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Thanks Silvia! - thats exactly what i have been doing! Only problem is that the editor doesn't always appear when starting a new topic This is what shows up in my browser... as you can see there is no way to do what you have described until after the initial New Topic has been posted, then I can hit the Edit option and the page you described becomes visible... I noticed on this page, there is a tiny triangle at the upper right corner, which toggles the options on/off. Unfortunately this is not visible on the New Entry page! The really odd thing is that sometimes the options are visible and sometimes they are not. I havent needed to use them enough when starting a topic to have really noticed the options until recently, but then it might also be a browser issue! Not everything reads html the same. adam

thanks everyone...now i understand. Its not so much the blade thats the problem as the bearings or lack thereof. I'll stick with what i have and spend any spare cash (ha!) on leather for the foreseeable.

maybe i was lucky, but the swivel knife that came in my Tandy kit seems fine to me. I have never used one before, but after spending a while honing and stropping it when i first got it, it seems to cut well. I have done quite a few cuts this past year, and my technique has improved with every project, the knife has given no hints that its dodgy. Please could someone explain what it is about these Tandy knives that people seem to have problems with? I'm keen to know if a more costly knife would improve anything for me.

nice! good designs and practical too. simplicity usually looks better, but its also harder to pull off as its easier for errors to show, but its the errors that we learn from! Personally i quite like the odd mishap as it makes the piece more unique, and shows it is not machined. Couple of things i spotted (mainly because I have done them myself) - sewing groove was cut after the dye applied, so the channel appears lighter. If i do this i use a fine brush to apply the dye just to the channel. On one piece the groove was cut before the leather was folded, leaving a visible groove around the fold where the stitching ended. I would have marked the stich holes first, then cut the groove only between the holes to be stitched. Hows Cleckheaton these days? I lived there for years before having to move to the wrong side of the hill. adam

weird! you're right - its there now, although when i wrote the original post it most definitely was not! I can only assume one of the site webmasters has cured it. Thanks very much, whoever sorted it. adam

it wouldn't confuse me, Its just a while since i used any html and can't remember the exact codes needed!

thanks Paul, very useful in helping me gauge what i might need to make a similar bag.

sorry if this is a dumb question...does that 12sq ft include the lining or is that another 12sq ft? adam

rather proud of these.... I made the first for myself and it works great...a colleague on a business trip liked it and commission one as a gift for her husband, and now i have made three more as gifts for friends and family. All hand stitched veg-tan leather, dyed with Fiebings English tan on outside and Oxblood inside. And by reducing the dimensions, adding an extra pocket and not stitching across the top of all pockets the pattern works great for credit card wallets too... adam

first off - this forum is a great resource. I have learned more on here than i could have hoped for. I have found a strange anomaly though, when starting a new Topic. The entry page allows you to attach files by uploading them, which is fine, but unlike the Reply forms, there is no additional coding options, such as adding links etc. I have images already uploaded into my Gallery, that i would like to refer to in a new Topic. I have the image address but the Entry page provides no clue regarding how i can add it. Simply pasting the link does not show the image, and as my html is almost non-existent, I'm not sure how to proceed. It seems silly to upload the image again, taking up valuable space on your servers, and using up your bandwidth allocations. Is it possible to include the scripting options already available on the Reply forms to the New Topic forms? thanks Adam just discovered a clumsy workaround....if i make the entry then once its online click the edit button then all the scripting options become available!

just out of interest - how much leather did you need for the project?

wow - really good looking bag! Thats just the kind of project i'm working myself up towards. Not sure which worries me more... making it or buying all the leather!

I think it looks great Kate, and i like the practicality of the long jaws, but it looks awkward to use because the leather is facing you rather than perpendicular to you. I find its much quicker if you can use both hands to pass the needles through and more accurate because you can put equal pressure on both sides of the saddle stitch. I saw a great looking clamp a few days ago - i'm going to have to try and make a version of this for myself... http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=44874&st=15 halfway down the page Nigel has attached a saddlers clamp to a log - looks fantastic! adam

you'll find the sharper your swivel knife, the easier it is to cut curves. So keep on honing that blade! Also, making sure the leather is cased properly will also help with the cuts. I guess its a Tandy kit, as my starter kit had the exact same pattern! I found a whole world of improvement just from working on leather i bought rather than the stuff in the kit

