Tex Shooter

Thanks for the wax tip and keep up the fantastic work Will. -- Tex

I punch my holes ahead of time. Here is a simple folding knife pouch that I did yesterday.

Yes I do!

I do saddle stitching while watching TV without a pony sometimes, but it is slow and a little cumbersome. -- Tex

Wow, opinions are like noses! Everybody has one! I hand stitch because I have the time and it is very therapeutic. I have noticed that when I put a little video of me hand stitching with ads that my sales doubled! I need to make a better one now. -- Tex

I hand sew exclusively and second what Aaron said. -- Tex

I had to have a piece of a stick taken out of my hand in Dillon. A warm welcome to the forum! -- Tex

I use a Lucris and I think that it is in a class all by its self for a manual clicker. They are very fast to use and I can click over 200 small parts a hour. I have two of them and have one for sale for $900. It is almost like new and has been used very little. The catch is it is pick up only in Kerrville Texas. -- Tex

I will take them. How do you want to be paid! -- tex

I have said before that I make and sell only simple items and sell them for very economic prices. I have no sewing machine and saddle stitch only. I have made myself a little retirement business doing this and it is very therapeutic for me. Here is a simple fixed blade knife sheath that has become very popular. The rivets squeeze the leather so tightly that the knife edge never reaches them. I have carried a razor sharp knife in a pouch like this for a long time without cutting through or losing the knife edge. At the present I only make one size of it. The knife in it is a Pal #25. I do know how to make fancy items, but I enjoy making the simple ones myself. -- Tex

Maybe chrome tanned Buffalo! It is very soft, but very strong! -- Tex

I like and have several older rotary punches. I have always wanted a sargent and Co. compound Parallel rotary punch. I have never cared for the standard design rotary. I recently picked one up that was virtually unused. When I got it I found out why, as it would not punch a clean hole. When in inspected it I found that the Punches were not striking the brass anvil square because for rivet tolerances in the compound action. This tool has a adjustable anvil (It is a brass screw) but would not lower enough to compensate for this problem. Therefore I screwed it up high enough and filed it On a angle to compensate. Now it works fine, infact it works with about 1/2 the hand pressure of a standard rotary. Here is a picture the Sargent and also of one of my other rotaries. It is a old Bulllock Mfg. Assoc. made in Springfield Mass. The Sargent was made in New Haven Conn. -- Tex

For me it depends on what I am sewing and what I am going to do with it. Here are some factors that enter into the equation. 1) What kind of leather? 2) Am I going to try to sell the item and for how much money? 3) How thick is the item to be sewed? 4) What is the leather temper? 5) How strong is the leather? 6) What style of sewing? (butt, lap, etc.) 7) Will the item be formed? 8) how many layers of leather? 9) What kind of thread or cord will I be using? Plus more factors. As you get more experience a lot of factors are automatic. For some of the items that I sell cheap with 4/5 oz chrome or oil tanned tanned leather I use a chisel. For Items that for myself or I want to get more money for I will prick mark and use awl. On thick and multiple layer items a awl or a drill is a must. -- Tex

It had been awhile since I had played with this tool. I got to looking at the anvil and re-discovered that It will cut 6 button hole sizes. When you loosen the the brass screw, the anvil will lift right out. It has slots to match the detent in six different positions. Also the cutting blade is made from one piece of steel. The button hole shape and tear drop shape of the clearance hole is amazing. Here is a little larger view of the cutting blade about 1/2 way down and the anvil that it strikes against. -- Tex

OK, this might be a little more information than you want, but I don't know what you are asking! If you look closely at the pictures you can see a cutter imprint on the sides of the brass anvil. This anvil has four sides for four different button hole length settings. You adjust the buttonhole length by loosing the round knurled brass screw head out past the end of the anvil and rotating the anvil. When you get the length that you want, you set the anvil down on the detente and tighten the brass screw by hand. For the depth in from the edge of the leather there is a slide stop and another brass screw back toward the handle. The cutter head is in the shape of the button hole with the hole end having a center clearance hole just like a punch. If you look closely you can see leather protruding out of the side of the clearance hole. I don't know how they ever cut this teardrop shaped clearance hole! To make a button hole you just slip the tool into the leather at 90 degrees to the edge and squeeze the handles. It does not take a lot of hand pressure because of the cam action. this is one of the neatest old pliers type tools that I have ever had in my hands. It cost me $12 when I bought it and it is in perfect working condition. -- Tex

