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Mark842

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Posts posted by Mark842

  6. Posted · Report reply

    We average about 1000 packages out a month. 99% we use 1st class package. We are seeing minor delays everywhere. Basically most items would arrive in 2 business days anywhere in the US before this mess hit. Now it is 4-5 business days with the exceptions of New York and Chicago which have been absolute nightmares. Pretty much every package that has gone into the Bronx distribution center  since May has been MIA. Everything that has gone into the Lake Zurich , ILL facility has taken a 3-4 week vacation.

    Like Nstar, we have also stopped shipping international for the time being as we have about 200 items out there MIA for about a month or so...Seems like it got really bad the beginning of July. Our local Post Master is of the opinion that 1st class package is actually a little better than priority right now as there are more trucks moving than planes. Whether there is any truth to that I don't know.

  7. Posted · Report reply

    If it is an older swing arm type press most models are pretty much made them same and there are a ton of old clicker presses out there. IMO unless the deal is phenomenal and the press looks in good condition I would not buy a press I couldn't test before hand. You could wind up with a 3000 LB paper weight. Finding people that know how to work on them is hard. I had one of my older Fipi presses go down a few years ago and it took my almost 3 years to find someone that could fix it. As for if it would work for what you want? The little bit I could see about it online from one that sold in the past says it's a 25 ton. That is more than enough. I have a 25 Ton and two 15 tons and have not come across anything yet leather wise the 15 tons can't handle even with very involved dies and 14oz leather.

  9. Posted · Report reply

    29 minutes ago, Jerr said:

    Budget: $1000-1500

    Product: Gun holsters and knife sheaths primarily and probably no thicker than those, would like the ability to do lighter leather as well. Gun holsters and knife sheaths interest me the most but I eventually want to do purses and other items.

    Either a Cobra 4 or a Cowboy CB4500. You are going to have a hard time finding them in your budget but you are close on a used one. You see them pop up in the $2200 range on this site and some of the trade forums on FB. While you are saving up watch for one close to you.  They are beasts and are expensive to ship. You also may want to call The leather machine co for Cobras and Toledo sewing for Cowboy. they are both basically the same machine so it comes down to which is closer to you for shipping. I know LMC usually has some used ones available to. Both dealers are top notch and neither will sell you more than you need.

  10. Posted · Report reply

    Yep, nice looking Kingsley there. I'm with Wiz, i have two that look like dinosaurs but the work great.

    A free tidbit of information. I have found that I can use Foundry letterpress type on them so you can use larger fonts. I spell out what I want with the letterpress type, run a piece of electrical tape around them to hold them in line. Them I use double sided tape to hold the letters to the letter block on the Kingsley. You will need to run the heat setting higher than the smaller letters but it works great.

    2nd free tidbit. About the only thing that ever goes wrong on them is the heating element. There is a guy on eBay that makes and sells them. His seller ID is lou_dawg

     

  11. Posted · Report reply

    On 3/10/2020 at 5:56 PM, spurdude101 said:

    How can we compete when you can go on Ebay and buy a Wickett & Craig belt, double stitched, edged. with a buckle, 13 oz. made in America for $39.00?

    I can't buy the parts for that let alone the labor.

    I sell my products on eBay, Amazon, Etsy, and two of my own websites. There are out of country sellers selling the same type of product I sell for as little as $4 with free shipping. I never tried to compete. I make mine better, explain why it is better. have really good photos and exceptional customer service and I charge $39.99 and sell them all day long.

    Bottom line, don't compete. Be better and name your price.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Just now, TaylorM said:

    Wow, and it’s as easy as that. Thank you so much!

    Ask me what made me think it may be that...we have all had our first machine once. I remember doing the same exact thing. Of note is a Facebook page called Tips and Tricks with Cobra Class Leather Working Equipment. Two guys moderate it, Al Bane and Bruce Brand. They both not only know more about sewing machines than most but they have the bat phone to Steve at the Leather Machine Co. It is a fantastic resource. The few problems I have had over the years with my Cobra machines (all caused by me) they talked me through and had me up and running quickly. Usually you will have a response to any issue in minutes and Al will often have you call him so he can work through the problem with you on the phone.

