Toolingaround

Hey There I like carving thin leather. This little holster is made with 3.5 oz cheep Tandy leather. I would have been able to carve if it was thinner too. Carving isn't perfect. I was just having fun for myself but you get the idea. This is a cute project that I got here http://www.leatherwranglers.com/docs/SK3-holster-pattern.pdf. I can dream about owning an SK3. Right now my cheep Tandy knife gets the royal treatment :-) Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi DavidL Just saw your post. You might want to have a look at http://www.spottedponytraders.com/info/leather.shtml?action=detail&id=LEDAE I buy machine washable deer from them. I have not washed my leather dress yet but have handled pieces that other people have washed in the machine (no dryer!) and they seem fine. The hides are very nice and if you let them know your needs they will try to find you the right hides. They are very knowledgable and can probably give you good advice. Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi Texas Phil I agree there stuff is not as it once was. I have some scrap leather I bought from the son of a deceased leather worker. I know he bought the majority of his tools and leather from Tandy, not all but most. Every now and again I will tool on a piece of his scrap that is just divine and I wonder where and when he got it. Someday I would like to order from Wicket and Craig directly. Unfortunately I unwisely trusted a merchant this summer I should not have. I ended up with no leather and my money in dispute so was very grateful that the economy leather (all I could afford now) from Tandy was so nice. But yes I dream of Herman Oak and Wicket and Craig :-) The Baltimore Tandy Store has always treated me right and I felt they deserved a thank you and to let people know how nice the new store is. Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi Everyone After having more than one horrible and I mean horrible experience with buying supplies from small time vendors I felt compelled to praise Tandy. Wish I could pour my heart out to you all but for fear of reprisals I won't at least for now. I was naive in thinking most leather people are good folks like the members on this form. Sadly I have been proven wrong. Anyhow still in need of supplies my husband and I drove the more than two hour trip one way to our "local" Tandy in Baltimore. Not only was the store in a nice new location. Their stock was fantastic! Even the economy sides where really great. They were having a sale so the prices were better than I found anywhere else. They are even better this weekend for anyone who can get to one. The staff were helpful and nice and best of all I know if I do have a problem they will make good on it. The few times I have had to exchange or return something they have dealt with it promptly and courteously. All in all a wonderful experience especially after the things I experienced this summer. I used to save up my money all year so I could shop in person from small vendors at a large reenactment event I attend. Even paying a bit more for things was OK because it felt good to help out small vendors but not anymore. I am done with that. Tandy gets my business from now on at least the Baltimore store has never done me wrong. Thanks for listening have a great weekend everyone, Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi There I can vouch for the economy sides at Tandy too. I just bought a 4/5 oz one and was surprised how nice it is. It is not top end but much nicer than I was expecting. Not sure when their sale ends so I would go sooner than latter. Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi there I do fades by mixing my angelus alcohol bases dyes with Lexol non darkening neets foot oil (does not darken the leather at all underneath ) or brown bottle Lexol will also work. I can do a soft fade in minutes very easily. I stretch a t shirt over my fingers to rub it in. Blot it first as a little goes a long way. Here is a scrap test I did a while ago. Cheers, Toolingaround

Oh my gosh I love it :-)

Hi Rayban I like it when people post dye colors, thanks. I happen to have a bottle of Feibings red and Angelus red, the Angelus is brighter if you ever need to go more eye popping. Interestingly I purchased some second hand bottles of Feibings and the green, which was kept in the box had turned completely clear! Even Angelus green is fairly fugitive which is just the way of some dye colors. I mix my dye with Lexol non darkening neats foot oil to get a smoother result as I am not set up to dip dye either. Brown bottle Lexol seems to work too but darkens the leather a little bit more. Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi Joe Thanks for posting that, cool article. Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi Shaun When I started out I made all sorts of concoctions, various combinations of bees wax, olive oil, pine pitch, turpentine, lanolin you name it. It was fun but nothing beats Lexol products in my book. I use Lexol non darkening neats foot oil and Lexol conditioner in the brown bottle. They absolutely do what they say they will. They are amazingly versatile and most important, they don't migrate out of the leather they bond with it. I have all sorts of my DIY stuff and other commercial products that I have tried that sit on the shelf most of the time now. Just my two cents from some one who has done the do it yourself route. That said leather finishing is a very personal choice and I think it is cool there are so many ways to do things :-) Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi ya all I would love something heavier too. I borrowed a dead blow mallet from a leatherworking friend but I found it way to bouncy and not ballanced properly at all for my needs. Just thought I would toss in my experience with one as I wait for the day I too can afford a nice heavy mallet or maul. Cheers, Toolingaround

Wow Dwight I would love to see what those sandles look like made up! I would like to make myself a pair someday. I had bought a second hand pair that where used in the movie Alexander but they never fit my feet right as they where custom made for the actor who wore them. I have often looked at articles about them on line. Never seen anyone try to make them. Very cool :-) Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi Armsman70 I use angelus dye but it is basically the same thing. Here is a quote from angelusdirect.com about what to do about the strange color. " WARNING: If you get a tint on your dye you may have over saturated it by putting too much. Take a cloth with alcohol and wipe it down quickly to remove excess over saturation. Also remember dye takes the color of what is underneath it. " That bronze look can be from too much dye. Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi sharkeyfinn This may sound obvious but are you certain your swivel knife is sharpened and stropped well, mirror polish and all. As a user of cheep tandy leather and scraps of unknown lineage I have carved some crap in my day and can make most things work unless of course it is chrome tanned :-). Make sure that knife is sharp and maybe case the leather overnight in a plastic bag. Some brown bottle Lexol will help to condition the leather before tooling. You can add some to your caseing water if you like. I use thin tandy leather a lot. I hope this helps :-) Cheers, Toolingaround

Hi WyomingSlick Timely suggestion! My father in law's friend just gave me an opti-visor. I love it and pushing 50 I NEED it LOL. Cheers, Toolingaround