johnv474

I have found double-sided carpet tape to be pretty good and removable without messing up the back, if removed within a few hours. I use the non-foam kind--just a flat tape. I really like Barge rubber cement for this purpose too, as it comes right off with an eraser. I don't use it for tooling, but for mockups of prototypes before sewing. For careful cutting, I rubber cement to a wooden cutting board.

This approach is used very often in the shoe repair industry. It is definitely possible. Effectively, it is done on belt sanders.

Beeswax would make then more water-resistant for sure,while the wax stays. I don't know that beeswax would provide much abrasion resistance in a shoe sole--meaning it would scuff off pretty quickly. One option might be to use something like Huberds Shoe grease (for waterproofing). For abrasion you might want something harder, but even a carnauba wax would wear off easily. Something that can absorb some (eg beeswax mixed with olive or neatsfoot oil as some people use) will help carry the water resistance in. Or, hot wax, as shown on Youtube. The non-period correct approach would probably be to use a urethane/polyurethane/lacquer coating that is mostly transparent.

It is often overlooked but important to tell newbies (maybe no one here) that to set a rivet you want metal-to-metal contact. Don't try to set rivets on the kitchen table or backed by a piece of wood. Using a plain faced hammer (and another hammer laid on it's side if you don't have an anvil), you can set double-cap and quick-rivets consistently well with little practice. The steam should reach through all the leather and just barely poke our, around 1/16". If it sticks out much more then you will have bent/crooked rivets. Also if the hole is too big, they can bend to the side too easily. The hole should fit snugly or, at least, not be way larger than the stem. It is often overlooked but important to tell newbies (maybe no one here) that to set a rivet you want metal-to-metal contact. Don't try to set rivets on the kitchen table or backed by a piece of wood. Using a plain faced hammer (and another hammer laid on it's side if you don't have an anvil), you can set double-cap and quick-rivets consistently well with little practice. The steam should reach through all the leather and just barely poke our, around 1/16". If it sticks out much more then you will have bent/crooked rivets. Also if the hole is too big, they can bend to the side too easily. The hole should fit snugly or, at least, not be way larger than the stem.

I have never used a tool like this. It's a novel idea and design. Does anything keep the iron from falling out when the pliers are pointing downwards, i.e. facing the leather in a stitching pony? Another way around the noise issue is to get a section of log and stand it up, then pound on that. The mass of the log deadens most sounds compared to a workbench or table. If you are just marking with a pricking iron, though, it makes almost no noise anyway. Only if you penetrate does it take much of a whack with the mallet.

For small projects you can use a wooden screw clamp, which you might have in your garage or workshop. If not, using a hardbound book between your knees is better than nothing.

They use chrome-tanned. In the video about how to make knockoff bags, there are Le Farc rolls of leather in the bbackground. I have not seen if they get leather tanned to their specs or if it is one of Le Farc's standard leathers.

For anyone visiting this thread in the future, CloneSpy (Windows) and FSLint (Linux) do a very good job of finding duplicates, even if the names are different. You can limit your search to certain directories and delete either all but the newest, or all but the oldest.

Stohlman's advice, not in his words: pricking iron (I.e. stitches per inch) plus number of cords in linen thread = 11 or so. E.g. 8 stitches per inch would work for a 3 cord linen, more or less. This is not specific to the film au chinois thread or your needles but may serve as one guideline.

I work at Landwerlen Leather Co. in Indianapolis, IN. It's an old school store (phone and fax) but we're working on an online presence.

Veg tan is getting more expensive. Where I work they sell 5-6 or 6-7 oz for about 5.75 a sq ft, in shoulders. That is for undyed with sanded backs. Dyed, glazed, and with smooth finished backs sells for 6.95, but that's 8 oz.

Coats/Barbour is, I believe, the largest thread manufacturer. I am almost sure they are our supplier of Star thread, which is nylon. I have never heard of bleeding issues. If you do not know of a local source let me know and I'll see if I can help from here.

