wizard of tragacanth

Yes, as zuludog said, watching videos is really the first step. Do not buy anything until you have watched several tool selection videos and some building videos. There are dozens of helpful videos on YouTube. Watch Nigel Armitage, Ian Atkinson and Sam Andrews... you will be amazed at how much you have learned in such a short time!

I second the recommendation to avoid kits. You would get too many things that may be worthless to you, and often cheap versions of what you will eventually want. As much as I like Ian Atkinson, and it won't hurt to watch his video... be careful. He discusses maybe 25 tools for beginners but you should only be buying a few tools in the beginning and only those that you need to get you through the project. You will need some cutting tools. You can start with a box cutter for large pieces and something like an x-acto knife for smaller pieces. If you do not have these already, I would recommend getting the ones with the snap-off blades so that you will always have a sharp blade. Dull blades are very difficult and disappointing and can result in injuries more easily than a sharp blade. Get something like the Olfa brand, 9mm and 18mm. Lowe's or where ever. You will need leather, of course. Holsters will need something in the range of 8-10oz veg tan, or two layers of 4-5oz if you plan to line it, gluing the layers back-to-back. You will need needles and thread. Try #2 Harness needles first. You will want waxed thread for hand-stitching (0.8mm - 1.0mm) nylon or linen thread. Buy the color that you need for your first project. Ultimately you will probably have several colors on hand. Black, brown and white are the most used colors, but just buy one for now. You will need a way to mark your stitch spacing, 5-6 stitches per inch (spi) most likely. Then you need a way to make those holes. I started with a drill but now I use stitching irons (one, two and four tines). You don't necessarily need dye right now. Many people leave the leather the natural color but if you dye it, I would suggest dark colors to start, like black or dark brown. Fewer problems. You may want to top-coat or finish the project. The cheap but very popular way is a 50/50 mix of Mop & Glow with water. Apply in a very light coat or it becomes problematic. Before you buy or do anything, watch some YouTube videos on holster making. Here is one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFsXw3gabqkYou will want an edger, if you watch the above video, Hank shows how it is used. You will want some sandpaper and a sanding block. 120 or 150 grit up to 600 or higher to finish your edges. I like the Warner sanding block https://www.lowes.com/pd/Warner-Sanding-Block/3078153 It is small, inexpensive and very useful, having a curved edge, wedge and flat side. You can use water to burnish the edges but Gum Tragacanth is better and Tokonole is still better, IMHO. You will need rubber cement. I prefer a small bottle of Weldwood because if I am not doing many projects the glue will dry up. It is MUCH better when it is fresh! Lowe's or anywhere. Some things should be bought in sets, such as round drive punches, but again, wait until you need them. You need a cutting surface if you do not have one. Kitchen cutting boards, like the white poly ones from Walmart will do for starters. You will probably want a Poundo board at some point, maybe soon. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/poundo-boards Choose the size based on how big your expected projects and work area are. I only do holsters, so 12"x12" is enough for me. Same for Quartz slabs. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/category/quartz-slabs which I use to back up the poundo board for using stitching chisels. Tandy Pro Line Diamond Chisel 2mm spacing, for 6 spi https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/pro-line-diamond-stitching-chisels You will find out that these things are both a curse and a blessing. Maybe start with a drill press or Dremel on a stand. I cannot remember the bit size, I think it is 3/64". So, you may have much of this already and may require only the "specialty" leather craft tools, hopefully. I probably left some stuff out, we will see. nick

Very nice, clean work. I would dye the loops black, which will match the snaps and actually be a nicer contrast to the holster than the light color, IMO Thanks for including the specs. I always like to know the leather weight, SPI and thread size. I used 0.8 Tiger last time. I really like your 1mm.

Hey, Nick... from another Nick!

That's what I use.

Very nice! I like those. However... being shoes, don't you think that you should have taken the picture with the shoes on the floor rather than on the wall? Just kidding... I could not resist. I would like to try something like this myself. What did you use for the soles? That is, what weight leather and how many layers did you use? Can't wait to see more of you work. Would like to see your holsters too! nick

Everyone asks this question. There is no pat answer... sorry. You dye it when it works best for you. There are pros and cons to each way. Experiment and learn what works for you.

I would worry about "moistening" the leather. It could stain it... unless we are referring to casing the leather for a project.

