wizard of tragacanth

I didn't want to buy a side of leather to make one belt for a relative, so, I bought belt blank. I have never used a belt blank before, always cut them myself. So, I ordered a Herman Oak belt blank. The drum dyed one. I was quite surprised when I saw it in person. I was expecting a smooth finish but was rather, well... I don't know... grainy? textured? too perfect? It is difficult to describe, so I included some pics. I have never bought any leather that looked like this. What is going on? nick

Could not get pic of my 5 year old holster to upload on my last post. Here it is. Like I said, almost daily wear for 5 years. This was done with Gum Tragacanth and probably a coat of Satin Shene.

I have had great luck with bare wooden slickers. I have a holster that is at least 5 years old, used almost daily and the edges are still shiny. But, I agree with your wife. In fact my mind has really changed on this lately. I know that many people like shiny belts and holsters but when I used to wear boots, I preferred rough-out or nu-buck. It's just a personal thing. I have been going for a semi-gloss or matte finish on my holsters, lately. So, I am doing the same with the edges. A plastic slicker will do that... a smooth, barely glossy finish. I have never used or even experimented with any kind of cloth.

Billybopp answered it. Here are more examples: https://brucejohnsonleather.com/leather-tools-sale/push-beaders-and-bevelers http://barrykingtools.com/handtools.htm#

I'm guessing it is made to put a "bead" on the edge but I don't see why you couldn't use it the way you want. A tool is a tool, if it suits the use.

Definitely a conversation starter... for sure! I've never seen anything like it.

Okay... I can wait

My recommendation is to buy tools only when you see that you will be using them in the immediate future. There are many "common" tools that I have never used and likely never will. I can see that you need an edger for that project and depending on how you plan to attach a strap, you will either need some needles and thread or or a hole punch or something. Sometimes money can be saved by buying "sets" of tools but for me that would have been a waste. Because I only work with limited thicknesses of veg tan leather I do not need a set of edgers. A #2 is about all I need, maybe a #1. Another thing to watch out for is buying inexpensive tools. I bought an inexpensive rotary hole punch and it worked for maybe one project. It was so flimsy, I almost laughed, except that I had lost money on it, so it was not funny. If you are only doing a particular operation infrequently, do it the hard way. If you do that operation frequently, do it the easy way. For example, if you are putting an English Point on a belt, mark it and cut it with a knife. If you are making belts all the time, get a strap end punch. Bottom line, avoid buying tools that you "think" you will need. Wait until you "know" that you need them. nick

I have to be honest and say that I do not really understand what you are doing with this project. Is this a holster or a shield that slips between the gun and the pocket to break-up the outline? If it is a holster, I would need to see it with the gun in it. I do not see where a gun would go in it since all sides seem to be sewn and there is no way to get a grip on a gun. You mention 11/12 oz leather which seems way too thick for a pocket holster. I have never made a pocket holster but I would think that you would want to keep it as thin as possible. I mean, most people use something like 8-10 oz for belt holsters. Thick leather would add unnecessary bulk and make it more obvious that something was in your pocket. Maybe something like 6oz, or less, may be appropriate. Also, if this is a holster, and not a shield, why not make both sides rough-out? It would add extra traction. You mentioned problems with the stitching but it looks pretty decent. Do you want to elaborate? And, what kind of problems did you have with the glue? What kind of glue are you using?

I hope that I am not out-of-line doing this but I dug out a couple of old pics (from August 2011) that I had saved of Chuck Burrows work. I don't know where else you could see it now. These days the Wild Rose Trading Company is a Sporting Dog store... not at all what is once was. Wish I had kept some of his Indian style beaded knife sheaths. Anyway, here are the pics... If there is anything wrong with me doing this, please delete this post.

Hey Mike... glad you tried Tokonole! I just used it for the first time on my last project. It is NOTHING like Gum Tragacanth, no similarity AT ALL... as you have found out. I intend to use it from now on but I did want to mention something about edges. I still consider myself a beginner but I have learned a few things and not everybody has figured this part out, so I want to share it. You have to start with a good edge in order to end up with a good edge, no matter what product is used. Somewhere on this forum is a post by Chuck Burrows (Wild Rose Trading Company)... one of my idols, he has passed now. He tells how to use GT in a manner that I had never tried. I always applied it, let it soak in for 30 seconds or so and burnished it with a wooden tool. Done. Mr. Burrows talked about applying one coat of GT, letting it dry, applying another coat and letting it dry... completely... and then sanding, more GT, more sanding, then a coat and burnish. The GT makes the fibers stiff and stand up when it is sanded. If all your sanding is done on bare leather, the fibers just flex back and fourth, never getting really short. It is also important to use very fine grits. Work up to at least 400, 600 or finer. If you do not get the fibers super short, they will eventually stand up again and make the edge feel rough. nick

Wow-ee, wow, wow, wow! Gorgeous work! Definitely fit for a Star!

