JLSleather

Oh, yeah, if you got a type of dye / paint that you can buff the high spots that certainly would be virtually the same thing

Guess I'm the odd man out here -- I think you certainly could use the watch to form over. Since you say WET FORMING we'll assume you're talking about vegetable tanned leather, and since its a watch we'll assume fairly thin veg tanned. Maybe 2/3 or 3/4? Cover the watch with plastic wrap... you won't gain enough bulk to matter.

Actually, that case might be the exception. You have acrylics keeping the brightness would just mean staying off of those areas. But I might go on and do JUST the area between the roses (staying OFF the border area above and below the name) since your letters are "inverted" and set down that's a classic place for that. OR, depending on the size of the lettering I might just do that with dark dye in a pointed tip brush. ANY brown on the blue/white areas would look ... not great prolly. Some might not mind some "ant streak shading" on the roses , but I think that's better done by just hi-liting the red... as in use the red in the "shadow" areas, then add some white to the red to "lighten" it a bit before painting over the rose. Hope I said htat in a way makes sense to not just me The rose on this page might explain it with less words. This is painted ONLY... no tooling, and no antique. "Red" in the "shadows", then lighter red over the whole thing.

Stamp_Maker.pdf In no particular order or preference, here are some who have been recommended by members here.

I've use Watt edgers and was NOT happy with them (gave em away, as in free). I might try Ron's ... only because Don Gonzalez says he uses them, and Don is about the only u-tube thing I have much regard for at all.

When using paper patterns, I only mark ONE side. If I'm making a rightey holster, I need to see the WRITING (RIGHTing). If I don't see the WRITING, then either the leather or the paper is back-ards. Course, on our patterns it actually says "left" n "right" hand, cuz not everybody does things same way. If it's LEFT, then the pattern SAYS left. Then, that don't prevent a fella having the leather backards.

'Sup LC Kaint really help with the thread you mention - we use machines so when we hand stitch (which we do) we use the same (machine) thread. $20 get you about a mile - seriously. As for weight, your belts and holsters will be fine with 277 or 207, which IF I remember rightly is a 4-cord and a 5-cord. Some say 207 breaks too easily for holsters, but to that I say "show me" (I'll send you some 207, you show us how you break it, and I'll buy you the heavier thread). sound like you mean TUCK-TITE clasp ? https://www.google.com/search?q=tuck-tite&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS763US763&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=VxhRxufDc12TQM%2CG4U6OHy5uqbmoM%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTc9HiZcNm1-fbZ1__akbjr9tKbbQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjd8qWT-vXtAhVDZ80KHfVsBQ4Q9QF6BAgJEAE#imgrc=VxhRxufDc12TQM I had them made. You could make your own out of about anything you want to use depending on how durable you want it to be, but I just sent the design to https://am-leathercraft.com/ He's across the water, so shipping isn't over night, but you don't care about that anyway. I've seen LOTS of "maker marks" and this guy is as good as any and better than most. Alex made this one ... less than 1" across but highly detailed. Uh, have you tried water? Seriously, some these social media / u-tube / instagram babies will stand there telling you to get a good edge you have to do it on Tuesday while standing on your left foot facing south -- if that gets you to stay on their "channel" a bit longer. Those videos ... are ADVERTISEMENTS (duh). Saddle soap is what it sounds like.. SOAP. When you cut leather, the EDGE absorbs (wicks) better than the surface. This is why when we dye solid colors, we cut the piece over-sized, dye the whole thing, THEN cut out the shape, so we don't have darker dye on the edge than the rest of the project. If you're working ONLY in black and brown shades - as some do - then it likely doesn't matter. Course, the "custom" they go on about is very limited, too .... so each his own. You're doing better than me - I've been doing this quite a while and STILL sometimes think about switching up the spacing Sometimes it helps to see what you DONT like. I do not like holes a full inch apart (some do). Some of that is determined by the size of the strap and the buckle (small, light buckles get spaced a little closer). As for the other end, I took a page (literally) from an old Stohlman book when I started out. Again, there's some cases where it gets altered a bit, but as a rule, I still use that same basic layout. More on belts, holsters, stuff, at https://www.jlsleather.com/information/ if you care to check that out. Free, but we offer a full refund to anybody who wasn't happy with the info

They ALL have some rough looking leather. Only problem is so many of them trying to charge a premium price for it (either they don't know better, in which case they shouldn't be your supplier, or they DO know better but are hoping YOU DONT, in which case they still shouldn't be your supplier).

