NVLeatherWorx

How much do you get for your works?

Sounds like you got it now.

And this is why I don't buy the majority of my leather from Tandy. I use Hermann Oak and get mine from Springfield Leather. Even their Craftsman grade (that is the low end) and their bellies are some darn fine leather when compared to Craftsman Oak and/or Oak Leaf. In fact, they are even better than the Tandy Royal Meadow line.

Now that is awesome!!! And it has much more presence than the Ole HD stuff does. That is what your niche is and you don't need the rest of that "old way" of doing things. Damn fine work! And yes, you are definitely here.

The outer surface should have the snakes natural scales still on it (just like a fish does). If it ain't got the scales then there ain't much you can do with with it.

Simple and easy. Laser engraved into Delrin.

This happens at least once per year (and typically towards the Holiday's) across the globe. You would think that an idiot like these would be a little more creative with their skills than to just sit back and spam forum/message boards. I say we find them, hang them up in the town square, and then drop a nuke right on top of their heads. It would sure make anyone else who does this stuff think before being a dumbass.

They get their leather from a couple of sources and it is hot stuffed. The bulk of their leather is actually obtained from a very local source to his location.

And you would be correct in this. These spammers just spent the past couple of days hitting every forum board that they could get into. You can tell by just looking at the "profile" info under the Avatar section that this is spam message. These idiots should be rounded up, taken to a deep dark cave, and disposed of with extreme prejudice. The world does not have time for dirtbags like this or any other kind.

The answer to that would be if the license that Baron has allows the purchaser to use this stamp to create works for resale without any further penalty or royalty commitments then you are fine. However, I have yet to see any of the license holders give that much room without getting something in return. It is much the same as those crafters that do all of those pillows, seat pads, oven mitts, etc. with all of that beautiful fabric of every major sports team or other prominent "figure" which they purchase from an authorized dealer of fabrics and these fabrics have been approved by the license holders for sale to the consumer public. However, that sale to the end user is only for the purpose of making items for their own personal use or to be used as gifts (and that means gifts); it does not allow for the creation of any item for resale through any type of venue. Once you make anything with another persons logo, image, likeness, even name (or any other Trademarked/Copyrighted reference) and you resell it you have now violated any fair use of that licensed item and are subject to civil and criminal prosecution if need be. I have seen several small crafters who work with this type of stuff get everything business related confiscated, fined to you know where and back, and everything they own at risk just to get the royalties. There are thousands of stories along this same line that crop up every day and it is apparent that the owners of the licensed reference are not playing games. I for one would not even use a "licensed" stamp regardless of who made it as I am quite sure that their permission to make said stamp requires them to inform the end user that the stamp may not be used for anything outside of personal use items and gifts to friends and family only. These permissions that are issued to materials manufacturers (and stamp makers) are not transferable to the purchaser and that is written into every "authorized use contract" that is established. That is why I don't even use them.

Cutting it with thinner can actually create the cracking effect because the thinner isn't meant to be used on leather in the first place, it is intended to be used as a cleaner. The Leather Lacquer is meant to be applied by either brush (if doing resists or protecting color elements) or with sheep's wool and once applied it needs to sit for at least 12 hours (preferably 24) to ensure that it has properly set and oxidized on the surface. And it is only intended for use on veg-tanned leather, nothing else.

I believe that most of their leathers are tanned in Mexico and South America. Now as far as smelling like marijuana I am not sure but there has been a rash of leather that has been tanned South of the border that has developed a musty smell as if it has been with damp leathers which eventually stared to mold. I stopped by my local Tandy store last week and that was the first thing that hit me was a musty smell and the bulk of the leather that they sell is tanned in Mexico with some being in Venezuela. Not trying to pick on anyone here but it could just be the actual tanning solutions that they use which are much different than the traditional or original recipes which we use here in the U.S. and are also used in the U.K. for tanning.

Yup, plain ole carpet knife and not really a tool that you would want to take to some nice leather.

