jcuk

Use a coat hanger add a piece of felt - why pay when you can make it yourself? Hope this helps JCUK

Just rewatching now never gets old

I believe the ones Abbey have are based on old Dixons pricking irons but could be wrong there. https://www.abbeyengland.com/abbey-traditional-pricking-iron-set-right-hand-9942.html https://www.abbeyengland.com/abbey-traditional-pricking-iron-set-left-hand-9948.html They also have these which come in sets of three handy for you and cheaper too but don't seem to be as substantial as the above. https://www.abbeyengland.com/abbey-traditional-oblique-pricking-iron-set-right-hand-10098.html https://www.abbeyengland.com/abbey-traditional-oblique-pricking-iron-set-left-hand-9965.html Left handed and Righted irons maybe of use to down the road with what you wanting to make think i have already mentioned this before in another thread. Both types are made in the far east i think. George Barnsley tools made in the UK https://www.georgebarnsleyandsons.co.uk/product-page/pricking-iron https://www.georgebarnsleyandsons.co.uk/product-page/pricking-iron-1 No frills there just do the job of stitch marking so no spoon feeding here. Hope this helps JCUK

It also works better slightly heated up when applying penetrates the fibres better just remember a little goes a long way - its easy to saturate your leather/project and you will be lucky to save it if you do apply to much. Its used a lot in racing stables for tack that is going to be stored or tack that has been stored. I have seen many items of tack with way to much neatsfoot oil on rendered useless for a long time because it has been saturated with people applying it cold and way to much. Hope this helps JCUK

Was it a black cat

More important to get the right SPI ( sorry old money ) than the width of the iron, you will be able to get various widths of irons from Blanchard in the same SPI, as long as the SPI remains the same, a narrower iron will do the job just means using your iron more to mark the required length of work to be stitched. One thing on stitching chisels they have a place i know but remember they are a cutting tool not just a marking tool, so the edges will need more maintenance over time then pricking irons i had my pricking irons 25+ years never had to sharpen them no maintenance at all just mark and and stitch. JCUK Congrats you have come in from the dark side. Sorry could not resist JCUK

If you are going to go on this course https://www.amblardleatheratelier.com They have a recommended tools list which i believe the Blanchard pricking irons will fit their patterns/templates all pricking irons from different manufacturers will be slightly different in theirs spi even if they say they 10 spi they will vary slightly. The other tools may not matter. With any cutting tool i strop before use and after less time spent on sharpening them. JCUK

Lets hope common sense prevails

Agree these are cheap pricking irons that might get you started. https://www.abbeyengland.com/abbey-traditional-oblique-pricking-iron-set-right-hand-10098.html https://www.abbeyengland.com/abbey-traditional-oblique-pricking-iron-set-left-hand-9965.html Linked to both Left and right might be useful to you later in your journey into leather craft. They also have heavier pricking irons at not to bad a price too but maybe more aimed at the saddlery/ Harness industry again in Left and right handed too. As for a Round knife there are many out there, again here is a single head knife will do anything thing a round knife will do easier to use and sharpen much less learning curve also. I started with one of these many moons ago cheap as chips still go strong now. https://www.abbeyengland.com/barnsley-single-head-knife-552.html Again hope this helps JCUK

If you are thinking about doing the Leather Masterclass and later the Amblard Leather Atelier in person, courses they are more likely going to teach you the old school way to double hand stitch (saddle stitch) using pricking irons and awl so if it was me i would get pricking irons and awl and learn the best i can from youtube books or maybe someone local to you can teach you this, its far better in the long run to know how to do this, anyone who has leant to double stitch using the traditional method can move onto stitching chisel with no problem cant see that being the case the other way round. As for tool quality buy the best quality your budget allows good tools will always sell better than poor quality tools if you decide this is not for you, buy what you think you will need to just to get you started you started even if it means buying more tools along the way we have had to do this along the way. Hope this helps JCUK

Have look at these .https://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/p/9943/d-rings-loops/mw/small-bag-loop https://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/p/9944/d-rings-loops/mw/mini-bag-loop In fact have a look at this page, you might find some other interesting fitting. https://www.macculloch-wallis.co.uk/c/825/d-rings-loops I am going to have a better look myself later. Hope this helps JCUK

Don't use stitching chisels but you need to punch into a firmer surface to punch into. Yes it will warp/distort your stitching line. Hope this helps JCUK

Here is a couple of designs that may give you some ideas. https://www.equusleather.co.uk/belts/the-guards-belt.html http://www.christopherlong.co.uk/gal/Leatherwork/slides/20180228 Stable Belt Leather Heavy Buckle Elastic 04.jpg Hope this helps JCUK

