NVLeatherWorx

Mop & Glo on leather isn't, and shouldn't be, your first choice for a finish. I recall the days when I was in the Army and there were always these guys that had to have the shiniest boots on the ground. Most of us would do the spit shine routine for those special days but being in combat arms it isn't typical to have a mirror like gloss on your combat boots, it just doesn't fit the job. But, as stated a bit ago, there were some who thought that it would make them "stand out" more so they would get that super high gloss spit shine and then finish it off with Mop & Glo. I can tell you from 24 years of that life and experience that once you pressed your finger down on the toe cap of that highly shined boot all you would see was a grayish spider web effect from the Mop & Glo cracking. It is not meant to be used on leather, nor has it ever been meant to; it is a floor finish and intended to be used on hard surfaces. If an item needs to have that much shine to it there are sources for leather that already has that finish to it. Not to mention, the chemicals that are contained within Mop & Glo and other finishes that are designed for products other than leather can damage the leather and potentially lead to failure of the leather down the road. For those who have used the Neat-Lac product of the past and wish to return/continue to use it, the same product is available from Springfield Leather but it is just under another name. What they sell is in fact the original Neat-Lac and it is still made by the very same company who has been making it all along. When Tandy let the Neat-Lac product run out and disappear I went on a mission to find its replacement, that is when I ran across the original product and have continued to use it all along. And, even though it does contain chemicals, everything in the mix is specifically intended for use on fine leather and fine leather goods; it is also oil/conditioner heavy which is why you don't see it cracking when you flex it.

How are you going to wet form it? Are you going to form it on the head of the person who will be wearing it or just on a stationary form (as in your picture)? Makes a difference if you are creating a wearable item that is intended to give a form fit result. From the picture it appears to be black with red accents. I would dye the leather all black (not the on the inside of the headpiece though as it could cause some issues from potential rub off, etc.) and then do the accents with red acrylic leather paint. Once all of the coloring is done there are several options for sealing it that can be used and all of them will help protect the leather. Once this piece has been used though you will have to keep it on a form in order to protect it from getting flattened or damaged as that will eventually lead to the finish showing some signs of cracking and damage. If you keep the leather clean and conditioned there should be no issues with the finishing effects cracking and, if necessary, you can always give the accents a touch-up of red acrylic leather paint as well. All leather items need to be properly cared for and treated properly as well based on their intended use. As long as that is followed it should last as long as you want it to.

Ken Nelson has brought up a very good point; more than enough information contained within these forums to pretty much learn just about everything you need to about leather working as a whole so why not use it. HBAR also has good point and I speak from experience. When I learned the art of Saddle Making I did it by spending all of my time actually learning everything through hands-on work and the experience gave me the confidence to eventually make them on my own. Learning how to properly make a saddle isn't something that you can just sit down and read a few pages or watch a couple of short videos about and then go out and to it. Saddle making is a true art and it requires much skill which, unless you have been working with leather for quite some time and are very good at it, you pretty much need to learn all of the other stuff first, then look at learning how to make a saddle. Anyone who has made a saddle can tell you that it isn't as easy as one may think it is. The reason that it is becoming more and more difficult to find anyone to learn from is because the saddle industry has also fallen victim to the mass production concept where the finished product is cheaper than what a saddle maker would charge but the quality of these mass produced saddles is also way below the standards of what that saddle maker would do. I turn away many requests to repair mass produced/machine sewn saddles just because the owner only wants the affected area repaired and not the entire fault corrected and I have come across some of these saddles that were not made in what would be considered the proper method and I wanted no part of future complications. This is why I quit making saddles altogether and it has been the best move that I have made. Very few people want to pay for anything that has been made to the high quality standards that we once required and your average modern day horse owner is not educated in the areas of how a properly fit and made saddle should sit on their horse; they have bought into the same life as everyone else with their "I want it now" and, "It fits well enough" attitude that real saddle makers have begun to dry up. True saddle making experience means that you know how to properly measure the horse and rider for the proper fit (and it does make a difference for both of them). You also learn how to make the tree and then do so; none of this polymer based stuff that you find on the shelf of your local "farm and ranch supply house" (worst place to buy a saddle actually as they are all chain stores nowadays). Every step of the process requires things that you don't get from a book or a video and that is why there used to be Apprenticeship programs for this trade. You can still find some but those who still do it are booked solid for a long time. There just isn't the money in it anymore as there once was and the investment required to have a true saddle shop should be a major point of consideration.

In Napa, CA is another supplier, Hide House, who actually is also a major warehouse/distributor to those very high-end designers that you have noted in your original post. They can be found at The Hide House and if you are a licensed business operator you can apply for their wholesale/designer pricing program.