easiest way around that problem (with the tightening knob ) is to use a large spring clamp to hold the jaws shut (and its also easier to hold different sizes of work without the drilled hole/screw dictating maximum size of leather. I made mine from two slats of wood with leather covered wooden jaw strips at one end and the other fixed to a small block which is also fixed to a horizontal slat. This sits under your knees and holds the pony in place while you stitch in front of the tv. I cut the slats to a comfortable working height for me - sit with a slat between your knees and decided where you would be happy to hold your arms up and mark it..simple!.. I based the whole thing on the photo of a pony on Tandys website, and took all of 30mins to make. adam

came up with an ultra cheap way of transfering a computer printout onto leather... simply print your design on normal printer paper, then turn it over and cover the rear side with strips of wide packing tape. I also put a layer on the front side, but thats probably overkill. Then you case the leather and trace over the design as normal...works a treat, and the tape helps prevent your pen from piercing the paper. The design is also re-useable. adam

Edge - I started out a year ago when my wife bought me Tandys Standard Starter kit. Theres plenty of projects, tools and dyes, glues etc. Working through the projects gives a good basic understanding of the techniques. That was enough to convince me i was hooked. SO i bougt some cheap leather and just dived in. First thing i made on my own was a pouch for a leatherman. Using the info on this link as the initial inspirationhttp://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=31601 i just adjustd it for my needs and was really pleased with the results. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=galleryℑ=16682 Ian Atkinson has some very good videos online http://ianatkinson.net/leather/videos.htm and he specialised in knife pouches, so give them a viewing. As already said, the main thin gis to practice, learn from your mistakes, and read up on stuff - this forum is excellent, and there are loads of good books that wil help you...Al Stohlman wrote masses of books, and is often quoted as a great source of info. I have three of his books and they have been very useful. I always find it helps to have a project in mind before starting, otherwise you'll be floundering in a sea of information. A project helps focus you on what you need to learn to complete that job. good luck adam

Thanks Nigel, wasn't aware of the first three suppliers! Typical though, before i ever got into leather (ooh err!) I love less than a mile from Abbey, now they're 30 miles away. Is the leather strap with the hinge how you achieve the tension on your pony? Promise i'll stop bugging now! adam

ahh, right. That must be the difference between a quality Iron like yours or the cheapo i bought which seems to whack substantial slots into the leather! I'm still getting the 6 stitches per inch, but its quite easy to push the needles through at the same time without any extra awl work. I spent some time honing each tine on the iron this weekend but have yet to see if that improves its handling any. Really impressed with your Log Stitching Pony...is it your own design? care to show it off a little? Finally, curiosity forces me to ask where you buy your veg-tan, as its not the easiest stuff to source in the UK? regards Adam

definitely keep your blade razor sharp, otherwise it will pull and stretch your leather and the cut will be wonky! I would certainly second the comment about a round knife - had mine a couple of weeks and am absolutely amazed by how clean and easily it cuts. adam

really useful videos Nigel. Thanks! And there's nowt wrong with a northern accent! I do have one question thats been bugging me since i watched the videos (and its probably a dumb beginners question) - why use the awl if you have already bashed the holes through with the Pricking Iron? adam

Hi Ben, I have been hooked for a year now! I got a couple of the Stohlman books this christmas, and remember seeing a project for making a holster for a two way radio in the 1st Volume of Art of Making Leather Cases... sounds like it could be the kind of thing you might need. Whilst there is a ton of information out there, its not until you start to actually make something that you start to learn. The Tandy starter kit was enough to spark the interest. It wasn't until i bought a piece of leather and made my first "own design" project that i really started to get the bug...but be warned - its damned addictive! happy leatherbashing! adam

Hi Chavez...I have just started using a round knife to cut my leather and find its fantastic for reducing the distortion problems. I had exactly the same issue and think its because most knives are pulled through the leather, stretching it as it goes. The round knife is pushed through and if its sharp enough (keep on honing!) it seems to pass through like butter. Plus you have the option to rock the blade and get a scissor like cut. My round knife came from Leprevo in Newcastle. Surprisingly, they just describe it as "Saddlers Round Knife" - yet when it arived i was very pleasantly surprised to find its made by Geo. Barnsley & Sons in Sheffield, who are supposed to make very good tools! The Leprevo price is half what you would pay for a knife at Tandys! I wish i had bought one months ago. adam

some web trawling reveals that a couple of years back, the Barnsley brothers bought a woodturning business following the collapse of the original tool business and from that have continued to supply some of their back catalogue of other tools. I also read that they had re-registered the Barnsley name and trademark and were intending to re-issue some tools. Info was very scant, and they don't seem to have a website, so I am assuming that this is possibly a new tool made to old specs. Its in too good a condition to have been left on a shelf for years!