immiketoo

some is inevitable, short of finding the perfect amount every time, but if you use too much it can be a real mess. Also, you might not be waiting long enough for the glue to dry before assembly. Fortunately, glue oozes are easy to deal with once the glue is dry.

Les, you CAN use the awl to punch the holes. Nigel's method is one way of doing it.

Nigel, a lot of us are curious about the knot you put in your stitch. Maybe that could be next?

Or watch these! http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=44874

Welcome Wokka.

Through the wonders of the internet and what I call internetworking, we have a series of videos made by LW member Nigel Armitage for another member. There have been a LOT of questions about the basics of hand stitching and I thought the entire site could benefit from Nigel's expertise. Take a look at his work and his other videos to see why I am impressed with his work. Thanks Nigel for taking the time to create these videos and I am looking forward to the next installment! http://youtu.be/zeQt-nvLWyo http://youtu.be/xS1j_Uifmhw

Tom, its possible, but its more likely that ANY dye or finish would have brought out the texture of the hide. The only way to tell if your leather has texture is to wet it with isopropyl alcohol or water first. That will show you if there's likely to be any issues once you oil or dye it. Sometimes that texture looks good and people like it. Others, it takes away from the piece.

That looks great! I like how the hat follows the same lines as your face.

Looks good. What kind of retention does the sheath have? Have you considered how it will hold the knives after several months of use?

Nice coaster! I like the wood grain. How are you going to seal it?

Gazoo, there are two options here as we have all gone through this. Practice a lot or use a guide like a french curve or some other template. Its a pain for sure. Good luck!

Bob, i could see that from a chefs knifework perspective with all the chopping and banging. But the smooth glide shouldn't mess it up as fast especially if you only glide the tip of the knife. Even if you rolled the knife forward, you'd still only drag about an inch or so, right?

Nice mask! looks scary!

Dude, you gotta post pics so we can see what you're dealing with.

Denster, I've been looking at those. What size do you use for 11-12 leather?

Country covered that pretty well, especially the chat! So, another suggestion is to find a local leather guild and attend one of their meetings. You will meet leather people and get to see what people have and learn from their experiences.

Jeff, I'm convinced that its the rawhide content in the side. They are all different and sometimes they just don't get tanned properly. I have seen this a lot in cheaper leathers, not so much in HO. You'll just have to deal with it unfortunately.

That's one good looking belt! I have yet to try lacing, and it appears I'll need some more tools. Is that a Damascus fid I see?

Diesel, many people choose not to line their bible covers, but many others want a nice finished look. IMO you have several options and I am assuming you are using veg tanned leather on the outside. A nice cloth could be glued to the inside of the cover but you then have a different edging process to contend with. You could also use a very light weight (1-2 oz) cow, calfskin or pigskin liner. These will flex nicely and while there may be some wrinkles right at the fold, the book will cover it anyway. Personally, I'd use calf skin. I really love the feel of it. Good luck, post pics, and welcome to the forum! Mike

Ben, I have had the same experience with other forums (especially car forums) and we at LW actively work to make this site an environment the fosters learning and a good time. I'm glad you have noticed our efforts! Mike

use a french curve as a cutting template. If you buy a set, you're almost guaranteed to find an arc that matches. If not, it will be so close it won't really matter.

According to my friend, as long as its smooth, nick free and harder than the steel so that the steel doesn't scratch it, it works great according to him. It certainly looks easy, but you'd have to try it to know for sure. Tempered glass BTW.

Hey Randy. A friend of mine cuts on a smooth glass table. Its pretty slick.

If you want them to look old, you should dye the brilliant white stitching. It kind of glares at you.