Here it is, it is their waxed Poly Cord line. https://www.mainethread.com/index.php/waxed-polycord

These woods are full of them bikermutt07, and they do indeed try to haggle over the price by doing the 20 questions routine. I have also been known to be very stern with some of them, especially when they try and take the conversation down a path that is going to ultimately result in me embarrassing them and catching them in their game. I make it very clear that I am a professional craftsman and Master Leather Craftsman and that I am in this for business and hobby; I then invite them to take their business elsewhere so that I can actually work with a real customer who is truly interested in having something made for them. I have yet to be called rude by anyone else who has witnessed this so I guess I am on a good track. As you said, spot them early and do what you need to get them out of your breathing air as fast as you can; let them go suck up someone else's Oxygen for awhile.

There is money in this craft as long as you actually charge what should be charged. There are several of us doing this professionally and a number of us for quite some time. Put a picture of this in your "Portfolio" of projects and include some specification information and pricing for this item, just as it is shown, based on the reality of how it should be priced. You might be surprised about the responses you will get. Good quality work that uses the finest materials is deserving of a fair price. There are several who don't understand the entirety of the pricing game so they are comfortable with just making a little over the cost of materials, and that is where they will stay with this and will actually have fewer sales than the leatherworker who is in it for the business of it and charges appropriately. If the objective is to just do this as a hobby and work on stuff for close acquaintances then a bit over materials is pretty much the norm but if the objective is to do this as business then the pricing needs to reflect that seriousness and you must stand by it. The choice is that of the individual maker and nobody else can make it for them. The piece that you have shown here is well worth $75 to $85 at the minimum and anyone who thinks that it should be closer to the price of the garbage that they can get from BigMart then you just need to tell them to go shop there and that you will see them in 3 months when that "fine" $20 wallet has fallen apart because the recycled garbage that it was made from just didn't hold itself together. I get these comments too so it isn't anything that I haven't experienced and I have also told many a person to go buy what they think is quality and when it fails they can come talk to me about what we are going to do to replace it. I have about a 70% positive response from this method when the junk product fails and I use it to school them on the differences between junk and the real stuff. This also leads to other items being ordered down the road from about 50% of them; can't complain about those numbers. This piece that you have shown is beautiful and one can see, those who have eyes and knowledge at least, that the quality of the work is very clean. There are some makers out there who are selling some pretty "dirty" carving work for much more, and they are selling consistently, so I am sure that you could get what others have stated. Keep up the good work and give us some more to look at when you can.

Go to Tandy's Leathercraft Library and search for their FREE e-book on how to use their Eco-Flo dyes, stains, and Antiques. The process of block dyeing is covered in there as are several other techniques. These instructions can be used for ALL products.

I learned how to make belts from the teachings of Al Stohlman and have followed that my entire life with no issues yet. I figure that after 40 plus years of doing it that way and there having been no problems with this method couldn't see any reason to try and do anything different. Guess that is what they mean by, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and I don't see any fixin' needed. I also go with his instruction on the spacing of holes: 7/8" apart and not 1"; we don't grow or shrink in full inch increments.

Typically it is made of plain old cardboard, just like the stuff that is on the back of a standard notepad. And the "leather" isn't really leather either, just some fake paper thin imitation stuff. Even the highest end handbags incorporate a paper/cardboard based material to create rigidity, it is called bag stiffener and is available from just about every leather supplier online or from a Tandy Leather store if you have one close by. I prefer to use thicker leather for the exteriors of such items and then use the thinner materials for the interior parts. My exteriors are typically 5 to 6 oz. veg-tan to meet my needs.

The Tandy legal department has informed me that all of his Social Media accounts have been suspended and that he is no longer active online. Guess that is what happens when you go around taking credit for the work of others; always comes back to bite you on your "seat cushion".

Springfield Leather also sells a few different thicknesses of this type of plastic: I use the heaviest and one their rolls will last me a lifetime as this feature is falling from popularity among wallet users.

I have done a small number of gun belts for concealed carry use and I just add extra leather "overlays" that add some character and design to it while also giving those areas where the overlays are extra thickness and support for a their holster. These overlays are shaped in various patterns and some have even been stamped to add some extra flair; they are then hand stitched into place. I find that the extra support is quite good and the use of the leather versus the more rigid products that some do use keeps the belt still feeling like a belt instead of a ring with a buckle.

I only use H.O. and the top grade available and all of my hardware is solid brass. I don't do stitching as decorative item as the punching of holes that close to the edge of any single layer belt will lead to the edges eventually wearing out and the belt looking like it had been dragged through hell. Stitching isn't as big an issue if the belt is two-ply. I would charge about $65 for a standard belt because I cut everything at the time of order and all of what I do is done by hand; no spraying, machine anything, just real handmade work and quality. Again, I am a business with a global client base and not just a weekend crafter dude.