  15. Posted · Report reply

    * In the UK it is illegal to refuse to supply or make anything for anyone based on their colour, ethinicity, disablement or sexuality - even if I tell them I don't make that item its seen as a refusal

     

    That's ridiculous. How could they force you to make a product you don't currently make? I can see if you have a table full of widget arms sitting in front of you and they want a widget arm and you tell them you don't have any. But if someone walks into my shop and asks me to make them a saddle, it ain't happening. I never have  and don't know how. Can't see how they can say that is refusal of service.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Yep, what Mike said. I have a shop but no retail store front. No signs, no nothing. We do zero face to face dealings with customers. I did that before in the past. Had 2-4 hours a day wasted by people asking stupid questions, telling me I'm over priced, giving me product suggestions, and thinking I want to spend 30 minutes talking about their awesome motorcycle rides while I have a six month back up on custom orders. 

    I'm too busy making product to have to stand around and answer silly questions. We do business online only. Every great once in awhile someone will find my phone number and call saying they want to talk to me about ordering a custom leather dohickey. I text them back at the end of the day when I'm done filling orders and give them my email address and explain that we do not accept orders by phone. Reason for this is in 30 years of making stuff, I've never had one person be able to explain a picture over the phone. I also explain that we like to have the details written down so we both have a record of all the details. I know this turns a lot of potential customers off but that is fine. From March to October we have a 3 person shop pulling 14 hour days 6 days a week and 3 contract jobbers used as needed. After October we stop taking new orders till March and just try to play catch up.

  19. Posted · Report reply

    I do regular business with Hide house using their oil tanned and Chrome tanned leathers. They are fantastic people and the leather I get from them is great. Trust me though, don't bother trying their veg tan if HO A quality is what you are after. It's a lot better than what you just received but it won't compare. My main complaint is major fluctuations in thickness. They think when you order a 4/5 that a 4/6.5 is Ok. not to mention you can order the same weight in veg 3 different times and 3 different thicknesses.

  20. Posted · Report reply

    On 2/4/2020 at 5:11 AM, Breorius1 said:

     

    Maybe that is the issue. I know I've seen a vid somewhere regarding leaving the paste for some time before wiping it off, but well maybe I mixed something and it was on oil tan leather not normal...

     

    One way or another, thank you all for the help. 

    I didn't even consider the paste. I always use the gel.

     

  21. Posted · Report reply

    1 hour ago, Bob Blea said:

    To me it looks like the antique didn't adhere to the leather and is peeling off.  When I apply antique I don't let it dry.  It's more a case of applying it and then wiping it back off before it can dry.  That leaves the antique only in the crevices of your tooling.  That being said, even if someone did let it dry completely I can't see it peeling like this unless there was something on the leather preventing it from sticking to the leather.

    That's what I was thinking. you stated you left the antique on for 25 minutes before wiping off. When I antique I put it on and then wipe it right back off. I've never left it on for more than maybe a minute. I'm betting that doing so allowed it to start to bond just enough to do what it did.

  23. Posted · Report reply

    2 minutes ago, TanDan said:

    Mark842, was that with the furniture polish in a tin or the one of those bees wax bars?

    My actual favorite is to start with water and then use Neat-lac. I have my own private stock of Neat Lac that I will not sell any of because it can't be found anymore that I know of. Depending on the project and how much weather it will see I might use beeswax. I have used Barry King's Wyo Slick also and it works great. Tokonole is the only Japanese product I have used and while I think it's far superior to Gum Trag I think it is also far inferior to Wyo Slick and Neat Lac..

     

  25. Posted · Report reply

    Super busy day today. I will try and post some pic's tonight. The bells sound great and they are a great quality bell. They sell them in different sizes for different tones. If you go on Weavers website you can find them and they actually have a video with someone shaking them so you can hear the different tones. They sound better when mounted on leather as in the video he is holding them in his hand so it muffles them some but you can get an idea of the tone.

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