Ed in Tx

Just a thought on this one. Springfield Leather has a wallet kit that I think would work very well for a badge holder. I think it is called the "Hideaway". It is available in several variations. It has a flap that is intended to cover your currency and under it the piece has a slot for the cash. You would have to change it to a solid piece where you could attach your badge. It's worth taking a look at, in fact it is very similar to badge holders I have made in the past.

Dwight, Just remember to tell that to the paramedic that responds to some incident you or a family member might have in the future. You obviously have no clue. Why don't you respond to a traffic incident on a very busy highway where peoples lives are in danger. Dumb ass drivers don't have enough common sense to slow down and give them a wide berth so they can do their jobs. The drivers would rather take a picture with their cell phone so they can text it to some other idiot. As far as police officers go, despite what you might think or see on some prime time tv show, they do indeed face unknown risks every day. Maybe you should respond to an alarm at 3:00 a.m. where there was a break in not knowing if the perp is still in there armed and waiting. Respond to a family disturbance when someone is armed and threatening everyone. Or maybe talk to the families of the Dallas police officers who were shot by some wacko at a "protest". First responders deserve the same respect as members of the military. Their chosen profession is for their entire career not just 4 years.

I have a few questions, what sort of payment system do you use for orders? what is the average cost of shipping from Bulgaria to the United States? Looking at the stamps it appears as though they have a detachable post that you actually strike and the stamps themselves are just the bottom portion, is that correct? The stamps look like they make an excellent impression. Thanks

Why don't they offer a discount for first responders as well? Seems like police and firefighters deserve equal consideration.

I can't believe I am actually going to say this but.. the new Tandy Pro Edgers are pretty decent, they actually work quite well. Don't know what the prices are in the UK but here in the US they are $33 for gold level and I think $39 retail. They are worth a look and try at the store.

Also can't tool it either. I have used W&C bridle before to make firefighter radio straps and it worked great. In fact it is somewhat water resistant which made it perfect for the radio straps.

Is that bend the 7/8 oz Hermann Oak? I was looking for some 7/8 to make a few belts, what would the price for half of a bend cut lengthwise of course. Before someone jumps in and says 7/8 oz is too light for belts, I am topping them with a 2/3 oz shark or elephant. Anything heavier creates issues.

Those second clips are available from Paul Long. Paul had them made to his specifications and are by far the best available anywhere for small items. He uses them on his knife sheaths. Paul's business is in Kerrville. I can't find his card right now or I would give you his number.

Gee, That looks like the leather in my Ford F150 Lariat. Garbage is the best description I can think of. Technically it is called leather but in reality it is "bonded leather" They shave off the thinnest amount possible of the hide and attach it to a piece of material with an adhesive. I am not even sure there could be a weight designation given to the leather, maybe 1/4 oz??

Thanks CaptQuirk. Regarding the HolsterMold brand, having the trigger area filled in isn't a show stopper. If needed I could always break out my Dremel and cut it out as needed. As far as the dowel goes?? That one sure stumps me too.

CaptQuirk , I just happened to see your post and I have to say THANK YOU! I was not aware of the HolsterSmith web site. I decided to take a look at the gun molds they have and found a brand they carry called "HolsterMolds". I thought I was reading something wrong when I saw the prices, $38.95 for a mold gun and they had a wide variety. That sure beats the price for the other manufacturers. Not sure how they would hold up but worth taking a chance on in my opinion.

I have ordered from them a couple of times and the leather was great. Needed some bridle leather for a fireman's radio strap and they had by far the best prices and I didn't need to order an entire side since they had double shoulders. Their customer service is top notch.

The Stohlman Museum is located at the Tandy Store at 1900 SE Loop 820 Bldg B. Fort Worth, TX 76140. This is the largest Tandy retail store in the US. Their Headquarters is next door to the store. Personally I don't buy any leather from Tandy, what they call their top of the line tooling leather is basically junk from South America. I recently needed a piece of 7/8 oz tooling leather in a hurry so I went and looked at what they had. Needless to say I didn't buy any, the top of the line "Oak Leaf" looked like rejects from a tannery. They are bleached white in order to cover flaws in the hide.

