mtroyalguy

Thank you all for the input. I have a copy of Al's Handstiching book if that is what you mean, Chuck and the only reference I could find was for cylinders, but the structural engineering is different on a cyclinder. Anyway, I have decided to suck it up and buy a big enough single piece and save myself the grief, but I am sure this will be helpful in the future.

Looking at the picture, those look a lot like the ones I have made, I just use belt blanks for the most part because it's quicker than cutting them myself, or 4/6 veg tanned for some sections (I think, I am sorry I am not experienced enough to fully understand the types of leather). The arm band is stitched, so a softer leather, prone to stretching though. Some of the cheaper harness are made that way as well. Cant tell for sure, but I think the harness might be the same. The centre one looks like mine, as noted above, the one with the chains looks a bit thinner, I would say 3 oz, which would mean purely fashion, won't hold up to any tension.

Thank you. I will keep that in mind as a back up. I am looking to do something more in this style though. Super simple. http://styleseeker.c...heories_561.jpg Sorry, apparently I am not smart enough to figure out thumbnails right now.

So this has probably been asked before, and I have searched the forum, but I probably just cant figure out the correct search terms. Is it possible/viable to join two pieces at a seam by butting them up, or do I need to overlap them. My boyfriend recently got accepted to art school and I want to make him a portfolio, and I really like the envelope style I found a bunch of on Pinterest (that was a distraction that took hours to find my way out of btw). However, I do not have a large enough single piece of leather to make this, and so soon after Christmas don't have the money to go buy one before I need to give it to him. He starts this week and I told him I probably have a portfolio in my storage unit so he will wait a week or two before buying one. TLDR: I do not have a large enough single piece for my project and cant afford to buy one right now. Is it possible to join two pieces by butting them up or is overlap my only choice? I am thinking a seam like on a tube, but on a flat piece I don't know if it will hold. Like this - XXXXXXXXX or HHHHHHHHHHH Or do I have to saddle stitch them and turn it inside out so the side view would be like a 3? Or overlap them and stitch them like the seam on a pair of jeans?

Pretty please. With cherries.

Just decided to stop lurking and ask a few questions, but thought it would be polite to introduce myself first. Been lurking for a while, found the search of the how do I do this forum to be very helpful. I started years ago with very basic work, making my own armour in the SCA, mostly because I was too cheap to buy it. Sadly, I mean fortunately, there are 2 surviving pictures. Several years later I started again by doing a few moulded masks. And then some things in the adult market, again I was being cheap. Looked at them and went, huh, that's not complicated and here we are. I am now working on what ever catches my eye. Last project was Gaming dice bags, before that leather top hats, somewhat successful (very successful as learning experiences) My current projects are blueprint tube, portfolio and pencil case for my boyfriend who got accepted to art school (but he doesn't know about them). I need to learn tooling I think, and even stamping. My last attempt was so abysmal it had to be covered by conchos and riveted on cut outs.