Matt T

They aren't interested in having their leather re-sold. They deal directly with manufacturers, made to spec, and their minimum order is 2500 sq. feet of a single leather.

I find the main difference between different white PVA glues is the amount of PVA in them. The ones you can buy at the store like Elmers are a lot more watered down than the book binding glues you can get online. I prefer the bookbinding glues because they are stronger and don't run and leak through your materials as easily. Here is a good one I've tried (Jade 403): http://apps.bnt.com/ecom/catalog/product_specific.cfm?ClientID=15&ProductID=18847

I asked the guys at Giardini for tips on better adhesion to waxy leathers such as Chromexcel, and they suggested treating the edges with a 50/50 mix of water and rubbing alcohol. This will allow the paint to adhere better to the edges.

Good instructions. Those are pretty much the same steps I follow for the Giardini paint.

Yes, it moves the knife further or closer to the presser foot. Art, I think you may be right; because my blade not worn down much at all. There is a gap of about 1.5 mm between the knife and the presser foot. I was trying to move it a little closer to test the knob out, but it won't budge. I don't know what is stopping it from moving further, but hopefully it will move when my knife wears down more.

Nice video. Is there a secret to operating the knife feed knob (the one that moves the knife horizontally)? I can turn mine left and right a few rotations before it gets stuck and won't turn anymore. It also isn't moving the knife.

I like Lisa Sorrell's site, http://sorrellnotionsandfindings.customboots.net/. She's a sponsor of this forum, she has a good selection, and she knows her stuff. I'm getting started with shoe making and just ordered from her today - got a tracking number within the hour.

I may have to give the 90 another try then. Incidentally, today I found this really interesting gluing method from a very old video on shoemaking (Go to 6m 27s):

I've tried a lot of different spray glues including 3M 90. They remain tacky - not fully drying. And the hold is nothing like barge. I'm sure it would work for some applications, but for now I am sticking with barge and pva with a brush and spreader.

Try Alibaba.com

We are working on a solution for a better free sample option. RStevenson, If I had to guess which paint fine leather working is using I would guess Beraud, which is the supplier Hermes was using before they switched to Stahl. I can't say for sure though.

If you have a suggestion for them, I can relay the message. The shipping is expensive but I don't believe they are trying to profit from the shipping charges; just covering their cost. Perhaps I can suggest smaller sample sizes? By the way, my store sells some of their paint at the same retail prices and is a an option for those in the US and Canada. I have received very good feedback on the paint, and will be expanding the line of colors soon.

I'm pleased to announce that the first shipment of Shell has arrived from our friends at the Maryam tannery in Italy. We have five colors: Black, Brown, Navy, Emerald Green, and Burgundy. I have listed a handful of shells on the site so far, and am planning to photograph and measure each shell before sale, to avoid any surprises. The shells are larger than I have received from other tanneries in the past, and they are a bit on the thick side - 5-6oz. Any questions / comments, let me know! http://lekoza.com/Leather/MaryamShellCordovan

Nice. Buffalo leather?

If you're talking about rubber cement, sand as much of it off as possible. It melts faster than the paint and can cause problems.

Are you referring to Clayton's shell sold by Booth and Co? Horween shells are a lot more expensive than that. I notice from your site that you are only using Horween. If you are open to using other leathers, I am in the late stages of a deal with a small tannery in Italy to sell their shell cordovan in the US and Canada. It comes in Black, Forest Green, Navy Blue, Light Brown, and Burgundy. I need to see what the shipping costs work out to, but I expect each shell to retail around $150.

I have one of these and it's working well so far. Mine didn't come with a light.

I use Google Sketchup for project patterns. Here is a quick start guide I made: http://lekoza.com/index.php?route=stories/show&story_id=3

What size pieces do you need?

Yes, they are actually made by Seiwa, but branded for leathercrafttools.com

Jim, how about gluing some non slip material to the bottom of the ruler and then cutting along the ruler with a head knife or rotary knife? It wouldn't be hard to make what you describe, but I just don't know how useful it would be.

You can see at 2:06 what the tool looks like from the bottom. It's just a bunch of brass shims with a razor squeezed between at an angle. There is a wing nut on one side to loosen / tighten the shims together. I've thought of making something similar to this but using a rotary blade.

Here is one option: sxindustries.com

Agree with robertmeco. Alligator flank leather.

I've bought from them before and didn't have any problems. They have pictures of the actual leather you will receive, so there aren't a whole lot of surprises when it arrives.