Good to see the 'new guy' remembering to budget in LEATHER. I'm not kidding -- TOO many times I've seen people (sometimes here) spend money on mallets, knives, "maker stamps", and such... and not have any money set back for LEATHER (tip: you can't work leather if you don't have leather). I seem to be the dissenting opinion around here re: round knives and mauls. I'm sure they are "good" and have their place, just convinced that not everybody has need of them. Like a cantle pliers ... indispensable to the saddle maker, pretty much useless to the wallet guy. Same principle - expecting fairly heavy snow today here. The ugly old truck with the blade on the front is worth more today than the Mercedes. Shiny is okay, IF AND ONLY IF it does the job at hand. I like rawhide mallets. Relatively cheap, very effective, and will last for years. You can get mallets (or mauls) with replaceable heads, but I never have - doesn't seem worth the trouble to assume those will still be available in 10 years when I need new ones Each his own, but I started with a Garland rawhide mallet because that's what somebody said I needed and I didn't know otherwise. That mallet stood up to YEARS of tooling HOURS EVERY DAY... before I replaced it for under $30. I agree that Harbor Freight is the leather man's friend. Utility knife is like $4 - blades are 25¢ and don't need to spend time sharpening it. Square, 6 foot straight edge, and angle marker are good price there too. At some point, you might consider a drill press (harbor freight has a low-res version, or watch craigslist / local sales). These are great for burnishing, MAKING your own burnishing tools, even punching stitch holes. Oh, speaking of stitch holes... you might want to add a STITCH SPACE MARKER (sometimes called an "overstitch wheel") This one is off the tandy site, but anything similar works (note, you "could" mark your stitching with a set of dividers, but .... not optimal) https://tandyleather.com/collections/tools/products/craftool-spacer-set

That's a good start. Also budget and acceptable time frame is nice. https://www.jlsleather.com/leather-craft-gallery/

That (Consew) machine will sew a pretty wide range of leather goods... I used mine to sew everything from 2 layers of 1 1/2 0z kidskin for wallet linings up to about 12 0z with 7/8 veg tanned glued to 2 layers 2 oz kidskin. And I sewed from thread sizes 42 to 207. Idea is to NOT run a machine full on at capacity, but that thing will sew 1/4" of leather (even firm veg tanned) quite well. Good little machines... still regret letting mine go.

Dye shouldn't continue to buff off, and certainly shouldn't be getting picked up in the resolene finish. I would have recommended you let it fully dry, but since you say you gave it DAYS, I can't tell you what the issue is. I don't have that issue with the SAME pro dyes, so I'd have to see what you have going on to know the issue. Just posting here to say that it IS possible to use these dyes and NOT have that transfer.

Boots - $200. Tooled Boots - $400 Boots made by her Dad - Priceless! She must be as spoiled as little girls should be (even if they're 30-year old little girls).

In the "technical" sense, your beveling around the design is quite choppy. But on this project, I kinda don't mind it -- gives the whole thing a different look. That design been around like 70 years, so it's good to see it done a bit differently.

SHOOOT ... somebody cancel this. Turns out, we need this a bit longer, though even less frequently. Not actually "sold"... just not available

A ...n... d... there's another reason for tension screws. What is fine for you may not be for somebody else. I've had people pick up holsters at a show, try the fit. One person complains that's far too tight - the next person loves the fit. You get a call, somebody says they want a holster, "not as tight as some I've seen". I have no idea what that actually means unless I've seen the ones you didn't like. Not to long ago, we made holsters for Sig 238's, fella and his wife (not a matched set, but same layout). He likes to PULL a gun, she likes it to slide out in her hand. Gun that small, just one screw lets them both set it the way they like it. A rubber washer acts a bit like a lock washer - a little starter tension on it keeps the screw from backing itself out. With a little thought, it can be placed where it would be difficult to "over crank" it. Josh, that's nice lookin' stuff ya got there -- simple and clean, but still solid and functional

Yeah, all subjective and "each his own" type thing. Some folks tooling is so bad that honestly, it doesn't matter if they antique it or not. Don G is not one of those people - the real reason for my concern was that his tooling looked so nice upon completion of the tooling I hated to see him "ruin" it with acrylic dyes and antique paste. Here's an example of one such project... the bottom pic was sent to me by a gal (FL I think?) who wanted the handbag strap REMADE. Dark dye and antique paste couldn't hide the 15 or 20 minutes somebody must have spent making that strap. The top pic is the replacement I sent - no antique at all. Long as I'm at it, here's a couple in brown tones (only) - no antique anywhere. And this was a long ago mission to make every wallet in that Stohlman book 'jus cuz". No antique. And finally, this one a pic of a banana I posted to make some long ago point ... cuz I like bananas. Back to the point, I have mixed brown Fiebings dyes with Tan-Kote (which you aren't "supposed to" do, but it works) for making a sort of custom "stain" - monochrome shades. I suppose you could paint it just where you want it as well.