Do you thin it first?

I always used to think that I should strive for uniformity of color... makes it look more "professional" or "store bought". But, hey, it is hand made! I now think that the non-uniformity gives the piece more dimension. Of course, this would vary depending on the type of project, one may call for uniformity, another, not.

Thanks chiefjason. I really like the streaky blue myself. Well, I was going for a blue jeans look, so I thought that worked pretty well. I don't blame you for not reading the whole post, but the two piece loop and reinforcement was not planned. I did the loop and later decided to add the reinforcement. That was my first ever Avenger. I cut the trailing loop high in order to allow the best possible access to a back pocket but I definitely understand what you are saying. Next time, I will give more consideration to that. Don't know that I will make it round, but less acute. Nick

Hey bikermutt, thanks for your comment. I have always related to you because I said to myself... "I'm not paying $60 for a holster..." and you know the rest! I'm retired now, so I will be making more than I used to. Nick

Whoa! 147 views and not one comment. I think I'm getting the message. Bye!

Love it! So unique and awesome. Put a tail on it!

Dwight... you are right. I totally agree. It was an uniformed opinion. Based on the original post, mentioning holsters, I thought that we were talking about holsters. No mention was made of long, straight edges. I was recommending a spindle sander for a holster. I also agree that an oscillating spindle is not ideal. A non-oscillating spindle would be the better choice but the OP was asking if a specific machine was adequate. The OP was thinking about a belt sander, which I considered to be a mistake because a belt sander is of little value in making holsters. It would be very common to ask "What are you sanding" but I thought that to be implicit in the original post. For straight edges, use a belt sander. For curves, use a spindle sander. Nick

Doh... Thanks Tom!

I started to re-think my comment about Snow Seal. Technically, it is not a top-coat, it is absorbed into the leather. I did another test, using 3 or 4 applications of Snow Seal, warming the leather in a 120° oven before each application. I put some drops of water on the area and let it dry completely. The result with hard tap water, and RO water was the most minimal of marking. I had to hold the leather in good light at a certain angle to see it. BTW, Snow Seal is made of bees wax.

Doesn't reducing dye also allow to make lighter shades? IDK, I have never tried it.

Hmmm... if you cannot find it, you might try some Tokonole (from Japan). It comes in a jar, looks and smells something like Elmer's Glue All. I just tried it for the first time, on my last project. I applied it with a Q-tip but would like to find a better method, but even if I don't, I will be using it exclusively. I much prefer it to Gum Tragacanth. Better results. I used it for burnishing the edges and flesh side on a holster. It darkens the leather. That may be a plus or a minus depending. For this project, it darkened the blue edge to nearly black, which was great for me. Maybe Elmer's would work too! If I had some on hand, I would try it. I applied the Tokonole, let it soak in and then burnished as usual. Really great stuff. I may need to change my screen name to wizard of tokonole.

You will have to use regular Fiebing's Leather Dye, I guess. One advantage over the Pro dye is a wider selection of colors. Try searching for UV clear coat. There might be something out there.

I'm thinking that you are not planning to tool nor to wet form this project because you did not ask when to do that. So, if you are not wet forming nor tooling, perhaps you should be using chrome tanned leather. I know nothing about chrome tanned leather other than it is used for garments that are flexible and resistant to moisture. AFAIK, there is NO waterproof top-coat. Some finishes are mildly splash resistant but the water must be wiped off as quickly as possible or it will leave a dark stain. Snow Seal isn't even able to stop that. Watch the many comparisons on YT. I have done my own tests. Yes, including Snow Seal. I was very hopeful for that one. However, water eventually marks the leather, it's just a matter of time, and not much time at that. As you will eventually discover, there is no answer as to when a project should be dyed. Sorry for the bad news...