DavidL

Good job on this project. Where did you source your leathers for the first picture and third picture from? I have some projects that needs some nice oil tanned/pull up leather.

Thanks for the advice.

For this type of thread you to have be delicate w/ it. Thicker threads are easier to use, however Chinois will give a more refined look. From your description your awl may be too large, your leather may be difficult to use, pricking iron, your technique, only you will know really. A picture would be helpful.. In my opinion 532 at 9 SPI is too large. 532 at 7 SPI is fine and 432 at 7 SPI is standard for the European type leatherwork, where american work use larger thread in general, w/ exception to 12+ spi work on older items.

Im more interested in finding if there is such a tool than the technical name.. Good to know I suppose. Id be interest in a end or edge skiving machine w/ a cran k splitter. I don't think any company sells one though

I apply the atom wax then buff. I didn't think that would be an issue? Should I buff immediately after it is dry?

Im having issues dip dying my projects and the dye being able to be scratched off easily. (I have no issues with angelus w/ a dauber, just with fiebings) I start by cutting out my pieces of veg filling a container with dye (not reduced) and dip the leather in for 5 seconds pull out and lay flesh side down, allowing to dry for 24 hrs The colour looks consistent while its still wet. When it dries some areas are darker, others are lighter. Is this because I did not hang it and let the dye drip off? Dye needs to reduced? Not dipping long enough? A side question- after I dye the area I apply atoms wax when its dry then buff off the wax, every thing is set, no dye coming off the piece of leather. I then test to see how tough the dye is by scratch the leather with a rock, the dye lightens up. I re apply atoms wax and buff the area that I scratched off, the wax picked up the dye and filled up the lighter area. Am I sealing it correctly? I don't want the dye to come off on my jeans if the dyed piece touches water.

I think thats whats missing in my work the craftsman intuition and experience that a mastercraft man exude. Something that will come naturally I hope.

alright, I will practice some more and see if it works out. Frustrating to keep practicing and there is no improvement..

Thats a good ideas that I will try. Especially reading glasses and to line the teeth on the edge. That makes it so much easier. Backside still doesn't have an angle on my work. Another member says he used an inverse iron and it worked well to create an backside angle. Correct me if I'm wrong the reason the front looks better than the back is because it is hit by the iron and creates a permanent impression and the awl impression is better from the front side. I find when I hit the iron, then use the awl to pierce the front where the impression are set the front side looks exactly the same as before. So if I used a inverse pricking iron on the backside then when I pierce through, the front and back will look the same, along with the angle the thread lays? My awl is also very slim 30mm and I'm using it at 7 SPI, 56mm is too large. What size is the standard for 7SPI?

It may not be the traditional way, but I don't think I can get the accuracy down to get the teeth that are 3mm wide and balance 1.5mm on one side and 1.5mm on the other side. No matter how straight I put down the iron I will always get it to run uneven. On my 9 spi vergez iron the teeth are tiny and I can control it a lot easier, with less mistakes. Still I have the issue of the backstitches that lay nearly flat and not angled like in Nigel armitage's videos. I can't pin point where the problem is which is whats bothering me. It could be the leathers too soft and the hole closes up quickly. my awl is too slim so the hole is more round than diamond on the backstitch.

I sorta highjacked your thread Not Awl Together, I couldn't help myself... How are the impression on regular veg tan like wicket and craig or HO?

I have been doing all those things with the exception of the graph paper which I will try ( I have trouble with the stitching looking symmetrical to the other side for the corners, nothing major though). I plan to use the wheel w/ edge guide on wicket and craig vegtan (i hear its softer than HO, but its still hard since its vegtan) Does it react similarly to an overstitch wheel? I can always proper impressions with an overstitch on vegtan. W/ the edge guard on the tool it will act like a scratch compass w/ an overstitch type impression on the leather? All I need from the pricking wheel with edge guide is for a slight indentation so the pricking iron will fall into the groove. Thats what I'm doing and I haven't seen much improvement even though I got a good set up going. I scribe a line 3mm away from the edge w/ a scratch compass and use a dixon 7 SPI (big teeth compared to vergez blanchard). I press slightly on the line so I can see a slight impression in the leather and then if it looks straight I put the iron over the impression and hit. For the next stitch I place 3 teeth overlapping from the previous stitch and repeat. Looking at the finished product I can see areas where the teeth run 1mm left. The next hit with the hammer I hit it a mm right, that creates a crooked line ever so slightly. In theory I believe it should work for me if I take a pricking wheel w/ an edge guide so that it will create a perfectly straight teeth impression. Hit the front with a regular iron on the impression. Next use the pricking wheel w/ edge guide on the backside w/ an inverse wheel and prick with a inverse pricking iron. It would also fix the backside problem of my stitches having minimal angle. Wont know how well it will work till I test out A. The pricking wheel ease of use. B. how the stitches will look with an inverse pricking iron the backside.

