this "cowboy gear" is in fact from SPAIN and was brought to the US by some marauders who were actively slaughtering Aztec indians - the question for JEFF is ... do I want to grow cows, or do I just want the steak?

If ya figger Art went to school as a boy, that list down the left makes him about 175 years old Seriously, Jason, I don't claim to be an authority but the Des Moines Sewing Machine Co. seems to know what they're talking about. (515) 288-8269