Beaverslayer

Very nice indeed Romey. The handle is especially nice, I really like that wood. Ken

If you purchase the economical hide, just be sure to pick out the best one, with the least ammount of holes or scars. These deformations will greatly reduce the ammount of lace you get. Ken

Jordan, you must of hit Calgary on a bad January day. There are times here in the dead of winter elswhere when it hits 60 degrees or higher. We have the wonderful chinook winds. But back to the dollar, for me it seems something has gone wrong. In the last two days I've gotten orders from people in California, and when I tell them it's in Canadian dollars, thats okay with them. So basically I've gotten a raise. To think it's been 130 years since our dollar was this high compared to the US dollar. And it really helps when I purchase stuff from the US. Ken

Just, I have had the same problem as you up here in Canada. The Tandy is $58 for a 25 yd roll and it's only 1/8" lace. I can buy a roo hide for about $71.00 and it will make from 230 to 280 feet of 1/4" lace, so the cost is WAY less. Also, buy buying the hide and making my own I can make 1/8" or 1/4" or whatever I need at the time, which makes it much more economical in the long run. Ken

Welcome to the forum James. You will find that we're all very friendly and always willing to share our knowledge, got a question...many people will answer. Have fun and enjoy. Ken

I like it Jim, the handle is a real nice touch as well, and the overall look gives it that old antique look to it. You might want to lace one up the seam, kinda like you would a skate. Leave the lace loose until it's slid over the thermos, then tighten the lace with an awl. Just a thought. Ken

Welcome back Azmal. Thats just a perfect looking suit of armour. Extremely well done. That Batman mask, what did you use for the cushioning on it? Ken

That cover looks very nice. With putting the extra leather on to make the fold over flap, would'nt it cover the nive detail of the embossing though? Or would you add some to the flap as well? Ken

Welcome to the forum Fred, it's nice to have you here. I had a peek at your website, and saw some very nice looking stuff there. Great work. Ken

Thanks for the compliments. Mike they are made with about 2 1/2 sq. ft. of Moccasin split cowhide each. The weight is 3 oz. and the lace is made from the same splithide. I used the pattern from Tandy for these and just modified it a bit to accommodate the lace instead of sewing. Ken

After my Hard Drive crash and buying a new one, I was able to recover some of the things I had lost on the old drive. I had forgotten all about these pics of a pair of High Top Moccassins I made a while back. Just thought I'd show them and see what everyone thought. The sole is made of natural rubber crepe, and is hand sewn onto the moccassin with sinew using an auto awl. The rest of the moccassin is hand laced as usual. These are the only things I make that would have any sort of sewing on them. Ken

Even thought this is getting to be a very good topic, I have to return to the original that got this all started. As to using a punch, drill, awl or burr, this would all depend on the material you are going to be lacing together. I have attached 3 pictures of lacing that was done on the vest that I have worn since the day I finished it almost 2 years ago. All the holes were punched using Al Stohlman punches. As I believe you will see from the photos that there would be no way to effectively drill holes through this material with a drill press, even if the punch was as sharp as possible. The chances of the punch or drill catvhing and tearing to shreads as the vest twirled around the chuck is way to high to even attempt this. This is the shoulder yolk with 3/32" holes and 1/4" lace. Yes you could use the drill and punch method on the carved yolk, but I would'nt use the awl or straight lace punch with using this type of lace. This is the front edge and front pocket, again punched with 3/32" holes and laced with 1/4" lace. Using a smaller size hole than the lace, you obtaian the same expansion/contraction theory as the awl. As the lace is being pulled through the hole it expands, and once done the hole will contract onto the lace giving you a very clean look. As you can see, the hole is not visible once the lace is complete. This is a picture of the backside of the edge, it also shows the inner pocket. Again you will see that there is no evidence of the round hole. As to the pocket, I don't believe you would be able to put holes in Pig Skin Suede with a drill and punch. So, again, depending on what you are putting the holes into will determine the way you accomplish the task. Hope this helps someone out there. Ken

Thanks for the compliment rdb. I would be interested in seeing more of your fine work. The guitar strap is very nice by the way. Ken

Awesome looking vests rdb, I really like them. Ken

ROFLMAO Ken

Welcome rdb, your work looks real good from here. It's kinda like ridin a bicycle, you just don't need the helmet. Thanks for sharing your work, and looking forward to seeing more. Ken

Welcome to the forum Skip. That's a very interesting sheath design you've got there. I also had a look at your web site, and am quite impressed with the knives you have made. I look forward to seeing more of your work. Ken

To be honest with you Rod & Denise, I have no idea how I would figure out what to charge them. I'm not sure I that I would even have the time to do so. With youe tree making, it is a bit diferent I think than leatherwork in regards to all the diferent things needed to know, and with leatherwork, as we know, there is an abundance right here on this forum for someone to learn from. To actually teach and charge for that, good question. If you were to take on an apprentice, what would you pay that person in wages? That may be a starting point for what to charge. Ken

Vey nice Dave, I really enjoy seeing your work. I love the color by the way. Ken

Great to have you join the forum Mike, you'll find lots of helping people here. Ken

Welcome to the forum Nick, I see you've made a great start at leatherwork. Those sheaths look real good. Looking forward to seeing more in the future. Ken

Olaf, this is what I use to cut circles from leather. Rotary circle knife I bought mine at Michaels Craft Store. Ken

Mike, sometimes mistakes are a good thing, look at penicilin. Whatever happened I like the final outcome, it makes for a distinctive looking lace pattern. Ken

I like that style of lacing you did on the stool, nice work Mike. Ken

Very nice looking Tim. You sure are good with that airbrush. Thanks for sharing the pics. ken