Rawhide

Looks like your post made it to the forum fine Peter. Season's Greetings to you and yours as well...recycled of course.

That's a beautiful piece of work. Very nice. You'll be able to pass that on for generations.

That's a great idea. Thanks for the tip. I will incorporate this in my work. Thanks again.

Once you cut the loose ends as close as you can with an x-acto knife or scalpel, you can burn the ends with a lighter. Be careful not to cut the stitch, just the loose end.

He does not. His contact info is on the supplier's link on the main page.

One other suggestion: Bob Douglas

Some boot top inlays from Peter Main.

I highly recommend you getting The Art of Handstitching, by Al Stohlman. Here is a scan of a page from that book. (pulled from the knifenetwork dot com site). It shows how to properly align your awl blade. I align mine 45 degrees in the other direction, but the principle still applies exactly the same.

You'll get a bunch of different answers to that question. Some like round (from drilling) some like diamond from awl. I prefer the awl for three main reasons. I like the way the stitches lay if they are done properly, two, the awl is easier to control where the point comes out of the back. This will give you as straight a line as the front, three, the holes seem to disappear with the proper awl and the proper thread. Yes it's a little more work, but I'm more fond of the results.

The difference is that the sewing all is for making holes for hand stitching. The thonging chisels are for lacing an edge. For drilling holes most people that do so use the smallest drill bit they can find, and a dremel tool to drill the holes. That being said, I don't use the drill method as I feel it makes the holes too big for fine stitching. Also the Tandy awl in the pic is WAY too big for making proper sized holes for most hand stitching. I use several awls for different projects. But they are probably 1/4 to half the size of that Tandy one.

Depends on the application. I prefer the oil dye on my edges, and the regular spirit dyes for general coloring. The oil dye has a deeper penetration and tends to last much longer on the edges. I like them both equally, just in different respects. M.

I think there's a little miscommunication on this. Oil dye, isn't really 'oil' dye. It is still an alcohol based dye. Just a little purer dye and better alcohol.

Sorry for the miscommunication. I did mean hidepounder. However, thanks for posting your work. Looks fantastic. I've never tooled a guitar strap. (Don't know anyone who plays. )

Tandy just started carrying a pair of Gingher scissors that are razor sharp and they cut leather very well. I'm not sure what weight you are trying to cut though. Another side note, I stopped cutting on a self healing mat, because the mat tends to grab the blade and make the cutting a little harder. I use a poly cutting board now and it's soft enough not to damage the blade, but hard enough, not to collapse on the blade and grab it.

Good info. I can usually enlarge something by scanning it and editing in in a photo software. Hopefully, I won't run into that clerk.

Bob, If you have a picture of this, I'd love to see it. Or maybe next time you do one post up some pictures if you don't mind sharing. Thanks,

I received a response today from the university about the logo, Here's what the rep said: ...Marlon: Thank you for your request and your respect for our registered protected trademarks. Please accept this e-mail as a "one time" permission to produce a purse... I have attached a copy of the logo for your convenience. If you have any questions or need anything else, please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Thanks again... I think this is a much better way. I have evidence if this did come to fruition. Ian, I understand your point of view and I've never made anything with a military insignia. However, I work for a major defense contractor, and I wouldn't use our own program logo on anything unless I got permission, and I work there. Would I call the Pentagon for permission...no because everything on the military site is considered public domain and here's a quote from the marine corp website: ...Information presented on this site is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credits is requested.... So using militia trademarks vs. commercial trademarks is comparing apples to oranges.

A #3 surgeon's scalpel with a #11 blade.

You can get white jeweler's rouge from tandy, white, red or green from woodcraft, or northern tools. The difference between them is the amount of cutting action. order of progression: white, red, green where green is the high polish.

Depends on the type of beveler. I assume you mean edge bevelers. You can use a string loaded with jeweler's rouge or a long thong of thicker lace cut from veg tan and loaded with rouge, but this will take you a while. you basically pull it through the tool away from the edge. you can also glue this lace down to a piece of wood and pull your tool along the lace. You can also use a dremel tool with a washer cut from a piece of leather and put onto a dremel shaft. (Bevel the edges of the washer to get a v shaped edge and load it with rouge. sharpen with the wheel rotating away from the edge. Sharpen the bottom only, trying to sharpen the top will only get the leather stuck between the inside walls of the tool. you can then knock of the wire burr on the top with a piece of folded sand paper. For perfect edger tools out of the box, Barry King, Jerimiah Watt, or Ron's tools. I prefer Barry's but that's my opinion. Be prepared for about 50 to 60 bucks a tool, but I think they're WELL WORTH IT.

Rayban, I don't have any proof of this issue, it was just told to me. I kind of think the same way that they'd be wasting time doing that, BUT I'd rather not be the example made of and the consequences that could ensue. I could be the straw that breaks the back, you know. Plus, more judges are hearing such cases everyday. Do you think it's worth the cost for RIAA to sue 20 people out of the millions that upload pirated music....no, but they did, just to try and make an example that no matter how small you are, you can be held liable.

Kate I agree with obtaining permission, which is why I asked the university for permission. However, I'm not trying to do business with them, or continually offer a product with their logo. I'm planning on producing a one time, gift. I still think it's better to get the permission than to pay for it later. I wonder how much a license costs in this case? Oh well, I'll wait to hear from them. Luke/Ray I've got a pm from someone that mentioned a person they knew used a NASCAR logo, and only once and it cost that person over 3 grand in court fees, and penalties. I don't think the purse is worth 3 grand nor me in a cell with a guy named Bubba.

Someone asked me to make a purse with a university logo on the flap. I'm just wondering if anyone has been through the process of getting permission from the choice university, or will they flat out deny approval. I've sent a request to the university and hope to hear back soon, but wanted to see the forum's take on it. I won't be making a profit on the item, nor do I plan to produce it again. Just wanting your thoughts.

You might try Chaylor Finneli.

Cost vs. profit margin. Even though the rubies are synthetically grown, they are still relatively expensive. Then it has to be cut and shaped and epoxied to the blade base, etc... Just got too expensive.