Rawhide

google "farm woodwork" and look for the google book result. page 98

Gary, I'd be interested in knowing what old tools you have to sell. I've got a pretty good collection of gomph overstitch wheels (#5 thru #12). But I'd still like to see what you have. Thx.

I think Al Stohlman had the best instructions of using a maintaining (sharpening) of a head knife. I would seriously consider purchasing his Leathercraft Tools book, but in the meantime, here is his instructions of how to use one. The link is from the main page Tips and Tricks I think. How to use a head knife

Hi, I've used one a few times just practicing, but nothing for a project. I've seen Barry King use one and he cut the border line with a swivel knife, then place the push beveler into the cut and pushed it along the cut. He was working a rectangular piece, so I can't comment on corners. I think it was designed to be the fastest way to bevel. I think you'll benefit from it if most of what you do is strap work. I doesn't bevel anywhere near what a traditional beveler and maul/mallet would accomplish, but it bevels none the less.

I have a Marlin head knife and I like it very much. I think his blades are a little too thick, but that's an easy enough fix for me to knock the shoulders down. I haven't tried his skiving knife though so I can't comment there. I also have a W. Rose knife that I use the most, but my Marlin knife is right behind that one. I use them both for skiving. Hope this helps.

Unless you have a Bob Douglas awl... Ask my finger how it knows! Went right through the nail to the nail bed one time! Talk about pain! Bob's are sharp right from the get-go.

Personally I use an awl for all hand sewing, but if you like the use of the round hole punches, here's a trick for you. when you mark your hole locations, align the edge of the punch to the mark, instead of trying to center it on the mark. Once you cover it up, you can't see it and you'll never get perfectly aligned holes.

Not a dumb question at all. General tooling/carving gives small relief to the images you intend to display. Embossing expands on this by stretching the leather forward to physically project from the background. Usually the cavity that this produces is filled with a putty or a plug of leather, to aid in strengthening the piece and helps give more definition. I hope this answers your question.

Well, I'm only 34, but I love to surround myself with people 45 and older...they seem to have a lot more sense than the younger ones...I wonder what causes that?

I've switched to the Weldwood as well. I use the liquid, but I place it in a used plastic water bottle with a 1/16" hole in the top and use a small sheep skin clipping to cover the hole. It's shelf life is much longer than the barge in a plasic container, and I think it holds extremely well. I just squeeze out what I need and spread it around with a hotel card key. Works great!

My two cents is that no punch comes ready to use when new. I've only seen ready to use from the custom makers and those who refurbish. I'm willing to bet it needs to be sharpened and polished (especially if it's an Osborne or Al Stohlman Brand). They come with a bevel, but not near sharp enough for leatherworking. Marlon

I was in H/C this weekend and they had a few sets there. I don't think they are discontinued or anything, because they just started offering them about a year ago. So you should be in good shape. The handle does have more of an angle than the Tandy ones and the points are really sharp compared to Tandy. I think it makes decent impressions and has good overstitch capability.

Kate, we would have loved to have you...The farthest participant was Bill who drove in 6 1/2 hrs. from Louisiana. Yeah I missed you guys, I knew for sure you'd be there. Ok I'll let you slide. Next time. Tim, we can't wait for your arrival! The class was in Fort Worth, at the Tandy store on Camp Bowie. Not to brag or anything, ok maybe a little, I'm off to have breakfast with George Hurst, Jim Linnell and several guild members. Man I love Fort Worth!

Hi folks, Here are some pictures from the class we took from Jim Linnell, What a great guy and a fantastic teacher. Thanks Jim, we had a ball. Pictures

Congrats Tim, I saw your certificates at the guild meeting on Tues. Great work. Did you post a picture of the chinks as well somewhere?

Sal, You'll get a lot of pro and con answers here, but let me offer this. If you can't make decent products with craftools, more expensive tools won't help your tooling. Having said that, some of the more expensive tools aid in speed and crispness of tooling. They won't make you better as a tooler, but they'll make the job easier, in my opinion of course! I am a big fan of the Barry King line, and the Craft Japan line from Hidecrafters. See this thread and have a look at post #8. I try to show the difference in a Barry King geometric and a Tandy Geometric. I hit both with the same intensity (as close as I could measure by feel), and came up with the results you see. Here's the link.

I have sevral blades from the likes of Tandy, Henley, and Chuck smith. The one I reach for now, is Paul Zalesak's Leather wrangler knife. The blade stays sharp longer than any other combo I have. His blades are $35 and he can make them to fit a Tandy knife if you like. I can get any one of my blades sharp and polished well, but none of them cut as long as Paul's between stroppings. I can't comment on Bob Beard's but with the quality of his other tools, I'm sure you'll be super satisfied. (you'll just have to wait a while for it )

Sal are you using a bead blade? If so, i would use a thick straight edge like a quilter's rule. This will give the blade something to "ride" on as you cut. Also cut the bead in multiple passes, don't try to get the bead with the first pass. If you don't have a bead blade, use the same quilter's rule to cut the first line, then line the rule up on your cut line the width you want and cut the second parallel line. Then use your modeler to round over the edge of the bead.

Hmm, I still don't see an unravel. Maybe it's because I stitch with my left needle first, then the right, and I stitch toward me... here's an example...

I'm right handed and use the Left twist, and I have never had a problem with it unravelling. Left-twist thread is always used in the sewing machine because the action of the stitch-forming mechanism tends to ravel or break right-twist thread. Left- or right-twist thread may be used for hand sewing. I bought left twist in the event I ever wanted to sew with it.

looks like you got the answer. let us know how it turns out.

if you are going to be making a bunch of the same shapes, I'd consider investing in a cheap shop press and get some dies made up of the shapes. this way you can click out a bunch of shapes quickly and efficiently.

Be sure to work that neatlac in with a scrap of clipped wool, in circular motions. Let dry and use a second coat to be sure that you don't get blotching and streaking. Good Luck!

First thing is to let the piece dry completely. I usually let mine sit for 2 days before doing anything to it after it's tooled. Next I'll dye, if I am coloring the piece. let that dry for a day and buff it with an old t-shirt to remove the excess dried dye. Then I'll use clipped wool, place it on the top of the bottle of oil, turn upside down and back upright, I drag the wool over the opening to remove the excess oil, then I work it into the entire piece and let that sit for 24 hours, after that, I can't tell the difference before and after oiling. If the piece seems flexible enough with the one oiling, I leave it be and seal (let dry a couple of hours) and antique. What weight leather are you using? Something very thin will soak up oil very quickly and it's easy to over oil thin leather.

ditto on the edge kote, However the watch strap looks like a latigo. You can tell if it's chrome tanned by looking for a thin grey sliver in the middle of the cross section on leather (plus it won't soak up water). Cheers.