For as thin as the leather is that you are using they do indeed look great. If you are looking for a little more "depth" from the design then you would need to go to a thicker leather or you could cut your layout lines a bit deeper if you want (it is recommended that your swivel knife lines are cut to half the thickness of the leather). I typically make all of my phone cases out of 4/5oz. veg-tan (1.6mm-2.0mm) and I cut my knife cuts about 1/3 of the thickness. However, when I bevel, I bevel with a purpose (meaning that I bevel the actual lines to the half thickness depth) and it is so easy to get the "pop" (as you called it) if you have the leather fixed to a solid/stable backing so that the leather won't stretch or fight you when you are working it. Still, they look very nice so you are on the right track no matter what you do (as long as you don't do anything less that is).

First you need to shorten the interior base section (the one that is actually rippling on you) by NO LESS than 3/16" of an inch; I do that on each side of the interior. To get the assembly to work properly it is easiest to stitch the center section first along the bottom edge; to assist with identifying where each section is the area where the fold will be is notched out so you have a defined section from one to the next. Then stitch each side section along the bottom and the outer edge. This shorter interior base give your wallet the opportunity to hold a semi-folded look when standing up on a counter for display while also preventing the "ripple" effect that you have found yourself with. Don't change any of your stitching line spacing; just change the size of the interior base, which will change the spacing between your pocket sections. Just like is seen in this image.

And if those ideas are anything like the detail that you put into that wallet (less the HD stuff) you are well on your way to some big things. Very nice detail indeed. I too get several requests to do stuff like HD or other companies logos/marks, comic/cartoon characters, sports teams and so on and every time I get one of these requests I simply explain to the client that unless they have written and legal permission from the holder of the Trademark/Copyright that there is no way that I can do it. I guess if the rest of my creativity is not what they were looking for then I didn't need them anyway. HD is not the only company that will go after someone in a hot second, get yourself on the wrong side of a DC Comics character and see where that ends up. Vicious I tell you. Anyway, keep up with the creativity and you will go very far.

I make all of my wallet/clutch, etc. innards and as I haven't found any pre-fab's that meet great quality standards. It may be some stitching time investment when I advertise/promote an item as "hand made" you can guarantee that it is "hand made" and all of it is. No offense to anyone out there but taking short cuts (using kits only or having work farmed out to pre-fab/other services) has stripped all of the creative industries out there that we once cherished. The beauty of making it all by hand, and by yourself, is that you can create a truly unique item every time and can modify/change as you see fit whenever you feel like being different. Doesn't matter if you consider yourself small time or a Master Maker, creativity is what makes us different from the corner "master kit assembler" and also makes our product truly custom.

Very nice indeed. Hope it is a gift though because if you don't have their permission (Harley-Davidson's) to use their Trademarks (and their name is part of the legal TM filing) then you could find yourself in some very hot water if someone complains about it (and there are always Trolls lurking in the darkness of the web just for the purpose of finding stuff to cry about). How long did it take you to put that whole thing together? And I too would like to see the interior layout. And how much do you typically get for one like that? Keep up the good work.

Pounder! How can you say such a thing? Remember what our Procrastinator in Chief has said, "you didn't build that", and "you didn't make that". Well, I for one have had no assistance from anyone else so I would sure as hell like to meet whoever built my business and made my products without my knowledge.

If you were to punch the little holes then cut the slot into a single piece of leather then you would have to attach some form of durable material to the backside to create your individual pockets so that the cards don't fall all the way to the bottom and bunch up. Typically, I have seen everything from 4" wide ribbon used to make bows all the way up to Tyvek house wrap material used as the pockets. The material is first cut to fit the need then cemented to the leather; once cemented you should always stitch/sew it in to ensure that it stays in place. The other method of cutting individual pockets and then overlapping them (as needed) and then stitching them down is a lot less work in the long run and give you more room for creativity as far as how the pocket top looks with the notched section. The advantage of the slot cut into a single piece of leather is that the overall thickness of the wallet is a bit less as long as you don't use thick pocket materials but it doesn't look very professional when you take into consideration what you are trying to do - put out a professional and quality looking product. The single pocket out of leather style is the direction that I pretty much go (even though I get requests to do the other version on occasion) as it produces a much more professional appearance to the overall finished product which is exactly what I want from each piece. There really isn't much of a labor time difference from one to the other but the appearance is the key. Not to mention, a leather pocket is much more durable and functional over the long haul and I don't think anyone will refute that point. Just make sure that you cut your pockets large enough to accommodate the card, preferably two cards per pocket. I always cut my pockets between 1/2" and 5/8" wider than the card width to allow for a loose enough fit to allow two cards and allow ease of card removal as well as my two stitching lines which are between 3/32" and 1/8" from each edge. Hope this helps answer your question.

