TonyV

I've had to do that (more than) a few times. A 1/8" drill bit in the drill press or hand drill will do it. Using a center punch first will help. I've also had success using a small pair of diagonal cutting pliers, gently worked under the cap until I could get in enough to cut the post.

Yeah, white thread gets dirty fast, so I don't use it except for utility pieces. Usually black or brown on all my work. I have a beautiful Leatherman sheath gifted to me by my daughter and SIL, built by a pro saddle maker. White stitching got grungy looking in a matter of days (I use my tools!).

Nice build! Love the design and especially the finish. Mind your cardiologist. I was there 9 years ago. I wonder if there is some way to integrate cardio training into leathercraft...

If you are installing rivets or snaps on the sheath you will find that some rivets and snaps come with the correct setter, anvil and hole punch. some don't come with them, however, so pay attention while shopping. But a well sewn joint doesn't need rivets, and snaps are not period correct. A frog or button made of leather, bone or antler plus a thong would work well and look great. The first leather project I built about 12 years ago was a Slim Jim holster for my 1858 Remington clone. No metal on the holster at all. I used a plastic computer stylus inserted in my daughter's drawing compass to mark the sewing line, an old dinner fork I sharpened as a pricking iron, my Speedy Stitcher to pierce the holes and I dyed it with espresso coffee and treated it with NFO. I used a single needle to sew, going first one way then back on itself. I used a "stitch rivet" technique that I had seen on an antique holster, which is a set of stitches at each end that goes around back on the main line I wet formed the holster on the pistol. I probably have a bunch of needle cuts in the thread, but it is still holding together and used to this day and will probably outlast me. It definitely looks like an amateur built it, but it doesn't look half bad and it is period correct.

One can always put on more clothing to stay warm when it gets cold but taking off clothes to stay cool when it gets hot could get one tossed into jail! Merry Christmas to all, even to the Grinches.

That bright led light behind you is likely casting the most shadow. Try turning it off and using the 2 desk lamps, perhaps adding another or repositioning the led so it's not shadowing your body.

Limiting yourself to just 1 platform is very limiting indeed. Use multiple platforms. Add in FB, Etsy, etc. Sell at craft fairs and farmers markets. Also, expand your product lines. Limiting yourself to 1 product line is limiting indeed.

Once upon a time, leather tops on desks were a luxury, a status symbol. My dad had a leather-top desk and I don't know what happened to it. That is a sweet desktop! IMO, you should have started with a smoother piece of upholstery leather if you wanted a smooth final product. But, it is what it is, and it is beautiful. Don't bother trying to smooth it out, there is too great a chance of ruining it. Using a blotter pad to write on, as was the common practice in the old timey days, is likely your best choice. Let the leather wear an acquire patina as it will.

Very nice! That's more valuable than my bestest fly rod!

The tooling ain't too dodgy. The camo tool strikes are a tad out of alignment in relation to the basket weave, but otherwise the line looks real straight and it's an interesting pattern. No one will notice the misalignment when you pull out your card to pay for groceries. Let us know how well the neatsfoot oil works over the olive oil. I'd bet a whole dollar it will come out fiine. You don't have to be ashamed of this piece. Just learn from your mistakes and do better next time.

dye it by sections, as previously suggested. By my way of thinking, I might want to try a different color down the road. Dip gets the smoothest result.

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!