Gump

I also have an old Sargeant set and would never dream of using them without apiece of scrap between the work piece and the anvil. You will get a cleaner cut and won't dull your tubes. I also hold the rotary part by pushing on the next tube to hold the cutting tube inwards. They are definitely easier to use than any others I have seen and will punch straight through thick double dog collars. Good find. Gump

Tex; You can buy ultra high molecular weight polyethylene in 2" dia., in any length you want for very little[ 2' cost me $ 12]. Simply drill a hole through from end to end and use either a long bolt or threaded rod and stack leather washers on till you have the length needed. Tighten nut with large washer until leather is tight and sand to shape. UHMW polyethylene is very dense but won't hurt your tools. Stonemasons use it to make their hammers/mallets out of so they don't mushroom the tops of their chisels. It can be drilled side to side and fitted with a wooden machinist hammer handle. I made one 4" long, drilled sideways and total cost was about $6. Works very well, no signs of wear so far, 1 yr old. Gump

I got the Craftool conversion list from Tandy by just asking for it. It lists all the old craftools and the alternatives currently available. I currently have about 325 tools, not counting 3-D stamps or letter stamps. Gump

There is a set of sargeant brand rotary hole punch for sale on e-bay. They are top quality and the jaws stay parallel, punching a hole straight threw the leather. These are no longer made, but well worth looking for. As for drive punches, I picked up a set for 8.99 at Princess Auto here in Canada. Probably available at Harbour Freight stateside. Gump

The blade that comes with the tandy strap cutter is to thick. I just bought one and couldn't use it. I broke a utility knife blade in half and used that. It works much better and doesn't ride up like the original blade. I used the double ended blades and 1/2 is just right. If you don't break them in half the bottom end will get you. Ask me how I know, drip drip drip. Gump

This machine was originally designed for sewing buffing wheels, and for that price I would look around a bit more. It weighs almost 300 lbs. and could be expensive to get parts for as it was a special purpose machine. More info on ISMACS comprehensive singer model list. Gump.

I recently went to a polymer company and purchased an offcut of HDPE, high density polyethylene. A piece 2' x 4' , 3/8" thick was about $60 Can. It is perfect for a cutting board. When it gets marked up, you just shave off the ridges from the knife cuts. I took an edge beveler and rounded the corners so there would be no sharp edges to mark the leather. Gump

Tandy carries them and they ship worldwide. UPS has pretty good rates and it isn't that much to ship. I'm in Canada and get patcher parts from England as cheap as shipping from the U.S. Gump

TomG; My old 111w155 sews a perfectly straight line if I feed the leather at a slight angle. If I try to feed it straight, it will pull to one side. Same pull with right or left toe.

If you polish as much as possible, the cutting surfaces inside and out to the depth of the leather you punch, your punch will cut cleaner and come out easier. Gump

There are similar hooks available at sail rigging shops, called reefing hooks. Don't know about size or costs but you never know sometimes you get lucky. Gump

Leather point needles have a slicing effect on material being sewn, not advisable on cloth. Round or ball point are for cloth. Gump

An old 132 k 6 will handle #346 thread and will stitch 7/16" stitches. This might be a cheaper alternative to a new machine if you are only doing flat seams as in belts. I have one that I use for sheaths of two layers of 8-9 oz with a welt of 12 oz, beautiful stitches. An old powerhouse of a machine. Gump.

Well, this machine can be used with one or two needles simply by removing 1 needle and bobbin [remove left side for single needle]. It will sew up to 3/8" thickness. It can easily handle #138 thread and should give you 6 stitches to the inch or better. It is an old Singer that is as tough as nails and loves it's oil. It should be using 135 x 16 needles for leather, 135 x 17 for cloth, but may be set up for other length needles.There is a lot of information on this site for 111/211- 155's that are the single needle version of your machine, set up, threading ,adjusting tension etc. Gump.

What it boils down to on thread size is looks, # 69 nylon at 6-8 stitches per inch will tow a car out of a ditch with 3" nylon web with just ten passes lengthwise over 5 inches. Nylon has amazing strength, especially when used on a properly glued seam. I do a fair bit of repair work , and I have found that you cannot tear apart most seams by hand,[195 lb mechanic, powerful hands]. Polyester thread is softer but not quite as strong as nylon, but has higher UV protection. it is used a lot in factory production of outdoor gear. I guess in the end it is what works for you, as for me ,I have items sewn with # 69 that have withstood 20 years of use with no broken threads yet. Gump.

As another bluenoser, the best source I could find was Raphael Sewing in Montreal. It is run by Ron of Techsew fame. They advertise on this site somewhere. Gump

Leather hat pattern pack is offered up free somewhere on this site. search should bring it up.Many other other patterns are offered free by many members of this site, help yourself.

I use an Olfa heavy duty knife with 18mm x 0.5mm thick blades. I have a japanese skiving knife from tandy [Al Stohlman] and it is great for skiving, but I don't like it for cutout work. For tight inside corners I use X-acto style knives. I have 3 sizes of head knives, but still prefer the Olfa knife. Gump.

There is a type of garment snap that has 5 prongs that pierce the leather and lock into a groove on the matching half. I don't know the name of them but they are designed for thin material. I have some and have used them on 1.5 oz pigskin with no problems. Gump

For that close of edge stitching I would look at piping feet as they are designed to sew up close to a lump and are grooved so they should hold everything in line. Gump.

Singer made the 153 series cyl. arm machines. The 101 and 103 are compound feed machines, and the 102 is not. They are capable of sewing 3/8" with 138 thread and could be fitted to a treadle base.It is the same basic machine as the 227 that Wiz mentioned and takes standard walking feet and 135 x 17/16 needles, readily available. They are also grey in color. Gump

If you are talking about a model 29 - , Don't grind the walking foot ,it is the only feed you have. Gump

Call Cobra, they back their machines.

Hi Kgirl; Your shoes look like ninja shoes. Check out some ninja sites [yes they exist] and you might pick up some ideas. Gump

Look up Kelly Midas, they make some very unique geometric stamps. Gump.