Every so often, somebody gets me to do some "antique". Usually involves writing me a check But then it sits there on the shelf until LONG after, somebody asks again and I have to get a new jar because that is hard or very settled. But I did look into this AGAIN. I DO NOT LIKE the way it darkens my leather, nor the way it fills grooves I took considerable time to put there. Still reminds me of what's left behind after the rain dries up and what's left behind in the bottom of the puddles. Some might remember, I'm usually embarrassed for people who make videos. Most seem desperately needy and self-serving, so I just opt out of them. But I do like some of Don G's work, so I can handle a bit of him even if I have to do some FF through the wordy bits. (Don and I don't do everything the same, but I do like some of what he does.) That said, I talked myself into watching him go on about antique. The pics are from his video, showing the same piece of leather before and after "treatment". Again, each his own, but just not something I want to do to leather, especially when he had it looking quite nice in the beginning of the video.

If you want to do nice work, get nice tools. Having said that, I honestly don't know where those are nowadays - SO much of what is available is just "not what it used to be". If my tools ever need replaced, I guess I'll hunt like the next guy! That said, one trick is to NOT spend money where it's not called for - not quite the same but a good effect. Like, you'll see numerous posts going on about a "round" or "head" knife. Absolutely a great tool for a saddle maker, maybe not needed to make what you show here. Long straight lines are easily cut with a $4 utility knife, replace the blade for 25¢ when needed (versus $150+ for a "round" knife, requiring your time to sharpen / strop). Attention to detail is your friend as well. Is that frayed thread in the first pic above? Seriously... that kind of thing makes an otherwise very nice project look cheap.

I'd be interested in that too. SO much of what is available these days is just garbage. Apparently, people stick a higher price tag on some of the crap, to try to convince you that it isn't crap I bought a new edger recently, couldn't be bothered to sharpen some of those I have. The "new" one I got cut worse than the old one needing sharpened. To make those things you mention, you'll want oblong (slot) punches probably in 1" and 1 1/2" lengths; round hole punches in at least sizes 2, 3, and 6; oval punches are nice for belt holes; a strap cutter or draw guage; a good awl. Where to source those in GOOD quality, I don't really know any more. Careful about the name droppers around here - many of them are simply repeating what somebody else told them, and that often isn't correct info.

Try smaller size needle.

Had a call about a [slightly] custom holster. Guy sent me a pic of a Galco holster, says he wants "basically" this, except a couple small alterations. Holster is easy to find in a search, and I can see Galco is selling it for just under $100. Nice enough looking holster - I dont see anything wrong with it and in fact I kinda like the way they laid it out. So, he wants that, but in black cowhide with the wrap around panel done in black shark, and sewn with light-ish blue thread. Not a huge ordeal. With the options he wants, we 'quoted' somewhere around $150. Guy sounds surprised - says Galco sells that for $99 (or whatever it was). So I said then I guess we'll agree to let Galco do that for you, and congratulated him on finding the rig he wants. But, he says, Galco WONT DO THAT - he'd already asked and they had reasons why that's not going to happen. I dont know if they meant right then, or just ever. So I was reminded of a joke somebody told me a while back .... Gal goes into the butcher shop, says she wants ground beef. Butcher says it's $3/lb. The gal is a bit shocked, comments that seems like a lot - cuz she can go across the street and get it for $2/lb. Butcher said then I guess you'll be shopping across the street, maybe I can help you another time? Lady says nope - can't get it across the street - they're out right now. Butcher says that sounds like a rip-off ... when we're out it's only $1/lb.

Wait... now I'm confused (worse). What's the difference here... is the "vertical axis hook" mean the bobbin is vertical, or the axis is vertical and [thus] the bobbin is horiz? Otherwise, same needles, same feet, same thread, same lift, same arm length, .... and both available with choice of table style...

I'm certainly NOT the sewing machine guy, but isn't this the same thing with a paint job?

There ya go. Short, to the point, and probably stated more diplomatically than I might have