Sylvia

I would have to see the belt... and know the amount of extension he needs. If the extension is substantial I would do it center back. I would cut the original in half, then recut the cut ends in a decorative shape (most likely a U) Then skive the the ends of both the new and old pieces then glue and sew the new piece in behind the U's . I would choose a U shape because it would not fail as easily as a straight across addition. Of course you'll need to carve and dye it to match. you learned something here. ALWAYS have them measure, and measure twice. '

That is absolutely beautiful. Now you need to share your friends name and contact info (with is permission of course) so He can make us some tools too. Does he have a website yet?

Hi John: Depends on your application I guess. Most kits have the sole being the same leather. If you are going with 6-8oz that should be strong and thick enough for the sole. If you feel you need it thicker, you can double up, stick it down then cut away the seam allowance. Do you plan to wear these while hunting or hiking? I just looked up this post on etsy where the craftsperson used 4-5 oz leather. You can see that they "sag" http://www.etsy.com/listing/59130786/suede-boot-moccasin-inca-ankle-high-1000 I think you would have better luck with the 6-8oz. Elk and buffalo is rather stretchy so remember to fit these snug to they don't stretch out and get sloppy. You can also get deer tanned cow hide that is nice. I think I got 17 square feet from "The Leather Guy" on ebay for around $60 shipped in October. The deer tanned cow hide was 6oz and it's still stretchy but not as much as I understand the elk and buffalo are. If you have the means you might try making a prototype pair from some canvas, old denim jeans, etc... something sturdy and firm, so you can get the feel of how the pattern fits before cutting your leather.

Hi: I've put together an old inca boot kit before. The leather was all the same thickness and it had a insole pad glued to the sole piece. It seems to me that I had an issue with the pre-punched leather. It was suede so it was hard to see the "diamond shaped" hole. This was rather important because the heal/side pieces crossed over the front piece at the diamonds. One thing you might want to remember is that leather (especially soft leather) has a tenancy to twist on you. You'll want your pieces cut perpendicular to the spine of the hide, to help prevent this. The leather itself should be soft, flexible and about 3-4 millimeters thick. Depending on how hard you intend to wear these shoes, I would go with 6-8oz elk or buffalo hide. If you want something to wear around the house You can probably get away with 5oz leather. One thing a friend of mine does is mix up tire grindings from a retread shop with barge cement and applies that to the bottom of the mocs. This still gives a quiet sole but it is more wear and water resistant. If you search for how to make moccasins online You might find some help. I know there are a few how to make moccasin tutorials on Youtube too.

Very cool!!

I haven't figured it out yet either. That tutorial doesn't seem to help me any. I think I might try searching Youtube for videos on Inkscape. If I find anything that will help I'll send you the links.

Absolutely NOT... you want a hole... chew through it with your teeth. You want a gouge.... draw a line and bevel it deeply. LOL just kidding... that is up to Chancy. I would think that is beyond the 4 tool allowance, plus the freebies.

Actually, Chancy... It's 4 tools from the "BASIC 7" Lucky 7 is a set of belt patterns. Thanks for the trees.

he he he... Good for you! Yes, time just slowed down... I'm pretty sure of it.

Clearly I'm not as skilled as Bob.... but here are a couple of the latest pieces with lettering using fonts from the computer On the bamboo strap, I used an A104 to create the lettering This one I just used a textured beveler around the lettering.

Thanks FHL... I've since learned to do just that. But I still have issues with side to side. I have an idea for a tool but I need the money and a highly skilled machinist to put it together for me. Thanks again for the hint.

Electrathon: The underslung heal is designed served a couple functions. They were designed to keep the foot in the stirrup but not allow the foot to slip too far into the stirrup. This kept the cowboy from getting hung up and dragged by a horse if he got bucked off. (I was taught to keep the stirrup just where the ball of the foot and the arch meet... and my heals down for this very reason.) It also allows the cowboy to dig in his heals into the dirt to wrangle a stubborn animal. There is some pretty good history at this site... if you want to read more http://www.cowboyboots.com/history.html

I found an ebay alternative or two. http://www.webstore.com and http://www.wensy.com both allow you to list and sell for free.

Wow! those are very nice.

Yeah that's right..... you love ME but not my ideas. HA! Soooooo what is the challenge for April anyway. S

I like the scene. I think this is going to look awesome! Can't wait to see more.

LOL! That's awesome. Thanks for sharing, Ferg.

I know you can. It doesn't matter anymore anyway. The idea is dead...

That is only because you want to use the swivel beveler. So MY vote was for all 7 of the basic tools to make sure everyone used these tools for more than just borders. but you guys shot me down.... so idea.

CC... you should look at http://www.shopgoodwill.com too But be warned... each store charges their own handling fee and something shipping is expensive. But at least it helps Good Will. Make sure they accept your form of payment some only accept Visa or MC and you have to call them. S

I agree 100%. But I don't even print them out... I just put clear plastic over my monitor and trace around the font. I like the clear because I can see exactly where I'm putting the letters on the leather.

I kind of like the saddle tan on the Ostrich. I don't know much about holsters for guns but they look good to me.

Ha! not necessarily. I hope you can figure it out ok. S

WinterBear.... I like the way you think! Industrial Distressed. LOL I have nothing to offer CC, except maybe look at the mark and maybe you'll see something and can make it into a drawing?

Good! Perhaps it was just the lighting in that bottom picture. My heart skipped a beat. LOL