MonicaJacobson

That looks great!

I love that document case. Super cool.

Very nice! Looks like a great bag.

Cool! My sis-in-law was just admiring a bag just like this.

Yeah, me either. It seemed too much like honest to goodness book binding, which I find intimidating. Maybe someday when I have all the right glues and clamps.

I don't suppose you trawl mandolincafe, do you? (I said "troll" and my husband says that is absolutely not the right word, and I wanted "trawl". Ha.) We have a Nikos Apollonio octave mandolin, but honestly I don't have the left hand strength to play it for more than a few minutes. I'm waiting for my husband to make a prototype instrument he's been planning for a while. Something between a mandola and an octave mandolin, but easily playable like a waldzither. I see you play banjo - he's been haunting ebay for a year because we both want to learn clawhammer. Clawhammer Celtic would be something. Anyway, sorry, completely not leather related. Thanks for the comment!

Nice, Bill, I especially like the white deer skin. Have you ever repaired a soft Bible cover? I had someone ask me if I would a while back.

I love the concho and the carving. Really awesome.

Thank you, Bill, and Bob, yes, it's an F5. My husband makes A-style mandolins, so I feel a bit disloyal, but hey, they wouldn't be recognizable. Thank you, WScott, I appreciate it! Wait until you see the Saxophone one I have planned. Just kidding..

Thanks, Razmot!

Thank you, benlilly, Rosemary, Karina, and thefanniator -- Thank you for your kind comments, and Rosemary, I appreciate the reassurance on the corners. Thefanninator, I believe "Austin" is Tandy's name for this leather. It's quite thick, chrome tanned, and comes in a purpleish gray and black as well. It's a little like extremely thick and sturdy bison. I haven't investigated enough leather sources to see if anyone else makes it and calls it by another name. I suppose it's quite likely.

You might get tired of the music theme eventually, but for now, here's a mandolin themed messenger bag, made with 9 oz Austin leather, all hand stitched, taken apart, re-sewn, taken apart, and re-sewn. It was the keeper that kept messing me up. First it was too narrow and too long, and now it's still verging on too tight, but it will just work. It's definitely man or tall woman sized. I made it pretty big at 16 x 12, and the strap pretty long, and as I'm rather short, it looks embarrassingly large for me. I'm disappointed that I forgot to curve the corners instead of leaving them square, but I absentmindedly started grooving everything before I remembered I intended to cut the curve. Oh well. Feel free to give any advice that strikes you.

Dude, that's a crazy looking purse. It's going to be cool!

That's beautiful. Very nice.

Cool! I look forward to seeing what you make with it.

Ha, you started with one of the most work intensive patterns you could possibly pick. Good for you, and it's quite cool. I like the rusty survivor-of-the-zombie-apocalypse look.

Ha, that's awesome. Yeah, we need a picture of your horse!

Now I really want some alligator hide. Too bad it's so expensive! Yes, unless you hunt it yourself. I love the third one. The other ones are also very nice, but I *want* the third one.

Really nice!

Sure! I look forward to some pictures of what you guys have made.

Hi Bill, Good to hear from another GA leatherworker! I met Chuck, but I don't think I've met John. It seemed like the other people I saw in Lawrenceville were employees, not partners. I used to go there, but now I go to a new one that opened up in Lithia Springs, West of Atlanta. It's not actually closer, but 285 traffic can be bad on weekends. The owner in Lithia Springs, while I don't really know him, is helpful, and the store is bigger. I feel a bit disloyal to Chuck, but I'll go back to Lawrenceville if I'm that direction. Where do you get your leather? Thank you for your kind comments, much appreciated. I look forward to seeing what you and your wife make!

Interesting way to do the straps and the pocket. Quite nice!

That's beautiful. Thanks for taking all of those pictures!

Very nice, Olivier! I should coerce my husband into leatherworking so he can surprise me with nice things like that.

That's pretty awesome! Is that an extra layer on the bottom of it?