As a matter of fact there are but you have to have the right market for this type of work which is the trick. The bulk of my higher end/higher priced items are actually ordered via online but they are out there. As a business I do more than just peddle to the local scene, I am global and have been for many, many years.

Safariland makes holster already done like this, why the hell did he take this route? In my years on the line (combat military and private bodyguard) I have carried several Safariland holsters that were already covered with Basketweave leather so they are readily available. You trying to rework this thing on the aftermarket level is like asking a contractor to wait on building the foundation for your house until after the house has been built so you can add any last minute changes that you want. Sorry, but you are now in a difficult position of trying to rework someone else's work and having not been in on the first generation product you now have to guess how to make it a second generation product. Way too much work for what I am sure is not a very high charge.

For quality work that is done on quality leather and by a person who has refined skills with tooling (which most don't in modern times but there are still a few of us that do) you can see a price of up to $200 or more. Those of us who are in that neighborhood have been doing this for awhile and are also business professionals. On the flip side you will find some "weekend warrior" selling their belts for $50 but odds are that they are embossed and not actually carved & tooled and they are most likely not done on quality leather (more likely a Tandy belt strip which isn't from their better leathers) and most don't even have finished edges. I don't typically post pictures (not even on my website) as these belts are pretty much custom and I keep those closely held unless someone expresses an interest in a custom belt.

This topic is a recurring issue and there isn't a week goes by that someone isn't posting this very same issue. When using the Gel Antique's you need to wipe off any excess with a damp cloth or sponge (not wet, damp) and then let it dry completely. The damp sponge will remove anything that you don't want left on the leather based on the amount of pressure that you apply. If you want to keep some of richness of the color then wipe it lightly; if you wan't to remove some of that richness and make the final color a bit brighter then you would wipe harder. You have to do this immediately after you have wiped off the excess and before it gets time to set in. As said, there are several threads contained within this very section of these forums that covers this type of issue with the Gel Antiques and you will find that the responses on how to go about using this product will get you in the right direction. You will also find that there are several suggestions to quit using this type of product as it is loaded with issues that result from it. These responses, for the most part, are from those of us with a vast wealth of experience in this trade and are based on fact and nothing else. Good luck with your issue and let us all know how it comes out.

If stamping or carving & tooling I use 4/5 oz. for the exterior and 2/3 oz. for all of my interior parts. I also have a couple of versions that use Pigskin lining leather for the interior as it offers a better price point for some consumers. If I am doing a wallet that is not going to be stamped or carved & tooled I will use 3/4 oz. for the exterior instead so as to give a little flexibility to it.

I am sure that it is included within one of their Leather Projects books, there are 2 volumes and everything from that era is contained within their pages.

Checked out the Twitter feed for the culprit noted above and found that this guy is big on using other peoples stuff and has no clue as to what is and is not acceptable; he has posted several images that have been taken from the works of Al Stohlman that are prohibited to be used in this manner (just check with Tandy's legal department and you will find that you CANNOT use any images from his works in any fashion to advertise your works, techniques, etc. and they DO NOT give you any wiggle room on this; you can use his patterns to create works that you sell but you cannot reproduce the content of his writings in any fashion). It appears that this guy is more interested in drawing attention to himself through the use of other peoples artistic talents yet the items that he makes are clearly nowhere near the quality and level of artistic beauty of those who he has "borrowed" to promote himself. Almost reminds you of a false advertising system: let me suck you in with all of this beautiful artwork and then sell you a copy of a magazine article from 50 years ago. These types need to be called out within our trade community and schooled on what is and is not acceptable practice. In fact, Tandy has been notified about his use of Mr. Stohlman's writings already.

Those of us who have been doing this for awhile most likely work with this type of a Stitching Pony; this is the offspring of my (much larger) Saddle Horse from the days when I did that too. The design specs for this very version are available somewhere here within the files of this forum and can also be found several other places online.

BINGO! goes to JLSleather. I made mine many years ago using hardwoods and now all I have to worry about is every few years just changing out my "hardware" so that things don't get too loose.

The flammability is the issue here and it is well know how volatile methanol is. Denatured alcohol and your everyday run of the mill rubbing alcohols are also dangerous but they have typically been blended down with water to make them less volatile and they evaporate very quickly; not a trait of methanol. Besides, very harsh petroleum based products and spirits tend to suck the life out of leather so unless you are making stuff that is supposed to be looking like it came from the walking dead you probably don't want to use anything in a pure form.

And the link that you provided here takes you to a listing where there are 16 in stock and it is reduced to $82.45; guess we know how long that lasted.