lightingale

I had that problem at first. I was using a clear plastic ruler that I could see through, thinking it would speed things along as I could see what I was doing. However, it had a tendency to slip and slide over the leather, warping my straight cuts. I bought a metal ruler with a non-skid cork backing, and that fixed the problem! For stamping in a straight line, lightly scribe a guide line using a ruler and your stylus or scratch awl to keep you on track.

Good point about the light affecting the leather. At the Tandy near me, they roll up the vegetable-tanned leather (the more expensive pieces, anyway) and wrap them in brown paper. Last time I bought bends, I had an employee unwrap a few of them for me so I could pick out the nicest pieces. I had a cheaper shoulder rolled up and sitting out in the light for a few weeks, and the parts that were exposed turned a darker colour, kind of like a suntan.

I've never made a holster, but if I did I'd airbrush it two-tone. Such as tan and dark brown, or red and black.

I too, think it fits the time period. Lovely work, the detail in the painting really stands out against the black leather.

Lovely setup! Looks like you can reach everything from where you sit. I'm in the process of planning my workstation so I can finally clear off the kitchen table, and I hope mine will be as streamlined and organized

If you want to integrate your gallery into your website, and if you're using WordPress for your blog/site, I highly recommend the "Photocrati" WordPress theme (no affiliation). It costs about $80, but gives you precise control and allows you to use interesting flash transitions and slideshows. Also, the photos are uploaded to your own server so you're not relying on someone else's service. I've started playing with it on my own site (still under construction), so you can see how some of the default gallery options look with leather SalukiFeathers

Thanks for this thread. I thought I was stuck with Tandy leather because of importing hassles. Good to know otherwise!

What tools do you have, the basic 7? (swivel knife, camouflage, seeder, pear shader, beveler etc) You can do just about anything with the basic 7 which comes with most beginner leathercraft kits. If not, you can always do a geometric design around the border with the stamps that you do have, and maybe carve and mat down an initial or a symbol in the center. That's how I made my first coasters

Stunning! And it looks big enough to fit a body in it

Since learning to saddle-stitch, I'd like to hand-sew dog collars instead of riveting them (sewn looks nicer and allows me to use a lining if I want). My question is on how to secure a dee ring (where all the force of a pulling dog is concentrated) so that there's no chance of it pulling out even with a powerful Rottweiler at the end of the leash. My first thought was to stitch it like this: Would that be strong enough? Maybe sew it like this and then add a rivet or two for good measure? A style I've never seen before, found on google, looks like this: This one is interesting although I'd have to remake my templates. The dee ring is at the very end of the strap and the buckle end feeds through it before it's buckled up. Thoughts?

Good advice, everyone. I'm obsessing a bit because I want to be sure I don't sit at my new workbench and think "I wish I asked for x..." Getting it into the room won't be an issue because it's on the ground floor with only a sliding door in the way. I agree that it's a good idea to visualise it as well as possible with boxes etc. I think for height, I'll make it at a height that is comfortable to work with while standing, and get a chair that adjusts so that I can work sitting also. There isn't much room for shelves on the bench as there's a window in front, a window in side, and a closet beside it, but I hope the drawers and storage space in the closet will make up for it. Does anyone have an opinion on embedding a granite slab in the bench surface (for tooling)?

Yes, indeed he is a Saluki! He's 9 months old so his feathering hasn't all grown in yet. I also have a grizzle female (you can see just her leg in the background). I can see how it would be difficult to make harnesses to sell, as they seem to require fitting to each individual dog. I'm debating whether I should try selling something similar to this online, but I think the sizing headaches would make it not worth it. Nice that you found a pattern and system that works well for you

Your harness is beautiful, Mijo. This post interested me because last week, I too, made a leather harness for my dog to practice hand sewing. I used veg tanned leather, and it doesn't look nearly as polished as yours. I love the idea of using eyelets to reinforce the holes. I can't imagine that a little dog could pull hard enough to warp it, but it looks fantastic against that red. My backstitching is quite a bit more obvious than yours. I'd like to buy a thinner thread next time and see how that works. The design was based off the EasyWalk harness that I currently use with him, but doesn't fit him properly because as a sighthound he has a very deep, but narrow chest. The problem with it is that it pulls to the side as he puts pressure on it, so next time I'll attach a loop chain to two D rings in the front that will constrict the front piece as he pulls.

