whinewine

Thank you all. I will pass on your suggestions to her. I'm sure she will appreciate them & hopefully they will work.. russ

A very distraught woman came to me today and asked me if there is some way of eliminating cat urine from a pair of boots that were saturated with cat urine. The boots are microfiber, but the lining is non-removable rabbit fur. One boot is fine, but the other is really pretty wet. I think they are beyond help, but she really likes them, & since the stores are not selling winter boots, I said I'd try to see if there is an answer other than throwing them away. Thanks for any help you can give (& please- I am really too busy making stuff for shows to read inane comments about 'get rid of the cat'- if you don't have an answer, please don't waste your time and my time. Thanks).)

If you order from the web, it will be filled from the nearest store to you (I was told that by a Tandy manager). SO- to avoid being the anonymous web dope who gets the junk that no one else wants, go ahead & call the nearest store, introduce yourself to the manager over the phone, establish rapport, and establish YOURSELF as a real person who has specific needs & wants. Ask questions. Once the staff there are aware of you as a real person, they will be less likely to send 'less desirable' items your way. And if you can, do a road trip sometime (plot out other interesting things to see/do/experience while in the area so it ends up as a fun day).

Like Art says, "Take it back!" Tandy is generally amenable & pretty helpful on returns. (& selecting your potential purchases in person is the only way to buy certain items, from leather {especially leather} to stamping/carving tools [although dyes, conchos, hardware, etc, are mostly ok to buy over the web].

I've also used heat (hair dryer) & then wrapped the item TIGHTLY in paper towels to act as a blotter to draw out the oil. I've also used the hair dryer inside + a bunch of the paper towels wadded up. This'll draw the oil out from both sides. Go easy on the heat, though. It will take more than 1 application if a lot of oil had been applied. I've never used the talc, though, but that could work, too, although it might be difficult to remove all of the talc?

Superb! She'll love it! russ

Bud, I did PM you back about the 1 stamp (Sunday, perhaps?) but haven't heard back from you. Please let me know. russ

After you've tooled the design, matting tools can set off and separate the design nicely from the background; try different ones till you find one that really looks good- maybe the E294 series from Tandy, F900, M883, etc. russ

Trav: a problem is that the impressions aren't very deep, the knot lines are very close together & the stamps are large in area, which means that you'll need a heavy maul/mallet to make a decent impression. All too often one ends up making a double impression because the stamp may bounce after being struck if the leather is too dry. I also have a set & they are definitely NOT the easiest to use, but once you know their limitations, the results can be ok. Like Holly says, they're primarily good for small pieces.

It's a good thing it didn't tear off the very top grain of the leather (scotch tape will often do that if left on long enough). You could try to remove the adhesive by using Un-du, maybe goof-off? They are adhesive removers & work reasonably well (try on a piece of scrap first, though, to see if it discolors the leather). I don't know if deglazer would work, but you could try it as a last resort. Good luck. russ

I guess you just don't want to let this go... Your statement #[1]:... I'm not blowing my argument out of proportion, and what, specifically, is wildly inaccurate? Your statement #[2]:... I NEVER said that- why are you putting words in my mouth? All I said is that someone who constructs 1 or 2 well made items is most likely NOT going to be sued. You're going to carry a gun,(& you've made that unequivically clear) and that's fine- I don't have a problem with that- but somehow you're making that equivalent to some individual who makes a few holsters to being sued??? Let me ask you: when you first started out, did you say ..."I'm going to make holsters, even though I have never made one before, so I'm going to rush out & get $1 million in liability insurance & get an LLC BEFORE I start"?... I would venture to guess that you most likely made a few, sold a few, liked what you were doing, BEFORE you actually took the $$$ plunge- correct? Your statement #[3]:... I agree with you totally- what's your point? (oppositional-defiant disorder?). And so far, NO ONE has come out on this site to answer the question- Just how many members on this site have been sued over something they made of leather? You told me to do my research, and that's what I'm trying to do, but you apparently want me to go elsewhere to do it, and NOT do it on LWN... HUH? Let's just try to put some rest to this topic: Thank you Josh Duvall, for bringing some fresh air into this! You did actually did speak with an attorney & other knowledgeable people who do know the law instead of going off half-cocked. I'm certainly done with the topic & I will speak no more about it.

