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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!

A year into my leatherwork hobby and i had asked for a Round Knife for Christmas. Being a novice, i suggested the Saddlers Round Knife as sold by LePrevo in UK. To be honest , i expected it to be a chinese knife, as the price was around half that of the knives sold by Dixon. Imagine my surprise and delight when opening the pressie on Christmas Day to see the words "Geo. Barnsley and Sons, Sheffield, England" engraved onto the face of the blade. After some careful honing and stropping I am absolutely blown away by how good a sharp round knife is. I have not tried any other round knife but i would not hesitate to recommend this one to anybody wanting a good cutting tool. My only wonder is why Le Prevo haven't haven't marketed the blade by mentioning the maker, and upping the price accordingly! adam