johnv474

As I understand it, the one people really like is the Lin Cable, and like you have seen it is quite expensive. I can't remember if I've sewn with it or not, but it is twisted twice and smoothed, which leaves a very dense, consistent, and round thread. The consistency improves the look of the stitching (for fine goods). The extra processing to yield that result, plus being natural v cheap synthetic is what adds to the cost.

Don't tie a knot. Thread your needle, and point the needle back toward the long part of the thread with the thread on a table. Poke the tip of the needle through the thread. Pull the short end of the thread so the pierced part of the thread goes up the needle. Pull the needle all the way through. Now repeat that. You will end up with thread running through your needle and it will look a bit like a dollar sign. It's called "locking the thread" and creates a much smaller wad of thread when you go to pull the thread through your holes. Using a knot technically works, as in it functions, but what you have discovered is the big reason why it is not the preferred approach--the need for pliers.

If you decide that you can have a joint then look for round leather belting for sewing machine. It is available up to 9.5mm (in US units, up to 3/8 inch) and is vegetable tanned and already round. The main problem with such bracelet is how difficult to put it on if you have thick leather with no elastic or closure. The problem with manufacturing this bracelet is there is a lot of waste (the centers that are too small for bracelets), and leather is expensive. Leather is especially expensive when you want an unusual leather like this thickness. It would be easier and faster to stack two or three thicknesses together and you can form to whatever shape you like, using leather that is more common.

I have a pair or two. The good part is that they make consistent holes quietly, are pretty sharp, and don't require much effort. The disadvantage is you need to position them very carefully... on *both* sides. You may be lined up perfectly on the front only to find that the back moved 1/8" above your stitch line. If you have a stitching pony to hold your pieces vertical that may make checking both sides easier. The other (minor) disadvantage is that these create a hole but you still may need to use an awl or push the needles harder, because where the tips touch in the center of your layers might not fully pierce. The best I could figure out was to poke a hole at the beginning/end of a straight line, then scoot the leather over the edge of the table, insert two needles in the holes, and pull the leather back just until the needles just touch the table on the bottom, then put a weight on the leather. Now you can butt thr bottom plier jaw up to the table while you align the top and be somewhat sure it's in place. If these made 6-10 holes it would be more worth it to me, but for 4 holes (3 new holes if you re-use a hole), it can get old if you're doing a tote or something. A stitch marking wheel and awl is quieter, but takes more practice.

One option is just to start making and selling them yourself. They will get knocked off anyway so you may as well be the first one making them. Out of curiosity, is this type of invention something you would expect to be in the hands of professional shops (i.e.price of $1k+) or something that the average hobbyist might pick up on a him (say, $20)? I would imagine it's somewhere in between, but just to have some idea.

Yes it will. It takes a while for the oil to fully disperse, though (I have had it take a few days to even out). Apply the oil lightly because of this. You can always add more later.

I tried something similar, though not with books. It's worth mentioning that if you glue the leather down while curved, it will stretch flat as you say... but will also want to curl whatever it is glued to back, and the cover may not want to lay flat. I don't know of a real solution besides choosing stretchy leather.

The toolmakers mentioned offer a range of premium quality tools, but don't forget CS Osborne tools. They are US-made (NJ), and tend to be on the 'workhorse' side of things. Like many off-the-shelf tools, they often require a bit of touch-up before they function at their best.

I, too, have experienced discoloration of thread from pulling through dark leather. However I think it's just pigment getting into the wax, not dyeing the thread. I understand that dyeing polyester (or nylon) is not very easy and requires almost boiling the thread in the dye. The best (imperfect) solution I've found is to use a dry brush (like a suede brush) and brush it, followed by something like Lexol cleaner or saddle soap and another brushing. Please test on a scrap before attempting on your final project. YMMV.

I suggest taking it to a professional shoe repair shop, letting them assess it, and paying them to do the work. If you decide not to take it to professionals without having done something similar, then you run the risk of making beginner's mistakes. That said, it IS possible to change the color of the bag in ways that will NOT ruin the bag, and CAN produce a darker color in the direction of the color you posted. Lots of people dye bags darker, and a web search will offer lots of ways to attempt it, in addition to the step-by-step listed above. Just be aware that "Dark Brown" is (unless diluted) a very dark, bitter dark chocolate color. All of this goes out the window if this bag is vinyl.

This is one approach. Others might vary from this. Step 1) clean with Lexol cleaner or saddle soap, leaving the item damp Step 2) apply deglazer. The goal is to remove waxes, oils, dyes, and to open up the pores to accept the dye well. Step 3) reduce your dye with Fiebings Dye Reducer (or alcohol). I suggest 50:50 dye:reducer if you want dark brown. The dyes come concentrated. 50:50 will give you dark brown, and 1:2 dye:reducer will give you lighter than dark brown Step 4) apply dye all over the damp leather, using something like a damp kitchen sponge or a wadded up old cotton t-shirt. Don't bother using the little dauber that comes with the dye. You need to move faster than that. Step 5) saddle soap and water, clean the leather to remove extra pigment. Leave the leather damp. Step 6) repeat dye. 2-3 coats will be your total, until it is evenly applied and a shade or two darker than you want (as it dries, it will get lighter) Step 7) repeat saddle soap and water Step 8) apply lexol conditioner, light coat. Wait a few minutes, then apply a second coat Step 9) let it sit a little while (30 mins or so). Buff off surface. As it gets mostly dry, apply a cream polish like Meltonian shoe cream or Tarrage shoe cream in a color that moves the leather toward the color you want. Step 10) apply paste shoe polish (hard polish) very light coat, and buff Step 11) Apply Fiebing's Resolene, as your sealer, diluted 50:50 with water. One light coat, wait 10 minutes, then another light coat. Let the bag sit overnight at least to finish drying out. By now it should be evenly dyed, have a bit of sheen, and also be protected.

