NVLeatherWorx

The Buckle Guy also sells the Giardini paints (www.buckleguy.com) and the smaller containers that are branded with the Buckle Guy name are made for them by Giardini. Give it a look and see what he can offer you.

They aren't charging for the normality of the product it is the work that goes into it. And I would be interested in knowing where you are seeing a quality from a mass-produced item that is similar or, even equal according to you, to that of an Artisan made item. I have been around the world many times and have NEVER come across a true handmade item that was ever similar in appearance or quality to that of the mass-produced crap that some makers think they need to compete against. You either know what your doing and do it very well or you are just another shingle hanger that calls themselves a craftsman.

The biggest difference between the standard spirit dyes and the Pro dyes is the pigment blends and the extra buck or so per bottle is well worth every penny. With the regular spirit dyes the potential for rub-off is not as bad as the dye dries much faster; unfortunately though you will see an off-color sheen on every color as a result of this faster drying which you don't get with the Pro series of dyes. Just like everything else we work with, if you want a quality result then you need to spend the extra money for quality materials and supplies; otherwise, you are just making okay stuff.

Amen to that one. But you should see the look on their face when they ask me if I can replace the straps on that LV purse because they have cracked (yup, fake as all hell and not a piece of real leather on them). I charge them fairly, but appropriately, and then continue to answer their questions regarding the quality of the rest of the bag. I do this at least 7 times per month and have been doing this for the past 7 years now when the word got out that I can replace the straps with high-quality leather that looks exactly like the original ones. Haven't spent a dime advertising this though but my name has been shared multiple times somehow.

In your case it would be best to send a potential client a PayPal Invoice (you need to have a PayPal Business Account though) and they can pay it online. Always get at least 50% deposit on ALL custom items and if the item is going to be personalized (name, initials, special saying) get 100% up front before you even cut leather. Regarding the price you still need to think like a business and not just a hobbyist. Businesses operate with the purpose of making a profit so that they can continue to make things to sell; hobbyists just make stuff and then slap a price on it that barely covers materials which results in customers thinking that businesses are just over-charging them. I operate a business and my pricing reflects my time, materials, overhead, and also my experience and knowledge which has been gained over the past 40 plus years of doing this as a profession. Don't cater to the price point that a customer is willing to pay as they do not know what it takes to make an item and we don't get our supplies from Walmart or on Rollback pricing programs. You are the Maker and Artist so you set the price based on the formula that works for you. There are several threads within these forums that cover this topic so all you have to do is conduct a simple search for the topic and then get ready to read various viewpoints and methods; find the one that fits YOU as the creator.

If you are using the steel double cap rivets from Tandy then the strength is of no question as they are very durable and strong as long as they are used properly. On the item page for the rivets you will find what the actual measurements of the cap widths and post lengths are for each size so all you have to do is calculate how thick all of the leather being secured is and then match the correct rivet size to cover it. It is very easy to figure out. Even the solid brass rivets are capable of holding up to what you are trying to accomplish.

Get rid of Acetone all together as it is NOT intended to be used on leather. If your leather is one of the Chrome tanned varieties then you are already on the wrong track of trying to dye it any other color than what it was tanned as and you WILL have issues with trying to change the color using traditional leather crafting techniques. NEVER use Resolene (or any other water-based acrylic) on footwear, it isn't intended to be used in this manner and it offers nothing as far as protection in this case. It appears that these loafers are commercially produced and not handmade by you which means that you are fighting whatever the maker/manufacturer used to make these things and unless you have complete knowledge of what was used and how they were made along with many years of learning and experience working with leather you are just going to make things worse than they already are. No intention of trying to drive you away but you just can't pick up a few books, watch a couple of video's, buy a few supplies, and change the work of someone else. Those of us who offer our advice oftentimes have spent many, many years learning out trade and we don't speak from the "hobbiest" or DIY side of things, we speak from experience that we have gained over the years of doing this as a profession. There are just as many manufacturers who have no clue what they are doing but they make their millions anyway and all by selling to the uninformed and inexperienced consumer. Being as the loafers are of a commercial production I can guarantee that they are in fact Chrome tanned lambskin that has been treated with a range of additional chemicals that creating your issue. Unfortunately, there is no turning back from what has been done now and the best thing that you could do would be to dye them again in hopes that you can get the blotched areas blended in with the rest and then just finish with an oil (Mink Oil is not as great as it is advertised to be); pigfat is the best conditioner for leather footwear and it offers much better weatherproofing results (many years of experience using this method while stationed in the Alpine region of Southern Germany with the U.S. Army, never had wet feet while doing this).

I believe I have seen that very warning posted on all Hotel/Motel room doors; it is followed up by a disclaimer that the owner of the property cannot be held liable for any conscious thought or clarity of reality that may result from a restful sleep.

Another thing to consider is, if it applies of course, is to not dye the flesh side as it will hold more residue than the grain side will.

