MonicaJacobson

Pretty! I'd take it and the knife, too.

Very nice! I love the knife - the handle is spalted/rotted/maple? The sheath is lovely. Very clean, really cool use of the stingray.

I like your solution at the top of the bag where you attached the straps.

My shop is in my dining room, so I'm forced to put everything away after I use it - no peg board and metal hangers for me. I made a little sheath for my awl, and it, the needles, and scissors all go in one pouch, with all my pricking irons and edge bevelers in another pouch. It's nice to be able to grab the whole pouch. It's also nice to use samples of leather I have laying around and see how they wear over time.

Ha, thanks, Kevin. Yes, definitely a different look. My stuff is more simplistic - though I am working on a upping the complexity of my bag making.

That's great! I'll have to stop by and take a look at their bags, myself!

I love frye. I read a rumor that they were bought out by a Hong Kong based something-or-another, so I have wondered, in passing, if their quality will change. But so far, everything seems good. I've certainly loved the two pairs I own.

The grey knight is my favorite --and the chair. You've got some tool chatter along the edges of your designs you could probably start smoothing out. Cool stuff, though!

Cool! My husband makes mandolins, so I had to ask.

Oh yeah, as long as you put something else on it, it goes away. Here's a bag I was working on a month or so back - first picture, you can see the ashen look you're talking about after I applied neatsfoot oil, and the second picture is later, after three coats of resolene.

Nice looking wallet, great edges.

Yes, that does happen. I've never tried buffing it off - it doesn't seem like it would work, but I dunno. I usually apply it after dying and before a finish. You will probably want to put some kind of finish on the raw veg-tan anyway. You could do a single layer of resolene, gives it a bit of a sheen without turning it too plastic-ey. Or you could use Aussie conditioner/wax. You can use a hair-dryer (or leave it in the sun) and the heat will help it melt in, after which it buffs up very nicely. Here's a picture of a bag I made for someone and left completely without a finish. I made it for a friend in town, so he brought it back for a spruce-up two years later. I put Aussie on it and it looks much, much better. I think people use Carnauba cream as well, but I've never tried it.

I love the dye job and bold backgrounding you didn't really blend in. It's one of those things that people usually get in trouble for, but you carried it off so confidently, it's actually a selling point.

Super cool, I love it!

Did you make the guitar?

Cool! I love the celtic dragon.

I think it turned out pretty cool, despite the difficulties. I can't believe you managed to turn that thing inside-out. The turned stitch lines look awesome, though. This one looks cool enough that I'd be very interested to see how a better planned one turns out.

My bad, 25B. *I'm editing this because I think it needs a tiny bit more contrition than "my bad" - Really, sorry, 25B - I was totally out of line. I will mop a floor in contrition. Or something.

Hmm... I doubt the OP sent that. Sounds more like 25B to me. If I've ever had any trouble with Springfield, they've done their best to correct it generously. If I am specific, I have always been satisfied.

Oh yeah, they'll probably take it back. I think sometimes when you order something online, you get whatever happens to be on top. Like JLS said, they hope you won't bother. With any company, when you take the human element out (like ordering through a website), the process becomes less personal, and they take less care. But for any online ordering I've done (I do it by phone, not through a webpage), if I've specified that I'm picky, they will include my specifications in the notes and are very accommodating. It wastes their money when they have to pay for you to return stuff.

Glass shiny edges - I'm jealous. Nice job!

That's a cool idea, even if it's only enforceable on this site. I'd be interested in a reasonably-proficient-seal. I think I might get there, given time.

Wow, that turned out way cooler than I thought it would, based on your question. I don't think you needed help at all. I like that there's a kid in the last picture. My kids always end up in mine, somehow.

Very cool! Nice colors and design.

I usually dye, buff lightly with a damp sponge, buff with a white cloth (until nothing or almost nothing comes off), and then apply neatsfoot oil and let it sit for 24 hours before putting resolene (a sealer you cut 50% with water) on it. If it's still very stiff, you might need to source some leather from somewhere else. Springfield Leather (online) has good leather, not so good leather, and great leather (Hermann Oak, though it's more pricey), and they'll tell you which is which and what a reasonable weight would be for the project you want. + 1 for mandolin - my husband and I both play, though he plays a lot better than me.