Art

We need a picture and/or a model number to foster a guess. Art

I have been dealing with SLC for a few years. I have actually been to the store a couple of times (I'm from the East coast). They are a class operation. Have they messed-up and order, of course they have. Has a complaint about an order been unsatisfactorily addressed, yes that has happened too. However, when I contacted Kevin, once by email and once is a blistering phone call, things were addressed, embarrassingly, in my favor. In their favor, my orders are sometimes technically complicated and I am a picky SOB, read into that what you may. If you have a problem, call and talk to Kevin, he can work something to help you out. I've never seen a retail operation that is as interested in successful outcomes for their customers. Art

I use 346 top and 277 bottom on Western holsters. I also lay a crease down with a screw crease and sew in that. I use a 794D needle which sews a triangle hole, not intuitive, but it works well. For an off duty holster, I use smaller thread 277/207. I sew a 6spi with either. Change needles regularly to prevent "punch-out" on the back side. Art

From what I have seen, the 794 H is more like the 7x1 round point needles also called DYx3. Bob has forgotten more about needles than the rest of us put together know, so see if he responds. Art

Somehow I missed the prices, here and on your website. Art

Brettuns Village has a good 1.5 x 3/16 Punch for $95. I have several of the tools he has made and they have held up well. The paint flakes off, but the tools are good. My CS Osborne arch punches, I have had for many years with no complaints. Art

The tannery can plate, a big press they use to press the leather between two plates, or jack, a roller press that they can set to compress the leather. This adds stiffness through compression of the fibers. There are also chemicals that can be applied to accomplish something similar chemically instead of physically. Weaver sells that chemical although I have never used it. Art

Matt, With that machine, all you have to move the leather is the feed dogs. They stick up quite prominently and will do a pretty good job of marking softer leathers. If a setting is available to reduce the height of the dogs, then give that a try, but you have to have the dog to move the leather through the machine. Since the dogs are all it's got, I guess they decided to make them effective. Art

The 135x17 will work in place of the 134-35, BUT as Bob said, they also came with the 190 needle system. Measure the needle that works for it's Butt to Eye (BTE) dimension. 44.5 mm is a 190 needle, 38.1 is the 134-35, and 38.9 is the 135x17. Sometimes a machine with a 190 needle system can be made to use 134-35 or 135-17(16) but make sure the needle bar doesn't strike the presser feet or things will go south. For heaver work, try to get the leather point needles. Art

Colby, I have seen experienced leatherworkers who can make a silk purse from a sow's ear (as the saying goes). There are three long established vegetable tanneries left in the US. They all make remarkably good product from the packer hides they receive. The cattle are brought to slaughter quite early now (I can't remember in the last 12 years seeing a carcass or primal cut that cut black) and the subsequent hides are quite different than those of older cattle. Old steer good for hides, young steer good for meat, and the packer chooses meat every time. Old steers, bulls, dairy, etc are processed into meat products (canned etc.). The three US tanneries make a little different product in firmness, which is the first thing you feel. HO is a little harder than WC. HO got a little too all over the place for me, so I went with WC because they put out a consistent product that you can adjust in finishing. It the product is too soft, have it jacked harder. The finishing dept at WC is their strong point, use it. Buying one hide at a time from different sources is not the way to buy. Going to the tannery is of course the best way if you are near and can stand to buy in bulk. You have to learn what your supplier can and will do for you. However for the small user, there is always TLF or better yet Springfield Leather. SLC will cut leather for you, Kevin has made customer service his goal with the smaller crafter in mind. Call and talk to them about your needs. Sometimes the tanneries can't supply your needs, and that's where SLC or TLF can really work for you. So there you go, there is no one solution to any problem, if there is then go for it. And don't write TLF or SLC off, back in the '90s, the best calf (naked) I could get anywhere was at Tandy, sorry to see them go. Like I first said, a good leatherworker can make a damned fine product with whatever he has. Art

The leatherworker.net dealers are good about that, it should sew from the git-go. However, stuff you buy off of eBay (except for Techsew) is pretty much right from the box and set up for lighter thread. Some I have seen still have corrosion protection on them. Art

tk, Wickett and Craig makes leather for among others, Louis Vuitton. I would call and see if you can get a back processed like they do for LV. Art