I got married this weekend (yay!), and my new husband is gifting me with a commissioned, custom leathercraft work bench. I've wanted a work bench for a long time so I can move my hobby off the kitchen table, and figured I'd pick up a simple desk with drawers at a garage sale or something. Well, I'm getting a custom one made by a fantastic carpenter, and he'll build anything I ask for. Right now, I'm thinking of a simple desk as wide as our designated space will allow (8 feet by 2 1/2 feet), with drawers on either side of it to keep tools within easy reach. We're converting a spare bedroom into a workroom, so I have access to a closet to store leather out of the light. The bench will be against a window. I prefer to sit while I work, although I see a lot of leather benches are meant for a standing person. Never having had a "real" workbench before, I wanted to ask you folks what features would make your "dream" workbench.

Sounds like you've set up a nice workshop! I envy you that! I'm still working from the kitchen table, and I've accumulated various plastic totes and bins in an attempt to stay organized and neat. I tend to leave most of my most-used tools on the table. It drives my mother-in-law crazy, but hubby doesn't mind! We eat at the kitchen island anyway Good luck with your projects!

Interesting belt design, and nicely executed! I'll admit at first glance I thought it was a corset. I've never seen anything like that. Do you have plans for other pieces of armor?

I saw those at Michael's the other day. They also had star rivets. Oddly, they were Tandy brand but the (Canadian) Tandy website didn't have it. You might have some luck with eBay?

Gorgeous, nice work!

Another thing you can try is gouging the leather. I've never done this myself, but you can get a tool that will cut a v shaped gouge into the leather, enabling you to fold it sharply. The tool looks like this:http://www.tandyleatherfactory.ca/en-cad/8082-00.aspx?countryid=998 If you wet the leather in order to fold it, you can allow it to dry before stitching as it should hold its shape.

I had this problem with dog collars when folding the strap over the buckle, and found that if I wet the leather, it not only won't crack, but it holds its shape even when dried. I bend it when I've just finished tooling and it's still wet from casing. The "bend" hasn't been an issue for me during dyeing and finishing. There might be a better way, but this has worked for me so far. Other causes of your issue could be that you're using a low quality leather or (I did this a few times) used too much spirit dye and let the alcohol make it WAY too stiff.

Add me please. I'm well over 18. I recently sold a dog collar to a human who wants to wear it herself, and I'm thinking I could expand the repertoire of items I sell.

I got the same kit a few months ago and had no difficulty dying the background black with a fine brush, and then using the hi-lite and satin shene from the kit. The only thing I can think of, is perhaps you didn't let your dyes dry completely before finishing it? I also applied the satin shene with a soft brush, which may have helped prevent ruboff. That being said, I've learned that most of the eco flo stuff is crap (including the tools). Fiebing's all the way.

Grats! It's a great feeling, isn't it? You'd be surprised how fast business picks up as you add more items and make more sales. My shop has been around since mid-April and the volume of sales, convos and inquiries has been steadily increasing. It's a great way to keep working with leather without it becoming a COMPLETE money sinkhole (although I still spend more on leather tools than my sales bring in, hehe). What's the link to your Etsy shop?

I too, have an Etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SalukiFeathers I do custom orders for dog collars, and in the two months I've been open, average 2-3 sales per month. It seems to be picking up... I do it because it's fun and to help pay for my tools (I'm nowhere close to breaking even, hehe) and it gives me a great opportunity to practice my skills. So far I'm only using Paypal. Last I checked the direct billing wasn't working for Canada. The funds tend to sit in Paypal until I spend it ordering leather supplies

I've made cuffs out of the 8-9oz cutoffs from making belts and dog collars. It is thick, and ultimately I think it comes down to personal preference. 5-7 oz is probably more ideal, especially for something as fine as a watch strap.