I used a beveler to cut the edges and used a nylon slicker to round the edges just using water as a lubricant.
Once that was looking nice, I started dying. Now having no experience working with leather, I relied on the staff at Tandy's in Tacoma to help me out with finishing. The staff there is terrific by the way; I am very satisfied with the customer service. They recommended the Eco-flo products so I chose a dark mahogany and a satin finish.
The dye went on fairly easily. The hardest part was keeping it even so it didn't streak. The oil stain I played with before worked in more easily in my opinion. I used three coats of dye front and back to achieve the look I wanted, waiting about 24 hours between coats.
I used two coats front and back of the satin sheen and buffed the crap out if it. That seemed to do the trick. The finish turned out exactly as I had hoped. The only thing I will do different in the future is to use oil dye and resolene instead of the Eco-flo stuff.
My father wants a ranger belt, another friend is asking me to build him a leather knife sheath, and I want a couple of holsters for myself so it seems as though I'll have plenty to keep me busy through the rainy winter season.