ramrod

speaking from personal experience, i've gotten a somewhat soft and, i guess i'd call it a greasy feeling, from leather when i've treated it with neetsfoot oil. now, that being said, i believe too much of the stuff is not good for the hide. i think i've read that on here before. but i must have put on a healthy amoount to get the oily feel that you are talking about. someone else might want to weigh in. as far as tanning goe, i believe that oil tanned leather is chrome tanned. as an afterthought, you might want to look into pull up leather. it had a greasy feel to it, although i'm not sure how well it does being used as a garment leather.

typically speaking, veg tanned leather is stiff and firm. chrome tanned leather (the kind that you CANNOT tool) is generally soft and pliable (think leather couch). veg tanned leather is usually tan in color but it varies from pinkish to light brown if it has some age to it.

i am not familiar with the tandy meza. is it veg tan pre dyed? it looks like a nice skin.

id like to see those pictures. did you use a pattern - or kind of build them as you went along? those are very nice. i would be interested in doing a pair of them. i've got some soft, thick chrome tanned cow that i'd like to use up.

you did a great job on this one! very well designed. nice proportions. but.......we need some interior pictures. i like the hardware on the handle. it looks like chrome in the pictures, but the strap hardware is brass. can you clear this up? and also, what are the dimensions of the case?

ive been able to darker leather by using neetsfoot oil rubbed in vigorously. if you use a dull piece of wood to "press" on certain areas that you've applied the oil, it will darken that area appreciably.

doug - i have had the same dilemna. i use my stitching horse. it was made for me by me brother. it has about an 8" jaw so i can put a piece of leather in it with just a tiny amount of edge sticking up. i edge finish as usual. it isn't perfect, but i can utilize it better than any other method.

rub it in, hidepounder. us mere mortals aspire to your edge finishing ability....lol......i only wish i could get a burnisher. i gotta get better at edge finishing. and OMG!! the niwa stuff is fabulous. flawless, a true master.

i had a pair of riding pants from HJC i believe. they were goat leather. i was under the impression that it was second in strength to kangaroo. well, i should say that it was told to me that it was almost as tough as roo.

i tossed the packaging away. yes, it did say made in china. i really like the size 4 needles, but way too bendy.

i use those james needles with tiger thread. i'm using .6mm with a size 4 needle @ 10 spi on a watch band. i like these needles a lot, but i'm haveing a problem with bending them - especially when the hole is a bit too tight. you just can't treat them like you would treat a size 0 needle. also, something i didn't care to see - they're made in china. seems every piece i've ever bought that was made in china is a bit substandard quality wise. but, this bending could also be inherent with the needle size, too.

double pierce here. always have. it works well.

i'm surprised there were no bites on this. i'd say that if you can't get it in country, then try ebay.it might be a bit of a crap shoot as to what you'll get - and you have to know what you're looking for - but it might be worth the effort.

i made my own out of flat bar from home despot. it is very simple. i wanted to post a pic, but i don't know how to. anyway, the 20" tube on etsy is beautiful. if i had it to do over again, i'd probably buy it. i like the hinge. very clean looking. upon closer scrutiny, i noticed that the aluminum tubes do not nest inside the other. they close up parallel to each other. if you look at the attorney's bag in the OP's thread, the top bars are nested. i'm not sure this would work out (or how it would look) on a doctor's bag.

you wont find a paint that will adhere properly. buckles take too much abuse. ive seen black hardware too. im guessing its a coating of sorts? powder coating maybe?its very tough and you can get it in about a million colors.

ill second that. nylon isn't uv resistant. the sun will kill it.

butch - i would also like to get a copy of this pattern. would you please send it to tkramsey@gmail.com. thank you very much

wow. asking for something like this picture was out of the questio....or so i thought. thank you very much jeremy. this is great.

well, i should have bet myself - i would have won. i figured you would be the first to answer this one, bruce. lol. thank you. now, are all ridges the same dimension from the edge of the leather? or does it vary with each number? i appreciate the info.

i'm interested in buying an edge creaser. i like the line and rounded edge look on some projects. but i have a question. what do the numbers mean in reference to the tool itself? i've seen a #3 creaser....#5, etc. i'm sure it refers to size, but are those numbers interchangeable between manufacturers? is it the bigger the number, the larger the tool?

this should be a fairly easy job to do ....one would need the actual key for the best results. i would love to help out. but i live on the east coast.

also lisa sorrell's videos are awesome. i have no aspirations of building boots or shoes, but i watch them just to watch the technique. i've seen a video on pegging from her. youtube.

here /\ /\ i've got someone wanting me to make one for him, and i'd love to see this tutorial. it wold be a big help. moderator? anyone? how can we restore this thread?

feibing's oil dye. end of story. never a problem with bleeding off. the stuff is fantastic.

wow! very nicely done! yeah - have fun with the buckle. i've done that kind of double jointed move on items before. i love portfolios. fairly easy to make. my first one was beautiful - but made with chrome tan. very pretty, but very very flimsy.