So you could have, in effect, two leather blankets lined with shearling. One, the red one, snaps into the outer black one. The black one contains a second row of snaps to close itself. Two advantages: 1) two separate blankets, one less warm, one more warm, that could each function as wool-lined sleeping bags, or unfold it and have an, ahem, two-person sleeping bag. 2) As each can be used individually, when it is not severely cold you don't need both layers. One detail to be aware of is weight--heavy leather with two layers and insulation will add up. Even 5 oz leather x 3ft wide x 7 ft long is about 15 lbs, unlined, one layer. Another detail is that finding two full hides that are wide enough through their entire length may be an issue. I'll have a look at work; that may not be a problem. Of course from the leftover you must have a matching pillow roll. :-) I don't want to complicate things for the maker of this; I'm just thinking it through some. Snaps vs zipper saves trying to make a zipper that long, and fears of zippers breaking. For lining, military surplus wool blankets (new) in charcoal color are about 30 bucks. A few of those would make for some good insulation, at a savings vs shearling (which is about 60 bucks, but much thicker wool. Anyway, just some thoughts...

It can be done for less, but it would depend on the specific materials you want. A full hide with shearlings that are stitched together to fully line it would do the job, and be more comfortable than leather interior, though of course that is an option also. Also, snaps may be easier than a full zipper, if that is not an absolute requirement. I think it would look awesome. I would recommend shearling as opposed to wool stuffing to avoid shifting.

I found the contact information for you. John L. Howard Jr., JHEVH@AOL.com, 16 Bowdoin Road, Andover MA 01810-2509 Phone 978-475-6489 Fax 978-475-0789. That's what it says on his business card, and we found both bison leather and bison suede with his card attached. Hope this helps!

Ludlowleather.com lists them at $45 per 500m roll.

Do you need bison, or water buffalo? I found some bison suede in a bulk lot at work (not gray, though). If I find the contact information from the tag, I will post it here.

2.5 square feet is 2322 square cm. There 929 square centimeters to a square ft, approximately. I do not know how much is needed, but since shell cordovan comes in small pieces, expect to have more waste. You may want to buy a used pair of shoes your size and disassemble them to get an idea of the required quantities. Someone asked about shoe repair supply stores. There is one in Indiana, called Landwerlen Leather Co., that has no minimum order and carries nearly anything that would be needed. Full disclosure: I work there. There are not many such stores still in business.

If you need help centering the holes, buy a metal washer the size you need as a guide.

Barbour sells linen thread in black (and brown, I believe). Their dye job is less likely to come off while being used. That said, if dyeing is the way to go, I would use fabric dye as well. My experience with leather dye on linen is miixed.

Resolene is one of the more popular finish coats. It is an acrylic, so should be able to be applied over about anything. I haven't owned anything that I've applied Resolene to for long enough to say if it cracks or peels over time. I say that because belts gets a fair amount of flex. I would recommend trying it, but can't say for certain that it will definitely work. Meltonian is a popular shoe cream, so I imagine it is fairly compatible with most other common products (ie Resolene).

This is an old thread but keeps getting attention. Occasionally we get Horween in our bulk scrap/remnant lots. It is not consistent, and supplies tend to go fast, but for those looking to try out Horween but can't do $10/sf, this may be an option worth pursuing. I know Maverick also sells, and at similar prices, for Horween scrap. I'll be posting some in the For Sale section in the next few weeks.

For what it's worth, the most common thread we sell to shoe repairmen is the #92. We have a Claes patching machine in the back (the first, and only, leather sewing machine I've used). I think it has #69 thread in it, and stitches at about 6 spi. That is fine for small accessories, like possibles bags. It is using nylon thread at the moment.

Resist means to apply anything that will prevent a later product application from reaching all areas. It is used just like a person might use masking tape in painting a room. The resist can be a product intended for that use, but technically could be anything that has those properties, As for resoling, that can be done at any shoe repair place. Typical coat wouls be 40-100 dollars, depending on the sole type and local labor rates.

Which part causes the problem--the width of the stem or the resting of your finger on top? If its the handle, you could wrap it in tape until it is much thicker. You could also look for a masonry chisel that is about 1/2" wide at the tip and has a big foam handle. That is not a perfect solution but it can be sharpened to be the same shape. How to actually swivel, though, may just require creating new methods, perhaps using two hands to guide.