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Yes, that's a helluva nice piece of work... As evidenced by the orders already rolling in! Congrats!

LOL! Yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking!

Looks really good! From a purely aesthetic standpoint, you might try moving the stitching closer to the edge on your next sheath. When I first started out, I also tried to keep a good margin between the two so no mistakes were made...

Very clean. Doesn't get much better than this!

Superb job... I've never done a coaster set, but you're inspiring me to give it a try!

That's one of the nicest folder sheaths I've ever seen... And I really mean "ever"... Truly spectacular work! Congrats!

DB, thanks for the introduction, and we're glad you're here! (Your screen name is making me thirsty...)

We're glad you found us!

How about that Black Petroglyph Saddle? What a refreshing departure from the regular old Western-style saddle...

That's huge. Congratulations! Beautiful work!

Welcome to LW.net. As you mentioned, there's lots of good content inside the forums, so please make yourself at home!

Interesting stuff!

Resolene will certainly slow down the absorption of conditioning products, like neatsfoot oil, etc. However, it won't completely block them... They can still be used to keep the leather flexible and in good shape.

There are two drawbacks associated with Leather Balm with Atom Wax. (1) Its finish isn't as water resistant as the acrylic products like Resolene. (2) It tends to load stamping -- i.e., leave some residue inside stamped designs. Leather Balm is great for smooth leathers -- leaving a beautiful satin finish -- but I wonder if it's really what you're after in this particular case. However, I don't want to discourage you from giving it a try!

I briefly tried this style of skiver when I first started out... With pretty horrible results. A more experienced leatherworker pointed me in the direction of the "skife" (aka, "safety beveler") -- a much better design, IMO. Here's where you get one: https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/search/searchresults/3001-00.aspx Give it a try!

John, if you're truly concerned about "those other guys" getting more for their work, then I think you may have to put more priority on your product's image -- i.e., it's perceived value. Keep in mind that perceived value can have very little correlation to real value. Take a BMW, for example. A better car than a Honda? Maybe. But is it worth twice or three times as much? Probably not. Both will get you down the road in relative comfort and safety. But there's a certain notion of style imparted to driving a BMW. When you're prepared to put image over practicality, and sacrifice some quality for appearance, then you'll be ready to charge more for your work. Think like an artist, instead of a craftsman -- experiment, take chances, pay more attention to what catches the eye... Forget about functionality for a moment. You've already got those skills down pat. If I were you, I'd build a $3,500 case. You've already stated that with your current methods, your work isn't worth that much (or you'd feel uncomfortable charging it). Well, what would you have to do to really make something worth $3,500? Think outside of the box. Let your imagination run wild. And then build something that you'll put a $3,500 price tag on. This experiment might take you to a whole new level.

If you decide to purchase the C.S. Osborne Spacemarker, don't throw away the Tandy overstitching wheel. Although the CSO model is great for marking stitch holes, it doesn't work at all as an overstitcher -- i.e., a tool you run over your stitch line when finished to even it out. Only the Tandy model can do that.

Robert, I don't know if this is your problem, but I recently switched to a C.S. Osborne overstitcher because I couldn't get a good imprint with the cheap ones Tandy sells. Here's an idea of what one looks like, and it comes in 5, 6 and 7 marks per inch: http://www.csosborne.com/no485.htm I purchased mine from Springfield Leather. Hope this helps!

Beautiful. I'm sure she'll be delighted.

Another vote for 16 oz. as a good all-around weight, but I've always preferred a mallet. Fascinating topic... It's interesting to learn what everyone else is using.

Superb construction -- and very clean. Congrats!

Thanks for the nice comments, everyone... I appreciate 'em!

Hi, everyone: I just finished up a set of wristbands and thought I would share some pics. I decided to start using buckles (instead of snaps) since I was having a hard time guesstimating wrist sizes. Comments or questions are welcomed! Best, -Alex

Kevin, sorry to hear about your dad. You've created a fitting tribute... I can only imagine how much work and love went into this project. What a masterpiece!

Frank, welcome to LW.net. We're glad you found us!