oscar621

Thanks for the kind words. Monica, I really liked the bag you made and wanted to use the "woven strap holds it all together" design without copying your bag. I think you are right about the dowel needing to be fastened to the flap - not sure how I managed to miss that but now I'm surprised she hasn't lost it already Fortunately that's a quick fix! Thanks for the suggestion.

It's been a while since I shared anything so I thought I'd post a few pictures. Credit to Monica for the bag design - it works perfectly for my daughter to carry her sketch pads and pencils. The holster was for a friend's PK380 and the scrap book cover used a chrome tanned interior and spine with veg-tan exteriors.

Got asked to make a basic holster to slip on a belt for walking in the woods. I did this (which I think is ok) but then got to thinking there might be a better way to do the belt loop on the back. Any ideas or suggestions welcome - thanks.

Unbelievable! Fantastic work!

Your work looks very nice. I think you might want to try to some drum dyed veg tan leather. Springfield leather company sells it by the square foot - price is a bit steep but it would let you try it without buying a lot. I use it for making holsters and it is almost the same as undyed veg tan (seems to be a bit stiffer/dryer which is probably a result of the dying process) but it takes oil great and has a nice uniform color. Colors are going to be limited too - usually just black and brown is what I've seen....

Absolutely think this is one of the neatest things I've seen here. It's great work, but even more so it's imagination and I really like that.

That's amazing! but how? I can't figure out in what order you did the tool work and dye? Will you share?

I added the bag kote as suggested - thanks. As for size, it is 4"x12" at the bottom and about 10" high in the middle.

Thanks. It's a piece of 5/6 oz ALC (Triple C?) veg tan and it's lined with a random piece of bag side from a bundle I got from SLC. Mostly machine sewed and then laced (that was a new one for me). Then I just rubbed on a beeswax/oil combo and buffed. I thought about an acrylic finish over that but think I might just leave it alone. Thoughts?

Very, very nice.

I get a lot out of seeing other people's projects here but don't often post... so here's something I finally finished and I thought I would share...

I take a 1/8" drill bit and use a grinder (sparingly to not overheat), a sanding wheel, files, and eventually sharpening stones to shape the awl part on the non-drill end. I make them (almost) diamond shaped and make the tip a bit of a chisel point - made a couple different sizes depending on what needles/thread I'm using. I found they fit perfectly into a normal awl chuck that you would buy awl blades for, but I like them better because they never bend and I can make them whatever size or shape I want. I did make a handle for one of them out of a piece of wood. Once it was shaped the way I wanted it I drilled a 1/8" hole for the blade and then epoxied it in (since the drilling part is epoxied into the wood it holds really well). If you're interested I can post a picture when I get home this weekend - but to be honest it just looks like a drill bit with the back end shaped like an awl.

That's some incredible carving. I especially noticed the texture and detail in the bricks but really think the whole thing is very nice.

Thanks for the kind comments. Mike, it has been about a year, I've been blessed with a local harness maker (who grew up Amish) who has been super patient answering questions and helping me figure things out. I got started to make myself a holster I couldn't find anywhere else and discovered a creative streak I didn't know I had.

Thanks. The veg tan leather holds its shape pretty well but definately isn't rigid. It doesn't have any dividers or pockets inside and that's good since I maxed out my abilities putting it together in the right order as it was.

I've been quietly watching and learning from everyone here for over a year and I've finally made something I like enough to share - so thanks to all of you for your ideas and suggestions that you share every day. This is a gift for a friend who is retiring from the military in a month or so. The patches on the front are for units he served in and the ones on the back are places he's been. 12"x16"x4 built from 6/7oz Triple C leather and hand stitched. Please feel free to critique and make suggestions for either design or process improvements.

Leatherman, I would recommend trying to put the tallow based finish on last because it's kind of greasy. I've played around with a tallow/neatsfoot oil combo as a finish for a bag I'm making out of veg tanned and so far I've found it works pretty good (if you do it last) to heat the tallow (mixed about 50/50 with neatsfoot oil) and when it's completely liquid brush it on with a small paintbrush. It cools quick and a lot stays on the surface so then I slick off any extra (back into the can) and use a hair dryer to warm the surface of the leather a bit so the last little bit gets absorbed in. It gives sort of a bridle leather texture (a bit waxy feeling) but I have no idea what the long term repercussions might be. Keep in mind, I haven't tried to put anything over it either.