Art

Hi Andy, Tandy actually states in the catalog, "The actual belt width is approx. 1/16" less." This sure doesn't cover 1/8" as it didn't say "on each side". I don't know if you folks "across the pond" can tolerate the end user having to be Tandy's quality control department, but we've kind of gotten used to it over here. Some of their good managers pretty much take care of this when sending stuff out, and if you make them aware that it is what you expect, then most of the time you won't have to send stuff back. If you do, they accept returns readily. Abbey Saddlery they are not, are the prices any better? Art P.S. I just measured a 1 1/4" strap from Weaver Leather, it was 1 3/16", which is indeed 1/16" less.

Hello Secondcrk, We need some answers here. If you are going to bash a particular vendor, I think a little more than innuendo is necessary. A few facts might be in order. What promulgated all of this venom about Artisan machines out of the blue? Who are you that we should give any weight to your comments? Who are all these people having trouble with big Artisans? Who, pray God, are the vendors who can't get a big Artisan to run at a show. I have seen machines that had a bad casting and didn't run well, but nobody is going to bring something like that to a show. Even if a machine was sick, the guys who sell at shows can (most of them) take a machine apart and put it back together blindfolded....with one hand. The idea that any of the prominent vendors would have a machine that is working incorrectly at a show is just ludicrous. OK, I have three Artisans (two big ones and one medium), two Pfaffs, a No.9, a Campbell, 3 Singers, and have owned and used Ferdcos and yes, an Adler. These are and were (don't have and Adler or Ferdco currently) great machines, all of them, and I beat the crap out of one of the big Artisans set up for high speed work. Just so you know where I'm coming from. The folks at Artisan are pretty darned good at working with customers who a lot of the time are new first machine owners without a clue, and I know a few of these folks right here on this board who are having good experiences with their machines. I couldn't let your post go unanswered. Please don't attack anyone's machinery if you don't own it, and then if there is a problem, work with the vendor before coming to this board and bad mouthing something for some reason we are unable to fathom. Art

Try John at (403) 749-3871 and prepare to pucker up, they aren't cheap (or inexpensive either) about $500-$600. Art

Hi Bonnie, The Landis No.3, not quite a Campbell, actually it is a copy (developed after the original Campbell patent had run) of the Campbell and a quite good needle and awl machine, has about an 11" throat. Like I said not quite a Campbell but very good indeed. They go in the $2000 range depending on condition. Like the Campbell, they are not for the novice sewing machine owner. Campbell is still with us and parts and advice are available. The 7 Class Singer was the staple of canvas tent and parachute manufacturers during WWII. A great threaded needle machine of the old school, probably the strongest sewing machine ever built. I have seen them sell recently for around $1800. Art

Hi TIA, That would be a 6mm eyelet or a #0 grommet. I don't have any of the 6mm eyelets, 5.5 is as big as I have, #0 grommets are pretty common. I get them from Weaver. A canvas shop in your area might have them also. Art

Hi Shirley, It varies depending on individual situation. If you can, structure your business as a sole proprietorship and hold all assets (except the business itself) with someone unrelated to the business in any way as tenants by the entireties. Lease everything from your T by E relationship. You need a lawyer to set it up, it's called "Judgment Proof". This is really necessary if you are doing something that can have liability issues. You need to be "Judgment Proof" even if you are a corporation; a simple, or even complex corporation cannot shield you from liability. In some states (like my state) there is a $600 yearly filing fee for corporations, used to be just certain corps or PCs or LLCs, but they have finally extended it to every entity except individual or fiduciary (Charity) relationships. State doesn't have and never will have enough money, they want yours. Art

