NVLeatherWorx

Don't know how much response you will receive as you are basically asking if someone can help you violate a copyright and/or trademark by copying a registered item. Everything that is made by a major designer is registered for copyright and trademark protection which prohibits us law abiding craftsmen and artisans from taking on such work. Sorry to break it to you that way but it is not good business for someone to take such actions and copy items. I am sure that there are many of us who would offer to make you a replacement wallet, from our own designs and product lines. Good luck in your search.

If you sell wholesale to anyone you need to make it clear that they can not sell the item at retail for less than you would or have advertised. If they want to charge more that is fine but they CAN NOT sell for less. This keeps a potential customer/customer from seeing your work out there at a cheaper price from somewhere else. You also need to go with your gut on the concept of having your name all over it. It is your work and yours alone. I have turned down several such requests due to the retailer wanting me to brand the product under their name even though I have done all of the design work and handcrafting of the products. I have made my life easy by not doing wholesale or consignment. Regarding payment, 50% up front with the rest being invoiced and due prior to final assembly. Put it in writing and get a real signature on the agreement. Make sure they understand that the upfront portion is non-refundable and that all future orders will be done the same way and subject to your acceptance. No long-term agreements, do them on the basis of them placing an active order when they need product.

I would have asked her to let her husband know that he needs to contact me with his issue being as HE is my customer and not her. Further, all repairs are done to the customer's specifications and request, which is what you did, so that means that if it is wrong it is because HE did not provide proper information which is too bad, so sad. I won't even return or replace a custom belt that I do if the fit is wrong because the customer did not follow proper measuring procedures. I stress this point repeatedly and make it very clear that if it doesn't fit because you gave the wrong information, too bad. I provide detailed instructions of exactly how to measure their waist and make it very clear that this is the number that it will be made to. I also explain to them that if they are currently dieting or trying to lose weight, they need to wait until they have achieved their goal and then get back to me. In your situation, giving him back his money made you feel better but it did nothing to save your reputation. I have even asked people just like this to no longer be a client of mine as my right to refuse service to a difficult person or scammer is in my best interest. They can talk all they want, who are they talking to anyway? People with the same mentality as they have so what difference does it make? You just saved yourself from further scamming and abuse. Now that is more than $0.02 worth but it isn't taxable so not a big deal.

If I was still living there I would be glad to help you out. I lived in a small village just North of Erlangen for over 14 years. Eventually had to return home (here in the U.S.) as Uncle Sam needed me elsewhere. If you can get into The Bear Gallery, do so. It is a sight to see. If you make the trip to the States then make it a point to try and schedule it around the major trade shows, especially the Sheridan show. Good luck and good tooling.

Never heard of the Eco-Flo acrylic causing that issue with cracking but if you use Fiebing's, and I highly recommend that you do, then you need to use the Acrylic Resolene that they make as the finish. It is a much better product and does not create any issues. Might I also highly suggest that prior to any dyeing/staining, etc. that you first replenish the lost oils from the casing and stamping/tooling processes by applying a good coating of Neetsfoot Oil and letting it penetrate (dry) overnight. Does wonders to the leather.

And for all of the issues that everyone has pointed out above, I always hand-stitch. I learned this way, I made saddles this way, and I will die doing it this way. The stitches are stronger and a machine can not replicate the durability obtained by the saddle stitch.

The pebble design is a newer tool and I use it frequently. I have all three of the stamps for the set as they each have a place for use. The smallest is used to get up close to the beveled and cut edges as well as in all of the tight or small areas. The medium sized tool gives you the ability to handle the larger areas and the largest stamp is for the main parts. Key here with these types of stamps is to ensure plenty of overlap and don't worry if about how much overlap. The final appearance is always very clear and clean. For those areas that look like they are raised a little, just use the large stamp on them to even out the look. Make sure that the leather is on the drier side of the moisture content so that you don't get the mushy look or feel. Regarding the dyes, stains and finishes: If you want to use the oil based versions, go for it. If you use the regular spirit dyes (which I use for all of my color detail work) give it a final finish of Neatsfoot oil. I also use the antique paste finishes (it is an excellent stain) but if you are using in a resisted technique or over full color details you will want to first protect those areas with a leather lacquer (Springfield Leather sells one that is just like the original Neat-Lac I used to use) as today's acrylic finishes don't work with spirit and oil based liquids. The acrylic is a great finishing coating on all finishes but only works as a resist for the water based products. If you want to learn more about how to blend and mix for custom colors there are books on this very topic. There is a more modern one available from Fiebing on their site or you can go to the Leathercraft Library (run by Tandy) and download the books by Al Stohlman. I have used his references since I started in this trade over 40 years ago and learned much from him through his books and teachings. Hope this helps.

