Ed in Tx

Ditto on the Cobra 4 P package. I bought mine about 2 years ago and have never had a problem. I had never used a sewing machine in my life until I bought the Cobra, within about a week I was able to sew fairly well and within a month was doing whatever I needed. Sure makes life a lot easier no question.

A friends wife runs a therapy riding program for kids and they asked me if I could repair a bridle that broke. Since they are a non-profit I told them I would be happy to fix it for them even though horse tack isn't something I normally do. I know I can fix what is broken by replacing a piece of the bridle, my issue is what type of leather is normally used for bridles? I have plenty of veg-tan and other hides I use for making holsters, wallets etc. but know it isn't right for a bridle. So bottom line question is what type leather is used in bridles? You help is appreciated

Awesome job. The brick work is incredible, the texture of the bricks themselves and the mortar lines look real. The praying hands are an artwork in themselves. The people that miss out on your work in the future will be sad.

I hate to recommend anything that is from Tandy, however, the new Pro Waterstain product they sell is fantastic. It comes in several colors and works better than most any alcohol based stains I have used. It is a water based product so it should be perfectly safe. In fact I used it on the collars I made my two labs. One thing to be aware of though, the red and blue colors are not true red and blue. I know that sounds strange but they are not what I would say true red and blue are. They are actually on sale now I believe, you definitely don't want to pay the normal Tandy rip off price,.

I currently don't need any strips but wanted to just say thank you for making sure the length is at least 60". I have purchased belt strips in the past and have had issues with the length being too short. I guess some people don't realize that not everyone in the world has a 34" waist. I have had several people order belts that wanted 42" - 44" belts and in order to accomplish that a 52" strip just doesn't cut it. When you consider that fact that you need about 6" for the buckle fold and at least another 6" from the center hole to the belt tip a 52" strip won't be enough.

I guess on the positive side you didn't lose the awl and it was within reach to pick it up! Ouch!

DO NOT make the mistake of ordering holster clips from Ohio Travel Bag. I ordered several last year in a couple of different variations in black and they were all absolute junk. I just tossed them in the trash rather than putting them on a holster for a customer. The finish on them was terrible and the edges were so sharp on some they would cut you. The metal they used was flimsy and had no spring to it. I had been ordering from Tandy but their prices have gotten ridiculous. I may have to check out JRM of Bluegun.

You need to apply for a patent for that before Tandy does, they will be trying to sell them for $200 each. Seriously though.. that is a really smart idea. Trying to keep the letters aligned is a real hassle and you came up with simple solution to the problem.

I saw the Power Mallet at the Wichita Falls Boot and Saddle Roundup. I imagine that it would be useful for doing large amounts of tooling, however, the price they were asking was a bit steep in my opinion. it was a little over $1000 which seems high considering what it is. Looks like a reciprocating motor that is basically the same as power chisel you use with a compressor.

The "Goldfinger" holster is great! What type of dye did you use on that one? Did you use gold thread or did you color it with the dye? The tooling on all of the items is really nice, they are true custom work.

I have gotten a couple of really nice pieces of granite from a local countertop shop. I just asked them if I could look at the scrap and found a couple of the sink cutouts. One was 18" wide and 16" deep and the other was an oval shape from a bathroom sink I guess. I paid a total of $20 for both. The edges weren't buffed so I just put a heavy grit sanding disk in my drill and polished them. Sure beats paying Tandy some ridiculous price.

Joyce, I am envious of your ability to turn out those templates. They sure make laying out a complicated pattern easier. The finished holster looks great as well.

For the cayman hides I have, I store them rolled up very loose. Most critical is keeping any leather stored out of direct sunlight.

I had the coldest winter in my life when I spent 3 months working in Yorkton Saskatchewan in 1977. I grew up in Upstate New York in the foothills of the Adirondak Mnts. and I thought it was cold there until I got of the plane in Regina and it was 36 degrees below zero before the wind chill. Got frostbite on my ears the first day. I couldn't believe how cold it was, car lights didn't work until they warmed up and everybody had 2 electrical plugs for their cars so they didn't freeze. Been living in Texas for 30 plus years now and I am freezing if it gets below 50 degrees, today it is 27 and I can't wait for the 80 degree days of March.