I'm sorry you're taking offense, because I meant none. All I meant was that we can't go through life fearing a lawsuit. And I'm not name calling anyone, it's just that people confuse POSSIBILITY with PROBABILITY- and they are not the same. As a result, people end up doing nothing for fear of something (most likely remote-at best) happening. Or they overreact to an event and cause/create the situation they most fear. I've seen that numerous times (the 'self-fulfilling prophecy'). No one is trying to change your mind- you made that perfectly clear from the start- and that's fine. This is a forum- a place where we can (& should be able to) exchange differing ideas. And I am not saying that we don't need to protect our business affairs- on the contrary- but I feel someone who makes an occasional and well constructed item runs a very miniscule chance of being sued. But if your entire business consists of making tactical gear (where the purchaser's life depends on it functioning properly), then by God, you had better have enough legal protection behind you. And yes, btw, my business is registered with both the Commonwealth and the Feds & I do pay my taxes on it, too. And yes, I do carry $1,000,000 liability insurance on my business. And the original question still is: Just how many members on this site have been sued over something they made from leather?

Excellent question, Greg! Just how many of the members on this site have been sued over something they made from leather? I would also like to know, just out of curiosity. And for those here that think I have left myself legally naked, so to speak, by not having insurance, etc, let me just say that I have been sued probably 11, 12 times- perhaps more (but who's counting)... but not over something I made from leather. When you enter the Correctional System, you get 'de-flowered' very quickly. So, Please, I KNOW what frivolous lawsuits are all about!...(over things you would or could probably never imagine in your wildest dreams). I was even sued because I said HAH! to an inmate once when he thought he deserved support for parole. I have been sued simply because I was a member of the Unit Management Team that made an adverse decision against an inmate; I have been sued because an inmate didn't like an answer I gave to him; I have been sued simply because I was part of the chain of command from the Superintendent, on down... among other ludicrous lawsuits. And guess what?- NONE EVER MADE IT TO COURT! surprise, surprise... You can't cave in to thugs. You can't go through life being a wussie, fearing that you'll be sued.

Going back to my previous post: if you're afraid of being sued over something you made, don't make it. Don't sell it. Don't give it away. Pure and simple. Go ahead, but if you do choose to make your stuff, don't sell it or give it away & just lock it up & hide it away from the prying eyes of those who just might desire it... And then you won't be sued. Isn't that absurd? Where is the common sense? Certain things I won't make (suspension harnesses & horse tack, because I don't know enough about them to say if they are safe or not, saddles, because I've never made one & have no desire to take a course in saddle making at this stage in my life... things like that). But the stuff I know how to make, I'll continue to make, and I certainly have enough knowledge about that which I make to defend myself in court.

I'm sorry, but I think this discussion has gotten way too deeply into the 'what if' category. If people are so worried that they might be sued, then they had better never make something of leather to sell to someone else: what if the belt that you lovingly made breaks while Joe Doofus is running to the 'all-you-can-eat' trough at at the local swillery on gorge-it night, & he trips when his pants fall down & he lands on his face? Or what if the rivet gives way on his key fob while driving & he reaches down to pick up his keys & smashes into the back of a manure truck? Or what if he stubs his toe wearing a pair of your handmade sandals at the local rattlesnake roundup? Is any of this possible? Yes. Remotely. Is any of it likely to result in you being sued? Highly unlikely. If you are so worried, then you don't make leather items to sell. Or you get insurance. Or you make sure your item (holster, keyfob, belt, whatever) is constructed as well as it can be, & certainly, better than is made in a third world country. During the '70s, I made (probably) 30, 40 holsters: none came apart, none were returned & the quality stood on its own.