But it also opens up the question as to what Tandy has as a plan going forward. For example, they have a large majority of their leathers listed as Close-Out and the same goes for their tools. On the tools side of things it looks like they are keeping the low-quality stuff and blowing out the Craftool Pro tools (they are steel for crying out loud and not that garbage that the regular tools are made from). They currently have more on Clearance/Close-Out than they do on their "keeper" list so what is their plan to provide better without the extra bull when they won't have anything left? Even if they were to reduce their footprint by closing stores they still have to maintain an inventory of the materials and goods that all level of craftsman need to supply an online oriented operation and right now it isn't on their list (or more accurately their website) so maybe there is some more information coming down the line for us.

So, with Tandy having restructured their pricing this week and now having gone much lower than they have been in a very long time, I was wondering what anyone else has been thinking about this and what the reasoning could be. I personally think that they were seeing a drop in their market share and came to the conclusion that their pricing was a bit high when compared to others who supply their crafter market. However, I don't think that they have looked at the quality aspect of what they supply versus what the majority of us purchase and that they are only going to continue lose more share from this price drop. I was looking at their leather and found that they have dropped their pricing by a huge percentage in hopes of moving more product but their leather is not of a great quality for the serious leather worker nor for any business operator who puts quality ahead of low costs. I quit using Tandy leather decades ago when they decided to start exporting their skins to be tanned and then importing them back into the U.S. for retail sale; quality went to crap and it hasn't improved a bit since. On the flip side, they may be getting ready to return to the business tactic of providing quality and value again as they once did many years ago, that would be nice. It would also be nice if you could walk into a Tandy store every now and then and be able to speak with a staffer who actually knows how to work with leather instead of just spitting out the textbook babble that they are all taught when going through training, I miss those days. Chime in if you want and I know that there are some here in this community who actually work for Tandy so, if you can, shed some light on what is happening. It is a sure bet that Tandy is responsible for the vast majority of us who have taken up this trade, whether as a hobby or as a business, and it would not be a bad thing to see the company return to its roots.

Regardless of who is adding the VAT or what some may think a business operator on Etsy (or anywhere else for that matter) should do to set their shop us it all comes down to one thing and that is: the operator of a business has the sole right to determine HOW they are going to operate, WHAT system they will operate on, and the METHOD of how they are going to list their items and other such information. It is not for any one of us to tell another how to run their business and the issue of VAT or any other foreign taxes are often determined by the host of the shop (in this case Etsy) and not always the shop owner. Being as Etsy does what they do in their model I do not sell to International customers and that is because of the way Etsy pushes their weight around the globe. I also don't do it because the International customer always has a gripe about the cost of shipping and the customs/import duties that always go with such purchases and those too are beyond my control so, to keep myself out of having to listen to the constant whining about the things that I have nothing to do with I steer clear of the whole "global economy" thing and keep it local. If Etsy wan't to put the VAT thing in your face just because a U.S. seller has decided to give the overseas customer an option to buy their item then you should address the issue with Etsy and not the seller. Etsy will collect VAT on such sales and they do report and make payment to the appropriate tax agency as outlined in their rules. In fact, they are now on a crusade here in the U.S. to start collecting sales taxes on all sales to States that have entered into the Online Sales Tax movement that is ongoing here. Kind of works out great when you think about the fact that as a seller you will no longer have to register yourself and pay the fees for a tax permit in those States because Etsy is doing it for you. Best thing here is to let Wayne do his business as he sees fit and for everyone else to do the same with theirs based on the region in which they are located and the laws that apply and to just be supportive of each other.

I do very little skiving so as not to make the leather too thin but only along the areas that I will have multiple layers on top of each other. I use the T-slot method for my pockets so that I am not building a thick edge. Depending on where you are located, there is a supplier in Napa, CA (www.hidehouse.com) that has calf and I believe that they have some thicker stuff than what you traditionally find. I have a bit of calf, lamb, and goat here in my shop that I use on specific items but most of my stuff is from veg-tan cowhide as the durability is great. I have used some Roo but not much, it is very strong though and I use Roo lace over calf because of this.

You can also just do what most of us do and use 3 to 4 oz. veg-tan cowhide as it is quite nice for wallets as well. I make mine with 3 to 4 oz. for the backs (exterior) if it is not being stamped/carved & tooled or I use 4 to 5 oz. if it is being stamped/carved & tooled; for all of the interior pieces I use 2 to 3 oz. veg-tan cowhide. All of my leather is from Hermann Oak and it is all very tough yet soft and pliable and with these thicknesses the wallets are never bulky.

I go with the T-slot style and have done so for quite some time. To help keep the thickness down I have always used the "wedge" style for the pocket (tapers to narrow at the bottom from the T-slot top) and always use 2 to 3 oz. leather; keeps things nice and as thin as possible. Every once in awhile though I will get someone who wants slit pockets and for that reason I still keep some rolls of ribbon on hand to cover the request (I have 2 sizes so I can cover vertical and horizontal alignment).

