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Thank you Beaverslayer for the info, I'm still not sure if I'll ever get the time to have a go at it but at least I know how it looks to be done now. Cheers, Clair

They have a potent ethanol smell to me which gives me migraines, I also have the same problem with Copic Markers if I use them too long as they smell similar. My studio room is well ventilated but like RoosterShooter wrote I'm just ones of those people who are sensitive too it, which is annoying at times as they have some nice colours not available from the other dye manufacturers.

Hi here is a colour chart I made for Angelus http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=27141&hl=%2Bangelus+%2Bcolour+%2Bchart, that may help a little bit until some other members chip in. I can't help any further as I no longer use the dyes as I couldn't handle the smell of them. Cheers, Clair

Mijo there is an American distributor for them http://www.barplate.com/machines.aspx I know one of the holster makers here bought one from there but it was awhile ago.

If you are still in Sydney you want this place http://lucris.com.au/ it's the manufacturer and they are in Queensland. I don't have the press but I have had clicker knives made by them and they are very good quality. Weaver in America also make one but you will need an ABN number to deal with them (again if you are in Oz), but by the time you pay for postage it's going to be close to the Lucris price anyway. The other alternative is a shop press they are cheaper but take up more room, they also need to be modified a little bit and the ones sold in Oz are hit and miss when it comes to quality. I went this way and my shop press is crap, can't stand using it I will probably get a Lucris once I have all my sizing worked out for the rest of the knives I need. If you want to have a look at them do a search for shop press some of the threads will be able to explain the modifications needed better than I can. Hope this is of some help Cheers, Clair

I've used shapeways in the past and had wondered if it would be possible to make stamps with the stainless, I'm not sure if they would be strong enough though with a long shaft like normal stamps but I had thought of trying something like the Tandy letter stamps where a smaller pieces pushes into the main shaft. If anyone else wants to look into this as well a free fairly easy to pick up program is available here http://www.123dapp.com/123d It's made by Autodesk and is a scaled down version of their 3D Inventor software. Anyone else who already knows about 3D CAD a stl file is usually what shapeways wants. I believe they take other formats as well but stl seems to be the easiest format for them to work with. Cheers, Clair

Just got my issue today definitely prefer your version Bobby, looks like someone messed around in Photoshop before it went to the printers or the printer changed the colouring them self. Being a graphic designer I deal with printers a lot and they drive me nuts when they change the colouring. If you do more covers which I hope you do as I love looking at your work see if they can provide you with a proof first before it goes to the printer so you know if they are doing any of their own so called colour enhancement. Love the little lizard Cheers, Clair

I had this same problem with Angelus dye really nice colours and great absorption, but the smell of them made me sick (migraines, nausea etc) so I sold them and went to water based afraid Fiebings was going to be the same. I also have problems with Copic markers they have a very similar smell to Angelus I've put that down to the type of Ethanol they use in them. Recently though needed to use heavy duty colour for something so was pleasantly surprised when I gave the Fiebings Oil a go and was able to handle it with no problems. Clair

Steve B does some nice work, he is a member here or was hasn't dropped in for quite awhile which is a shame. Clair

I remember someone posting something like that here before it was a heart shaped coin purse and they said it was skived then glued with the seams hidden by burnishing and waxing like Hellfire Jack mentioned. In Oz for that non stitch coin purse they use kangaroo scrotums. Clair

Great article there Andy, sounds like you work on some really interesting stuff. Cheers, Clair

This is a cool idea thanks for sharing Tree Reaper, I've got an interest in this sort of stuff after making silicone molds and the like for a number of years. Cheers, Clair

Sigh, this is exactly what happens on the artist forum I mentioned in my first post every time a kickstarter campaign thread starts. Clair

Drafting tables are for drawing not sure why you would want one to do leatherwork, go with flat as I can see it would be extremely awkward to cut leather on an angle. Clair

Mia I hope you do well I know how kickstarter works I've followed a few things there myself and was quite pleased when quite a few achieved their goals, but I also agree with Ferg and Art in that here isn't probably the best place to try and round up some funding. One problem is a lot of people here know how to make the products you are pledging and will make it themselves before going to someone else to do it. Information on the other hand is something we give freely and love to help with, I would stick to advertising your campaign outside of facebook and twitter to forums where people like to buy handmade stuff not necessarily make them. With the things I've followed these campaigns have had the most success ie go to where the end user hangs outs. Like Art said this hasn't popped up here before but I have seen it on some Artist forums where artists are trying to drum up kickstarter funding from other artists and it didn't go down well. So if you have any questions on how do any leather work stuff fire away we are all definitely happy to give pointers on that more than you probably need on some things. Best wishes, Clair

Fiebings Professional Oil based dye doesn't actually contain oil, it uses a higher quality spirit base compared to to their regular spirit line, if you look at the MSDS for it there is definitely no mention of oil. No one one seems to know why they call it oil based. Usually you wet form, let it dry so it holds it's shape put some neatsfoot oil on it let that work it's way in for a few hours and then stitch, like mlapaglia said though damp leather can be stitched and I have done that in a pinch. Clair

Design for me too even if the piece has high quality about it, if it looks strange I'm not going to buy it. Clair

Lucky you definitely a place I want to check out as does the hubby as he has an interest in hand crafted japanese swords, hope one of you first stops is a leather supply place would be interesting to see what they are like. Have a good trip Cheers, Clair

Ray have you looked in to Angelus dyes they do a burgundy and wine tone, I bought them from here if you can't find them locally http://turtlefeathers.net/text/angelus/dye.html I don't use them any more as I couldn't handle the smell as they are a bit more wiffy than the other dyes I have used so can't give you any further pointers with them. It's a pity your not in Oz as Birdsall do a nice burgandy. Heres a link to a chart I made for them awhile ago http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=27141&st=0&p=171056&hl=+angelus%20+dye%20+chart&fromsearch=1entry171056 I do remember they were very strong out of the bottle so do need to be thinned out some. Cheers, Clair

I was able to get the offer last year, but I emailed them and asked you could try that. They might ask for postage this time but it would give you an idea what the magazine is about. Clair

Joseph Dixon have there own website you can look at the pricking irons here http://www.josephdixon.co.uk/products/Saddlers_Tooling/Pricking_Irons.html Cheers, Clair

Bruce, I haven't been able to level the blade on the Landis, I tried to do it a couple of times but haven't had any success I believe it's due to the vertical slot not being long enough on this one (bolt under blade on the outer edge). Also tried to replace the top roller as I needed a completely smooth roller at one time but found the key slots are completely different to what they use now on the 5 in 1 and I didn't think to check that before I got Cambell Bosworth to make a new roller, did find out it used to be green though. It would of been nice to be able to get the blade level but it has had a pretty good workout even without that function. Clair

Great work there John, you and your team should be extremely proud of this wonderful piece. Cheers, Clair