Silicone thread lube is what you want, the stuff that Ed has is commercial and excellent. The commercial shops dunk a spool of thread in lube for about 2-5 mins, let it drip dry overnight and use it the next day. Eliminates the need for a lube pot. If you don't use a LOT of thread at a sitting, then just spraying some lube on the cone will work also. If you over-lubricate, it will just make a mess under the spool, but won't hurt anything, just keep a rag under the spool. There are some colors that I don't use a lot and spraying them lightly every month or two with Glycerin saddle soap and keeping them out of the light will pretty much keep them from debonding. A little goes a long way here. If you get little flakes off the spool, that's debonding. Art

Cowboy is a Chinese company that is consolidator. They take machines from other sewing machine manufacturers and resell them under the Cowboy logo. This is a quite common practice in China, the smaller manufacturers make only what they are expert at, and the big manufacturers with wide lines use these consolidators as another channel. Artisan does something similar but is based in California, they also go a little further in having some parts specifically made for the application e.g. leatherwork. A lot of the 441 clones come from a plant in Taiwan that has excelled in producing that product for rebranding. Many of the Cowboy machines come from the Huigong No.3 plant in Shanghai and overall are very good machines. The Taiwan guys seem to make a business out of knocking off Juki and Adler and the occasional Pfaff, again these are very good machines. One thing to recommend, if you are doing any amount of bagwork, you really need a cylinder arm machine instead of a flatbed. You don't have to put too many gussets in heavier weight bags until this becomes painfully apparent. Make sure the cylinder arm machine can be equipped with a stirrup or bag needle plate and right foot combinations that will allow you to sew bags readily. The stirrup or bag plates tend to take quite a bit out of your machine's thickness capacity so you will need a bigger machine like a 441 clone of some type, either short (9") or long (16") arm length. If you do only lighter chrome tanned stuff, you may be able to get by with a medium duty flatbed, but you will limit your capabilities. Artisan, Ferdco, Cowboy, and Sewmo are good brands to start your research with. Art

Hi Mike, The rein attaches to the bit, bradoon, curb, or whatever by a folded over rein end that secures with a buckle or a hook stud or English Bridle Hook. Buckles are more secure and worn on the outside and Hook Studs or Bridle Hooks are fastened on the inside usually with two boxed loops (keepers), they are less secure but look better and are commonly used for that reason. You can get Bridle hooks and buckles from Weaver. Contact Linda Williams, she has forgotten more about this than I will ever know. WINDMILL ENGLISH SADDLE SUPPLY 7186 DEWEY ROAD THOMPSON, OH 44086 1-440-298-3018 Art

Hi Chris, The 700 is also a little small size wise for doing holsters, you can click a larger item in two or more repositionings, but eventually you screw up a die that way. Now years ago, Tippmann made the 2500 clicker which would click darned near anything, and like everything Tippmann, it was overbuilt and heavy as a CAT D4. If you owned one of those, you found it was easier to take it apart and move the pieces than move the whole thing. I have seen guys do the same with the 1500, it only takes about a half hour to take it apart into manageable pieces and put it back together. If you do a lot of Western Style holsters and belts, a big Schwab will be what you need to click in one pass, and you really need to hire someone to move that. Art

Hi Johanna, I quit when I was 32, when my daughter was born. I didn't want to smoke around her and my wife didn't smoke, but didn't mind that I did. I smoked for 18 years. I stopped one day and put a pack of butts in the back of the closet under something, and said I'll have one tomorrow, once I made it to tomorrow, I though that wasn't too hard and said I won't have one today, I'll have one tomorrow, I could make it one day at a time and kind of forgot about doing it after a few years. It gets easier as you go, but bars will test your strength and I didn't give those up for a few more years. Art

Hi Mike, go get it before it's gone. It is (not knowing all the trailing numbers) a needle feed, drop feed flat bed machine, but not walking foot I think. Sews heavy fabric and light leather, put a new motor on to change the voltage, new motor is less than $150. Nice machine, but not a real leather machine, but will work in a pinch. Art Art

