3DArcher

You have a number or website for Bob Douglas? I want some small awls. Actually want awls that are narrower than what I've been finding.

What kind of metal is used to make awl blades? I'm wanting to make some slimmer awl blades than what I've been finding.

These trigger snaps aren't magnetic. Only way to really tell is with ammonia or some other chemical.

I'm sure the manufactures are selling them this way to vendors. But vendors should at least do a simple ammonia test to insure they are receiving what they pay for and pass on to us. For this stuff to pass through a vendor then a maker and on to an end customer without even making sure it is solid brass, is ridiculous. Only really had a problem with one vendor so I started having my brass shipped by USPS. Now I really don't get any complaints and full refunds. This last shipment was 1" Solid Brass trigger snaps from StrapWorks. I'll call them tomorrow and see what they plan on doing about it, but this happens so often I'm just tired of it.

I received a shipment yesterday of "solid brass trigger snaps". I always antique my brass with ammonia fumes and also to test that what I received is solid brass since I'm paying 2 to 3 times more for solid brass, and I sometimes like to antique my own brass. These are not solid brass trigger snaps, they are guilted steel and this is the 18 shipment from various suppliers that have done this. Thing is, I make a habit of having my first order from a new supplier sent to me through the United States Post Office. Not UPS. Every time they put a stamp on this and send it to me through the US Postal Service they are also committing mail fraud which is a felony. I'm tired of wasting time and money on suppliers who do this so I've started going after them for false advertisement and mail fraud. This probably doesn't make me a very popular man right now, but I have to make sure my customers get what they pay for as well.

Those holsters you pointed to aren't lined, which is one thing you could offer that most mass produced holsters don't offer. Most knife sheaths aren't lined either which is doubly bad for high carbon blades. Doesn't take much to make a wood, kydex or even plastic liner for the inside of the sheath. There's two things you could offer that would be one up on the mass produced versions. My local cobblers are always getting request for custom sheaths and holsters, I'll bet the cobblers in your area would also refer these clients to you because most cobblers just don't have the time to make custom stuff even if they wanted to. I've been making small things out of oil tanned leather, which saves me from having to buy dye and scrap wool to finish veg-tan leather; also saves me from having to buy stamp tools, but the small things I make are actually paying for all my leather and allowing me to collect the tools I need for carving and dying veg-tan.

I was initially told over a month ago by Zack White leather that they would send me some samples of their oil tanned leather so I can see the different colors and make sure the dye was struck all the way through the leather. Every two weeks I call and they assure me they will send out some samples. I'm tired of waiting. Is there any other source for 5 to 6 or 6 to 7 oz oil tanned leather where the dye is struck through? So far I have samples from Siegels and Waterhouse. Waterhouse is the only one that has 5.5 oz struck through oil tanned leather, but it only comes in dark brown and black. I would like other colors but having a hard time finding suppliers.

I've had better results with ammonia also. Ammonia gives the brass a more natural patina but will blacken the longer you leave it in the fumes. A dremel with a wire brush attachment cleans the part up nicely leaving behind a piece that looks like it's a 100 years old with small pits in the metal and all. Solid brass works best but this is also a good way to tell if a part someone sold you as solid brass is really solid brass or just brass plated metal. Some parts are actually solid brass with a nickle plate on them and the ammonia will eat the nickle or gold or brass, just about any plating away.

That's a nice bag. What kind of leather is that?

Hi Frank, Uh, I have a work bench in the corner of my bedroom where I mutilate round leather coasters with my feeble attempts at carving. My goal is to eventually make custom hiking boots and shoes. Where do you get your Last from? Wished they had a custom Boot & Shoe Making category here on Leatherworker.net. It's hard to find anything on Crispin Colloguy, my browser hangs and crashes on that site all the time so I can never read anything.

Bootsmt, Very nice boots. Do you make your own last? I'm in Kalispell, where are you? Keith

I've been lurking here for several months. I know nothing but I'm interested in making my own hiking boots and shoes. Developing a line of shoe last in different sizes has me perplexed so I've basically been reading a lot. Found a lot of good information on this site about leatherwork in general. Thank you for this.