JLSleather

Tan-Kote should do exactly that ... just a kote of very light tan. Natural leather with tan kote ALMOST the same color as natural leather BARE. If you had an issue, more likely it's with the leather limiting dye penetration. In a jillion years of doing this I DID see one time where there was some tan-kote "gone bad". Turned out it was allowed to partially freeze on a UPS truck (@!#$!). So I use it all the time, but never ordr it over the weekend in winter. Buff the dye before applying, and then it shouldnt' change much due to the tan-kote.

Agreed! And, another great piece Love the textures, and your color is always fun to see!

I sent an email. Didn't get it? Offer wasn't acceptable? Busy and haven't got to it yet?

Reduce inventory / save space >> no need to stock multiple thicknesses Save time ordering >>>> same issue... call tannery, order one thickness, and you're done Quality of goods >>>> Make ranger belts with billets lighter than main belt, or add straps to cases, etc.. by splitting the same leather for the main body, the color and texture of the entire project will match (nothing ruins a project quite like a billet that doesn't "quite" match)

Got a drill press? Chuck a machine needle in it and "press" the holes (don't turn it on).

Oh, yeah.. Sam is THE guy to see for holster videos. There are a LOT of them out there, but cut through the NOISE 1000 guys are making and go straight to what is head and shoulders the best source of info on there. Far less "marketing spam" and more actual useful info. Here's one video I found very good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsXw3gabqk#t=16 And another, where Andrews quickly and accurately describes how to make your own patterns for holsters - very well covered in 12 minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PdKDmcmu8k&t=2s

SHop a little. You can get wing dividers at pretty much any store in the country.. often for $2-ish. Menards or Lowes will carry them. Harbor Freight probably got a coupon to get 'em free. I'd pass on that hollow slot punch - I've seen em and wouldn't own one if it was free. You'll find a LOT Of people (some of them right here on this site) who will go out of their way to charge you $10 for something that aint worth $2. I've seen utility knives ($6 off the shelf at the auto parts store) being called "leather knife" and sold for twice that. Not naming names (yet), but shop a bit or ask out loud. Don't take the advice of somebody just because he's on here, or has a web site, etc -- including from me. I'm all about the BUSINESS END of a tool. If it's supposed to CUT something, then I want it to CUT. Don't care about - and aint payin extra for -- cocobolo wood handles "crafted" in a $35k CNC or laser tool... pretty is nice, but only if it WORKS. IN fact, I'm gonna say a guy with wood tools could likely make that strap cutter in a hour with some scrap wood, a wing nut and a jam nut, maybe a coping saw to cut the blade slit and a screw to hold it in. That "strap cutter" is in fact 3 pieces of wood, a 10¢ blade, and 25¢ worth of stuff from the hardware store. It's marked purdy like, but hardly a "precision" instrument. A guy basically needs a "fence" to put the leather up against and a way to hold the blade right distance away (which you could do by putting a slit in the table and screwing down a "fence" for that matter). i bot the strap cutter, due to space available, but .... you get the idea. Somebody selling the "walnut and oak "checker board" conglomeration with high gloss urethane finish and hand polished surface" is wasting their time barkin' at me You see the trend.

Strop? Nah, kaint find one here I use mostly x-acto and utility knife blades ... about 10¢, and when they're dull I get a new one. HOURS of time making belts and holsters because I'm NOT spending that time sharpening a blade. And, a fella with a wood lathe should have no trouble at all coming up with a burnishing stick in about any size/radius he might want

strap cutter is a big plus slot punches are nice. Maybe a 3/4" and a 1 1/2". Snap setters if you're going to use snaps. cutting board? maybe a piece of masonite to cover a table - that way you can replace it easily when it's marked up. You "can" get a round knife, but don't need to. I'm made a jillion things, never owned a round knife (i've seen them, but didn't see where it did anything I wasn't already doing with something else) OH>>> don't forget your tools you own... sometimes a wood gouge is a nice tool to have on a leather bench. AND>>> don't forget leather! Yeah, some will laugh.. but I have personally seen a BUNCHA fellas get so wrapped in buying tools that they had no money left for LEATHER (tough to do leather without leather)

Yup, you could easily bring the next one in a couple inches on the leading and trailing edge. Looks like you got the idea, and teh art work is fine. But you certainly could reduce the bulk, especially in the pants. Is that just one holster? Cuz that second pic throwin' me off a tad, I reckon Maybe you lined the back panel, and just hadn't added the holster stitch lines yet in that pic #2 (?).

Cut the slot the belt width. It should let the belt go through without fighting it but without any left over space. Nothing SUCKS like trying to draw a pistol, and it hangs up because your holster shifted (rotated) on the belt. And 3/8" wide? Uh.. no. I'd be okay with a "strong 1/4", or maybe like 9/32" would be ideal. Don't let anybody lie to you. A 1/4" thick belt goes through a 1/4" wide slot just fine. My belts aren't that heavy unless requested (which doesn't happen more n about twice a year) but I could maybe see a slot 5/16" wide TOPS. But really I like to cut them 1/4" wide, and by the time you burnish the inside of the slot its PLENTY of room. Sandy 'n' friends can make you a good one, link below (Int'l).

