Cyberthrasher

That's a good idea Aaron. Personally I was thinking if he couldn't find an adjustable knife, he could pay me for it and I'd buy it and send it that way. I looked through my stash and none of them are adjustable

I don't want to get into a mop n glow debate, but keep in mind that leather has chemicals in it. The chemicals in products made for leather have been tested, where floor products are only intended for use on floors. I know lots of people use it, but I just want to point out that it's a risk that you'd have to take on your own.

Yeah, I think first thing is first, get that swivel blade SHARP!! You'll have to strop it frequently, but at least it will cut once you get a proper edge on it. I think that alone will get rid of a lot of your problems. Then you can sell a few things and make up the money to get a better one, and then some more and more and more

I'll definitely report back. It will just depend on if I have a spare bottle somewhere. With the thinned Resolene, I usually apply 2 LIGHT coats about 15 minutes or so apart. You can get 3 on there, but if it's not needed than I wouldn't worry about it. Just remember to thin it and make sure it's not bubbly or streaky when it's applied (which shouldn't happen if it's sprayed). If you blot with a sponge, again, do it lightly and eliminate any bubbles. Don't over saturate the sponge with it or you will get bubbles. Resolene is pretty flexible ( I use it on all my belts and guitar straps), so it will hold up well as long as it's not too heavy.

I hadn't thought of that, but it could work. I would probably actually lean toward a dollar store spray bottle that has an adjustable spray on it instead of the windex style that only has a choice between off/mist/stream with the possibility of adding chemicals. Either one of these (saddle-lac or resolene) would be able to be reapplied. If you go the resolene route in a spray bottle, I would mask off as much as the boot as possible so you can stand back and get a good mist. That will make sure you don't blast a huge amount on at once. I may try it when I get home tonight if I get a chance. The other option is a preval sprayer, available at most craft stores (accept my local Joanne's!!). http://www.dickblick.com/items/25003-0200/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=google&wmcid=items&wmckw=25003-0200&gclid=CPLZl4PTpLUCFWlxQgod0kEAPA

With 8/10 oz, it's going to be rigid and have a good knock to it. Get a sharp knife and try to cut a piece off of it. If it's hard to cut when you know your knife is sharp, that's a good sign something is up. Once you get that piece off, put some light water on it with a sponge. Does it suck it up right away (within a minute or so), or do you have to wait for it to gradually even out and return to color? To me, if the leather sucks up water that quick, it's a sign that it's pretty dried out like the cheap one I mentioned earlier.

just to make sure, familiarize yourself with this article in the "How do I do that" section to make sure you know how to make a strop. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=36221 Now, under the Leather Tools forum, there's another pinned topic all about stropping compound http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=33539 You can get it lots of places. I'd check your local hardware store first and then head online if you can't find it. This is just a link that shows a good picture of what it is. http://www.woodcraft.com/PRODUCT/2004240/8619/GREEN-CHROME-OXIDE-COMPOUND-6-OZ.ASPX?refcode=10INGOPB&gclid=CLbWx97MpLUCFYl_QgoddSwASg

Tandy's good to get you started, and they do rely on the fact that they're a global company. A lot of people end up saying "I didn't think there was anything but Tandy". Would ebay incur as many import taxes (depending on the seller)?

WOW!!! should I sell my tools now

Homework looks good. Time to jump in and do You can only learn so much by reading, but I like the fact that you did. For the bone folder, you'll probably want both the bone folder and the burnishers (from my experience). The bone folder will help for quick little things or getting into places that the dremel won't fit, and it will also help you for when you eventually decide you need to wet mold something . I actually grabbed mine from the local fabric store. It's Fiskars brand and works well. For the dye, I'd recommend Fiebings Pro Oil (as do many people here), especially since it looks like you're probably going to stick to "earth" tones. They'll give you good color and good penetration into the leather. For a finish, there are a lot of choices that you may want to experiment with, but Resolene is easy to use. You may want to move past the utility knife at some point, especially for heavier leathers, but it will get you started. Also, all blades will need to be stropped, so get yourself some green stropping compound so you'll be set.

That was a pretty cool little slideshow. But, at times I thought it looked a lot like cleaning a septic tank. I'll stick to working it back into something beautiful and let them do the dirty work.

There's a double beveler that is basically a V tool because it has a bevel on each side instead of being flat on one side to sit in your cut. The only suggestion I have for working it, since I haven't used one and just do those double lines by beveling them twice, is to slow down a little, make sure it's centered, and maybe make sure you're not too high above the leather. I really don't know though. Those are just guesses based on what I would do if I were having troubles with it.

Ok, you have the book, so that's #1. Now, there have been several good videos posted lately. Here's a really good series, as well as a few pages of posts to really help you. As you'll see him explain later in the posts, the pricking iron is for marking the wholes, the awl is for punching through to the other side. He didn't make that very clear in the video, but elaborated later on. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=44874

Clearlac is pretty hard to get even (and expensive for a one time application). Saddle-lac comes in a spray bottle and is fairly inexpensive. I would vote Resolene myself, since I know how well it covers sharpie and it's flexible and water resistant (NOTHING is water "proof"). If applied in thinned down light coats (50/50 with water) it won't go on heavy enough to crack and will still be flexible. If you or a friend have an airbrush, you can apply it that way. You'll definitely want to spray whatever you get so that you don't rub off the sharpie at all. Also, test whatever you do on a non-visible part of the boot just to make sure it doesn't have an adverse reaction to the finish that's already on them. I just looked up the Leather Sheen. It looks like it's more of a conditioner/temporary finish. It will most likely wear off quite easily and need to be reapplied - at which time you're risking losing the signature. Anything with the word "wax" in it's name or description is most likely going to fall into this category.

don't worry, nobody's knocking you The fuzzies themselves act as a "roughing up" to give the glue something to adhere to. But, at 1/4" you'll probably want to shave it down. I watched that same video from SLC, and you what they meant was to let it sit for a few minutes so it's dryish (tacky) and then add another coat, which will re-activate your glue you already have in place. If you let the first coat cure all the way, then you're effectively just gluing to the glue. I've had mine get sucked up pretty bad when I was gluing to some foam, so I just added more on the first coat that was applied to the foam and it's held in place pretty solid.