From QuickBooks look at the Premiere edition. It gives you everything you need to include the inventory management aspects that even gives you the ability to create a bill of materials and everything associated with the manufacturing portion. The price is hefty but you can assign everything to a specific line on Schedule C form for tax purposes so that when you print your end of year report you get it all lined out for you. There is another software package available from a company called Acclivity that does the same thing for a bit less than QuickBooks. I have been using their package, called AccountEdge for several years (used to be called MYOB) and they have always had the ability to create components and finished products from raw materials (this is new to QuickBooks). Stay clear of the enterprise editions as they are extremely pricy and meant for large corporations, not the private small business.

Doesn't anyone believe in doing it the way it used to be? By hand?

I have a CustomMade account and can tell you that the majority of the people who are looking to have custom made items are actually looking for some poor sap to make their product line because they don't know how to. I have not yet found one single individual who was looking for that unique custom item for a friend or as a gift to someone. Every contact that I have started ends up asking for 1000 units per month on an item that you have to design, support and make and then adds on the fact that their research indicates that each piece can be done for x dollars (which is way off on all levels) which they will then sell under their brand and market as their original and unique designs and craftsmanship. When it comes to our art form, it is better to just market yourself through your own sources and stay away from these places. Besides, if you take a look at the majority of those selling in the leather category, you will find that the quality of craftsmanship and artwork are not of the highest standards, some are outright terrible looking.

And best of all: find local and/or regional craft fairs that are specifically limited to real handmade items, not the typical garbage or buy/resell stuff found everywhere and make this a recurring thing. They don't normally cost as much as they are orginized by a person who is a true handcrafter and they typically limit the number of people doing the same craft so as to ensure success for everyone who participates.

The backgrounding is done with matting tools, not a backgrounder. There is no laser engraving at all on this project, there are several people who are capable of achieving a consistent impression such as this, isn't very difficult. The finishing is a medium brown dye (most likely oil dye), and the Celtic design elements are either a Sheridan Brown or tinted Saddle Tan stain or antique paste finish. The best products to use are the Fiebing's line and don't just rely on your local Tandy store for availability. You can also purchase directly from Fiebing via their website and you will most likely find that their prices are less than you would be typically paying retail.

Sorry for chiming in so late but I found this a great topic. I was with Stamps.com for over 8 years and never really had any issues with them except that you could only print your postage on the envelope directly or it had to be printed on a specific label which cost additional money. I made the switch directly to the USPS and dumped Stamps.com for several reasons. The cost of fees, supplies and maintaining postage on the Stamps.com account was ridiculous when you find that the you can do the exact same things directly through the USPS site and get even more features. With the USPS you can actually schedule an item for pick-up, at your door, and they will send your carrier to do it, and it doesn't cost you anything for that service. You don't even have to be there for them to pick it up, just leave it in a designated location and let them know where it will be in the comments. With the USPS I can actually print my postage on any form of media (label, plain paper, etc.) and just affix it to the outbound packaging. No need for special labels or papers, just print, stick and go. Couldn't do that with Stamps.com, I tried. And best of all, why should you pay an outside company to provide you access to services that you can get from the "supplier" for free? When you add it all up you find that you spend between 250% to 325% more for Stamps.com than you will ever spend directly with USPS. If you need a postage scale, they are available at any office supply store and cost an arm and a leg. Besides, most of us don't need one, just use the Priority Mail Flat Rate program and you can ship just about anything you need. We have all heard their tagline, "if it fits, it ships", and that is true as could be. There is only one other limit on this and that is, that you can not exceed 70lbs. per package (4lbs. International) but how many of us would be shipping that much weight? That is a lot of leather (saddles of course would meet and exceed that but they wouldn't fit into the box anyway).

Back to the original topic of the Fiebing's line, the best selection for dyeing would be the oil dyes and you can mix the colors to achieve a wider range of hues. When it comes to the antique finish (the paste) you can do the same with them as with the dyes. I must admit that over the years the color depth of the antique paste has weakened but it still provides a more realistic result of antique presence than any of the water-based products. I will admit that the Eco-Flo pro waterstains are much better than the other products in the line but there is still a higher rate of rub-off (as a result of use) than there is with a spirit/alcohol based product. For deeper stain coverage, the Fiebing's antique stains (liquid) are a very good product and I have even done some mixing of colors between the liquid and the paste to get a custom look. With the Fiebing's products the only limit to the final look is the user's mind. This is why Fiebing's has been around as long as they have and are still considered the premium product on the market and sought out everywhere.

