Dangerous Beans

I'll drop mine to $95 for you then LTC. Nige

Folks, some good news for you stitchers State side, Stefan at Ludlow Leather in Chicago has started stocking Tiger Thread (Ritza25) and John James Needles. This should make life a lot easier for those wanting this thread. Nige http://ludlowleather.com/

Zayne, thank you, glad they help. As for the back piece, that would be missing stitching, It's possible the bottom of the flaps (wings) aren't stitched. as there is no tension and this leather is quite thick, it's possible they don't need to be. The top is easy enough, stitch the flaps to the pouch through the inside of the pocket, but only a short row. it's all it will need. This is all a guess as it's from a picture, but it would work. Nige

$97. Ay? I'm off to write a book folks. Nige

I imagine... And this may loose a little in text! This is not as fully stitched as it appears. The back panel is laid flat, the wings are then stitched in place, left and right. These are what creates the pocket section for the phone. Then, either... The front section with the zipper pocket is an extension of the back, one piece if you will. This then has the zipper attached, the pocket is folded back on itself and the edges stitched. This or it is a separate piece that is stitched to the bottom edge just like the wings to give the folded edge look. Then the wings are folded in, the front section is folded over, it is then short stitched inside the zipped pocket to hold it in place. Not a strong way of making it, but then a pouch like this will never really be put under much strain so it doesn't need to be indestructible. Just a quick guess. Nige

If your using English Bridle, you should not have to worry about this for some time... Years. English bridle will take a very long time to discolour or lose it's surface finish. I'm currently wearing a belt I made over 15 years ago and have done nothing to it other than a coat of carnauba on occasion. It's tough stuff. Nige

Thanks guys, I think I'm getting more hits because of the dogs than the leather! Never a bag thing... They are cute. Nige

Good morning folks, just finished a video to help a few folks who wanted to make a hand made simple wallet. It's a work along with a design pack available with a number of wallets in. Thought some of you may find it usefull. Happy stitching Nige

On a more serious note... I think WyomingSlick has it right, this stitch is as old as saddles. Much like the bow and arrow, no one culture can clam its invention, and no one person can be attributed to its development. Skills were very guarded so the secrecy around noteworthy saddlers skills hampered the recording of methods. I have had many conversations with re-enacters who say that leatherwork was quite crude and the saddle stitch would not have been around in the Middle Ages. I disagree, having seen some of the work dug up over the years in metal, I think artisans in the Middle Ages had a phenomenal range of skills, we just don't have proof because leather does not last that long. There is no reason do doubt the saddle stitch had been around for a very long time. I think the development of tools such as the awl and pricking irons which in the scheme of things are fairly recent, and of course the needle have contributed to a more consistent and neater stitch, but only as a progression of an existing method. But... And more importantly! I'm in a story! Nige

Awesome! I'm in a bedtime story!!!

I have put my plans on ebay for this messenger bag if anyone is interested. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=281221394192 I have listed it for £12 to cover fees but if you would like a set, it is only £10 to LW members. Also, I have the video posted on my channel so you can have a preview. If you would like a set of the plans, it's £10 PayPal to nigel@armitageleather.com and just drop me an email to the same address to let me know where to send the plans to. Regards Nigel

Square footage will not always guarantee you will get as much from a hide as you expect. Trimming off one side to get a straight edge will create wastage. Scars and marks that need to be worked around also create wastage. You have estimated 7ft per bag, 21feet in total from a 25 foot piece of leather. The leather would have to be very high quality to achieve that. A piece marked as rustic I imagine will have scars. I think it's ambitious to expect 3 bags from this. You will need 3 shoulder straps and 3 gussets that's 18 inches from the hide straight away. To be as economical as possible, cut a pattern out and mark up the hide before cutting anything out. Making your gussets out of several pieces and possibly even the flap will give you greater scope. I think if you aim for two and if you get a third through clever cutting you are on a winner, or adjust the size of the third to suit what's left and make a smaller one to use it up. But don't stop searching... You may find someone skilled yet! Nige

