Chris of WV

Neat! Although, I do admit that I agree that it looks like he has a fresh rabbit under his bracer that he's saving for later... XD

Sure hope it does... I kinda had a "Duh" moment when I figured it out...

Not sure whether I'm out of place or not, but make sure you removed the small piece of wood and all the sealing wax on the blade... I had the same problem the first time I used my edge beveler, but then I looked and realized they had sealed a small piece of wood with plastic/wax in order to make sure the blade was protected during travel...

Hey stelhrse, Best I can figure (me still being relatively green to all this) is that the "Old #126" is possibly referring ot an old C.S.Osborne number. Both bevelers offered on Tandy are now made by Craftool (and I actually have a #126 for use on my belts). The only difference I can see is that the metal neck of the #126 is longer than that of the regular Craftool beveler. That, and the fact that the handle is a bit darker... Sorry I couldn't be of more help... ~Chris

Hi all, another newbie question... Can anyone explain to me how to keep the edges of my projects (which are usually just burnished, although some of my future-father-in-law's projects have been edge-koted and I've seen them do the same) from turning blue after they've spent some time in the pockets of my jeans? I made a business card case and have been carrying it around in my pockets, and the corners have been turning blue and now the edges are too... Any advice? Thanks, Chris

I know I already posted a while ago, but the same guy that made my stitching pony made a mallet for me as well... It has a micarta head (unburnable/very hard to damage) and a carriage bolt handle with hose "shrink-wrapping" (heavy duty plastic) over the handle. I also had him place a double layer near the head of the hammer (since someone told me that that's really where you're supposed to hold it when you're tooling and stuff)... My only complaint, it's a little heavy, lol... -Chris

Thanks Luke! I ended up tooling my initials on the top piece and then glued two pieces together using regular ol' white craft glue (which holds surprisingly well, lol) and I'm now in the process of punching holes in it for sewing... Might post pictures when I get done, but it's not gonna be pretty... XD

I'm interested in making a guitar strap for my Taylor Big Baby... Problem is, the only leather I have large enough to make one is the 3/4 oz. side I got from Tandy that I mentioned in my last post. My question is, do you think it would hold up if I made two pieces for each of my pattern pieces (2 strap bodies and two strap "straps") and then sewed the pieces together? And, were I to do that, should I sew it flesh to grain or flesh to flesh? (Dunno if that made much sense, lol) Thanks, Chris

Thanks os much for the suggestions guys! I was meesing around with it yesterday and ended up making a card case and a money wallet real quick... Much different to work with than belt leather or garment leather, almost a combination of the two. But, if anyone has any other ideas, tips, or suggestions, I'm ready to listen and learn! Thanks, Chris

Hey all, had a quick question or two for you. First of all, I bought a Craftsman Grade 3/4 oz. veg-tan side from Tandy when they had their Open House sale this month (the one that was $40). I just got it today (they had to backorder it for me), and I opened it and unrolled it. Surprisingly, for a craftsman grade skin, there were no humongous holes or really bad "issues". So, my question is, what kind of projects can I use that thin of a leathr for. My second question is: I do have a project in mind... I'm thinking about making some sort of notebook cover out of it (extremely simple, elastic band to hold the notebook in, nothing special), but the leather will need to be able to ben without cracking and be a bit more "supple" (I believe that's the correct term). Is there any way to "soften" veg-tan, or should I just abandon that idea? Thanks! -Chris

Well, I saw a stitching pony on Tandy the other day and didn't want to pay for one... So, I showed a picture to a buddy of mine, said please, and about an hour or so later I was the proud owner of this interesting contraption! The only thing I had to say to him was thanks and ! -

I'm working on making my first belt, and I was curious as to what to do about the back side of the belt. The backside is somewhat napped up, and most of the belts I've seen (even ones that are hand made) are smooth... Is there a certain way to smooth it out or a tool that I need to use? Thanks, Chris

Hey BOHUNTER, and welcome to Leatherworker.net! I'm just as new as you (although I've had some other experience in leatherworking), since I just joined a few days ago, but I think I know enough to answer your questions... Leather thickness is measured by the ounce, with each ounce equaling out to approximately 1/64th of an inch. So, when you're talking about 8-10 oz. leather, you're talking about 1/8" to 5/32". More info on thickness... The type of leather you're looking for is called veg-tanned tooling leather. This leather is called "veg"etable tanned because it's tanned with tannin and natural vegetable fibers. You DO NOT want sueded leather or garment leather. These are great for items such as pouches or clothing, but definitely not any good for tooling... For an idea of what you're wanting, check out Tandy or Springfield's selections at the links below: Tandy - Tooling Cowhide - Shoulders, Double Shoulders, Bends, and Bellies - Good for those on a budget (like me, lol) Tandy - Tooling Cowhide - Sides Springfield Tooling Leather As for the thickness of leather you should use for a knife sheath, I'm not quite sure. I have one that's made out of 3-4 oz and another made out of the 8-9 oz., and, to be honest, I believe the thickness is up to the craftsman's personal opinion. I'm guessing the 8-9 oz. might be a little tougher to work with, since it's so much thicker though... Now, as to where you can get the leather, you can get it from Tandy, Springfield, or a plethora of other companies out there. I have been basically just watching all the different companies, trying to keep an eye out for sales (for instance, Tandy had 3-4 oz oak veg-tanned tooling sides on sale for $39.99 each the other day, and they're normally around $110 each!). Hopefully I've been able to help you out some, and if you have any more questions (or if anyone else has any corrections) please feel free to holler! Best Regards, Chris

Thanks wvcraftsman and King's X! I appreciate the welcome, and I look forward to learning as I go and absorbing as much knowledge from you guys as I can! I just got my leather and my tools in today, so I plan on starting on some belts soon... We'll see how it goes!

Tandy Leather (in my experience, 2 orders) has been very fast for me... The last order I placed on (last, 3 days ago) Saturday, and it's due to come in tomorrow (Wednesday)...

Hi all, my name is Chris, and I currently reside in Kanawha County, West Virginia. I'm relatively new to leatherworking (especially carving, tooling, etc.) and I thought that this might be a great place to help me learn new things and expand my skillset! Up 'til now, I've only worked with garment leather and suede (cowhide, goatskin, buckskin, sheepskin...), but just the other day I placed my first order with Tandy for a 8-9 oz. Veg-Tan Double Shoulder, a basic tool set (swivel knife, camouflagers, bevelers, etc.), an edge beveler, a strap cutter (if you haven't figured it out yet, I'm going to try my hand at making some belts), a 3-4 oz. Veg-Tan Side and a stingray hide... So, I"m definitely ready to get started into learning the art of tooling leather... I hope that you guys will bear with me, as I'm sure to have a lot of crazy questions. My Future Father-In-Law (ie. My girlfriend's dad) works with leather, and he's the one who got me started in it (although I started with the garment leather since it was cheaper and easier for me to work with). The problem is, that although he is knowledgeable, he lacks the skill of explanation. He stutters around and eventually ends up just showing me how it's done (and then usually ends up finishing it ). So, I may ask what seem to be random questions, but it's most likely because I asked him and he showed me how and I've forgotten... So, anyhoo, I'll quit my rambling and finish up this post by linking to my Flickr set which has pictures of all the stuff I've made thus far... Howdy all! My Leatherwork Flickr Photo Set -Chris