Sylvia

Hi Brian http://technicalconnectionsinc.stores.yahoo.net/saheduhopu.html http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Sargent-1406S-Cable-Hole-Punch-1-4-Bullet-Bonds-/380400518296?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5891a34498 about what size is the punch?

GRRRRR.... How dare you? This is not stealing. It's using a service to MY advantage... jackass.

You would think that would be a great thing. I live approximately 405 meters from my county library. But to get a Library card, they want $55 per person. And they people there are snots. When I was studying for school, I didn't have time to go and deal with attitudes, so I learned this technique out of desperation.

I think the thought was good but sometimes things just don't look as good in real life as we imagine them. LOL I know you have some limitations so I would try a heavier mallet. Sometimes I use a Dead Blow hammer. I weights about 12-16 oz (or more) and It really does some persuading.

Hi CC I like the idea, but I think I agree with TreeReaper about the bling eyes. Reminds me of "Spawn of Diablo" or something. Is it possible for you to impress the horses deeper? I would like to see more detail in the horses and less background. Pretty colors and some bling would make these very cool (might even end up as a hat band! Syl

What do you use as a "dye" K? Because I used fiebings over Super Sheen and got a very interesting shade of turd muckaldy dunn (gross taupe) I think the Hi-lights work ok with Super Sheen but not Fieblings dyes.

The ones in Tandy's basic knives are about 3/8" wide straight blade and Thick The one on the Tandy Deluxe Knive (comes in the Deluxe kit) Are 3/8" much thinner. Tandy tends to send the straight blades rather than angled ones. Hope that helps. Also if you have issues with your hands cramping go for a thicker barrel. But honestly, Call Barry or Brad, Very personable folks there. Takes a few days for them to ship but I am sure it's worth it. (Tell them Sylvia from Idaho sent you)

Barry King Tools and are still reasonable. http://www.barrykingtools.com/swivelknives.htm Start with a good knife.

I know huh? I've watched several times trying to see exactly what he does.

Cheryl: Never underestimate the power of Youtube to learn stuff. There are loads of leather carving, etc videos on there. I've learned to do a lot of things just because youtube had a video. (Passive solar heart, (done) Passive Solar Food Dehydrator (done), Viking Knitting, (done) Darning socks (not done, but I know how now), French Seams (done) Jewelry Making (done) Pythagorean Theorem, Calculus, Physics (OMG, hope I never have to do that crap again, Done!) I even think there is a video on there on how to "kiss properly" LOL Anyway... here is one of my favorite Leather craft time lapsed videos.

LOL that's the same exact picture he sent. How very funny. Superior googling there, Art. :D

Now that TreeReaper gave the name... found some here. http://www.hudson4supplies.com/en.us/products-parts/Key-Rings-Acc.-31

It is true that a small business owner must wear a lot of hats in order to be successful. I find that many people focus only on the cost of making an item and not the cost of marketing or promoting the item. As a case in point: Packaging of smaller goods can run a pretty penny. Online websites need someone to keep it up to date... and that costs time if the owner is capable in the medium. Even something as simple as packing things up and driving to a trade show, an event... or even a flea market, all must factor into the "cost of good sold" If you hate the particulars of accounting and Marketing your goods, then it would be an easy thing to hire a part time helper to come in 2x a week (or month) via a temp agency to tend to the bookkeeping and website. That too would need to be factored into the "cost of goods sold" but then it also frees the Leather worker to do what he or she does best. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

Ah yes. That does make sense. Thanks Suicide, even though Brits, Americans, Canadians and even Aussies all claim to speak the same language, sometimes the words are familiar but come out as "code." My husband tells a story of being in the Navy and getting to stop in Melborne, Australia and getting liberty ashore. Of course it was all about the beer drinking... he was sitting at a table with a bunch of newly made friends and this woman says something like "crikey, I'm pissed" while staring right at him. He said "What did I do?" The others said "No, Mate, ... she's just saying she's really drunk." "Pissed to an American, means VERY angry." LOL I'm always running across these differences. I find them intriguing. Anyway thank you for the disambiguation of the terms.

Oh no apology necessary. I am just always curious about the verbiage and semantics of other cultures. So to you a clicker's knife is what we would call a box knife or a utility knife right? Like one of these knives. http://www.uline.com/product/AdvSearchResult.aspx?view=ALL&SubGroup=1169&Source=28

Was it an actual tannery or was it a leather house or place to buy the leather? I know a lot of tanneries in the USA Died a painful death in the 90s. Hopefully yours wasn't one of them.

My apologies: I didn't see the "double loop part" Here is the instruction on Tandy.... and it also says 7-8 times the length of the item being stitched. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/infoandservices/Leathercraft-ABC/Leathercraft-ABC-pg3/Leathercraft-ABC-pg3.aspx

I googled "Bonne Terre, Mo. Leather Tanners" and got a yellow pages page. http://www.yellowpages.com/bonne-terre-mo/tanners Also go this listing but it doesn't show anything in Bonne Terre. http://www.manta.com/mb_44_E806F_26/leather_tanning_and_finishing/missouri

Looks Viking or Norse to me, perhaps Oseberg or Jelling style. http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/norse_art.htm This is an interesting article that shows some examples. http://willadsenfamily.org/sca/danr_as/viking-art/viking_art_class.pdf

:confused: What in tarnation does a scalpel and a clicker have to do with each other? Please correct me if I'm wrong but isn't a clicker a cutting press you use with dies to cut out leather? And please help me with this "pricking iron" you speak of... what in the world is that? Is this one of those Bum pack/Fanny pack ... Brit/American things?

Chavez... no no no.... Fiebings is NOT a Tandy Product. It is just a product Tandy stocks as a convenience to their customers. I would guess that all the "Eco-flo" stuff is based on the fact that the Tandy kits say "ages 8 and up" One wouldn't want their 8 year old getting poisoned by the Spirit dyes... Right? I have a bottle of Omega Dye from the 70s... that says right on it. "Poisonous" contains bla bla bla.... "Can not be made non-poisonous" Yikes!! Yeah, I'm gonna let my 8 year old grand kids get any where near that!!

You can try getting a more grainy look on the unfinished one by rolling the leather toward the outside of the boot several times and in several directions. I did that on this leather purse... http://www.ebay.com/itm/320828938623?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649 This is going to be a bit difficult due to the shape of the boot and those laces but it should give you some of the texture you want. As for the coloring. I would just redye them both with a darker color. You'll need deglazer and a spirit based dye. Not sure where you would get those things in time for your Wednesday event. Perhaps a shoe store, or a cobbler in your area would have some. Good luck

Nice link, thank you. But natural rubber is SPENDY! Cut-to-Length 36" Tan -20° to +180° F 3000 psi 41.84 Per Ft. They have smaller options but 3/16" x 12" x 12" in Tan is over $16 each and then you have to add shipping. I like my Tire dust better. FREE, and Recycled.

Ha ha ha... I completely agree. Awesome job Dwight. If that darned leather isn't cooperating.... Shoot it! LOL

Nope Fiebing is just a brand of dye Tandy happens to carry. For what it's worth Angelus is made in the USA as is Fiebings. :D