NVLeatherWorx

These are things that you can research on your own and there is plenty of information contained within these forums to help you along the way. However, I can tell you that using an 8 to 10 oz. strap leather (I use 10 to 11 oz. H.O. veg-tan) you are using some of the strongest leather that will last many, many decades. There are belts that I made back in the late 70's and early 80's that are still in use, it is about how well they are taken care of by the end user that determines it's life span. If you are focusing on stamping and/or carving & tooling then you can only do that with veg-tan and it can be conditioned by you to have the same end properties as any of the other bridle leathers if you just learn how. I only use veg-tan for my works, regardless of what the intended use is, and I condition everything with my own house made leather conditioner and waterproof sealer which is also available for purchase by anyone. The other advantage of veg-tan is that it can be dyed/stained in any color that a customer wants whereas bridle leather and Latigo is already finished in a limited color run. If you are ever looking for extra long straps (pre-cut of course) Springfield Leather sells an 84" belt strap that is cut from 9 to 10 oz. H.O. veg-tan that can yield one helluva long belt, it is available in just about every width you would need too. If you are looking at making stiff belts then you may want to consider making 2-ply belts, top strap is from 8 to 9 oz. and the bottom strap is from 5 to 6 oz. but keep in mind that a belt is supposed to be comfortable and, stiff belts are not very comfortable until they break-in (which takes quite some time) and then they only "feel" comfortable because the wearer has gotten use to the feel. Good luck in your quest and hope to see some of your works.

Well, that would depend on how serious you are with your future in this craft and how much profit you want to make from your items. If you are going to approach it as a hobby then you won't be as concerned about profit and paying yourself for your time but if you are taking this to a business level those things will change; they have to. If you just want to sell you works for the cheap, which really undercuts those who are in business for a living, then you would most likely want to drop this into someone's hands for around the $60 mark; if you are a businessman who actually intends on making a living on your skills then you would be moving this belt out the door closer to about $175 or maybe even more. As a hobbyist you just want some money to buy more stuff to work on and maybe get a fast food lunch while out and about while as a businessman you have to make sure that your wages (and associated expenses) are covered plus you materials and all of the other things that go into being a business (fees, licenses, operational expenses, taxes, etc.) and you have to also ensure some profit in there to keep yourself in stock with leather and what it takes to make more things. Only you can determine what your worth and it should be based on what your intentions/direction are going to be but be honest with yourself about it and ask, what would YOU pay for a belt like that knowing what you do about how it is made and what went into it?

This is business and if the product is not to the standards expected, and advertised, then you should return it. The W & C issue is not new and there have been several posts over the past couple of years that document this issue. The choice is yours on whether or not to return it but from what I see from your attached image this is obviously a very fatty and terrible piece of leather. I haven't seen anything this bad from Tandy and their cheapest/lowest quality line (Craftsman Oak). If I had received a piece of leather looking like this, especially for the price that they charge, I would contact them and let them know that it is being boxed up and coming back to them. I would then make sure that a refund was done and I would spend my money with H.O. because I have yet to have an issue with their leathers; their lowest grades look better than this one does.

Springfield Leather sells the Angelus versions of these in a few different tip sizes, Tandy has started selling a model of these as well.

...is.

One thing I didn't notice you mention was whether not you have removed all of the excess antique before allowing it dry in preparation for the final protection sealer. Most of the time when the antique starts to come out of the design elements it is because there is too much of it in one place and it doesn't like to flex very much. This also happens if you have left some residual antique on some of the resisted areas; that is why you resisted in the first place so as to not allow color penetration in certain areas and if you have some on an area that resisted it has no pores to try and populate. I have never used the Angelus product line as I have seen no need to change from the "Old Faithful" products from Fiebing's; they have been working for over 100 years and I have been working with them for over 40 and never had a negative result or issue.

You can use the Resolene as a resist as long as you use it full strength. I would recommend that you use multiple applications of it to get the best resist results. Just make sure that you allow it to dry completely between applications. Keep in mind, resists do not work with dyes (of any kind) so make sure that you have thought about a way to protect any resisted areas when get to the spraying step. I never spray, especially on anything that is to be resisted; all colored elements are hand-painted/dyed and then given an application of my resist (I use the the Clear-Lac leather lacquer as it is the most solid when resisting antiques). When you do it this way (which is the originally taught way) you do your color elements first (those that are not to be the same as you main color), add your resist, apply your antique paste, and once all of that has had the excess removed and buffed up you allow it to cure for several hours (recommend overnight); now you can apply your final protective finish.