Lift the dot snaps run about $1 each and Pull the dots (durable Dots) run about .30 apiece both buy the 100s. The military very much likes lift the dots for some reason, hence they end-up on military holster designs. Lift the Dot snaps are more permanent in use on canvas and ballistic nylon fabric as they have substantial washers and backing plates, whereas the Durable Dot system has nothing much holding it to the fabric. Leather is a different story, especially if you have a hard stiffener to supplement the hold, so either system will work. Art

You might have to go to a welting foot and maybe modify it some. http://www.cutexsewingsupplies.com/servlet/the-927/SINGER-16-CLASS-16-dsh-188/Detail Give this person on the above site a call (212) 967-9699, he may be able to special order what you need. Art

Sew Line is just a name they plaster on it. It used to be the GA5-1. It is a cylinder bed, drop feed (has feed dogs) lockstitch machine that DOES NOT HAVE REVERSE. It will sew a little less than 1/2 inch of leather. I didn't know anyone was making it without reverse, but I guess so. It does NOT have needle feed which is right handy when sewing multiple layers. If that is what you want, get one set up for leather WITH REVERSE from Ronnie at Techsew. You can count on service that way. Also get a servo motor instead of a clutch. What are you planning to do with it, there might be something better for your application. Art

Jeremy, Lift the dot are the old military spring clip type used on holsters circa WWII-Vietnam. They are primarily designed for canvas, and ghod we used them on boat covers a lot, the screw studs were good on metal and wood and we had sockets for them and drill packages to install them. The Pull the Dot are currently the choice for holsters. Be careful shopping at marine stores, the stainless ones for boats (not the pull the dot type, just regular ligne 24s) are the dickens to get snapped and need a tool to get unsnapped. Art

I had an iron Boss, and it would take any kind of abuse but a short stroke. Art

Hi David, I have a No.9 that is ready to go, no stand or motor, but you don't need one. It is twice the machine as a Boss and way faster. I also have a Highlead GA2688-1 which is an Artisan 4000P (441 on steroids), I would need extra money on that one. Art

Not to mention the math I have to go through to set my 15" lathe to cut those crazy pitches, and then holding that small drill rod. Then I have to make the taps which sometimes means making the dividing plate for them. A tap and die set would be well worth $200. Art

Andrew, Horween does a lot of work on the finishes. They rub or burnish finish into the shell, so I don't think much is necessary. I use Leather Balm with Atom Wax and buff it up. Art

Amadea, As you have found out, stain does not come out, paint or edge enamel does come off. The operative words are out and off. Get some newspaper (not printed on) use this as a base to do wetwork on, have a bunch of layers of it on the bench and whenever it gets messy, strip off a layer or two. The newsprint really soaks up liquid fast and protects to a limited degree from carryover. You can get it as roll ends if you know someone at the local paper. There are not many ways to fix it, but the easiest way is to cover it up, concho, rivet, Chicago screw, etc, etc. You may have to employ more than one to obtain symmetry. You could also make a decoration out of anything (like leather, especially an exotic or something cool) and sew it on. Art

EY, Anne Bonny was a 18th century pirate (ca 1702-1782). Darren Brosowski is the person you are talking about. The foundation on which this site stands is Johanna, who puts in tons of work and pays the bills (despite advertisers and contributors who only make up a fraction of the cost). Thanks for noticing. Art

Philippe, Your machine should have a system 135x16 tri needle size 19-22 with #20 optimum installed with the thread groove on the left and the thread running through the needle left to right. Make sure the needle has not rotated from that position. Put a new needle in the machine. Art

What it sounds like from your description is a circular welt knife, or maybe the American version that which is called a Star Welt Knife. They were used to cut down excess welt on the top of the outsole. This tool is still made by United, I think it has a welt knife and Star knife on either end. If you just want to cut the outsole to shape you can do that with a lip knife which is just a shoe knife with the tip bent over (and not sharpened). A little better description of what you are trying to do to what part of the shoe, and in which step of the process, before or after welt is sewn and what you are trying to trim. Art

I thought he was posting about the 901M111, a very rare machine. Art