SEVEN EMBARRASSING MEDICAL EXAMS 1. A man comes into the ER and yells, 'My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!' I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly, I noticed that there were several cabs ---and I was in the wrong one. Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Francisco 2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. 'Big breaths ', I instructed. 'Yes, they used to be,' replied the patient. Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA 3. One day I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a 'massive internal fart.' Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg 4. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, 'How long have you been bedridden?' After a look of complete confusion she answered. 'Why, not for about twenty years - when my husband was alive.' Submitted by Dr. Steve Swanson, Corvallis , OR 5. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while checking up on a woman I asked, 'So how's your breakfast this morning?' 'It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste' the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet labeled 'KY Jelly.' Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI 6. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read, 'Keep off the grass.' Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said, 'Sorry, had to mow the lawn.' Submitted by RN no name AND FINALLY--- 7. As a new, young MD doing his residency, I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams. To cover my embarrassment, I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, 'I'm sorry. Was I tickling you?' She replied, 'No doctor, but the song you were whistling was 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener'. Dr. wouldn't submit his name Art

Hi Ron, This is a little more like it, but realize you are getting a drop feed (feed dogs only) machine which was really made as a high speed machine for doing shirts. A Needle feed machine is much better for heavy leather and complicated sewing of multiple layers. There is no reverse. The post gives a lot of leeway in sewing bulky or difficult items, but it is really a fabric sewing machine, the 51 variant doesn't even have the walking feet (alternating) that the 51W52 or 51W53 have. Cost should be right around $200, maybe a little more for a really good one. but never ever over $250 for head, table, and motor. If it sews what you want to sew, then it is an OK starter, IF you get a really good deal. Have the machine set-up to sew the leather and the Thread you will normally be using in Both needle and bobbin and sew a bunch of test pieces with it set up that way BEFORE you buy it. 51s were used in factories to sew shoe vamps and things like that, but they were the W54s thru W101s and vamps aren't saddle skirts, and the w51s were used to sew SHIRTS NOT SKIRTS. Remember, you are the mechanic if anything breaks or needs adjusting. If you are going to be doing skirting, you need a robust machine that can handle big thread and correspondingly big needles. I've made this offer before, but don't know where you are at, Weaver's consignment auction is in July (I think I put it on the leatherworker.net calendar) and I will be there if anyone wants a little help with machines. Smucker had an auction last year, so they won't have another till 2010. These are great places to buy a sewing machine if you know what you are doing. Art

The knife is a George Wostenholm & Son I*XL, not sure of the vintage but was manufactured that way. Wostenholm was the largest cutlery manufacturer in England in the 19th century, but the roots of the company go back to the 18th century. They still exist today. but make only pocket knives and sold the I*XL trademark to Parker, who promptly went under. I don't know who owns the I*XL mark now but I don't think it is Wosthenolm. Wostenholm was the premier knife imported to the United States in the 1800s as there were no quality knifemakers in America at that time, and Sheffield steel was premium, the best in the world. I think your knife was produced with the bent guard, and looks to be a trade knife, not an exhibition knife that lost it's way. I would, however, leave it that way until you can get someone who is a Wostenholm expert to value it (you just never know). By the end of the 19th century, the United States had developed the capability to produce fine steel, and the Sheffield knife trade with the US all but dried-up. Art

