ramrod

yup...can't remove them. most people don't like blemishes like that on their leather. i don't mind - and neither do my customers. they are fascinated by it's "naturalness" i guess. it pforve that the cows really WERE out on the range....or feed lot.

now that is cool. apparently anything can be useful after tanning.

at least those cane toads are good for something. very nice wallet. i like the contrast between the inside and outside. well done.

etienne - i use the same as you....i've also got some calf and shark that i purchased a long time ago. calf is mostly for the lining. interestingly, my aunt who passed several years ago, had a box full of straps. most of them are about 12" long and about an inch wide. the box had about 3000 in it. i don't know what brand they are - or even why she had them (possibly to make bracelets), but i skive them down to 2-3 oz. and use them. they'll last forever. i've also used horween and i love it. i bought some scraps from a member here just to try it out, but i know i want more. it's great stuff to work with. i'd post pictures but i forgot how to do it.

i use beeswak like bondobob. just a pinch and it will make your fingers real tacky. ] you can also look into using finger cots - those rubber finger thingies that watchmakers use to assemble watches.

i know this reply is very late but......you might try schall leathermerchants. they are a seller on ebay located in london. peter was very helpful for me when i needed some info. i believe they have what you are looking for. i haven't visited their site in a while, so i'm going from memory. tell him tim from the forum sent you.

i use 2 - 3 oz for the top and bottom. i also use scrap leather or a polyester filler to place inside of the strap for a little bit of bulk. you have to use it judiciously as it can get too thick real fast. i use contact cement on all of my straps but i have never had mine wrinkle up on the top or bottom. what i do for construction is place the top layer flesh side up and place my filler on it - kind of like building it in reverse. i place my filler on the flesh side of the top layer and glue it down. i usually coat the bottom layer with contact cement and make the bottom layer wider than the top layer and trim it later. when i place the bottom layer on the filler i usually stretch it a bit - kind of like "preloading" it. what that does is give the strap a gentle curve that will take out any wrinkles that might form. stitch the perimeter.

for anyone thinking about getting one from slipangle, do it! mine is a work of art. the level of finish and the construction are top notch. these are far and away better than anything i've seen on a vendor's site. i would highly recommend looking into having one made. the cool thing is that you can have it altered, within reason, to fit your hand. these are nnot off the shelf items. i chose one that is a bit smaller than usual, even though i have big hands. this is a beaut! well done, scott.

i posted a thread in "suppliers" about finding som every nice and inexpensive braided poly thread. it's from schall leather merchants on ebay. i emailed alex at the store. very helpful. there isn't a variety of colors - just earth tones - but the price is VERY good.

only one or two members that i know of do any dip dying. but you shouldn't have a problem with dye rubbing off as long as it isn't black. that will always rub off unless you use feibings oil dye. it comes in black and brown. i guess i should have read a bit more closely. you're concern is rub off onto shirts or clothing. this is tough to control and the only way i know of to control it is to seal the item after dying.

hey folks.....well, i did a bit of digging for a new supplier for braided polyester thread. i came across schall leathermerchants out of london. possibly some of you brits have heard of them or maybe have dealt with them. due to a slight lack of funds, i have not made a purchase yet. but i plan on buying from them. i have been dealing with an employee named alex and he has been most helpful. they have a store on the UK ebay with descriptions and picture of their product. reading from their site, it seems that some (or perhaps all) of their product is leftovers from a shoe manufacturer. i looked for equivalent sizes to .4, .6, and .8 mm thread. they have .8 and .4mm equivalent sizes. they are measured by a different nomenclature (Tkt20, Tkt7, etc) and i'm not totally familiar with the equivalents. anyway, i priced a 3000m cone of .4mm thread and it's about $32 delivered to the states. the colors are earth tones, but perhaps the colors can be of use to someone. i apologize for not posting a link, but i am really over my head with computer stuff. anyway, give it a look if you'd like. it looks promising to me, and as i said, i'm very sure i'll be buying from them. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261546882618?var=560421492052 hey! i think i posted a link!!

if you do a google search, you might find out how to measure up a person. i remember a website where i saw a tutorial on it. i wish i could remember the name of it. also - there is a forum on this site for vests, collars and cuffs and all sort of wearables.

what snubby said. another thing that you can do to make sure that your awl goes in straight is to use a stitching horse. second best is a stitching pony. you can be more consistent in your awl and stitching action. also, to prevent sticking the awl into your finger on the backside, you can use a cake of beeswax or a cork to push against the needle. your awl has to be crazy sharp. i polish mine with toothpaste after i get it to the right sharpness. and, just a little dip into a cake of beeswax with your awl before you stitch (or every third or so), really helps it to slide through the leather. it makes it so you're not working so hard.

i'm beginning to think that anything is possible.

is it practical to apply the snap to a thinner piece of leather and then stitch that piece of leather to the main piece you're working on?

well, you can look at this in two ways....all of those machines are either going to waste, or you can thank the owners for saving those old machines. i think it's really cool and unique. that is a LOT of old iron.

i missed this reply....thank you, steve. i sepped away from it for a few days. i'll poke around with a pick and flashlight.....errrr....torch.

some of the stuff i get from tandy is cheaply made. i think the snaps are the exception.

where are you getting them from? i use tandy's snaps and have never had a problem with their holding power or "snap". in fact, at times, i've thought they were a bit too aggressive.

you could send it to hardwareelf.com also.

i wonder if abrasion is causing it. i have the same thing happening with tiger thread (yellow) but i noticed that it only happens when i pull the stitch tight. when i pull it tight, the color will lighten up - kind of like a pull up leather does. it's not really a problem for me and i wonder if others notice it. does this sound like the same thing you're experiencing?

i recall seeing serving thread a long time ago when a friend was into archery. i didn't realize that's what it was. and it's spectra, too. i have some on that on a small bobbin. you can barely cut it with scissors. i guess it's the storngest man made material - at least it was at one time. the only drawback with it is that it doesn't stretch. it'll cut through your leather fast if you horse on it.

good point. i've been down that road before. it takes only a few stitches to figure out that your edge is gonna be wavy. i've been able to minimize it with a mallet gently banging the edge. the customer didn't notice, but I knew it was there.

punctuation please! i use .6 mm tiger thread along with a john james #4 needle at 10 s.p.i. this seems to fit the size of watch bands quite nicely.

i just used tandy's ecoflow professional waterstain for the first time. the color i used was called tan. it leaves that nice warm whisky color look to it. i applied it in several coats and it gets darker and more rich with each coat. you might give it a try. there was no odor of any kind.