Personally, I have always used dye to finish my edges as when I started out with leather work there wasn't things like Edge Kote and such. I have tried Edge Kote and found that the finished look is not what I am looking for (I want my edges to be shiny after I burnish them as that what is what attracts a customers eye to it) so I do all of my edge dyeing before I actually burnish them. To make sure that I get a good shine and burnished finish I dampen the edges and burnish them until they are slick and smooth; I then apply some of my homemade conditioner and rub it in real good until it gives a dull finish. My final step is to burnish the edges again to their final shiny look. No machines, grinders, or anything else; just Old School techniques that have proven themselves time and time again. The one trick that many don't seem to catch is that when you are using dyes as your edge finish you need to burn off the extra fuzz on your dauber so that you get a tight applicator that won't wrap over the edges of where you are trying to apply the dye. To burn it off just light it on fire and let it slowly burn down until it is about the size of a pea; knock out the flame and rub off all of the ash. You will now have a small applicator head that is tightly packed and can easily be controlled.

I have said it at least twice within this thread alone, if you apply heat do it with a hair dryer and just long enough to allow the wax and oil to settle into the leather. This will not dry out the leather or stiffen it up. If you apply your sealer to the leather and let it sit (while still "filmy") the oils from the NFO and the beeswax will penetrate into the leather. This is not an instant/quick fix, it is a conditioner just like any other and requires TIME to be properly used for effectiveness. I use a hair dryer all of the time when I am applying to dog collars so that it soaks deep into the pores of the leather and then I apply another coating (first one is heavy, second is normal) and allow it to sit for about 10 to 12 hours before buffing it. I have never had any leather stiffen from the heat and allowing it to soak into the leather gives even 9-10 oz. strap a soft, supple feel just like a Chamois leather.

Try it on a piece of scrap leather first and if it smells "musty" you will want to toss it. After all, it is a natural oil that has been made from the processing of hooves and such and can spoil just like any other natural oil. It may also be a compound which is a blend of the NFO and other chemical conditioning components which should not be your first choice (the chemicals actually negate any positive effect that the oil provides).

Get yourself a collection of paint brushes with varied sizes and make sure that they are nylon as it is easier to clean off when you are finished with the lacquer.

You got it! Bigger pain in the rear end than having your rectum removed.

I believe that he is talking about some other type of contact, i.e.: the ever popular "hey, I can help you sell your products through my sources if you would not mind sharing the profits with me or selling to me wholesale." I don't know about how JLS goes about it but I NEVER do any wholesale work for anyone nor do I do consignment type agreements either. It is my personal belief that if another business wishes to make money on leather, it is high time that they learn how to do it. I have been asked several times by multiple operators if I would be willing to make a line of items for their shop but leave my Maker's Mark off of them so that it would not spark interest in dealing with me direct. I basically told them to go, well, you know...

Acrylic paints automatically resist against Antique and should always be applied over the base color if you are using dye as a base so as to NOT allow it to be pulled off with the application of anything else. You only resist those areas that do not have any acrylic coloring over them but if they are dyed color you need to apply a resist. I never apply Clear Lac with a sheep's wool or other method unless it is being used as the overall finish; always apply to areas of resist with an artists brush. You can apply two coats if you desire but do not apply heavily. Clear Lac is supposed to soak into the leather, that is how it resists. If you really want to learn how to use all of these things in proper fashion you need to get your hands on any of Al Stohlman's books about coloring leather. They go into great detail on how to blend, resist, block, etc. and are more valuable than any other books on the market, especially from today's less experienced information providers.

With the amount of damage that is present on this one I wouldn't even waste my time or materials on trying to "revive" it; this is pretty much a flatline on the old heart monitor. From what I can see with your leather it is more fibrous sawdust than leather at this point and nothing you do it is going to change that aspect; you can do what has been suggested but the damage is going to continue to increase and the older leather will flake, crumble, and fall apart anyway.

I am so tired of those contacts that I now contact them back, directly, and gather as much information about them as I can before I share with them that my intention is publish their information across the boards and online community as part of a Blacklist. I always get a plea to not do it as they are only trying to make life easy for themselves, or so the story goes; my response to that is, "get a real job and learn what it takes to meet all you needs, and be prepared because it ain't easy." The biggest thing that I have been experiencing though is from those overseas garbage mills that want ME to carry THEIR line of fake leather or camel butt leather wallets, or whatever their low grade crap is. I have real fun with those and I have even reported several of them to International authorities just to make their day miserable. I know of 2 for sure that ended up being shut down and someone went to jail for a very long time.

He most likely died from septic shock as a result of infection received during the surgery. The toenail clipper got a little deep there.