More Dogs... Collars! Understood. Multiple gussets, a bit much to explain here, I think another video would help, but if your in a hurry, drop me an email and I'll explain. Nige

Mark, give them a bell and they will stick a sample or two in the post. Nige Thank you, I think I need to get a decent camera and sound set up first so I can produce high quality footage. Plus maybe a decent actor... ;-) Nige

Matt, I'm using dyed through shoulder, case leather in some stores. Ski I haven't tried tooling it but it takes a stamp well. Nige

Just Like Veedub says, I find it's much quicker, on larger curves I follow the line, much like you see me do in the video. Thanks for the comments folks, hope it helps. Nige

Good morning folks, I have had a lot of requests for more videos and quite a few questions on making a messenger bag. I thought i'd combine the two in a video. I'm sure that most of you will be able to follow, but if you do struggle, the plans are available. Enjoy

Good point, it's in the videos to do book! Nige

And a hi from Staffs, welcome to the forum.

I feel this is a little late but maybe useful for future buyers. A lot of good advice on here and mostly saying the same thing. It is very important to get the relationship of the hole and thread right. Mart, your stitching looks good, but your holes do look quite large. Dixon's do the slimline irons as Jax mentioned, they are 1.2mm thick as opposed to the 3.5mm monsters they show on the web, but you need to ask for them. They don't advertise this, they also do the 2 prong irons good for tight bends again, upon request. They are the same price and made to order. A bit late now you've put an order in with Blanchard, I've never used them, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with them. They are supposed to be the best available. Nige

Some really good ideas on here and a few pointers ill take with me. I like to think that I'm organised but in truth, I don't think I come close to many of you. My work is bespoke so like many of you, a lot of time is spent talking about, designing and working out the fine details. I have my work email which is a great help for keeping track. I then invoice the customer. Because I have the memory of a goldfish and the lead time can stretch to 6 weeks sometimes, I need a lot of detail when I begin. I put all of this on the invoice, description, date ordered, due date, colour, leather, dimensions, specific requirements, hardware, etc. I then work off the invoices. Old to the front, new to the back. It's not modern, but it's in front of me. It helps when I have 6 belts to make and say 4 folios to find repeats and common tasks. These then get done together, all the straps get cut, hardware gets put to one side for stock control and leather is ordered to suit. I like the idea of the spreadsheet, but when I sit at the computer, I get diverted. The invoice sheets just seem easier for me to juggle, plus it's good to give the customer an acurate description of what they are getting and I can attach any sketches or designs. It's all electronic, so they are stored on the PC, I just print it off when the order is confirmed and add it to the clip. What I need is an office manager, my girl does the accounts which is a tremendous help and she likes the detailed invoices because the detailed description matches up with the receipts so the books balance nicely, but she won't get involved with the orders due to the detail of costing. I know it's possibly a little behind the times, but if it helps anyone, I'd be happy to show you an invoice. Nige

I have used the CS Osbourne Awls no 43 I think and I've been very happy with it. It needed sharpening and polishing, but it was a good shape to start anyway. The secret to the push in awls is to clamp the awl blade between two copper coins. 2 pence pieces over here and tap the haft on with a hammer. It pushes the blade in quite deep and won't come out. Nige

Thank you folks, when I finished it i sat looking thinking, well how small can I go with one of these? A bit of a winter project I think. Nige

Edd, this is a really easy job to do yourself, by all means let Dixons have a nose, but it is simply running a small stone along each prong. The are stepped so you can get to both sides, they don't need to be sharp, just have a bit of an edge. If you place a small stone on the bench and rest the iron so one of the prongs rests flat on the stone, you'll notice that the iron sits at an angle of about 45 degrees. Just run it along a few times on both sides of each prong. Once you start, it'll become clear. Ill have a go at a video on sharpening pricking irons when I get the time. But you have an easy iron to maintain. Nige

Ed, can you supply a photo of the pricking iron end on? It may help to see it. I know Dixons are all jiged for their own irons and someone else's may not fit. Lets have a look and see what the options are. Nige