Rawhide

rubber cement the liner in place (only around the edges should be good enough, Punch all the holes, then peel them apart, now they will line up perfectly when you're ready. Marlon

Do you lean your elbow on the table when you stamp? If so, you may want a tapered head maul. And If you're paying $60 for that maul, I would suggest Barry Kings Maul. I think the balance is much better than the Al Stohlman brand. (I have the ALS brand mallet that I don't use very much). Marlon

make sure you let the object dry completely. Apply it in a circular motion. let dry, then buff. marlon

If you're stitching and not lacing, I would just use leatherweld or Fiebings leather cement. Dries clear, strong bond, and very flexible. Marlon

Super shene should be fine, but if you want to remove it, use deglazer. However deglazer is some nasty stuff, so take precautions. Neatlac is another topcoat that's pretty durable. Marlon

Thanks Regis, I don't want it for a bookcover, but that's the way they market it the goat... as bookbinding. I mount everything to crescent as I learned that from Peter as well. Marlon

I'm thinking of ordering some bookbinding goat skin that Siegel has for sale. I would like to know if this is toolable and has anyone used this hide before and you general impressions or disappointments about it. Thanks, marlon

Nate, Since you have a curved blade, you might want to make a negative of the blade out of some wood, then glue a thin strip of leather to it for your strop. I have bought the Razor Sharp system and I love it. I can sharpen/strop just about anything, even serrated blades. Marlon

Welcome to the forum marlon

Welcome to the forum addiction! Marlon

Very nice mug wrap. Welcome to the forum. Marlon

Very nice belt for a first one. Wish I could say my first one looked that pretty! Marlon

Hey Regis, Moisten the edge just as you would a thicker piece, lay the piece flat on your stamping stone. Then use a piece of canvas. Lay it on top of the leather with it overlapping the leather. Now, cup the canvas (or whatever material you use) near the center of the canvas with all four fingers as if you were going to tuck it under the leather. now rub back and forth holding the leather with one hand and the canvas with the tucked hand. To get a good edge you'll need to flip the leather over and do the other side. Another thing to try is sliding the leather up to the edge of the bench, and just barely protrude off the edge. Then moisten and slick. Hope this helps. marlon

Tiffany, It looks to be a rolled edge, but I'm not certain from that picture alone. the fact of pulling threads out with no effort is due to the lock stitch that a sewing machine would give, vs. a saddle stitched item. With the saddle stitch, you can break the thread at one point and it won't unravel, but break a lock stitch and it will fly apart. Marlon

Welcome Nathan, It looks like you are much better at this at the two month mark than I was. Your sheath looks very good. Keep up the work and don't forget to practice... Marlon

I suggest a head knife, a really sharp one can cut any ounce leather you can buy, while being able to cut tight corners, skive, and bevel. Marlon

Kathy, I should have consulted you a long time ago. I'll have to try that. Marlon

jbird, First off welcome to the forum and to the addiction, i mean leathercraft. to keep your frustration down when trying to finish a piece, I would vote for an antique stain. You basically smear it on, wipe off the excess and let it dry and then top coat it with super sheen or satin sheen. Marlon

Thanks Hilly. Sounds like you are very organized. Something I can only strive for!!

I'm having a tough time trying to figure out how to organize my books and patterns. Some of them are much longer than others so they don't sit on a standard shelf very well. Any help would be appreciated. Marlon

They are having growing pains. Be patient with them. It's hard getting absorbed or bought out, because new ownership means new way of doing business. With a new mayor, you don't expect the city to change overnight. They bring a lot of unique items to the table for some of us and I think they just need some time to work it out. I know that everybody wants it right now and that's just a function of our society (and high speed internet). Give 'em a chance. Marlon

i would just get a flat steel plate, this way when you have that large piece that's hard to hold, you can lay it on your bench and the rise of the plate is not enough to make holding the pieces awkard while setting the rivet. Marlon

Thanks Freak, How long do you let it dry? To touch, or overnight? M

I don't know what kind of boots your customer had, but I have a pair of Ostrich quilled boots and the salesman at the store told me NEVER put saddle soap on them (with a significant amount of emphasis on the NEVER). The only place I ever used saddle soap on boots were work boots and I put it on the inside of the boot to "break" them and prevent chaffing. Marlon

Ruby got dull?? I didn't think they got dull. Hmmm. I have one as well (ebay). It says on the instruction sheet that the only time it needs regrinding is if it gets damaged. It also says stropping is not needed, i do anyway, but it says it's not necessary. Marlon