Hi Kevin, All the great "innovations" in Western (including quickdraw) and "concealed carry" holsters have been made. Nobody cares about duty gear anymore as the liability is just too dear, let the "Big Boys" play in that ballpark. Anything innovative was probably done years ago in our world and patents are as such of no concern. A holster is pretty much a holster and I would worry more about making one so much "like" a particular gun that you infringed the gunmakers copyright (not patent), however I have never seen or heard of that being claimed. With prominent holster makers "teaching" and producing videos on holster design in is inevitable for two (or more) different makers to produce something that looks identical with no knowledge of each other's work. Given that folks have been out there making and using these things for over 150 years and you magnify that probability; add to that the fact that handguns just aren't that different, probably because hands haven't changed that much. We all start out with a basic pattern (the handgun) and go from there, the "from there" makes the difference. Copy whomever's pattern you want and put some "from there" into it. As far as asking someone's permission to use a "design", if the pattern is that unique then you should be paying a royalty, however it is usually not hard to look in the catalogs and books to find something very similar (identical maybe?). Look at some of the sites on the following list and see if they are making something similar to what you are making (no matter where you got the pattern from) and you will find (more likely than not) more than one of these guys making it. The question is who copied from whom? http://www.alessiholsters.com http://www.alessileather.com http://www.alfonsosgunleather.com http://www.akerleather.com http://www.andrewsleather.com http://www.arredondoaccessories.com http://www.banderagunleather.com http://www.bellcharteroakholsters.com http://www.blackhawk.com http://www.blackhillsleather.com http://www.blade-tech.com http://www.bianchi-intl.com http://www.brigadegunleather.com http://www.bulmangunleather.com http://www.buybrownholsters.com http://www.c-rusty.com http://www.comp-tac.com http://www.concealco.com http://www.delfatti.com http://www.desantisholster.com http://www.dillonprecision.com http://www.donhume.com http://www.epsaddlery.com http://www.findesigns.net http://www.fobusholster.com http://www.gouldusa.com http://www.haugenhandgunleather.com http://www.highnoonholsters.com http://www.holsters.org http://www.holsters.com http://www.holstersplus.com http://www.kirkpatrickleather.com http://www.klnullholsters.com http://www.kramerleather.com http://www.lasports.biz/products.htm http://www.littlefeatherleather.com http://www.miltsparks.com http://www.mitchrosen.com http://www.nelsonleather.com http://www.palehorseholsters.com http://www.politesociety.com http://www.phalanxarms.com http://www.pwlusa.com http://www.raftersgunleather.com http://www.rangergunleather.com http://www.rfholsters.com/rfholsters/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=10 http://www.safariland.com http://www.sidearmor.com http://www.shado.com http://www.shootingsystems.com http://www.smartcarry.com http://www.stallionleather.com http://www.strong-holster.com http://www.stellarrigs.com http://www.sunriseleather.com http://www.tacticalholsters.com/gcode.htm http://www.tac-pro.com http://www.tdlabs.com http://www.tedblocker.com http://www.thunderwear.com http://www.uncle-mikes.com http://www.usgalco.com http://www.vegaholster.com http://www.wildbillsconcealment.com Art

Hi Bill, For the first half of the 20th century, up through the '50s, the "Home" sewing machine was provisioned to sew most anything it would encounter in the home or on the farm. These machines were often sewing multiple layers of denim and light leather like suspenders or even a belt; who knew what Pa was going to bring in from the barn. In the '50s you started to see more of the zigzag machines (although Bernina had a few from the '30s) because of the modern fabrics. With lighter fabric and lighter domestic uses the commercial (meaning sold in stores) sewing machine got lighter and lighter, cheaper and cheaper till we arrived at today's plastic wonders. It was all downhill from then on for using the machines for anything meaningful in the leather department. The Singer 31 is one of the few you might have seen in homes, shops, and light industry. The 66 and 201 and a few others were the last of the real home/farm duty Singers, and the Pfaff 301 was and equivalent machine built before Pfaff split into two separate companies, one Industrial and one Commercial. The 66, 201, and 301 are all tough machines with wimpy motors only adequate for occasional home duty, they will sew anything you can get under the foot (1/4 to 3/8 maybe but a stretch), with maybe some handwheeling, but they will be a source of nothing but frustration for a leatherworker. I have however seen the 31 with a stand and clutch motor sew right along on medium weight chrome tan. It never ceases to amaze me that someone buying their first leather machine would go to eBay to buy. It's ok to look around a bit, but without the experience, they might become the victim of hype (lets call it what it is, BS), and there is a boatload of that out there. There are (as I can be witness to) the occasional deals out there for someone who knows what they are getting and knows what the value is. There are maybe 3-5 sellers of new and used machines on eBay who deal in machines that are useful to leatherworkers and who sell on a regular basis. I have never seen any of them say "industrial Strength" or "for leather" in their listings. Anyway, I know you know all of this already, but I just ramble on hoping someone will read it and I won't have to type it again. Art

