Cyberthrasher

First off, I would NEVER use a water based dye on a product meant to be used outdoors. That said, the oil goes inside the leather - where there's already natural oils present. Second, MPB is a "Temporary" finish. Technically it can be applied by itself as a standalone finish, but it won't offer that much protection. It will help the water bead off, but that's about it. If you must use Super Sheen (I'd recommend not in my personal experience), apply it first and then put the "Temporary finish" of choice on afterward. MPB and other similar conditioners are maintenance products that should be used at the very end of construction - before packaging it up to deliver, and then every now and then by the customer for continuous maintenance. One thing you will find with MPB, and possibly other similar conditioners that I haven't tried, is that you will want to leave it over night when it's applied over a sealing finish (like sheens/lacs/resolene) so that the oils have time to penetrate the sealant.

Exposure and advertisement is the way to take off and make it your one gig man!! I keep seeing people who have paid for advertisement and do crappy work that are making tons of money - JUST because their name is out there in people's faces so the consumer thinks it MUST be good. I'm constantly thinking about how to grow into a full time business and things like this just keep pushing me further and further toward it. At some point you're going to have to take that leap from "extra cash" to "Crap! now I have to figure out how to make SURE this will pay all the bills!!" Lucky for me, I'm a LONG way off from having to make that decision with my miniscule sales right now. The whole thing still sounds like you can handle it, especially with a time frame like that. It's all stuff you already make, right? No new templating needed? If the deal's good, I think you should go for it. What kind of track record does the company have? Check to see if there's any kind of not-so-good feelings you can get through some research on them as a business.

It's what I recommend to all of my customers. I actually plan on getting a sample case from them so I can throw some in with every order.

There's a brief mention of carvertools here that sounds like it would be right. Might be a good lead on where to go for further information. http://www.kellymidasclassics.co.nz/ Here's another thread I found with information on their history. I would probably contact them to see if they can shed some more light on the origins. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=23943

Well, Buddy, I don't have any experience in it, but from my point of view that's what I would shoot for. Otherwise you're basically doing a consignment deal and hoping you get paid for the work you've done. Aside from that, definitely make sure you have everything in writing. No handshake deals here. Then I would also make sure that the company is holding up their end of the bargain and not labeling it as "theirs" on any websites but sending it out with your logo on it. Something like this I feel is very important to make sure that both parties are working together to promote each other. If you're not getting any benefit out of it aside from guaranteed sales, then there's not a lot of point. I've seen the way people jump on your stuff on your page - It doesn't seem like the guarantee of small lots would be something you have to worry about too much (unless my eyes deceive me with how well you're doing there).

Neatsfooot is a conditioner - NOT a finish. A finish coat should protect the leather, not just simply soak in an replenish the oils. If you want a "finish" that also revitalizes the leather, go with something like "Montana Pitch Blend" or "Leather Honey" (though I haven't tested that one yet), or any other conditioner that also leaves a wax top coat. But, these will need to be reapplied regularly in order to offer continuous protection.

I figured that's where you were going with it, but didn't want to make any assumptions What weight of leather are you using for it, and don't they normally make those things 2-sided for two different levels of abrasion?

Something tells me this isn't about making a strop for leather tools since he said it's for a strop project. If your goal is to make the leather softer and more supple, I would apply it before any other dye or finish is put on. If you don't want to darken the leather at all, be sure to apply it from the flesh side.

I guess all I can say is hold down both edges or something. I buff and shine some really tin veg-tan pigskin wallet guts that way and never have an issue like that. Maybe tape the edges down or something like that.

What are you using to buff? I just grab my buffing rag and hold onto the piece with my fingers pressed on the bench then buff. Sounds like maybe I'm not understanding the problem.

Ray, I just stumbled on them and checked them out as well. I'm interested to try it, so I'm searching the forums for information. Don't let the fact that your normal retailers don't carry it turn you off. I'm a firm believer in Montana Pitch Blend and it's not sold at any of the normal locations either. I'll let you know if I find anything or decide to just get some and test it.

http://springfieldleather.com/category/17/239/Exotic-Leathers/

Springfield's wholesale membership is cheap and it gets you the the same prices that Tandy is charging you $150 for. They carry better leather, have a knowledgeable staff that will steer you the right direction (they've actually worked with leather - imagine that). All in all, they are there to help YOU succeed and use that as the basis for their own success. How many of us who spend thousands a year on supplies have been turned off by Tandy's service? Obviously they're not really in it for a real profit, they're only in it to screw the people who don't know any better.

They're still mass manufactured, and only equivalent in price to BK and other handmade US tool makers with an elite membership. I'd skip Tandy and get something with proven quality control and service that's made right here.

Even hobbies require the right tools for the job in order to keep it fun. Pick up some bevelers from BK while you're at it, that will be more than worth the price.

Don't we owe it to our customers to use the best product possible, regardless of whether they're spending thousands on a saddle or $5 on a key chain? You're right, there are several leather finishing options out there. But, they are all formulated for leather. I merely mentioned resolene because it's inexpensive and offers a result similar to what you appear to be looking for here. Resolene also offers UV and water resistance as well as flexibility. As Renee said, MP is glue and not designed to offer any of these results. As for edging "bag" leather - a rolled/piped joint is preferable. I've never attempted to burnish this type of leather because its so thin that its better todo a rolled edge. If its thin veg-tan or latigo or similar, it can be burnished by sanding and then burnishing with a lubricant. A glued edge will only wear down and eventually fray. A properly sanded and burnished edge will last forever. I apologize if I sound hostile or confrontational. I only want everyone to put out the best quality possible. We're working with a dying art form here as people are buying low quality sweatshop goods. The only way we'll ever survive is if we strive for top quality craftsmanship in everything we do.

Then just get yourself one of the yellow polly mallets in the heavier weight. I used the 14oz for quite some time before I got a Bear Maul. That and some granite will work wonders for both your tooling and the noise. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/3301-04.aspx

Ahh. Pictures make it so much easier for people to get. Now I can reference here instead of trying to put my plan into words for people

$5 for a 4oz bottle of Resolene (8oz once you thin it) that's developed for leather and has proven results - why reinvent the wheel? As far as burnishing - I've never had a piece that couldn't be burnished. Some of the fleshier stuff requires some more sanding first, but it will hold a lot longer that way than if you were to use a product to "glue" it down.

Is that first picture what he sent you? I don't know JACK about saddles and I could have done better than that the day I started working hides. Hell, my daughter could do a better job. The guy is clearly clueless and wants you to cover his name for free. I'll guarantee that he's telling everyone the one you sent him was his work, regardless of what he tells you.

I haven't worked with the antique gel at all. I use Fiebing's paste. How long are you letting the gel sit before applying that first coat? Pretty much anything you rub over the top will lift at least some, but the longer you let it dry first the less it will pull out. I prefer to use my airbrush for that first coat after antiquing, if not for all the coats. Sometimes if I'm feeling lazy and don't want to pull out the airbrush, or can't run it because the kids are in bed, I'll just use the lightly moistened sponge and use virtually NO pressure to apply it. That really helps to keep my sponge out of the tooling while still depositing some Resolene in there to cover the antique a little bit.

New plan - write this whole thing up into script form and we'll make a leather working comedy series about the things we go through!!!

It's all experimentation and finding what's best for YOU. We have lots of guidelines to get you started in discovering your process, but in the end it's all trial and error and destroying all those test and scrap pieces!!

Me too