I can't get the iron to run parallel to the edge. Always a mm off or I can see it run slightly to the left or right. Not a huge deal to most, I am a perfectionist so I want it to be exactly parallel. I will hit it with an iron once the marks of the pricking wheel are laid down. It will cost 350-500 for 2 irons and a edge guided pricking wheel w/ 2-4 wheels. I guess the advantages are that it will always be parallel on both sides and the backside will be marked w/ an impression.

Dixon pricking wheels may fit, they also customize tools for customers and may be able to make a wheel that fits. Im looking for a pricking wheel w/ an edge guide vergez blanchard has one for 300+ shipped (w/ 4 wheels) which is the nicest one, too expensive though. Dixon has one for 140 for the frame and extra for the wheels. Anyone have a pricking wheel w/ edge guide? Im cautious when buying new dixon tools as they are a gamble if they are good quality or mediocre quality.

im interested in how there is no scratch line with a compass and the line is straight. Only way I know to do that is with a pricking wheel with an edge guard, from the pictures I seen they are done exclusively with a pricking iron.

I understand the difference of the two. Wanted to know if there was such a tool that could do both, a splitter with a skiver at the side. Non electrical skivers and a separate splitter will fit my budget though. Il give him a email once I'm ready to buy. I have received tools from him before and they were great.

did not know that. I actually have veg tan where it is tumbled so its soft and has wrinkles in it, not very good, it would make a nice vintage look though. Does the plating affect the leather's colour? I want something slightly stiff but not solid, double plating on tooling leather works well on wallets do you think? WC sample will come in the mail soon so I can get an upclose look and feel.

Yea that works. Curious why I mostly see Hermann Oak on websites and the only website that sells wicket and craig is sheridan leather. Is it because its easy to buy straight from wicket and craig tannery?? Doesn't really matter in the end. I just want to find the proper supplier that I can rely on out of the two though.

try olfa rotary cutters.

Thanks for the reply. Il have to try them both out and see for myself. I dont think its much of a difference in price to ship to Canada than it is to ship to USA. They are NAFTA and don't hold any duties. Canadian domestic shipping sometimes cost more than USPS first class for some odd reason. I may have to go with Wicket and craig since I can't get a decent price for HO. Can anyone confirm that wicket craig sells to Louis Vuitton?

I contacted hermann oak a month back for a request of a 10 hides for tooling leather and they redirected me to a canadian supplier that charges 2 dollars a square foot more than there wholesale price. No communication after I emailed them again. Wickett & craig is sending out samples and answers my emails, I do want to try out hermann oaks first because they are suppose to be stiffer than WC. Is that a mark in quality, to have stiffer leather means that it is better raised cows? or merely a manufacturing difference? I find that more retailers stock HO than WC. WC also sells for more than HO and from my understanding HO has a better brand name. In your opinion is WC better than HO, but HO has a better brand name? Has anyone encountered this? Do they only want to deal with wholesalers? SLC sells B and C grade sides for significantly higher than A grade straight for the tannery if I buy 10 hides.

Is there such a machine that can do both? I have seen a 5 in 1 machine, with only the skiver. A splitter and skiver would be better even if it was an entry level one that I could use before I buy better machinery. The two machines I found separately are: hand crank weaver leather splitter- $2300 techsew skiver - $1100 Bother are out of my budget. Can anyone recommend a 2 in 1 leather skiver and splitter - if they exist. Or a machine in the 500 range for each one. For the skiver I would like it to be automated, works from a regular electrical outlet, and adjust the thickness it skives. The splitter I don't mind it being hand cranked, but needs to be able to skive the flesh in one solid motion and takes a single piece from the backside.

vergez blanchard has pricking wheels that may fit. Minimum order is 100 euros from the official website. Sean at fineleatherworking.com is their wholesale distributer and can get it for you w/ out the minimum order requirements.

I can't find the article now, but card readers and other sources other than paypal are a better deal for businesses. Unfortunately squared up can't do online transaction (as far as I know) like paypal can. The rates are lower on square up than paypal by a tiny bit and no 30 cent charge per transaction. If you are canadian or deal with customers that use different currency, paypal will have a exchange rate that is not current, taking a few more percent from you (when they exchange the currency to your local currency.

The only threads I know of that will compare are some vintage stock poly braid thread. A brand under rice or something similar I believe sells this type of thread, out of production for years however. Vintage new old stock may be the only option or you might find an undiscovered brand.