I agree about the knife and the fact that it arrives dull. As far as I know, Tandy are the only ones that do that. Just hang in there and don't give up. You already have the experience sharpening, so that shouldn't be an issue for you. Do you have any saddle shops around? Maybe one of them has an old adjustable knife they'd be willing to part with for a good price. Heck, if I had an extra I'd just send you one for the shipping cost if that would keep you going easier. All I have right now are the standard non-adjustable, but I'll look anyway to see if one slipped by me You are in Ireland right? I can look around and see if I can find someone cheaper to buy from. I know we have a few UK members here, so one of them might no some different places for materials.

I'm kind of in between. I gladly share my techniques and designs, but only as a way to educate people. If it were me and you called, I would tell you that you can use my physical design for inspiration, but if it looks just like mine then we'll have words. We're all supposed to be artists, so we should all learn how to modify designs and make them our own products. There was one time I contacted a friend, towards the beginning of our friendship, to see if I can utilize a design he had and make it my own. He didn't recognize my email address at the time and got pretty peeved because he thought it was just some random person asking to use his stuff. Once he found out it was me, he was more than happy to let me build on it. So, it's hit and miss when it comes to contacting people. You'll find that a lot of them are terrified of competition and will do whatever they can to keep their "secrets" safe, while others just want to make sure that it's not falling into the wrong hands. Me, if I get scared of competition, then it's time for me to re-evaluate my work and figure out what the problem is. Now, if we're talking artwork, then that's a completely different story and you would get a big "NO!" with the encouraging words to say here's how you can create something similar.

I've only worked with the lizard scrap I have, so I don't know what it all is and if it matches the caiman. I do, however, end up with some pretty stringy stuff both there and on some cheaper cowhides. I do just what Dwight says when there's fuzz and string on it. If it's not enough to bulge, just leave it instead of making more work for myself. If it needs a haircut, shave it off with a knife or something. The contact cement doesn't care what's there, why should you

yeah, there's definitely a lot more to it than that. What you see in the instructions is what a lot of us refer to as a "quick-case", which is good for stamping in a pinch, but not much else. As a side note here, when I quick-case, I spray both sides of my leather until it's good and wet then let it sit for about 15 minutes. At that point it hasn't completely returned to its natural color, but it's getting close. The key is "visible moisture", but not wet, while being cool to the touch (on your cheek or back of your hand). It takes some practice to get right. When I full case, I'll soak it in a pan or under the hot water, let it sit out on some plastic wrap for an hour or two, then bag it (ziplock or other sealed bag) and put it in the fridge overnight. When I pull it out I can just lightly moisten the grain (tooling side) with a sponge and in a couple of minutes it will be ready to go for about an hour. At that point I just mist the back side again and let it sit for a couple minutes and I'm back to work. The kit knifes do NOT come sharp, especially the one in the basic kit, which is non-adjustable. You can re-hone it so that it's got an actual edge and then strop it as normal, but I found they don't hold an edge for very long. Can you order from Tandy in the UK at a good price? http://www.tandyleatherfactory.co.uk/ This one's not the best, but you'll see it has a little adjustment at the top of the barrel. http://www.tandyleather.eu/en-eur/search/searchresults/8002-00.aspx

Looks like maybe you need to sharpen the knife and work on your casing a little. Looks like those cuts are pretty shallow, which is a sign of it being dry. Dry leather will require more effort to cut. Is your knife adjustable? There's a $15 dollar "deluxe" knife that Tandy sells which has an adjustable height. That's a lot more comfortable for me to prevent cramping. Plus, the one I had in my kit had a really rounded blade, so it was terrible to use for anything. Also, you shouldn't have to grip it that hard either, so maybe with the right casing on your leather it will ease up some of those cramps.

I believe Electrathon said he was getting a couple.

Well, there is a V gouge for leather, but I doubt it would perform on leather the way you want when it comes to detailed images. I've been posting this a lot lately because it's THAT important. Go here and sign up for the free tutorials. At the bottom of the list is one that's specifically focused on swivel knives. It's loaded with practice routines to build that skill. http://paintingcow.com/content/index.php/publications/free_lesson_sign_up/

There you go!!! I could use some when I go to my favorite breakfast joint. Their tables are always wobbling on me. Must be the weight of the food throwing off the balance of the table

No Problems Ed!! You take all the time you need from my point of view. I sent you an email last night, but I was so beat from the day job that I forgot to say "No hurry" in it.

I've never heard of anybody doing tooling leather themselves. This sounds similar to the little bit I've read on the subject. Just the fact that it says you need enough bark to equal twice the weight of the hide is enough to turn me away. http://www.ehow.com/how_8513326_vegetable-tan-leather.html