First of all, you have applied two conditioning treatments before your first Saddle Lac, just do the NFO and let it sit for a day before you apply your first lacquer and then only once. Your Antique paste should not be turning chalky white (or any other color than what it is) regardless of where it is located/collecting so there is something wrong with one of the products you are using that is causing this. The finishing of two coatings of Saddle Lac is again too much, once should do. I can tell from the photo that you have provided that it is on very thick because the finish looks like glass and it shouldn't be that glaring. The peeling is a combination of too much lacquer and too much conditioner which hasn't allowed penetration. And, as has already been suggested, dump the Saddle Lac and start using the Clear Lac. I have been using it for over 40 years (started when it was still Neat Lac) and have never found a reason to replace it nor a product that could (and I test all of the new stuff when it comes out just to see where it may fit in my processes). Just can't find myself to quit using something that works.

Acrylic is less resistant to the oils/spirits contained within the Fiebing's Antique Paste so that is why you will see discoloration; it works great with water-based products though as you can take a damp sponge and drag it across the finish to pull up any extra. All of the products that you use need to be compatible with the rest when doing things like trying to highlight or resist. You can use acrylic as a final sealer on anything you want though, just not as a resist for everything.

Neatsfoot oil is a byproduct from the cow and is a natural oil that is of that animal. Using Neatsfoot oil cannot be compared to the use of other, non-organic (as in from that species) conditioners/oils/waxes. The reality is that Neatsfoot Oil is technically a fat (ever notice what collects in the bottom of the bottle if you let it sit for awhile, it is fat). The addition of beeswax, another natural ingredient, gives you the ability to seal the leather and protect it from moisture and other harsh elements (that is why beeswax is commonly used in the finer lip protection sticks and other such cosmetic items). These two ingredients are actually better for leather than what most people are using and also last many times longer.

Just a suggestion, but you might not want to use suede as a lining for a watch strap; it tends to collect the oils from the skin and loses its look and feel real quick. Suede looks good but it isn't real good at "wear and tear" when it is used as a lining to anything.

You want to stay away from any oil that is obtained from any item within the traditional food chain (fish, etc.), anything that is petroleum based/engineered from multiple chemicals, and plant based oils are for aroma therapy type products only. This leaves you with Neatsfoot Oil (but it must be pure, NO compounds as they are chemical heavy), Carnauba, beeswax, and tallow (but that isn't typically used as a conditioner). If you want the best properties, from the most natural products then you stick with the NFO and beeswax combination and leave the rest behind. Adding an already modified ingredient (Carnauba) you are tampering with the positive results from the base mixture of NFO and beeswax; it doesn't bring anything to the party that isn't already there and tends to limit the effect that you may desire. If you want to make a firmer version of the NFO/beeswax blend just use more wax/less NFO, it is really that simple. And for anyone who thinks beeswax just "melts away", only if you make it do it. I have been using my blend for about a year now and have never had it just "melt away" or melt into the leather (unless I apply direct heat from a hair dryer) and it doesn't just wear off either. It is like every other wax based conditioner (Carnauba included), if you apply it correctly, AND THEN LET IT CURE FOR AT LEAST 12 HOURS, you will find that the finish has a long lasting effect; get impatient and try and rush the process and you will get marginal (at best) results. Our trade is based on patience and this is how you achieve quality results when working the leather and/or finishing it. I do recommend that you get your beeswax from an actual beekeeper and make sure that it has been filtered for purity, it makes a big difference. Don't fall for that term of "organic" though as it is very abused within the beekeeper community. The reality is that for anything that a bee produces to be "organic" the pollen that it collects to create the range of end products MUST come from the very land on which the source beehive is located; it CAN NOT cross property boundary for any reason. This is based on the actual certification processes of the government; unless you have invisible walls and can prevent a bee from leaving your yard there is no way that you can use the term organic when it comes to bees and their products.

I have mine at 40/60 (beeswax to NFO) and it is firm but still goes on smooth. If you want to get it into the pores just apply a little heavier coating and then hit it with a hair dryer and let it slowly sink into the leather, apply another thinner coating on top of that and let it sit for about 12 hours before you buff.

If it is budget that you want then you will have to deal with Tandy as they have the only real "budget" leather around. Their pricing is pretty much lower than any of the other suppliers but their quality is in that same realm, lower. Don't know what you are finding for HO pricing but there is a place in Napa, CA (Hide House, check their website www.hidehouse.com) where the HO pricing is not typically what you find elsewhere. I use them for my HO all of the time and have never had an issue with quality or anything else.

You can make it waterproof if you seal it with some beeswax; there are a few of us that make our own blends of finishes that do just that. I have set a piece of leather that I have treated on both sides and finished the edges (burnished) with my blend of beeswax and Pure Neatsfoot Oil in some water and all it did was float; didn't absorb any water. I use this blend now on everything I make, including my Coaster sets.