@mikesc You nailed it on this one and the reason that we are all purchasing this stuff that has been made abroad is because all of our Countries have sold out to the lower wage nations which has killed the true artisan and our trades. I have seen some good quality products come out of the East and I have seen some serious garbage come out of there as well and it is safe to say that it is about a 50/50 mix in all honesty. Quality and consistency is what separates a great brand and product from a not so great brand and product and even the big names have trouble keeping these two point in line because they don't control what comes off the line in those low wage piece work factories; they get what is in the container when it hits your ports and that is what makes it to the shelf of your local foreign nation support store. I am also one who wants quality over anything else and when it comes to leather items I have a very high standard and know what to look out for. In fact, one of my biggest and most consistent requests is from all of those women who have spent thousands of dollars on a Louis Vuitton handbag that has garbage straps/handles that fall apart after a few months. I actually replace these on such a consistent basis that it has caused me to purchase extra lightweight sides and to stock them just so I can have enough leather on hand for that line of work alone. I even get phone calls from people who received my name from a friend who had their purse repaired by me. I don't even advertise that I do this type of work yet it alone keeps the lights on. Just because it has a big name doesn't mean that it is quality and we all know that the LV line is just as mass produced as anything on the bargain market shelf. Hell, they even sell of their branded (logoed) leather now to anyone who wants to buy it and there are a couple of sellers on Etsy who are selling LV handbags even though it is in clear violation of the Etsy policies and Etsy won't do a damn thing about it because they don't care as long as they are getting their cut of each sale.

The specific model shown in the image was not done using NFO and UV alone, there is some coloring there as well. Even if he used an NFO Compound (which is full of chemicals and is darker in color even when applied) it still would not be that dark. The color of the holster shown is almost a Mahogany color.

I do indeed tell them exactly what is in the tin; I even include it on the "how to use" card that I provide with each tin. And, when I am out in the public at a show or fair, I show them how to apply it and then put some water on it and let it sit so they can see how well it resists the moisture. There is no true fully waterproofing agent out there but I have left the water on the leather for over 5 hours before wiping it off and it hadn't even thought about trying to dampen the leather. Best selling demonstration to date for this stuff.

To answer the original question: yes, this is a Stohlman design but he did not carve this one. He used to add his initials into the designs that incorporated ranch/farm animals as a way to mark his designs. You can tell by the rough edges where the beveler was used that they are simply beveled and not formed. Stohlman would always round the sharp edges down to create a more realistic look to an animal or a human portrait and that is the way that he taught this type of work. The person who did this design simply added the AS initials that Stohlman had placed in the initial tracing and photocarve that he did for this one is all.

Not all things placed in a tin are of questionable quality or ingredients. I make my own leather balm and put it in a tin myself for resale to my clients. It is made from a blend of nothing more than Pure NFO, triple filtered Beeswax (gets those pesky extra bits out) and Cocoa Butter with nothing else added. It serves the purpose of not only keeping the leather quite soft and conditioned but also gives the leather (stamped/tooled veg-tan) a moisture barrier that keeps it from acting like a sponge. And I have never had the use of Resolene stiffen the leather over the course of the years that I have used it and I have been using for many, many years.

Beg to differ with you on that. I saw some doors today in my local Lowe's store and right on the packaging was a notice from the manufacturer that stated they are required by California Law to put the Prop 65 warning on everything that they make; we are talking about a wooden door that is unfinished but they have to post the Prop 65 information on everything that they make because California says so. I even have this damn warning on a bag of Pure Organic Cocoa Butter that I ordered and California says that is contains an ingredient known to the State of California to cause Cancer; how much Cancer can Cocoa Butter cause? Spoke to my Doctor about it and he didn't know of any cases directly related to the product so we are kind of stumped. The Prop 65 warning is on everything that you can find in any store so that is why it is just easier to say that living in California is hazardous for you health; that is according to Prop 65.

This is not someone trying to be funny; it is a requirement in your State that ANYTHING that contains any material or substance that is on the CA hit list of items is required to have this warning. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that living in the State of California is known to cause cancer or any other type of serious medical condition. This is the only State that has a restriction that restricts another restriction just because they can't do anything worthwhile in Sacramento aside from create wasteful legislation that has no other purpose than to stifle an economy.

I have found several on Amazon by just searching for Hot Foil Embossing supplies.

I have had great success with using 6-7 oz. leather for any knife sheath projects that I have taken on; and I only use Hermann Oak. Quit using Tandy very long ago for leather when they started importing the lesser tannages that they sell.

For single layered belts I use 9-10 oz. cowhide; I only use vegetable-tanned leather and my leather of choice is Hermann Oak. If doing a more casual style belt then I will drop down to 8-9 oz. for the extra flexibility.