Coo ul. Progress is a good thing, eh? I generally like a bit more form-fitting in my holsters, but certainly in an IWB it's not as critical. I DO like the color of that last one.

If you have it tightened down, you should feel pressure on teh thread just pulling it with your fingers, without even putting it in the machine. If you don't, or if tightening it doesn't make the tension greater, then you may have "sprung" the tension spring (on the bobbin assembly). Simple fix -- Bob (link below) able to cure that for me quickly.

Your deco cuts are pretty shallow... leather getting dry or knife getting dull? Still, I like the design. Are you backgrounding, or no? Small stuff is FUN. Ya just haven't lived until you bought the P370 shade tool and then ground some off the sides

WHAT ?@! I LOVE this, personally. I'm in for realism, too... but no doubt you are already aware that you see features and differences that some others don't. Many will see this and love it, but not really know what made it different from some others with similar subject matter. They literally don't know what they're seeing. Part of your "realism" that I really find inspiring is your ability to alter the focus between what is the "subject" and what is the "background" (in quotes because maybe those are words familiar). I'm not going to pretend to instruct YOU, but for those others here who don't know what I'm talking about.... the way you've used crisp detail in the amphibian and the "main" plant, and deliberately allowed the less prominent features to be less detailed, less "in focus". This is not a failure to clearly define the "background".. it's a deliberate and very well done PLAN to showcase a specific object. Commendable. Noteworthy. Inspiring. I don't know who you feel "loves your work less", but I'm in the camp that loves this. I used to do insanely detailed stuff (that one of the steam ship on the river was a project... what with all the guy wires 'n' such) but got away a bit because 1) people generally weren't willing to pay what that warranted, and 2) I didn't much like some of the people I was meeting. But your work generally reminds me of why I like doing stuff in leather in the first place. Now, that was certainly long, but I just wanted to be clear that nothing i said (uh.. ever actually) should be taken as saying there's anything about your work I don't like.

Glue it outside. No excuse for subjecting others to potentially harmful vapors. If you can't do it safely, then probably shouldn't do it.

I'm gonna say that an educated guess for when you are better with color than I am... would be....... [ drum roll ] about half an hour ago

Your work always looks good, Boss. In THIS case, I give ya the most "points" for the crisp distinction in the frog, the subtle color distinction in the flower, and the shift in focus from the frog & flower to the pads and water. Still, the pads and water also look quite good (love the perspective!), I just think that other features of your work have occluded the water a bit. Since it's "background", that's absolutely appropriate here. Now, I suspect you KNEW that's what I would say ...

Tough to tell anything with that booger ball goin' on in there. First thing I would do is pop out the shuttle/race thingajiggy.. clean that out behind there. Very possibly git some 'stuff' or a piece of broken off thread in behind all that, which can cause that binding. And if it binds, and you don't stop... ugghhhhh ..

True... and if somebody can use it, I got no problem gittin' it In fact, if a fella was 'hassle free' about takin' some, could end up with some more down the road WITHOUT payin' !

I order backs... so I'm starting out with NO BELLY LEATHER. (*On occasion, I have purchased sides and offered the belly leather at cost, but those who "like" bellies seem slow to pay for them, so I usually pass). Then when they arrive, I measure about 60" from the butt end, and cut across the side, separating the bend from the shoulder. Bends become belts, and shoulders become.. other stuff If at some point I need to make a belt longer than a size 50, I just cut from another side, which you can do along the spine of a side (up to about a size 72 or so, which I have never been asked to make) before cutting off the 60" bend. If I cut off and "waste" 8-10" on the end, I just get over it. Sometimes my little girl and her friends make bracelets. Sometimes it goes in a box so I can store it and go through it every so often like anything else that's in the way, before pitching it out because there's too much of it.

Natural tooling leather strips. to become gun slings. About 9 oz leather, fairly clean. Cut by hand, so not identical "die cut" uniformity.... edge and burnish and it's all good. One has small ink smear, but dark dye will cover (or for this price, just cut keepers from that one!) Priced to GO GO GO.... at $12 each. Take all 9 for $100 and I'll pay the shipping. CLEANING around here, so if there's something else you need, now would be the time to speak up!

If you're making items one solid color, the best way to do it is to purchase the leather already drum dyed. No mess, no fuss, and you get consistent color. And for that project, I might go with english bridle leather. But then you have to buy each color you want, which can be pricey and cause storage space issues, maybe. Next best deal, use the pro dye you're already using, and dye before cutting out. Doesn't happen ALWAYS, but sometimes the edges can absorb more dye due to increased surface area, and you have a less consistent color. I would normally cut the leather a bit larger (1/2" will do) than all the pieces you need, dye the whole piece, and then cut out the parts you need.

I just get the thinner when I order the glue (Renia). Just not worth the trip down town to save $10 (after the trip, I wouldn't be saving that anyway). But you're right.. many things are 'jacked up' for retail, though there's no difference. I saw a "leather knife" for sale for just under $20. Same knife I bought at Lowe's in the drywall section for $6. https://www.jlsleather.com/compare-items/

I admit it.. I don't "get" the aversion to using the stuff that was made for that. https://www.springfieldleather.com/Thinner-Barge-Cement-Gallon