TonyV

They are in Europe Sieck: MÜLLER & KURTH Typ 59 full automatic punching machine for straps or belts, with counting devise for upto 25 punches

I have used very strong espresso coffee to die holsters various shades of brown. I also use vinegaroon for a flat black. fresh vinegaroon works best, but even my 2-year old batch of it works well. I got a yellowish brown on veg tan using green tea, just slightly different than the natural color. I have read of, but never tried, using ammonia to bleach leather. YMMV

I love it

Real nice BBQ rig!

After I borax tan a rattlesnake skin I will soak it in glycerin until pliable.

Aged urine turns to ammonia, which bleaches leather. Time to experiment with making something white?

there you have it.. If yours is higher quality, you certainly have the right to charge a higher price. sell the quality! and learn to streamline your processes to spend less time in production to improve your bottom line. Working in batches can help. If you're making several sets of like items, use patterns to cut them all at the same time. Then move on the next step that they all have in common, etc.

there are a few youtube vids that show sidewalk shoe repairing and sandal making done in Thailand or Pakistan etc. These guys use the machine day in, day out, and know how to use them. You don't see them making purses, jackets or saddles with it, though. Tinkerer's Delight is a true statement. I have a knack with mine now, but I still wouldn't try to get a professional looking stitch on fine leather with it. I use mine to repair things like the doggie seat cover in my pickup, making small canvas articles and such. I even repaired a pair of my own sneakers with mine. The hardest part of using it is keeping the seam straight with one hand while turning the crank with the other. You could add a motorised pulley to it, but I ain't gonna bother. So yeah, even though I have one, I'm still hand stitching my leather projects.

chrome tan is basically upholstery and clothing leather, soft and supple. It's next to impossible to tool it, edge it or burnish it, but it does make nice bags, jackets and even watch straps. veg tan is tooling leather. It's what you want if you need to stamp, carve, edge and burnish your project. It gets more supple with use. A light weight veg makes good watch straps, too.

Salt Lake

That was definitely a grand show! I wasn't so much hearing the music as I was seeing the sound pierce my brain. Loudest show I've ever seen.

Using waxed thread on light leather I don't see much difference in sewing effort, so why bother to wax it? I wax when it makes a difference.

Very light leather usually doesn't need waxing, heavy leather is easier to stitch with a coat of beeswax. I buy unwaxed thread and wax it myself when my project needs it. This also leaves me the option of using the thread on a machine. A 1/2 lb of beeswax will last a lifetime.

Sharpening and stropping a swivel knife, and all the other cutting tools used in leather, is a basic skill inherent to leatherwork you will want to develop. There are plenty of threads on this forum and tons of videos on youtube, reddit and elsewhere. fun bonus; you will have the sharpest pocket knives and kitchen knives in the neighborhood!

Oxalic acid is also sold as 'wood bleach'. Used to lighten similar stains on wood.