Still stand by that, in my time i have replaced many girth billets on race exercise half tree saddles, the trees are made out of alloy nothing covering the bare rough finish of the metal which the saddle webbing for the billets had been attached wrapped around causing friction which led to the webbing wearing thin and fraying, unknown to the person who's saddle it may have been if i did not drop the front of the saddle to replace the billets i would not have seen this so had to replace the webbing also to both sides of the tree i covered the rough alloy in vet wrap to stop the wear and tear and then did the repair, clearly a design fault in the tree at that time which has been put right now. My point being you never know what might be lurking out of sight, just splicing new billets onto the old ones you need to check the webbing also you can have look at the tree to see if there maybe any problems there too. I have seen tack fail through various reasons be they leather, webbing even the metal fitting such as buckles the bit, stirrup bars also seen brand spanking new tack fail (not mine might i add) neglect shoddy repairs even turned work down because of previous repairs that in my opinion were unsafe only to be told they will take it somewhere else to be done, and this was their child's tack and yes they may have got away with it but one thing i have learned about being around horses is never say never where horses are concerned because we have a saying there's nothing that will make you look like a (not a nice word) than a horse. JCUK

Have to say if i gave you my £2000 plus saddle to repair the girth billets i would not except that as a repair, also have to say i would not even pay you for your time sorry if that sounds harsh but getting away with something does not make it right, also bad advice to someone just starting out in saddlery business if you are going to do it do safely. Regards JCUK

I would recommend to get some training on doing this type of repair because of the safety aspects to this kind of repair. you can get billets here https://www.abbeyengland.com/leather-and-materials/leather/girth-strap.html here is a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1tRWzgJ_YU i would recommend using a scratch awl rather than a stitching awl less likely to cut or tear the webbing. This also maybe of some interest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sisWUc-WjuM Hope this helps JCUK

I can't honestly say if it would work for you maybe contact the company for there advice, all i can say is in the last year i have saved 3 race exercise saddles and various bridles and other bits of tack from being thrown in the bin, because they were being stored in plastic bags which were then sealed one of the saddles was soaking wet when they sealed it in the bag, despite me telling them this is not a good practice they still do it now, you can tell they are not the ones paying for the tack. i asked them what are you going to do with the tack, its going in the bin because it was covered in mould and had not been cleaned in a age before it went into the bags. I said give them to me i cleaned them up using the said products cant say restored them to new as they had a hard life in a racing yard, but were put back into service they could not tell which ones they were when they went back to the yard. The thing they don't seem to understand to replace those saddles and bridles would cost around £3000 that's why i said you can tell they were not the ones who would be paying for the new tack. Buy the way that's nice work and a good job of cleaning it up looks almost new, the thing with leather for me is were its get some wear and tear and age it becomes unique to the owner can only be their belt wallet bag or what ever. JCUK

The latest stitching chisels seem to me to be the main culprit at the moment, newer better ones every week or so it seems - people saying just got these and they don't seem as good as the newer ones from that maker, chasing the latest model not a good policy. Hermes Louis Vuitton and other fine leather goods makers have been using Vergez Blanchard other old tool makers of forever they don't feel the need to change every week, Same in the saddlery industry. Yes i know some maybe trading on their reputation but the tools still seem to work if the effort is put in on using the tools you already have. Hope this helps JCUK

I use wooden Golf tees for burnishing buckle tongue slots had the same ones for 25 years, also use a ski/snowboard scraper to help finish some edges to hide the join on some pieces of work cost £4. JCUK

Hello. Clean http://www.carrdaymartin.co.uk/product/belvoirconditioning-soap/ Feed http://www.carrdaymartin.co.uk/product/belvoirleather-balsam/ Hope this helps JCUK

Or it could be Chinese whispers

You can get a straight stitch using angled pricking irons also you can achieve a straight stitch using stitching chisels just don't punch all the way through your work, its the way you use you awl - don't follow the angle of the mark hold it flat and pierce your work and pull the stitch level both sides of your work, and then i did punch all the way through the leather to see if you can get a straight that way and yes you can get a straight stitch using the same method the stitching chisels, i used were Craftool fine stitching chisels they can give a nice enough stitch angled or not. So the answer might be if you can achieve both stitching styles using angled irons these would be the ones i would go for. As for calling them French style stitching irons not for me Dixons Osborne and of course Blanchard were all angled so if someone can shed some light on why they are suddenly being called French style pricking irons, i could be wrong so if someone can put me right please say. Hope this helps JCUK

This may help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsPJhIocXzM Hope this helps JCUK

English members only maybe further afield COYS is this for real this year. Mugged Man City at home., or to end in tears again. JCUK

Maybe more than you want to pay but it would be a good investment. https://brucejohnsonleather.com/leather-tools-sale/leather-bench-machines-sale/ #9410 Hope this helps JCUK