buzzardbait

same here

The only thing I do different is to wring the dye out of the wool when I am done and I do reuse the wool.

I always use a punch to cut the inside radius then cut from the hole with my round knife.

I have had a Cobra 4 for a little more than 3 years now. Before that i had a Tippmann Boss for 3 years. These are my only experience with machine sewing. I hated the Tippmann like nothing I have ever known, and I can't say enough good about the Cobra 4. There is a learning curve but it was minor for me, I watched the Chris Andre and Al Bane videos on the Leather Machine website several times before ordering and several times after receiving my machine. With these videos and great customer service from the Leather Machine Co. you should have no problem learning the machine. the Facebook group, Tips and tricks with Cobra class equipment is a great resource. I have never had a regret about buying this machine it is a timesaving workhorse.

Springfield Leather sells Hermann Oak in small pieces.

Your Craftool Co. USA tools will serve you fine, learn to use them first and then upgrade as needed.

nothing is wrong with the dye, it is penetrating more deeply on the edges. some colors show that more than others. allow your part more time in the dip so the surface can absorb more dye. I get better results applying dye with a sheeps wool pad trimmed close and use a lot less dye.

From my experience no two hides will ever dye the same, and a lot of times you will get variations in the same hide. The H.O. leather you show is russet colored and the Weaver is much lighter. The dye will never come out the same on a different tannage. If the parts must match you should make them all out of the same hide or at least the same tannage. I do a dye test on every hide on every project to make sure, and sometimes it still turns to shit. A thinned down acrylic paint can be your best bet sometimes.

Weaver Master tools. I have been well satisfied with mine.

The sharper ones will give you a much cleaner line and better detail. the ones with chrome plating on steel tend to have a rounded edge. the ones machined from stainless steel are my favorite. good bevelers are easier to use and can make a huge difference in your work.

I use the heavy weight poster board from Staples to make patterns.

I cut my lines, then I bevel with a push beveler. after that I round over the edges with a back bevel blade in a swivel knife. My push beveler and my back bevel blade for the swivel knife are both from Barry King.

I love my class 4. I had never sewn on a machine until I got mine a couple of years ago. The customer support from Leather Machine Company is top notch. Check out the videos by Chris Andre and Al Bane on the setup and use of the Cobra machines, you can find them on the Leather Machine Company website and on utube.

Wet the leather, form your folds, let it dry and continue. You can gently tap them down into shape while they are wet.

yeah I pulled up the website about a year ago and it said they were no longer processing orders

those are dies for a Maun leather punch. It is like a rotary punch with interchangeable dies for multiple purposes.

Barry King makes blades that will fit Tandy knives.

makesupply-leather.com

They are on his website. ranch2arena.com

51 was the first printing, it was reprinted in 74. The revised edition was printed in 76. I have a 76 revision the title page says each of the pages and patterns were reprinted exactly as they were in the 51 edition. The copyright for my 76 revised edition says new material was added by the publisher THE LEATHERCRAFTSMAN, INC. It does not specify what that new material is. So I didn't actually answer your question but there is some updated info in the 76

Great post Dwight, great advice, spot on.

I always wet form my gussets, as suggested by Fredk. If I am handsewing I will punch the bag parts first, after the gusset has dried I glue it in place and punch my holes through using the holes previously punched in the bag sides as the guide.

Jacksons Western Store in Asheville, N.C. still has a display case full of Craftool Pro stamps. Contact them through the website, they may have what you want.

Pictorial Carving Finesse by Al Stohlman is a great resource book. Tandy has it.

Very nice, I like the lace.