Matt T

I'm excited to announce the arrival of a new line of thread which goes by the name of Slam, and is a product of Italy. I've had trouble in the past finding a supplier who can produce 0.6mm, and 0.8mm with high quality and consistency. This thread fits the bill, and after working with it I am very happy with the results. I have not yet had a chance to take photos of example stitching, but those will come. http://lekoza.com/Thread/

Fascinating photos. Thanks for sharing!

I've tried this before and I wasn't satisfied with the results. If the tape isn't perfectly adhered the paint will seep in without noticing. At least without the tape I can wipe the paint off quickly before it dries.

Tell us the width of the belt and we can give you a better idea..

Buckle Guy sells Fenice paint. http://www.buckleguy.com/content/pdf/edge-paint-safety-sheet.pdf

Yes, I plan on expanding the line in the near future, but starting with 0.6 and 0.8 first.

I made a leather mousepad for myself and put deer leather on the back. Works great.

I believe it is just veg tan leather without any finishing treatment at all.

If you are just trying to practice, you can get by with just an awl. Maybe you can use a ruler along the edge of your work to mark where your stitches will go. The awl from GoodsJapan that you are looking at has the same shape as the holes from their pricking punches. Their punches are designed to go all the way through the leather, as opposed to other types of pricking irons. You can still use that awl to make one off holes, or to hold the holes from the pricking punch open while stitching. I would recommend around 7SPI as a starting SPI. It will match well with 0.8mm thread and will be good fit for a small bag. Make sure to research pricking irons before spending your money - Neil Armitage has reviews on several different types. You can stitch without a sewing clamp, it will just be more difficult; And you might teach yourself bad habits - I have an expensive sewing clamp, but don't use it because I'm not accustomed to it.

Keep an eye out on craigslist and ebay too!

I don't know of a US supplier, but you could contact these guys to see if they have the tool in stock - price is much better: http://www.remam.sk/produkt.php?id=791

I've been working on solving this problem for the last 6 months. I've had issues/headaches with factories in China along the way, but I've finally found a good factory in Italy that can produce this type of thread for my store. This thread is not in stock yet (I have tested it, and it's good!), but will be ordering 0.6mm and 0.8mm thread soon. Target price is $25 for 500m. One nice thing is that you be able to get 0.6mm in 500m rolls, instead of 1000m; so it will be more affordable to have multiple colors. If anyone has suggestions for colors, let me know.

I've had this problem before too. +1 for waxed polyester

There are several conversion charts on the web. Here's mine: http://lekoza.com/index.php?route=stories/show&story_id=4 And yes, you are looking for 8oz.

I have a variety of leather from them; just haven't put it in my store yet. It is really beautiful stuff! Here is a picture of the buttero colors I have. I also have to different belt leathers from them.

Might want to put a % waste for your cost of materials calculation.

Angelus is not the right paint to use for edges - it cracks easily and isn't thick enough to build up quickly. Use a paint specifically made for leather edges.

An edge beveler is something to consider. Ron's tools and Barry King are both good options. What type of leather are you using? Veg tan or chrome?

If it's something you will repeat many times, you can't really beat a steel die and pneumatic press. I have not tried the following, but I have seen videos online where people get good results with thin leathers: http://us.cricut.com/home/ Whatever you try, tell us what you method you choose and let us see the results!

Black 11 has a higher concentration of pigment. Mixing black by itself will not be as intensely black, and using Black 11 for mixing will result in different color results.

I am now stocking the standard color set, which can also mixed to create any color on the Giardini color chart. Giardini is still working on getting the free samples to me - they are waiting for different size containers. Izmarkie, thanks for the suggestion; I will consider this.

Not scraps or second grade. These would be tannery run or first grade sides (I am leaning toward first grade, aka "belt grade").

I'll have to look into how the waterproofing is done. As for the shipping, I intend to roll the leathers, wrap with craft paper, and box in a large rectangular cardboard box.

Possibly, and I appreciate the feedback. Keep in mind these are not straight chrome tanned leathers; they are re-tanned. Also made in America.

I'd like some feedback from folks here on whether there is interest in buying S.B. Foot leather. I live near the tannery, and I've been in touch with them over the last few weeks. They are open to having their leather resold through my store, but I would like to reach out to the community to gauge the level of interest, and figure out what types of leather you are most interested in. Based on the pricing I was quoted, here is what the pricing would be if I carried their leather in my store: Standard - 8.00 / sf Belt Grade - 8.75 / sf Waterproof - 8.75 / sf Belt Grade Waterproof - 9.50 / sf I don't have a listing of leather types or colors right now, but products made from their leather can be seen here: http://www.redwingheritage.com/USD/accessories and here: http://www.redwingheritage.com/USD/footwear