silverwingit

I think we see dip dyeing a bit differently. My goal in dip dyeing is to completely saturate the leather with the dye, through and through. I make sure that no bubbles rise from the leather while it is submerged. I often have to run the workpiece through the tank of dye more than once to achieve this. The final shade is determined by diluting the dye, where the dilution factor is determined experimentally on a piece from the same part of the same hide as the workpiece. (This is important as sections from different parts of the same hide can take the dye differently.) If you fully saturate the leather, it shouldn't matter if the holes are punched first or not. If the dye is struck through and through, a cut will have uniform color from the grain to the flesh sides. At least that's the way I see it.

I just use secretary's thumb cots. The rubber ones with the bumps on them. Work great.

I have a really nice photographer's loupe that works very well for examining knife edges, since I no longer develop film. Works great. I too find that 3.5x is too much for general viewing on my optivisor. Intead I prefer 2x lenses with the 10x swing-in auxilliary lens. Makes a good combination. Some folks in the folding and fixed blade knife sharpening community use USB microscopes to really zoom in on their edges. Very revealing and not too expensive. Michelle

You don't mention what kind of hide, what kind of tanning method produced it or what your intended use is. Some oil-tanned leathers will smell bad forever but the strength f the odor may diminish over time. Probably your best hope is to hang it vertically and let it air out. If that doesn't work, you might try putting it in a large enough fairly air tight container like a garment bag with something pleasant smelling and see if the leather doesn't absorb some of its odor. Good Luck, MIchelle

The proper method is to stitch all the way around the perimeter of each letter. To do that with letters that would fit on a beanie, you would need very small thread and very tight stitch spacing. I hope your hand stitching is up to snuff. MIchelle

I never trace anything. I scan it and create a precise pattern on my vector drawing program. Works great and you can print any number of copies. I don't even bother with Saran wrap, just place the regular computer paper directly on the cased leather. It's easy to see where I've transferred the pattern onto the leather and I don't care if the pattern gets destroyed. I print out another whenever I need a fresh copy. I have a 13" x 19" printer that encompasses almost all my patterns. If needed I cut and paste more sheets together. Michelle

You should get Al Stohlman's 3-book series "The Art Of Making Leather Cases." Packed with information that will help you make box-style cases like you are undertaking as well as many, many other types cases. Volume One is the one that details how to make a box-style case to specific dimensions, to fit specific items perfectly. But the other two Volumes contain useful tips throughout so I'd advise that you get all three. The aren't expensive. And, while you're at it, get a copy of Stohlman's "The Art Of Hand Sewing Leather," similarly packed with excellent information. https://www.amazon.com/Art-Making-Leather-Cases-Vol/dp/1892214946/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1488044546&sr=1-3&keywords=al+stohlman The answer to your question is the rule of thumb is that you need to add two thickness along each bend. Good Luck, MIchelle

I like it a lot! In fact, if anything it's too nice for darts. The only thing I waffle about is your use of elastic strips. I wrestle with this sort of thing all the time. My prediction is that the rest of the case will just be getting a nice patina when the elastic loses its elasticity or rots. I have the same problem with Velcro. I cringe when a client requests Velcro closures over my usual solid brass snaps. I tell people that they will hand my leather products down to their next generation. Not so if they use Velcro closures. Velcro, and other plastic/rubber man-made materials I'm aware of like it that can be used as closures wears out. It gathers detritus that cogs the loops and the hooks gradually straighten out with use. I wish I had an alternative. I suppose leather loops are the only other means of holding the shaft of the dart that will last as long as the rest of such a case. That's what I use for pens when I make a portfolio or loops for shotgun, pistol or rifle shells. I'd be delighted if anyone can suggest a better loop material than elastic strips and an alternative to snap-type closures other than Velcro. Thanks! Michelle

It also looks like a product called round leather lace. Available at most leather supply houses or on ebay. Michelle

I think you'd be better off using 0.8 mm or even thicker on a heavy-use item like a gun belt. The thread the lady is using in the video is probably 1.0 mm in diameter. Michelle

My apologies. I saw that comparatively tiny balisong swimming in that first sheath and wondered what was going on. Michelle

Barry King makes excellent swivel knives at very reasonable prices. His blades are equally excellent. Here's a better workflow. - tool - round edges with edger (Barry King also makes excellent edgers) - sand edges smooth - dye leather (you can use alcohol to dilute many dyes; I prefer Feibing's Professional Oil Dye. I dilute it 1:1 or 1:2, dye:alcohol) - condition leather (I use neatsfoot oil and then carnauba cream -- don't condition before dyeing as it will foul the leather for absorbing the dye) - moisten edges, slick with gelatin saddle soap - burnish moist edges with burnishing tool, allow to dry - dye edges, allow to dry - apply beeswax to edges - polish edges with duck canvas (I sometimes re-burnish first to help shape the edges) - finish leather (I like Bag Kote on the grain side and Tan Kote on the flesh side; some refer acrylic resolene) Works for me. Michelle

If you were a baker would you charge your first customer for your oven? IMO, blue guns are part of the cost of doing business -- CODB. It's a common term in the business world. Calculating your CODB is a very valuable exercise. Understanding CODB is essential to a business owner's success. You should look it up if you haven't already. There are many examples on the web. You will be surprised at how much it costs to run a profitable business, even a part-time one. Of course, there are many ways to start a business. Unless you're rich or have outside funding, you're stuck with what's called "bootstrapping" your business, another term common in business parlance. There are many ways to bootstrap a company. Funding it off your own back is usually an essential element. In this example, you need to "procure" by any means necessary the tools of the trade, leather and supplies. You will likely have to donate your own time and expertise and take money from your day job to but any necessary missing components. All the while so you can act like yours is a "real" company. There are resources available to help you start your business. Many cities have business incubation "tanks," entrepreneur and venture capital clubs. There are organizations like SCORE (Senior Core Of Retired Executives) that donate their time to budding entrepreneurs. And last butnot least is the Small Business Administration. Your local SBA office has free counseling and referral services. It's easy to think that all you need to make money doing leatherwork is a few tools and a little experience. But making money doing leatherwork is just like any other business. You need to learn how to be a businessman (woman) if you want to be successful. At least that's the way I see it. Michelle

My pleasure, Chief. And thanks for the complement. Michelle

Here's a zipper case that I block dyed. I hope you can see the natural features I was talking about. MIchelle