swampbuck

Thanks for all the input. Blocking hacker RF/EM signals or other espionage is certainly not my concern on this project. My question about material is directed at selecting the proper type of fabric (nylon, polyester), I guess ... mainly concerning which would maintain proper thickness and longevity of the wallet. I guess I've decided in my head to not trim the top of the divider with leather, but instead sew a hemmed edge with whichever fabric I choose. I sew all leather by hand, but I do have an old Singer I use to hem pants and such, so it wouldn't be too intimidating to tackle this with that technique. Again, thanks the input! Maybe I'll report back with pics, etc if it would help the next person. Is there another term for this material? When I google "chevre" all I get back is goat cheese. Which was distracting, because that stuff is delicious!

Hey everybody! I've gotten a request for a men's wallet with one of those fabric divider thingies in the bill compartment. I'm wondering what would be the best material to use? I don't machine sew thin, rolled edges, etc on my wallet interiors. Instead I use 2-3oz HO, so I'm afraid getting the top of the divider trimmed in thinned down veg tan would result in too much overall thickness. Thanks in advance for any advice!

Can't really call it an action pic, but here's a little test run I did. They're steeper in angle than the craftools, plus the surface of the checkering is rounded a bit, so it's less chance of leaving individual tool marks.Tighter areas will be easier to handle now with the steep angle.

Oh yeah...the difference is immeasurable! Got the smallest braid basket stamp too. Thrilled with it as well, needless to say. I've been leathercrafting for a little over a year and have now discovered Hermann Oak leather and Barry King tools within the last month. My paycheck is now shaking in its shoes! Really does reaffirm the development of your skills when you switch over to quality leather and tools.

Now throwing away my similar-sized Craftool bevelers. That's all.

Yes, that definitely helps. May still consider a strap/snap closure since it'll be a ladies item and they tend to put their wallets in their purses, rather than in a back pocket or a side pocket of a backpack, etc. Great looking piece, BTW. I'm foreseeing the thread color issue for myself too since the interior doesn't seem to match Tandy's natural linen thread...will need to shop around, I guess. Thanks for the advice!

I just ordered that same interior from Springfield. Did you have any problems getting that wallet to stay shut? Did you sew it like a billfold and not connect the interior to the tooling leather around the fold? I'm making one for my sister and wondering if I need to modify my design to accommodate a snap closure strap. Thanks for any help.

Ahh...I see. Thanks for the clarification and all the help. I'm looking forward to starting this project!

Thanks for all the replies! I think I will do a little skiving around where the fold is....maybe about an inch wide swath. I'm assuming that I would have to wet, fold, and weight the fold in the leather before I applied the stain and finish? (I'm using eco-flo hi-lite and satin shene.) bkingery: Could you elaborate on why you'd recommend not grooving for my stitches? I practiced a little with my new stitching tools and really like how the groover made the stitches sit down in the leather. Thanks again!

Hey everybody, New here and about 1 month into my leathercrafting career! I recently bought a clutch purse to make my wife for valentines day: http://www.tandyleat...es/4317-00.aspx After doing 2 tandy kits already, I'm assured that I can't stand the look of the pre-punched stitching holes and would really like to do a professional-looking stitching job on this project. I've cut a piece of leather that matches the dimensions of the tooling leather provided in the kit. Additionally, I purchased a stitching groover, sewing awl, and a stiching wheel that matches the stitches per inch of the provided tooling leather and interior of the kit. All of this is fine and dandy, only issue I'm seeing is that the piece of leather that I have cut is thicker than the tooling leather provided in the kit. Is this going to give me issues when it comes time to assemble the project? I'm thinking it would make the purse tougher to close, or it may "fling" open when you undo the fastener clip. The tooling leather provided in the kit (from my limited experience) seems to be a 2 or 3 oz. The side I cut my piece from is about a 5 oz. I really don't want to go back and buy a big piece of 2 or 3 oz leather...I prefer the thicker for most of the projects I'll do in the near term. Thanks in advance for any help!