Christian tagged it. You are always having to change the content of your larger items and try to target the demographic makeup of event attendees and that can sometimes be a huge task all on its own. The smaller things like key fobs and other such items are really more your impulse buy items so having an assortment of styles is not an issue, just don't have a million of them on display. The supplies list as far as tables, etc. is bang on and will make your load out so much easier if you have these items set aside just for this purpose. I average about 25 shows per year and they are a split between all inclusive vendor types and craft only and my results are about equal for both. The trick to a craft only event is the location where it is held. If it is a craft only event but it is held at a Church (or any other Community type building) then you will most likely only see the actual "community" to which that venue typically sees as your customer base so your sales will be most likely very limited. This also hold true to any events that are held at shopping venues such as Outlet Malls; the target audience here is just looking for that cheap deal or just window shopping so you will see light sales there as well. The best way to find out which events are successful is to "meet and greet" with other vendors and pick their brains for information; it helps if you have a list of events that you are interested in and then just ask others, point blank, if they participate and if so, how well do they do or what their impression of the event is. A major issue in my area right now is there are several events that go on through the year where the promoters require a full story about your works, a list of your suppliers, photos of your works and you actually making them, and all of this other stuff that is fine for a Juried event but to participate in a traditional craft only event is about as bright as a 1 watt bulb. I tend to stay clear of shows that require more work just to submit your application than I would typically put into a full custom made saddle (including the tree); just doesn't make sense to me on that.

Just an FYI here, but if you do use rubbing alcohol to remove the current Resolene you are going to have to give the leather a little bit of Pure Neatsfoot Oil as the alcohol will remove some of the oils, waxes and other conditioners which could leave your leather dry and prone to cracking. And when using Resolene you should always apply it in light coats with a damp applicator, says it right on the bottle. And this applies to the application of any acrylic based finishing liquid. And don't every apply it in a circular manner as it will create a look that you just don't want.

Bob nailed it and if you follow this advice you will find that the results will catch your eye. I bevel every cut line, and I mean every, as if it were a traditional Western floral or other such pattern and then spoon round the hard edges all the way around to give it a raised (embossed) look.

I really only deal with The Hide House and Springfield Leather when it comes to the more unique leathers. The Hide House actually handles most of the leathers that are used by the fashion industry so they have a very wide range of products that can fit just about any need. Springfield Leather also does pretty good with their materials selection and they are actually people who work with and know leather for its varied uses and abilities which makes it a nice experience to be able to work with someone who "gets it". I have found that if you ever start doing a large number of items where the exotic leathers come into play (i.e. Python, Elephant, Ostrich, Kangaroo, Gator, etc.) Springfield Leather has the biggest selection I have found yet here in the U.S. and there prices are actually quite reasonable when you take into consideration what you are getting. Both of these sources are also my primary go to guys for ALL of my H.O. veg-tan and neither of them have minimum order requirements and both offer a wholesale pricing program to a licensed business operator (and I am in their wholesale programs). We are starting to run out of reliable sources for our materials here in the U.S. aside from making large orders from the two tanneries that remain (I know there are a couple more than 2 but those have been bought out by foreign groups who don't understand the demand for quality that we professional makers require).

What use do you have intended for it? If you are looking for lining calf then go to Springfield Leather; if your are looking for something a bit more robust then check out The Hide House. I know that the price for the Springfield Leather lining calf is below $5.00 per square foot and that is at full retail (if you are a licensed business then setup a wholesale account with them and get it even cheaper). The Hide House is also much cheaper than the prices mentioned in the earlier posts (you can download a PDF version of their catalog and they also offer businesses a wholesale pricing program).