The same sort of issue can occur when cutting a belt strap from a large hide. I also use clamps on the straight edge to keep it from slipping, they work like a charm. If you are using the angled knife from Tandy that uses utility blades I would recommend trying Lennox brand blades that they sell at Home Depot, they have a titanium coated edge and in my experience cut better and longer than others I have used. They cost a bit more than some of the others but I can use the same blade a lot longer than other brands. For the hand stitching issue I have used a thonging chisel to make my holes, in order to keep the aligned use a straight edge to start your holes on the opposing sides. Doing that will guarantee that you are lined up.

I honestly don't know how Tandy even stays in business with the way they price everything. I realize they have different pricing levels if you are willing to fork out either $35 or $150, the gold pricing isn't that great and I sure won't pay the another $150 for elite. Even with the elite pricing I can normally buy the exact same product from Springfield Leather for less and get great customer service as well. Tandy opened their new "super store" next to their HQ earlier in the year, I have gone there a couple of times when I needed something in a hurry or a sale item, unfortunately the people they have staffed the place with are completely clueless about leather work with one or two exceptions. It is like shopping a Walmart and asking someone for computer help.

I too would recommend contacting Jerry. He usually has a wide variety of stingray in stock. In addition he is a great person to deal with and always does his best to meet your needs.

Several suppliers sell kangaroo leather that comes in a wide variety of colors. I think both Weaver and Sheridan carry kangaroo in the weight you are looking for.

For what it is worth I used a plastic coat hanger and cut several different lengths to accommodate the different barrel lengths. I used a hacksaw blade to cut a notch on one end to slide on the sight. Blue painters tape works well to keep it in place when forming and you don't have to worry about residue on the gun if you are using an actual gun rather than a blue gun.

I found out what the other one was by the manufacturers name on the machine. Probably can do the same if this one has a name on it. Maybe I will get lucky and this one has something to do with making bourbon.

I got my press in the mail on Saturday. Tried it out first thing and it works great even on the ligne 20 snaps which usually cause me major grief. It is worth 10 times the price just to save my sanity.. not really 10 times but sure as heck beats paying 3 times as much for the crappy little press Tandy sells.

It is amazing the amount of information you can find on Google. What you have there has absolutely nothing to do with leather or leatherwork. It is a Candy Cutter!! Do a Google search for Mills & Bros. Phila PA. and you can even see one for sale on worthpoint. Oh I almost forgot... Do I won a prize for correctly identifying the mystery object?

The deal that Sylvia found is through a company called Goldstar Tool. The url is http://goldstartool.com/ I ordered the press a couple of days ago, hopefully it will arrive soon. You can't beat the deal they have anywhere, the press and one set of dies is $54.99, additional die sets are $19.99 and they have more variety of dies than any I have seen. The deal Sylvia worked out gets you even more. They have dies for every rivet, grommet, snap and almost anything you use as a fastener. Plus shipping in the U.S. is FREE. Personally I wouldn't take a chance on the ones from eBay, you may never find dies that work with it.

I hate to recommend anything from Tandy but there is one exception I have found. The new Pro Waterstain is incredible stuff. It is actually made by a company in Italy called Fenice, they specialize in leather dyes and other leather finishing products. The black dye is the best stuff I have ever used, I tried Angelus, Fiebings oil and alcohol based but none compare to the Pro Waterstain. The only colors that aren't true to their name are the red and blue, they are not what I would call a true red or blue. I have used several other colors and they are all great. Don't pay the regular price though, wait for a sale even if you are getting Elite pricing. The finishes they have are also top notch, made by Fenice as well. I don't know how Tandy stays in business with the ridiculous prices they have.

Ray, Just an FYI, I don't think Tandy still sells all of the kits, you might want to just give a price on them. Just a thought.