quinatt

and no white at all in waxed 277... maybe im making this harded than it needs to be. seems like it should be very easy.

looks like they only have poly in white waxed 207.....

judging from your work, I think 207 is probably what I need and not 277. thanks. Sounds like it would be better to just get prewaxed nylon though if you have trouble waxing it. Is that 6 stitches per inch you are using on your work? So i probably need to find a source for prewaxed nylon in right twist and in size 207. The Thread exchange might have that, i think they didnt have what i needed in size 277. Ill check back with them

I appologize for starting another topic on a subject that seems to be discussed often. Ive been researching for days. Im having a heck of a time trying to figure out what kind of nylon thread to get and where to get it. I see waxed nylon thread everwhere but Im never certain on the size and whether it is right twist or not or whether it is good quality Currently, Im using Barbours linen in 4 and 5 cord. I want to give nylon a try and I need a thread the same size. I use the 4 cord linen the most so thats the ideal size. i guess I dont care if it is bonded nylon or waxed nylon, just that it is the correct size, in right twist, and of a good quality. Some people say that left twist is ok for handsewing but I bought my barbours in left twist and I think it tends to get twisted up so I definitely want to try right twist to see if it works better. Also, if i go with bonded nylon, can I dye it and wax it the same way i do with the linen? I also figured that size 277 would be a good size to get but not all sources for thread I find use this same sizing so i get confused If anybody can point me in a good direction, I appreciate it.

thanks wiz. I would actually be picking it up with no shipping costs. from what i understood, some people werent liking the newer 206s due to them being made in china? i thought the older machines were more sought after? i appreciate the advice though, makes sense

So im gonna get a sewing machine. after some research, ive decided a consew 206 should be able to do what i need. I found some in a convenient location for $700 with the standard clutch motor. The guy says they are just a 206. not an rb 1,2,3 etc. i plan on putting in a servo motor based off what i've read on here. he says they run great and come with the table. Is this a good price considering im gonna replace the motor, or would i be better off to continue searching for one with the servo motor already on it? Im assuming these machines were the first machines made in the 206 line, is there anything that i should be careful of buying these older ones vs the rb-2,3,4 etc. Thanks for any advice

hey beary, i recieved my general purpose burnisher today and it works like a charm thank you very much

Yea i would like to get a good pricking iron as i think it would help alot. The price on a good pricking iron is the only thing holding me back from picking one up. anyone have any input on the size of the douglas awl blade that im using? should i be using the smallest blade he offers or is the standard one a good choice?

alright ill experiment a little with this. i appreciate the the feedback. If anyone else has any input id like to hear it

also, as far as grooving the leather, especially cordovan, the thing i dont like is that once you groove into the leather you have that natural colored raw leather exposed and unless your stitching completely fills in the groove, i think it looks sloppy. And i do worry about some leathers being too thin to groove and still remain strong also

Thanks for the reply. so ive seen people mention that you can remove strands from your linen. like strip it down to say 3 cord. does this mess with the twist of the cord at all? is this something i can do. kind of a bummer that i have this huge spool of barbours 5 cord now. also i went ahead and got the douglas awl with the standard size blade. I would assume this would be a suitable tool as it is recommended so often. What do you think? do i need a smaller blade? I have used artificial sinew in the past and actually liked the way it layed on the leather better but steered away from it due to others opinion on the way it aged or cut into the leather. anyone out there prefer artificial sinew to linen and consider it to be just as good of quality? Thanks

hey everyone, I have been making a few wallets lately and am still in practice stage especially with my stitching. I've been working alot with horween chromexcel leather and am interested in shell cordovan (not a wise material to use for a beginner I know already). anyway, on some of my work, I have had people critique my work in saying the stitching is not countersunk into the leather enough and is sitting too far out. I am using barbours 5 cord and not grooving a channel in my leather for the stitching to sit in. My question is does anybody stitch without using the groover? I personally don't like the idea of grooving the leather first and especially not on a nice piece of leather such as shell cordovan. Am i wrong in thinking this? and is 5 cord linen too heavy for wallets in others opinion? Also, I have found that using a stitching chisel on the outside piece of my wallet and then using the awl to push through the other pieces once I have them all clamped in my stitching pony works alot better than just relying on the awl. I've noticed that alot of people dont recommend using a stitching chisel at all but from what ive found, the awl makes just as big of a hole as the chisel yet the awl makes the stitching look less uniform when relying on it only. any advice is appreciated.

Thanks you guys. These are all worth considering. I did have a hard time finding prices and product descriptions on the Weaver website so I'm still not sure what they have to offer. Osborne seems to always be a solid choice and thanks to the link to Bruce johnson's website. I like the idea of having older well made tools. I'm not the greatest sharpener. What is the best way to sharpen these if I can ask? Also, I plan on making a few belts. If I was to start out with only a few sizes to start with (2-3), could you guys suggest any sizes that are most frequently used for this type of project?

Hi, I am new to leathercraft and am still gathering all my tools. You guys have been of great help so far. I need to get a hole punch set and was wondering if someone could recommend something. I see that there are alot of poor quality sets out there that get bad reviews for being cheap steel or not being sharp. I don't mind cheap tools if they get the job done but I would rather not have to upgrade any time soon if possible. Any information is greatly appreciated. Thank you Also looking for quality strap end punches

Hey thanks, ya I was thinking of checking out joannes tomorrow. I have several wallets tonight that I have looked at and they all have nice thick material for the id windows. the stuff I have is thin creases and wrinkles really easy. Maybe vinyl is the way to go? Or thicker acetate might work too if I found some.

I ordered some of the acetate from Springfield leather and it is ridiculously thin. I can't make a quality wallet with this stuff. I'm gonna have to find something else