If you like you can take two layers of thin leather and hand stitch them together, but sandwich between them a material that is flexible but won't allow stretch. One example would be 1" nylon straps, such as used for backpacks, buried in the adhesive. I'll save you some fuss and say to punch out oversized belt holes in the nylon ahead of time. 'oversized' because lining up the two thin straps can be a challenge and because you don't want nylon fibers peeking out. It could also be a piece of canvas, etc. This has been done for ages, and still is in many commercial pre-made straps.

That effect is almost inherent in any absorbed dye, unless it is applied so heavily that the effect is not noticeable. In bending it, you stretch a certain amount of color over a larger area, so the amount of color per inch is lowered. Solution? Bend first.

The short answer (of commonly-available products) is to use Resolene. I don't have the link handy but it was the product that kept fading/darkening down more than the others, in a small trial over several months.

That's pretty thin. It will work (like commercial knife rolls), but will not stand out in terms of heft, durability, etc. Over time it will form to the shape of the knives more than something with more thickness... which will make the outside look anything but smooth. I suggest using a thicker leather and then a thinner leather (or fabric) for any pockets for the knives. For example, 8 oz for the outside and 1 to 4 oz for the pockets. This would be hefty. A balance would be 6 oz with 1 to 2 ounce pockets (such as pigskin). I often see suede used inside, as well. The purpose for the difference in weights is so that the pockets conform to the knives but not the roll itself. If you use equal weight inside and out, the roll and pockets will form to the knives equally... thus making the roll bulge. Alternative: just use some floppy leather like suede inside and out. It won't look stout but can be more compact.

It depends on the phone, but you didn't say what kind of phone it was. If it's a smartphone then try emailing it to yourself first. Some phones will ask whether to send the attached photo full size, medium, or small. If it's a smartphone and that doesn't work then look for an app in the app store to resize. If it's not a smartphone, then plug it into a computer or send via Bluetooth to a computer and resize it there. A web search for your editor (or a free photo editor) will give you the answers you need.

The post you replied to might be older than you thought. That said, I too would like to compare handsewn vs machine-sewn... but a fair comparison. There is little value in comparing Hermes' hand sewing vs sweatshop wallets sewn with 46 thread. For one thing, the products made in those environments aren't direct competitors. Likewise, there is little value in comparing novice craft-type sewing using hobby store materials with high-end machine sewn using nicer materials. Out of interest, do you have specifics on what you consider properly trained, for hand sewing?

Removing it entirely will be a challenge. You could try paint thinner, spot remover, deglazer or acetone, but be aware that these will likely leave a light spot because it will remove oils as wel. With a Q-tip you might be able to mostly keep the solvent touching just the painted area, and after it dries you'll want to apply some conditioner. You can minimize the effect but it's difficult to entirely remove and return the leather to how it was.

Wrap it the direction so that any overlap won't want to flip out (depending on direction of rotation for your rotary tool). Wood glue or contact cement would hold canvas and wood without issue.

It would be about as much material as a long sleeved shirt, maybe a bit more if you put extra pockets and trim. Take a shirt that fits you, button it, and lay it out on a piece of cardboard or big sheet of paper. Then turn it over and lay it next to the other one, with a few inches between then (say, 6"). Then draw a big rectangle that surrounds both shirt outlines, with a margin of about 6" all around. Multiply the length by the width of the rectangle and that's about how much area you'll need. It makes a different whether you wear size small or XXXL, and whether you want to have one pocket or ten, so it's challenging to give an estimate, but that will give you an idea. A single shoulder probably will not work. They tend to be 5 - 9 sq ft. You'll likely want a double shoulder or more. Better to have extra.

If you really want to use a pushpin or trim nail for your holes (which is a slow way to go, but does work), you can just use a metal washer to hold the leather surrounding the nail down when you pull it out. For the effort, though, I might just use an ice pick or scratch awl or something with a handle.

You can condition/oil the leather with your favorite conditioner or oil to soften it. That would work fine for a tobacco pouch.

You mean a curved needle, right? Most needles are round. Do you have any needles to compare with? A harness needle #2 could fit Ritza 25 Tiger thread at 1mm, and maybe a #3, with some effort. If you have one of those to compare with you'll be fine. Or, when you go to the store, just look for the smallest needle with an eye that is almost 1mm. Take a ruler if you want to. Your 1mm flat thread should fit in that needle.

This thread is terribly old, but others may find this topic by Googling those manuals (as I did). For those people, here is a tiny review of what to expect/not expect from those manuals. First, they are worth their price. Second, they are not easy to read. Third, the author indeed has the credentials claimed. Imagine you had a chance to listen to Al Stohlman, or Verlane Desgrange, or Amy Roke, or Sam Lucchese, or some other favorite world expert. Reading this book is like listening to the transcripts of a professor's course... which is generally organized but at times can wander. The manuals could use someone to rearrange/edit so that related content was grouped together. You have to dig, but the gold is there... in abundance... more than any other books I've found. In fact, unless I was specifically (and only) interested in tooling, carving, braiding, saddlery, or shoemaking, I would take these manuals over the whole library that Tandy offers. If I wanted only those topics, I'd buy other books to accompany these. But for wallets, belts, straps, holsters, and any fine goods, flat goods, boxes, cases, etc., the information in there is second-to-none. You just have to dig for it. That said, they won't make an artisan out of you any more than watching karate videos will make you a martial arts expert.

I think THunter9 is referring to SLS aka Shoe-Last-Shop, not ShamrockArts. It sounds like he spoke with ShamrockArts after a bad experience with Shoe Last Shop... from what I can gather.