They look great in my opinion. The green and gold work really well together.

I noticed in one of the posts that you are using a size 25 needle with a 277 thread, that isn't the correct needle size for 277. You should be using a size 24. The size 25 needle is too large, The manual that came with my Cobra has a sheet showing proper thread to needle size. The best thing you can do is practice, you aren't going to be a master sewer in a few days. It takes time an patience to progress. You will find times when a left foot works better than a right depending on what you are sewing and where the seam is. Practicing sewing curves and turns is also a good idea. There are numerous YouTube videos that were made specifically showing how to sew with a Cobra 4.

One thing to add. Even though you take a new needle from the package double check the point. I had a situation where I was having issues with fraying and the needle catching as it pulled up the bobbin thread. I had just place a new needle in the machine but when I took it out and looked at the point under a magnifying glass I found a small burr on the point. It wasn't much but it was enough to cause me a bunch of frustration trying to figure out what the problem was.

The Euro bends from Tandy are decent leather when they have them on sale at a large dicscount. Tandy shifted from selling leather per sq. ft. to their new pricing model of per piece a couple of years ago. When you actually calculate out the per sq. ft. cost of what they are selling it is beyond ridiculous. Some of the tooling leather pieces are in excess of $18 per sq. ft. You can buy twice as much WC or HO at those prices. I looked at some leather they had on sale that was supposed to be double shoulders, I don't know what kind of cattle they were using but it was sure small compared to what I have bought from Wickett and Craig or Hermann Oak.

Just an FYI for your future shark purchases, I buy my shark from Ostrich Market in Florida and I recently bought an 8 sq ft. hide that was perfect for $180. so I don't get in trouble advertising a supplier just Google Ostrich Market.. Henry is great to work with and goes the extra mile to help you out.. I was able to cut 4 long belts from the hide and still have plenty left.

Those are really nice stamps. What are they made of and how do you make them? Don't need any of those particular stamps but they are nice.

Plan on being there as well. I hope that there are a few more vendors this year than last. Was actually disapointed last year, several of the large vendors that had been there in prior years were absent. I noticed a note on the roundup's web page indicating a new location next year?? In any case I plan on spending too much cash as usual..

There is a woodworker supply company called "Woodcraft" that sells every type of wood imaginable. They have brick and mortar stores in many locations and sell online as well. Do a search for woodcraft.com and you can take a look at what they have. I have purchased from them several times for various woodworking projects and the folks in the stores are very knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions you might have.

Ditto on the Jerry Van Amburg recommendation. He usually has a wide variety of colors and sizes and his prices are great.

In my opinion the biggest obstacle that you face is most people aren't willing to pay for high quality custom handmade leather goods. People are either more interested in buying some cheap import junk or on the other end of the spectrum only interested in buying items with a designer name on it. Despite the fact you may well indeed produce higher quality items you aren't Gucci, Burberry or any other of the names. I have had the same issues, started trying the Etsy route a couple of weeks ago but not any luck yet. Hang in there sometimes it just takes a little time.

I have a Cobra 4 and have sewn with both combinations 277 top and 207 on the bobbin as well as 277 top and bobbin. For both combos I use a size 24 needle, I believe the needle size is dictated by what size thread you are using on top not the bobbin. One thing I can tell you is that when switching from using a lighter thread like a 138 with lighter weight leather to a 277 thread and heavier leather your stitch length will need to be adjusted. Also switching from a 138 to a 277 top thread you will definitely need to back off on your thread tensions, the presser foot tension usually doesn't need much adjustment at least not what I have done.

As far as any copyright or patent infringement goes you can copy any designer item down to the stitch counts as long as you don't put that makers insignia or emblem on the item. Making an exact copy isn't an issue as long as you aren't trying to pass it off as genuine.