WinterBear

Try "beef flossies" or ask for tendon chews. http://www.petco.com/product/113122/Merrick-Flossies-Spiral-Chew-Dog-Treats.aspx? You'll want to avoid the bully sticks though. While fibrous tissues of a sort, it's not sinew. Avoid anything that looks really "fatty" or "greasy" as it is more likely "pizzle". Some of the stuff they call "tendon" is actually a bully stick.

Ok, try Studio N. http://www.lasered-stamps.com/tool-racks.html I have the rack (nice!), and he does custom stamps and plates. See if maybe he'd do a template for you?

You got an email notification that someone sent you a message here, yes? In that case, if you look up at the upper right hand corner of this page, you should see an icon of an envelope. Click that to access the messenger. The icon next to it is the notifications, which shows if someone has quoted you or if a thread you are following has a reply. If those don't work, try these links: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=members&module=messaging http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=core&module=usercp&area=notificationlog

Ditto on Black River. I have some of their stock templates and they are good stuff.

I kind of like the pocket stitching on the backside. It looks like a decorative accent as a bonus of holding the pocket in place inside.

I think it's supposed to be a combination of the Tree of Life and the Vitruvian Man (think Michelangelo's sketch of the man with his arms and legs spread).

Try here for backstitching information: http://www.bowstock.co.uk/acatalog/backstit.html

In the past 3 years, the local store has gone through as many managers. And each time, it seems that they are allowed to do less and less. First, they were no longer able to have another store to ship to another store so a customer to get something that their local store didn't have. Then, another store wasn't allowed to put something on the supply truck that was headed to another store down the line to help meet a customer request. Now, they aren't allowed to call another store to see if that store has something so the customer can call that store and buy it directly from that store and shipped to the customer's home. They don't do classes any more here either, not even for older Cub or Brownie Scouts. Store employees aren't allowed to be working on anything, even if it is meant for a display--even if they are there on their own time--so there is no one working on anything or demonstrating anything on the big work table anymore. And if I order something online, I may or may not be charged shipping, even if I go to the store to pick it up (I told them last time that if they charged shipping, I expected UPS or a store employee to bring the package to my door). Overall, it just sort of gives me the overall impression that they don't care. It may be their new business model, but it leaves me cold. Which is really a shame, because it used to be the highlight of a trip when I was growing up to stop at a Tandy during a road trip-we didn't have any in state.

Nice job with so many emblems. You might look for an old letterpress block with the FAA logo if you ever get another request for one of those. I have some old letterpress logos for Lions Club, Rotary, and Kiwanis, and some make a very nice stamp impression (don't use a hammer on them though).

Leathervan, were you looking at the cowhide splits? Generally, anything that is a split is going to be more flexible. If you're not familiar with a "split", splits are made when a piece of leather is thinned or leveled. The grain side is sold separately, and the remainder is sold as a split. Other drapey leathers are going to include things described as milled veg tan, chrome tan, upholstery, chap, deer-tanned, and bag leather, among others. The best thing to do would be to contact your supplier, let them know what you plan to make, and ask them what the "temper" of the leather is. I've seen briefcases made of latigo, bridle, and veg-tanned leathers, as well as some very stiff butt splits and pull-up leathers.

Yeah, but if you get the hang of it, can you imagine that wide rope stamped all the way down a belt?

http://proleathercarvers.com/early-craftool-company-leather-stamp-r875-rope-tool.html ?

Modad, but if Osborn won't stand behind the punches they make now, talk to Bruce Johnson, right there. Bruce isn't one to toot his own horn, but he sells the old tools, and they'll be sharp and usable out of the box. If you look here, he has an excellent 1 1/2 " English point strap punch, #4109: http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/leather-punches-concho-slot-strap-end-and-hole-punches/ I've bought a couple of punches, a round knife, a strap cutter, and various other odds and ends from Bruce, and have not once regretted it.

Saddler's pliers? http://www.handtools-uk.com/p1379-duckbill-pliers-smooth-jaw-osborne-ref-db1s

Nice. Any plans on selling these?

I'm not sure "blinders" would work as well on an animal with more binocular, foward-facing vision, like a dog as compared to a horse. But maybe something like a cross between snow-blindness goggles and doggles might restrict the vision enough to help calm the dog. So molded leather cups with slits or crosses cut through the dome, with adjustable straps? http://www.arcticphoto.co.uk/supergal/hap/hap00/hap0012-31.htm and http://shop.doggles.com/dog/eyewear/dgor-doggles_originalz

Heat+plastic doesn't often work well. You'll have to experiment to see if anything can be done. You may be limited to applique, piercing, and similar methods--but that opens up filigree, broughing, layered applique, reverse applique, and quilting-type methods, just to open a few possibilities.

No worries, it happens. One of the moderators will lock or remove the others--there just doesn't happen to be a moderator online at the moment.

You're going to be looking at vinyl and perhaps micro-suede fabrics then. Perhaps Biothane for straps. But none of the synthetics I've heard of can be tooled.