Ferg

Nice work. I made several of that particular purse, one of them was for my wife. Wife's initials were the same as my mother. Neat don't you think? ferg

You would never get a better knife than the SK-3 from Leather Wranglers Inc. i have a ceramic beader I have not used as yet. You will find that most of the pros use a single blade knife and dividers to mark the second cut. ferg

Someone that knows little about the art of sewing leather with a machine probably would not see a problem. That said, you have a problem with the size needle and/or style of needle. Wetting the leather to sew is balder dash. If you wet the leather you may get marks from anything and almost everything you do while sewing. Your machine is okay, the leather is okay, you have a problem with the needle style and size, plain and simple. ferg Make sure you study the information enclosed with this post in pdf format. Sewing Machine Needles.pdf

In lieu of sewing under power, operate the machine manually. Also you might try putting a small dot of white paint on the "split" in the shoe of your machine. ferg

I agree with TwinOaks on needles regarding them being leather needles. Also: I believe your needle is too large, go with a #20. You may want to try a TW in lieu of a RTW needle style. ferg

Guess I missed this one also. Seems a lot of work for a very unusual waste of leather. LOL ferg

My wallets have always been made from 5/6 oz. Never had a problem with wear or discomfort from anyone. ferg

Copyright laws are very convoluted. Your intended use could get you in trouble. Subtle changes normally do not keep you out of the "Soup" ferg

Thank you for the compliment. Our youngest daughter is a Graphic Artist. She is lead designer of the magazine, "Patriots of the American Revolution". She thought I had thrown the carving away. Since she just bought a home it is going to be displayed in a nice spot I am sure. ferg

I agree totally. My oldest daughter is an accomplished seamstress, she does this maneuver with all her clothes. Certainly works for leather also. ferg

Excellent design, excellent craftsmanship, love it. ferg

There was a lot of interest in the 1776 photos etc. in 1975/1976. I obtained a photo from a library to do this. Made that old frame in my wood shop. The leather was about 8 oz. Veg Tanned from Tandy. Took me several days as I remember. The paint/stain was from Tandy, I don't remember the name of it. Pretty good shape for being 36 years old Thought some folks might like to see it. I would probably do a number of things differently, doing it today. ferg

My personal thoughts on this, I am sure you will get more ideas. If possible you need to make a lining that will accommodate some of the pages, front and back, that may not be real important to the contents. The lining would be stitched to the cover, the book held in place by the pages slipped into the lining. If you are not going to carve the cover, use a light weight (3/4 oz.) fine grade of leather, you can buy book binding leather. I would then consider gluing the cover to the spine of the book but only if there is none of the original spine left. Before starting something like this, read as much as you can on book binding and covering/recovering old books. There is a wealth of information about this subject on the Net. One last note: I wouldn't use anything heavier than 6/7 oz for the cover if you are planning to carve. ferg ferg

Having the right tools definitely makes a difference. Not having everyone of them called for in a design is not a "work breaker" to me. Very few of us began with a full set of tools. A beginner wouldn't know what to do with a lot of them anyway. Be patient, I am not As you gain experience and hopefully sell a few items, you can buy more toys, Oh doggone it, I meant to say, "More tools that you must have." ferg

I don't think your carving looks jumbled just a little too large for the area given it. Nice work. ferg

Plus 1 to previous comments. I have the SK-3 including four of Paul's blades. If the knife cost $200 it would be underpriced with the comfort and technical ability you have with this knife. ferg

If you are wanting to do this type of work, "break a leg" and buy an air brush. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish. Personally, I wouldn't waste my time with trying to use cream dyes to accomplish this affect. ferg

I believe you could arrive at the effect using an Air Brush to apply the stain. ferg

You can grind/file the serrations off the feet. Be aware that both feet need to be exactly the same. If the machine isn't a walking foot the material may not go through when sewing. ferg

Sorry for your obvious frustration. I have dealt with Tandy for many years and have had only a few problems, they were taken care of promptly. I have found that the managers of the stores have a lot to do with how much second grade leather you may receive. Seriously though, if this has you this upset you are in far a lot of disappointment in any business endeavor. ferg

Bobby, Another inspiration for many of us. Thank you, ferg

Nice clean design and redering. ferg