Chitin

I use a liberal amount of gum tragacanth and my trusty edge slicker. Works great, I've gotten it so smooth it was hard to tell one side from t'other!

Molding for me is basically the last step before dying - I cut all my holes and even bevel the edge before molding.

I just ordered some NeatLac, I'm excited to try it. My items sit directly over skin or clothing, so I have to be VERY careful about dyes running. My usual standard is to try it under the tap and rub it on a white t-shirt. If it doesn't crock, that's a product I'll use. I don't want to be paying for anybody's ruined shirt. So far only the acrylics have done the trick.

See, I would just use latigo, but I do a fair amount of tooling and two-tone dying on my items. "Crocking" just means dye bleeding onto skin and clothing. Thanks for the tip on the mink oil... anywhere you suggest I should get it?

Alright, I'm trying to make my veg tan leather super-soft and comfy, like latigo. I realize I'll never reach the suppleness of latigo in regular veg tan, but I'd love some tips and tricks as to how to make it as comfortable as possible. I love the "feel" of latigo, but need the flexibility of veg (I do a lot of dying and some minor tooling). Thanks! Edit: I should say what I'm already doing. I'm using 6-7 oz veg tan generally (sometimes thicker, sometimes thinner, but that's the average). After dying with either pro oil dye or Eco Flo depending on what color I want, I massage in a pretty generous amount of neat's foot oil. I've been experimenting with Lexol, but I'm not liking the results it's giving me. I then slick the sides and back with gum tragacanth and finish with super sheen. Crocking is a very big deal for me as my items are made to be worn, and so far super sheen is the only thing I've found that makes them waterproof enough in back.

Interesting... I'd never thought of it that way! Thanks! Also thanks for the supplier tip in the other thread, I'd been wondering that for a long time!

This is a fantastic tutorial! If I may suggest one addendum to the design - why not use a thinner dowel and have the tail leather extend all the way down through the handle, then braid over that? This improves durability, balance, and makes the handle a little bit soft so that it's easier to the grip.

PERFECT! Thanks so much!

I'm looking for a good source for swivels - something like the attached picture but a little less "hardware store." I was convinced Ohio Travel Bag would have something but if they do I'm not finding it in the catalog. I don't have a wholesale number so preferably not some place I need one to order from.

Hey Freddie! I'm also in New York! Williamsburg, to be exact. Whereabouts are you? Not many of us around her that I've found!

There is transparency paper made for inkjet printers and transparency paper made for laser printers. It's generally best never to confuse the two

Latigo is a dual-process alum/oil tanned leather. It's very flexible, slightly oily, and very strong. It can't be tooled, and has some mild issues with ruboff.

This is what I was going to suggest. Do it like you'd do an eyelet.

I've been dying the backs of my collars, then coating it with gum trag and burnishing the heck out of it, then sealing heavily with the "sheen" of my choice. It seems to have worked so far: I've done experiments with little pieces of scrap where I put it under running water and then rub it on stuff and it's done okay. Maybe I've just been getting lucky. For my masks I just leave the flesh side raw. It's nigh impossible to burnish a concave surface. I use the pro oil dyes, by the way, and I'm gradually making the switch over to the eco-flos.