TheCyberwolfe

Knock knock knock "Lemme in!"

Please add me to the list as well. thanks.

Beautiful work, I'd love to see how the whole thing hangs when worn.

CGLeathercraft is right - I'm an IT guy by day, and modern devices are safe from magnetic interference. Go ahead and use the magnets on the flap.

Well, that depends on the show. If you're going to a gun show, bring pistol holsters. If you're going to a Sci-Fi / Comic convention, bring Steampunk-styled Nerf Maverick holsters

What did you do, strap a ruler across the leather as a guide? That is by far the straightest border I have ever seen.

I had the same thought a couple years ago and picked up a book with tribal influences - worked out well for me.

I made one for myself a while back. Instead of sewing the magnets on the front, i skived out the leather on the backside to make a 'pit', then glued the magnet (with a thin strip of steel) in the pit, and then lined the inside with some nice pigskin. The magnets don't have to be a real strong bond, it just has to hold enough to keep it from flappin' in the breeze, y'know?

Hey, my build got quoted somewhere

If you just want to use dye, Springfield Leather also sells empty permanent markers that you can fill with your own dye. I've had good results using one of those on the edges. The larger size is a nice fat chisel tip that makes it easy to get a clean dye line.

The old coot that used to run the Oregon Leather Store in Portland was full of advice when I went buying my first tools, and he said "Ditch the rivet tool and just hammer the darn thing flat. Looks just as good on those silly Rapid Rivets and it's a heckuva lot easier.". I've been using that method ever since. I occasionally get one crooked, but mostly it works. I keep a light hand for the first hit, and then a firmer tap on the second to make sure it set. Don't smack it too hard, though, or you'll pound it TOO flat. the comments above about making sure you have the correct length are spot-on though. The Rapid Rivets will kinda 'snap' together before you set them. If it won't stay connected once you let go, the stem is too short. If you can see lots of air gap between the cap and the leather, the stem is too long. If you're out of the right length and the one you have is a tad short, one solid tap on the hole with a ball peen hammer will compress the leather long enough for you to set the rivet and it won't look too bad.

No, that isn't a typo; anyone who lives in Oregon will understand Speaking of which, Greetings from Portland! I've been lurking around here for years and thought I'd finally say hello. I started out with the intent of doing some selling, but my real world job keeps me far too busy to keep leatherwork as anything but a hobby. My interests tend to wander all over the place, so there's no telling what I'll come up with next. (Just take a cruise through the website to see what I mean...) Anywho, those of you have posted the articles I've read so far, thanks!