I agree wholeheartedly with Boom: to use a crude example, if you would have a rectal problem, you'd go to a proctologist for a colonoscopy, not a leather forum; if you would need legal advice, you'd better go talk to a good lawyer, not the people here on this forum: they know as much about colonoscopies as they do about legal matters. You need to go directly to the source & not listen to hearsay.

Some latigo CAN be stamped, it's just that the impressions aren't very crisp and aren't really worth the effort involved. If it can be made wet, it can be stamped, but see the previous caveat about impressions. Hilly is right about the laser engraving. On this forum, there are several members who do laser engraving & they may be able to help you out. If you have ever done wood burning, you could also do the title by pyrographing it into the leather. Or, as Hilly also suggested, tool on to veg-tan & sew it to the latigo. russ

Holly: I too have an ezup, & i've never been able to set it up alone. It's cumbersome, it's heavy, but, for durability, I think it's the only game in town & I've not found anything else in that price range that'll hold up like EZ Up. Mine is the Encore II from Sam's Club. We've only had ours for about 4 years & had to replace a sidewall because of a broken zipper (covered under warranty) & had to replace an outer strut (out of warranty). Other than that, no major problems. If we get another, I'll pirate the old one for spare parts (assuming everything's the same). But, I, too, would like to find a durable, easier-to-lug-around-easier-to-set-up-lighter-weight one in the same $$ price range. If you do find one, please let me know. Thanks. russ

Also, Doodle Pages did come in loose packs, too, from what I remember from the '60s & '70's, but absolutely none were stapled. (I used to work for Tandy during the mid '70s).

I'm confused : Doodle Pages don't have staple holes (unless someone made them up into a book of sorts). They came on tear-off pads, so I don't I don't know where you're getting the info about staples????

Kevin Hopkins, Springfield Leather does sell some Craft Japan tools, as does Hidecrafter (or, did, anyway). Whether or not it would be cost efficient for them to order/carry tools they normally don't, well, that's another matter. For an individual to try to order direct, it probably wouldn't be cost effective- large minimum quantities per tool, shipping, Customs duties, etc, you name it...

They are listed on ebay. The number of this particular ebay item is: # 320511378779.

There is also a particular punch that has a disk with 5 different sized holes that is particularly suited for very soft leathers (I call it 'the Starship Enterprise' because it looks like the Enterprise (except the disk is at the bottom instead of at the top). If you want to punch holes instead of using an awl, it's decent. Tandy sells them & they are found throughout ebay. I don't remember exactly what it is called, though.

Bill, that's just plain weird. W&C is a top notch leather, and I'm sure others on the forum who use W&C regularly would have complained if all their Fiebings med brown would have left green streaks... W&C is a Canadian company who does their American tanning in Curwensville, PA (not terribly far from where I live), so Fiebings' excuse about 'imported leather' is a pretty far stretch of the imagination. I would definitely begin to suspect that that particular dye batch is faulty, contrary to Fiebings' simply telling you to use their oil dye. Question: how are their other dyes? Do they leave the green streaks? If not, I'd say that that particular med brown is just a bad batch. AND, if so, ALL IS NOT LOST: the med brown makes an excellent base to use before applying the spirit black dye. Another narrowing down of another possibility- how are you applying the dye?= dauber, spray, dipping, or what? If dauber, perhaps there is some crap on the dauber(s)...?? I hope this at least helps a little. Sincerely, russ

Bill, I would guess that the green streaks are excess pigment that didn't seep into the leather. The oil possibly prevented absorption & the pigment was left on the surface as the alcohol/vehicle evaporated. Take a cloth & rub it- does it 'crock', or rub off on the cloth? If so, that's what happened. A good practice is to always shake your dyes first, as the pigment often settles at the bottom of bottles of spirit dyes. The old Omega dyes had a lot of pigment which needed to be agitated before spraying or applying. Alcohol or deglazer might remove this... You should email Fiebings to see what they say (& I always feel one should go to the source first). Another (remote?) possibility is that there is a reaction to something (oil, tanning method, bad dye batch, whatever)- Email Fiebings if you have the same result on a different piece of leather from a different hide. russ