David8386

I would do the saddle soap and clean the leather don't condition it if you are going to try to dye it darker. I am not really sure on stripping the finish off so I will let some one else take a shot at that. It is doable I am just not sure on how to do it. David

Welcome to the forum. I am not into armor, but 15 oz sounds on the heavy side. For bracers or cuffs I would think 10 to 12 oz would be plenty. One tip I would make is when trying to make patterns use heavy felt to mock it up until you get exactly what you want before cutting leather. Felt is a lot cheaper and you can bend it to shape or tack stitch etc.. Good luck, David

I think I would try a good saddle soap on a hidden part of the bag or the inside and see how that works. If that does not mess with the finish I would do the rest of the bag that way and then try a good leather conditioner again trying it first on a hidden part. Look at the front strap and check it out really well. Straps usually get the most abuse and will show it the most especially around the holes or where the buckle rides look for cracks there. Looking at the picture I did not really see any cracks in the strap. Hope this helps David

Ok I am not getting the cooked part. I put the steel wool in the vinegar and forget about it for a week or two. I then check to see if it has gone through the steel wool. If it has strain it a couple of times to get the loose stuff out. Get a piece of scrap leather and try it. I usually immerse it for a minute or two then pull it out. For a big bag I would probably get a paint brush and slosh it on with that until I had it covered good. Give it a minute or two for it to react and then wash it in the soda bath. I use about a half cup of baking soda to a gallon of warm water.. You will not get your good black color until after the soda bath. If it does not go black enough do the whole thing again. Once it has dried out remember to oil it with neatsfoot oil, light coats until you are happy with it. And then let it dry again then finish it with what you want. A lot of people use resolene, I personally prefer bag kote cut with water let dry and then apply a good conditioner like Aussie. Hopes this helps, I think you probably want to let the vinegar set longer than 3 days with the steel wool. The more steel wool it goes through the stronger your vinegroon will be but remember to try it on a piece of scrap first. David

Welcome to the forum David

Thanks for the patterns. David

Sorry for your loss, take the time to grieve over it, it is normal. Remember how much worse it could have been and things will get better. I am sure there will be a lot of people praying for you. David

Pictures always help, it all depends on what type of leather and what finish etc. David

Looks nice David

They look good, like the detail that went into them. David

Welcome to the forum. David

Looks nice, good detail, color, and the lacing looks good. David

Looks good, also like the two tone look. David

Welcome to the forum David

I just got some Barry King stamps and they were great. David

Call panhandle leather in Amarillo Texas, they have a web site. But if you call they might have what you are looking for or know where to get it. Good people to deal with. I know they have a lot of boot making supplies. David

Nice looking, good work. David

Welcome to the forum David

Looks good, I like it. David

Looks nice David

Welcome to the forum David

If he is close get a belt that he wears with the buckle he wants to use and go from there. Measure from the buckle plate or bar where the belt folds back to the the hole he uses and make it your center hole. On little kids belt I make it the last hole or next to last hole so they won't out grow it as fast. Another thing I have done is get a 1" belt strip from Tandy with a cheap buckle and then mark it on the inside when I measure grand kids,nieces, and nephews. That way I have a measurement for a birthday present etc later on. I usually put 5 or 6 holes about 1 inch apart starting about 3 to 4 inches from the end. Hope this helps. Oh yeah don't go by his jeans size it is not accurate. David

Nice, good detail on it. David

Agree with Ross. I use stamps for belts and such but the computer will give you anything you want as far as fonts and sizes for other projects and you don't have to worry about turning a stamp upside down. David

Cut the first pass on the curve with your swivel knife because it is easier to control and then cut it with your utility knife or whatever you use. For straight cuts I use a rotary knife with a straight edge. For gentle curves the rotary freehand or scissors. For sharp complex curves swivel knife followed by exacto knife. Just remember on all of them let the knife do the work, don't force it. The leather will stretch and not be what you want. Experiment and find what works for you the best. Good luck David