Hi Ed, No, the State makes that determination using your past sales performance as a criteria. Different States, different criteria. I pay Maryland quarterly at their direction, probably because I do most of my sales in the last quarter, almost all of the rest of the year is out of state. Art

Hi Ron, In a word, NO. The Pfaff 130 is a circa early 1950s home sewing machine. I have heard of it referred to as semi-industrial but that is a misnomer. Pfaff builds a good machine, and the 130 will do light leather, but the motor is way below what you need for leatherwork and you will have a hard time getting much under the short shank foot. I have said this before, and here it is again, if it says "Industrial Strength" or anything like that...RUN. Sewing machines are Commercial, which means they are sold commercially by sewing stores for home use, or they are Industrial, used all day every day, quite often to do one particular task. Industrial machines have a stand with a motor underneath that drives the machine head by a belt, we're talking V-Belt here, not some round dinky thing, and the motor is usually 1/2hp (400 Watts) or 3/4hp (550 watts) as opposed to the 1/10hp (80 Watt) motors found on home sewing machines. Industrial motors will be A/C clutch, or only recently, servo controlled DC "variable speed" with speeds of usually 1725 or 3450 rpm and almost any voltage and phase setup on earth, so look at the motor carefully, a 3-phase motor isn't going to do you any good at home or even at some shops. Another very important consideration is the kind of work you contemplate will be done much easier on a cylinder arm machine as opposed to a flat bed machine. I usually recommend a new machine for first timers, but sometimes the cash isn't available and a used machine becomes a necessity. There are wonderful deals out there in the used world, and there are some real dogs and shady characters selling them, so get help and advice from someone with knowledge, and make sure they have and use older machines. Art

Hi Denise, Did someone actually ask which one was Rod? Art

I don't generally like the new stuff, but I have a group called "3 doors down" in the machine and they are a little light for me but really good. Some of son's music I can get, but "Pantera" totally loses me, I don't know if it's heavy metal or nuclear metal, guitar solos were great though. Art

Pink Floyd Charlie Daniels ZZ Top Bach organ Music (E Power Biggs at the box) Various and sundry Hair Bands Laura Fabian (live performances only) Pavarotti (occasionally) Ace of Bass I'm really open to anything EXCEPT The Beatles (I have just been Beatled out) James Taylor Tiny Tim And Never, Never, Never, ABBA, No no no no no no ABBA no no Never. And it has to be loud, like if I can hear you talking or yelling, it ain't loud enough, no earphones or those dorky little earbuds, I want speakers and kilowatts. No Boze or Klipsch, I want Mackie, Phonic, Sampson, or QSC. Well Holly, you asked. Art

Hi Barry, Didn't Chuck work for Bob years ago? Art

If you are going to be doing this work all the time, I would set the machine up for it. First, you need to be using an 18/110 needle, and if using poly, I have seen a 16/100 used but not for high speed production work. These machines depend on a little bit of tension from the needle hole and a 22 makes a 1.4mm hole, which is quite large for 69 thread and could easily sew 138. Second, you are getting a bit of needle deflection when going up and down hills, I would check the needle/hook clearance and set it up tight for the needle you will be using. Definitely do the needle size first, the hook is a bit more challenging. Art

Hi Ed, I have 3 of them, they are pretty good, most times you have to turn them upside down to prime them the first time, after that they work fine, after you get one going you can squirt some oil down the spout before screwing it on to prime it and lube the seals. I paid $1.99 apiece on sale. I still like my little engineer oil cans, they squirt a smaller amount and the long thin spouted ones make oiling the lower rod and crank bearings easier. Art