Sylvia

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

I read somewhere you measure the perimeter of the piece to be sewn, Times that by 2 and add several inches for "just in case wiggle room" Don't ask me where I found that... I've been reading about this stuff online, in books and such for a couple months now.

+1 on Stecksstore at Ebay. And I've bought from their online .com store too. My advise is to compare prices ebay to their online store because sometimes it's less expensive on ebay with shipping and sometimes it's less expensive at the online store. As for dyes, I found Angelus dyes and paints at http://www.dharmatrading.com for a LOT less than "leathercraft" places and ebay even when adding in the shipping. They even have the Quart bottles of the dye. New customers get a free gift too (see main page)

Sure, you could. If you could find a source.

I like to have a book in hand too. I'm not fond of e-books but have been known to download a few. But in a pinch this works and saves you from having to go to the library or book store.

JJ: Talk to the man at the shop. Ask him to come visit you on the weekend and if He agrees to fix it on his own time... you will make him something in leather and take him for a pint or two at the pub. Do a little Bartering. Like for like, trade of services. There's always a way. Maybe he would like a set of leather saddle bags....or maybe he wants a "murse" or a leather "bum bag" who knows... I say ask because all he can do is say NO.

"Sometimes I feel like.... somebody's watching meeeeee...." Sorry... it made me think of that song.

Yeah, they are definitely different than the craftool ones in the 1970s kits. Much more thin than the old ones. I haven't had any trouble with them so far but I don't try to drive them through to the floor either. I only wish I could afford the "pro" tools the guru's tout. I did bite the bullet, smoked a card and got one of Barry Kings Swivel knives. ($53 shipped) Can't wait to get it. I talked to Brad there today and he says it should be shipped on Monday. <waiting waiting waiting> At some point you should start experimenting with the other tools. I see this sometimes in new guitar players, they spend days practicing ONE thing.... then get frustrated and quit. At some point you gotta just play a song..... even if it is quite badly with lots of flubbed notes.