Snow Proof is a good product but as Chief said, there is no true full waterproofing product out there. If leather gets wet, it gets wet. You just let it dry out naturally (don't force it), recondition it with an oil or wax based conditioner and it goes back into use. It is always a good idea to condition leather on a routine basis anyway (depending on use and exposure to elements) which also helps to maintain the water resistance characteristics. However, shoe polish is nothing more than a minor conditioning product that is primarily intended to retain color versus protection, that is why mink oil was so popular within the military. Mink oil was used to provide conditioning and moisture protection to the boot leather and then, once fully set, the soldier could use the shoe polish to get that high-gloss spit shine (I also used the neutral color as my final application that gave my jump boots the highest shine you could find). Without the mink oil though, the leather would soak up moisture like no tomorrow. I have used the Fiebing's line for the past 40 years and have also tried the other products on the market but still stand by the Fiebing quality (haven't yet found anything capable of taking their place). Tandy stores used to carry the entire line but now only carry a small fraction, I just get mine from the Fiebing's site.

Sent you a PM.

Yes, Tandy will be releasing a set of Craftool Pro Stamps this year. However, I have been keeping in touch with my local store and there is no set date for this release. Speculation is that it may not happen until mid-year (or about there). Fortunately, I still have my original Craftool stamps from when they were made here in the U.S. and from high-quality materials. I have very little need for anything new from their line and have found no need to replace them with anything more expensive as the results come from technique. Besides, all of the other maker's of tools are doing nothing more than "re-engineering" the same patterns and designs that Craftool has trademarked and copyrighted over the decades. Don't really find too many unique designs that serve a common/general function. For a person who is just starting out, there is no need to spend high dollar amounts on tools until you actually know how much time you will be investing in this craft. If it becomes a booming business, knock yourself out, otherwise just invest in some simple tools that don't cost an arm and a leg and see how it goes.

Tandy (and other places online) offer diamond point punches in a 1-prong, 2-prong and 4-prong model. There are 3 sizes to choose from with each one having a different spacing between prongs. These are specifically designed to simplify the process of making stitching holes. Give them a look and see if this will help. I use them in my travel kit and in my shop when I need to get a very large project completed, otherwise I use a regular stitching awl. And, by the way, the stitching looks pretty good on the picture you provided. Keep up the good work and keep posting as you learn.

You can also use your swivel knife, just don't cut as deep as you would for your carvings. For the straight lines use a straight edge and for the rounded areas just make sure that you hold the same offset from the edge of the leather. This is how it was done before the advent of the groover.

Chief pretty much hit it on the head. If you have white Cova Color (or other acrylic paint) apply that to the lettering areas and let dry completely. Once it is dried, apply several coats (at least 3, 5 max) of your resist sealer (acrylic resolene or Eco-Flo Super Shene), let each coat dry at least 2 hours before applying the next. Once all coats have been applied, let it sit overnight to dry and oxidize. Finally, block dye your main belt area with the black finish and there you go. Try it on a scrap piece first and see what you think.

Mike, There is an eBook available on the Leathercraft Library site that you can buy, download and print (or have printed and bound). The price to purchase this book and download it is $1.99 (sales tax will apply as well) and the name of the book is: Braiding and Lacing for Fun. This might help you to get the basics down and give you a starting point to work with when putting together an instructional program. Let me know if you need any help.

The Handbag Pattern Pack has 4 patterns, including one called the Rodeo. This is the original pattern for what became the marketplace handbag. I also have the marketplace handbag pattern pack and was able to get it from the Leathercraft Library. You can download them immediately.

The bike world, especially seats and gear, is becoming a very large market right now. That is your style, just go with it and always keep learning. I am sure that we will see a great many things from this one.

Being as the oblong holes are not actually that long, you could just punch two round holes next to each other, just overlap them so that you get the oblong look.

Welcome to the forums and network and I wish you a quick tour and return home. I too have given my life to service for our Country (24 years, 2nd ACR, 1st AD, 3 ID, 11th ACR, 1st Ranger Bn, 10th SF) and I was doing leatherwork the entire time. It is now what I call my "therapy" and it beats any of that stuff that the VA wants to do for those of us who have an extensive combat history (everything from 1982 to 2006). Your work is looking good and I hope to see more of it as the months pass. As stated befor by others, if there is anything you need help with or just want to shoot the you know what, just drop a note and I am sure that someone will be there shortly. Thank you for continuing that time honored tradition of defending the freedoms and liberties of the US citizen, now if we can only hold on to them.