I know that there is button hole punches, But I have not seen one similar to this. And this one is built like a tank! -- Tex

Here is a tool that I have had for several years and love very much. I have left it just as I found it with the exception that I killed the oxidation to prevent it from father oxidation. It makes 4 button hole sizes and has a adjustment for edge spacing. It works very well. The name on it is F.C. Leypoldt, Phil. PA and it also has two patent date of Apr 16 78 -- Here are two pictures and the patent. -- Tex https://www.google.com/patents/US202446?dq=202446&hl=en&sa=X&ei=sx8vUrzNFdC72QWU2oDoCw&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAQ

I have been using a rawhide mallet for quite some time. Because I live on SS plus a little extra and taxes and insurance take one half of my income I don't have extra to spend. I have wanted a maul for quite a while but have not found one cheap at a garage sale or etc. I have seen a couple of wood working mallets (mauls like about $15) cheap at sales but did not know if they would work well with steel leather stamps and etc. So now my question is has any body tried a "Shop Fox" or "Wood is Good" maul (they call them mallets) for leatherwork. They do show up once in a while at garage sales. -- Tex

Here is the real cheap one that I use. scroll down for more pictures. -- Tex Two Dollar Stitching Jig - Leather Tools - Leatherworker.net

A lot depends on how big of items that you are going to be stitching. The pony could be made to break down for portability also. -- Tex

I have seen heavy veg tan sheaths with welts side cut out faster than chrome tan leather. A lot can depend on how well the knife fits the sheath. If it is loose enough to twist a little in the sheath it can side cut out. I carry a razor sharp hunter in a 6 oz. chrome tanned sheath and have never had any problem, but it fits very tight and the sheath is brass riveted as well as sewn. Now having said that, a veg tanned sheath if properly made with a welt is superior. A pinch folded brass liner with a little epoxy makes even the lightest sheath safe and protects the cutting edge also. Wood can also make a excellent knife sheath, especially when two haves are shaped to the blade and are glued with a silicone adhesive. A little silicone squeezed into the cavity makes them very tough and easy on the knife edge. One of the favorite knives among hunters today is a Mora and they have a sorry sheath. The Mora knife is not very pretty neither, but it works very well. -- Tex

"Yes, I do a lot of handstitching as well " I get relaxing therapeutic value from hand stitching also. I have not bought a machine because I am afraid that I will get caught up in working instead of using leather work as a hobby. I am 76 and don't need to do a lot of work anymore!

I have moved the craigslist post. Here is the new link. -- Tex http://houston.craigslist.org/tls/4022471904.html

I was talking about direction of the steel grain structure and not the sharpening angle. -- Tex

Just a little warning about buffing wheels! Be careful not to over heat your blade and take the temper out. I have had guys get there pocket knife super sharp at gun shows on a buffing wheel only to find out later that the edge don't last because of losing there temper. If your edge don't hold up in hard leather on a older tool, it probability is because someone was not careful about not getting the blade hot. I have a old Ka-Bar knife that has that problem and its blades have been buffed by someone in the past. It is not always easy to tell when a cutting edge is getting too hot. When I was demonstrating sharpening techniques One of the things that I would do is run a knife edge by hand on a dry India stone in total darkness and you could the edge heat up red for a couple of thousands back. The only salvation is it cools so fast that it tends to re-temper its self, but sometimes so hard that it chips. These things can be seen under a microscope. With reasonable care you should not have a heating problem, but be aware that you can. One other thing. Some of the fine German and custom knife manufactures have learned that steel grain structure in cutting edges sharpen and work better if 45 degrees to the edge. A good rule when sharping wet and slower is better than fast and dry. -- Tex