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That's a home run in my book.

Good to have you back, Jack. Keep posting those pics -- you've got some fans here who are always eager to see your stuff.

Hey, welcome back! You've been lurking, haven't you? It's great to see your stuff posted again. Best, -Alex

We're coming down to the wire on Clay's raffle... August 31 is the deadline. If you haven't donated yet, please consider... It's a great cause!

Wow. Really nice. And I'd like to second the call for a pic of the inside!

Karlito, welcome to Leatherworker.net. I think the diamond-shaped awl is popular because the shape gently parts the leather and the holes tend to seal back up once stitching is finished. (This lends itself to a real clean look.) However, I used a round awl on my first project and it turned out okay. I know several members here use Dremel tools to drill holes in leather, and my guess is that a few use round awls, as well. Go ahead and use what you have for your project. As you proceed in the learning process, be sure to try a diamond awl at some point to see if you can achieve cleaner stitching results. My favorite is the Osbourne model sold by Tandy. Good luck! -Alex

Anne, I think it's nice that you're wishing Ross a happy birthday, but I wouldn't necessarily expect a response. If you look at his profile, he hasn't logged onto the site since December of last year. That's a shame, especially since his join date indicates he was one of our first group of members. Maybe sending him a private message with birthday wishes would lure him back?

Beautiful first project! You have a good mentor in Froghunter, and it shows. Great to have you here, -Alex

Nice. Really nice.

Sometimes, I'll lightly buff the surface of a project with a piece of T-shirt... Just to remove any waxy fingerprints left during hand-stitching. If any lint or leather dust finds its way into the tooling, I remove that using an extra-soft toothbrush. Finally, I'll run an overstitch wheel over the stitching to press it down and make it look nice...

That reminds me of a friend who was recently admiring a handbag I finished up. It had some stamped decoration running down each side, and I showed her that each row involved five different stamps struck a total of 22 times. Adding it all up, the small amount of decoration I did involved over 2,000 strikes of the mallet! She was shocked. Like G.S. mentioned, I think she imagined me feeding the leather into one side of a machine, and it coming out decorated on the other...

Shirley, I think your message is a good one, and you're wise to let others read it before sending. With that said, I wonder if you could satisfy this customer by creating something different (i.e., much cheaper and easier to make). Instead of all that braiding, could you get away with simply attaching the POW pin to a plain black strap? Maybe do a little simple stamping for decoration? I fully agree that the original wristband is worth every penny you're charging, but if he wants something that costs less, maybe you could give him a lesser product? Just a thought. I'm just a hobbyist, so thank goodness I don't have to grapple with these issues myself! Best, -Alex

Go for it... Life's too short, man. Also, congrats on that cover shot -- that's one helluva fine seat there. Alex

Tom, welcome. I'd love to see some of your work; please consider posting some pics. Regards, -Alex

Tim, first of all, welcome to Leatherworker.net. I've never built a camera strap, so please take my advice with a grain of salt. But if I were asked to do one, here's how I'd proceed. I'd call my nearest Tandy Leather Factory to order the supplies. I'd probably start with a pre-cut 1/2" strap. I'd dye and finish it. Then, I'd thin (skive) the places I plan to fold the leather using a safety beveler. I'd use glue and a Chicago screw to keep everything together. You're probably looking at the following supplies: Strap - $7 Eco-Flo dye - $6 Satin Shene finish -$6 Safety beveler - $4 Leather Weld glue - $8 Chicago screws - $4 Mallet - $20 Mini-punch kit - $12 Key rings - $2 I may have missed something, but the long and short of it is that you can invest about $70 and have the supplies and tools to crank out six or seven camera straps. Some of these tools and supplies will also help you make the wallets and other accessories you mention. I hope this information helps point you in the right direction. Regards, -Alex

Okie, your work looks good. Regarding the tone of the board... I've participated in a number of different boards over the years, and I'm absolutely convinced that the attitude of a board is set by the folks who run it. We're so lucky to have Johanna and a really nice crew here that set the tone for everyone who participates... One of helpful encouragement and comraderie. We're glad to have you here, and keep posting those pics! Alex

I'm sure Ed will jump in soon, but I seem to remember him mentioning a $100 minimum order. Then, they gave him shoddy customer service. My impression at the time was that LCI is set up to deal with major manufacturers, not hobbyists or craftspeople... (But I've never dealt with them, so I may be wrong...)

Brad, Several forum members still prefer the spirit-based dyes, as Wolvie mentions. However, I consider the new Eco-Flo dyes a godsend. I was never able to get the spirit dyes to go on without major streaking, and my attempts to repair the streaking ended up making the items too dark. I'd give Eco-Flo dyes a chance before writing them off. It's true that they can be affected by water since they're water-based, but a good top coat finish, like Satin Shene will minimize that problem. I use Eco-Flo colors for all of my belts, wallets, wristbands, etc. and have never had an issue with water. Another added benefit of Eco-Flo... You don't have to buff the heck out of your dyed projects to remove the dried pigment. That was always a major issue that caused color transfer to your clothing, hands, etc. Give 'em a try and see for yourself. Best, -Alex

I'm curious... About how many man-hours went into this project? I'm always amazed when folks are able to complete such large projects... I barely have time to complete a thought! Seriously, though, nice work! Beautiful. -Alex

The wool daubers can soak up an incredible amount of dye. They're best used when you really want to lay down a lot of dye. As others mention, better options are to try applying lightly with a sponge, an airbrush, or even a piece of cotton T-shirt. Sorry this happened to you.

I was going to mention Jack, too, but Johanna beat me to the punch! Between the fellows that have already been mentioned, you have a wealth of knowledge to get you started toward your first pool cue case. Don't hesitate to ask questions... Someone can always pitch in with some helpful advice. Regards, -Alex

Well, I've been thinking for some time about making my own belt pouch, and Bobocat, you certainly gave me some good design ideas to consider. This is another one of your masterpieces! Thanks so much for sharing. Alex

Nice work. You're going to fit in just fine around here! I took a look at your web site. Lots of really beautiful stuff, but that bible cover you did for your mom is a real masterpiece. Best, -Alex

Looks fantastic -- Congrats! Alex