Josh, that's a very nice picture tutorial. Good pics too. You make a fine product. It's funny. I just made my first rough-out pocket holster, in Fiebing's Mahogany. Has a very similar look to yours. Just wanted to mention that I found a tool which works great for roughing up the leather prior to gluing. It's a Tandy tool and it costs $20 but it is worth it. It speeds up the process and it is very accurate and easy to control. It does a great job too. You can get right up to the line. Glad I got it... wanted to share that with everyone. It's three times better than using an awl. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/craftool-pro-detail-rougher

This topic has come up before. Many people never own a head knife. They are expensive and have to be maintained. Many of us just use a common utility knife (box cutter) for cutting large pieces and a smaller utility knife (x-acto type) for smaller work. What types of projects are you doing?

It looks like a punch but how would you get the leather out? Normally, the leather is pushed out through a top or side hole.

MH... you will be happy to know that your vertical dipole does not need a ground plane. The lower element IS the ground plane. One thing though. You do not want to run the feed line parallel to either element. Try to run the feed line perpendicular to the antenna for as far as possible for best results. I will send you a PM regarding some tips on how to study for your ham exam.

Hey zulu... thanks for that pointer! I just watched a short bit so far, but it looks promising! nick

Hey! Thanks for that link... looks really good. nick

Welcome to the forum! If you want to learn about leather work, you have come to the right place. What are you most interested in making? I am a ham radio operator myself. I have a General license but only work on UHF/VHF. Have fun! nick

I like it. That is an interesting design and I like the color, too.

I have seen strips of Kevlar used in between layers of leather for making strong belts. I don't know where to get, but it would definitely prevent stretching.

Which ones have you tried that didn't work? Fiebing's makes an Orange dye but I have not used it. https://www.springfieldleather.com/Fiebings-Leather-Dye-Orange-32oz If that does not work, you might try mixing Red and Yellow Fiebing's Pro Dye, to get exactly the shade that you want. nick

Fiebing's probably changed the name from Pro Oil Dye to Pro Dye in order to eliminate the general confusion of people thinking that the "Pro Oil Dye" was oil based. Regardless of the formula and percentages therein, there is a significant difference in performance between the Fiebing's Leather Dye and Fiebing"s Pro Dye. Most pros and many rank amateurs, like myself, use only the Pro Dye because it is superior. nick

Doh, maybe it is!

That is an interesting design and I like the color, and I am sorry to be critical but I would have put the maker's mark on the back. My stamp is similar to yours. It is a utilitarian stamp, not a work of art. I would not put it front and center. If anything, that is where the owner's initials belong, and yes, I know you are the owner! Anyway, that's my thoughts. Again, sorry to be critical. BTW, I'm an ol' Missouri boy, myself. Been in living in the desert for the past 40 years though. Missing the Ozarks... nick

I could be wrong, and frequently am, but I think you are going in the wrong direction with this project. Instead of paint and Resolene, you should be using dye with a flexible top coat, such as neutral shoe polish or Snow Seal. However, you will also have to totally change your design concepts. You will not be able to use colors which are lighter than the leather that you are using and you will not be able to make small design elements shown in your example because dyes bleed. Hey, I just had an idea! Try using some felt-tip pens for your design elements. I have never used them, but I think that they should work. I just tried a black Sharpie on a scrap of leather and it went on very cleanly with a crisp edge, no bleeding. Make sure that they are "permanent" markers. nick

YinTX, I consider that bend a stroke of luck. I would like to have this on all of my belts. It makes for a more natural fit, right out of the box. Old belts eventually assume this shape but not as elegantly, because they have to scrunch up on the top edge and stretch on the lower one, in order to accomplish this. Years ago, I paid extra to have a custom belt cut on a curve, made for me... back before I go into leather work. It was made by Erik Little of Rafter L, leather, Buffalo Wyoming. He is, or was, a member on this forum, I believe. He also introduced me to the idea of seven holes, spaced 3/4" apart, rather than the traditional 5 holes, spaced at 1". It was a great belt, but I make my own now! nick

Nice project. It looks great! So, how did you fix this? USMC Black gives a very deep black but it leaves a great deal of particulate on top of the leather. It must be buffed off before further treatment and it takes a great deal of work, feeling like it will never end. Fiebing's Pro Oil should also be buffed after applying, but there will be very little rub-off. Also, you may notice that USMC Black and all of the non-oil dyes really tend to dry out your leather and make it very stiff. Sometimes this can be an advantage, as in a holster that needs to maintain it's shape. Still, I cannot put up with the rub-off with those dyes... drives me nuts. BTW, the general rule of thumb on applying any kind of liquid top-coat is to go with very thin applications. You can do multiple applications but make sure they are thin, every time. You could use neutral shoe polish and not have to worry about it. nick

That is ingenious!