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Thanks for taking the time to resurrect your tutorial, Clay. It's a classic. Best, -Alex

I found the answers to my questions. (Just have to read, I guess. ) The web site says you pick one three-day class, and provides a list of tools needed.

I never dye the flesh side either, for a couple of reasons. (1) I'm not a fan of finishing parts that aren't seen, although lots of folks do. (2) I like the knap of the flesh side of leather, which can be enhanced to a suede-like feel by applying painter's tape and then removing it. The only downside to not dyeing the back is that you have to exercise some caution to not dirty it up when dyeing the front or edge dyeing. Painter's tape can help here, too. I've always noticed that dyeing the flesh side leaves it a bit rough. That's normal, and I certainly wouldn't apply more oil, especially if the grain side looks good. I think most people who dye the flesh side end up smoothing it out with gum tragacanth to provide a nice look and feel. Maybe that's an option? Good luck! -Alex

You're right, Art... There aren't many opportunities like this on the East Coast. Do you mind if I ask a few questions? It sounds like each class is three days and you select only one, right? It's not like seminars, where you get a few hours in each class and attend all of them, I'm guessing. Also, do you need to bring your own tools, or are they supplied for you? Thanks for mentioning this class. Best, -Alex

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by saying "rough and dry on the back." Are you talking about the flesh side? I'd be very cautious about adding more oil. Over-oiling leather is one of the very few mistakes that can't be remedied...

:drool:

Kevin's our resident master with a sewing machine; he can make it do virtually anything. BTW, can you imagine stitching that by hand? Your fingers would fall off first! Great job, Kevin!

I've done wallet interiors with slots (see pic below). They work just fine, especially if you're looking for an easy way to do pockets. Once your wallet gets loaded up with 10-20 cards, there's plenty of tension to keep the cards in place. I use 2-3 oz. leather for this kind of construction -- normally, Tandy's kip sides. Hope this information helps! -Alex

Soaking veg-tan in neatsfoot oil is not recommended -- it'll cause the leather to be "weepy" and will weaken it over time. A light coat would be fine, but won't produce the softening effect you're looking for. If the customer wants a supple leather like latigo or chrome-tanned, he/she will have to give up the tooling. If you end up using latigo, I'd use a lining leather as well since the color on the back side can sometimes transfer. Good luck! -Alex

:drool: Very, very nice.

Sometimes posts get overlooked, since there are so many of them on a daily basis. If you don't get a response soon, don't be shy about using the forum's private message functionality to send someone a direct inquiry. I'd take a look at some of the work in the Motorcycles and Biker Gear section and then send a p.m. to one of those folks. Hope you get the answers you're looking for! Best, -Alex

Okay, so a couple of things come to mind when re-reading this thread. First off, I'm a big believer in trying something and then moving on. You've been struggling with this hide, Fiebings Antique, and Super Shene since May. They just don't seem to be compatible. At this point, I'd try a new combination since the results can't be any worse than what you've already experienced. I think Neat-Lac is what I'd try, since it should be flexible enough. If you're having problems with Neat-Lac, too, then you might want to simply throw out the leather (or use it for mock-ups). It may be glazed or otherwise problematic, and why continue to struggle with it? The second thing is to remember that you're building a piece of functional gear, not wall art. As such, a performance factor is introduced. While it may be pretty to have an antiqued leather seat, if it's not practical, you should try something else. I'm no motorcycle expert, but my guess is that the seat should be comfortable first, should hold up to the elements next, and finally, dead last, is how it looks. A great-looking seat that splotches at first rainfall or leaves antique paste on your jeans isn't going to be worth much. I don't know about you, but I do all of my learning from my mistakes, and the bigger the mistake, the more I learn. Frustrating, yes. But it sounds like you're learning some important lessons out of this. And regardless of how bad things get -- don't throw out the seat! Even if it looks terrible, you should ride around on it to make sure your design is comfortable and will hold up to some wear. Good luck, and keep your head up! -Alex

If anyone who lives in Virginia is interested, this program is administered by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, and the web site is: http://www.virginiafolklife.org/apprentice...enticeship.html

Bruce, beautiful work -- congrats! And thanks for posting such detailed information on the new Eco-Flo Hi-Lite Stains. I'll have to give them a try. Alex

Wow. I had something like this happen to me on one of my wallet interiors. I applied Satin Shene and upon the slightest friction, it peeled away like a thin layer of skin. Keith hit the nail right on the head. Satin Shene normally absorbs into the leather and bonds with it, but some leathers might have a glaze on top that causes the shene to simply dry on top. Thus, the problem you mentioned. It sounds like Keith gave you a good formula for stripping the old finish. But one thing I'm wondering, given your problems already with this leather, is whether you want to try a different finish next time. I thought all the motorcycle guys recommended Pecard's (but I may be wrong -- definitely verify with those in the know). If not Pecard's, I might try a wax-based finish like Leather Balm with Atom Wax. I thought Johanna mentioned some time back that she used Leather Balm on her motorcycle gear with good results... Anyway, sorry to hear about the problems, and good luck with figuring them out! -Alex

Hans, we'll be sure to let you know when you've hit your limit for rookie questions. Then, we'll start charging you, so have your credit card ready. (Just kidding, of course!) Anyway, we're glad you found us, and please fire away with any and all questions. We've got a good group of folks who can be very helpful on saddle questions. -Alex

Well, I suppose I qualify on both counts: I make my own wallet interiors, plus I sew 'em by hand. (I'm attaching a sample pic below...) I'm not sure what kind of advice you're after, but I'll throw some stuff out there and maybe it'll help. Your first task in building your own wallet interior will probably be to pick the leather you plan to use. I'm currently using Tandy's kip sides (9155-00), but I've had some success using pigskin, as well. The next thing you'll need to figure out is the orientation of the pockets. The pockets on all of my wallets face each other. I find this manner of construction easier, plus you get the added security of knowing you can't lose a card when the wallet is folded. However, I've noticed that most commercially-produced wallets stack the cards vertically, so you should play around with each design style to see which one you prefer. Some folks use a lightweight, slick fabric inside wallet pockets, but I can't offer any advice there. The last thing I can think of is to mock up your design and use it as your own wallet for a while. I created a wallet about a year ago that I thought was really nice looking. However, I had layered the pockets in such a way that when fully loaded (20+ cards), I couldn't get my credit card out! Too many pockets and too much friction. Oh yeah, and don't forget to make the length of your wallet interior a bit shorter than your wallet back so it'll fold correctly. I think that's about all I have on this subject. Good luck, and let us know how it works out! Best, -Alex

Glad you found us, Jimmy. This is a great place to learn about leatherwork, and we have several motorcycle seat gurus here that will be happy to help you out, as you need it. Best, -Alex

Now yer makin' me blush...

I don't think so. My project was sealed with Satin Shene and the sun goes right through it. Maybe there's someone that knows of a different finish that might work?

Very nice. Thanks for continuing to post pics of your work.

I'm certainly not an expert on this topic, but I will say that I put olive oil (and no dye) on one of the keyfobs I made a few years back. Over time, the color has gone from pale to tan to a deep, rich brown -- and darker than I really like. It's certainly not tan anymore. Nowadays, I use Eco-Flo Ranger Tan when I'm going for a tan finish. The good thing about using a dye is that it locks in the color just the way you want it. You don't have to worry about a project that's exposed to sunlight getting darker and darker over time... -Alex

SUPERB! -Alex

Man, that's some fine work there, Spider. -Alex

I think that enclosure method is really nice. Kudos on a beautiful project! Keep those pics coming! Alex