dogboy

Hello, Thank y’all kindly for taking the time to offer guidance to a noob. Info and links were of help. Thought it interesting that while chrisash offered understanding related to the OCD that (I suspect) plagues us all and could well cause us to toss failures (out out damned spot!), Rockoboy touched the other end of the spectrum when counseling that one never throw away a mistake because it will most likely be of use down the road, for one arcane purpose or another. Off to try my hand. Thank you. Fare well, db

Hello, Thank you all for the info. My thought was that perhaps Mr Main had left the fold so to speak since when I searched did not find anything that appeared to have been posted directly by Him after 2008. Most references thereafter were of a more oblique nature. Will attempt to contact directly to purchase a blade. Fare well, db

Hello, Recently saw a vid on YouTube that made reference to using a “Peter Main low angle blade” to make swivel knife cuts more shallow in nature than is customary, the point of which is to improve the appearance of the beveled line by not revealing the core of the leather. To my admittedly inexperienced mind this sounds like a reasonable concept worth striving for. Have searched this site under multiple forum headings and could only pull out x2 pieces of info. 1) that apparently this blade was originally designed to be used on lighter leathers, and 2) can’t find much by way of “Peter Main” posts or references after 2008. Wondering if it is possible to finesse a common swivel knife blade into the “low angle format”, and if there is anyone on this board that might have any info on how that might be done. Of particular use would probably be the angle at which the blade is to be sharpened (as opposed to the more usual store bought angle), assuming that thereafter one might be required to experiment with the actual shape of the blade. Any guidance, info, or opinions would be appreciated. Thank you. Fare well, db

Hello, Same thing in the US. Forum bookmark leads to index page, then found forum/ to get here. db

Hello, Several years ago I had an idea for a very modest cardholder project as a gift for the Wife. No leatherworking experience whatsoever. No desire to start a leather-centric business. Not an artistic bone in my body. Have some experience with mechanical drawing, but any skill at sketch-type-like expression has always escaped me. Bought a few stamping tools, scrap for practice, and some paint. Watched many project videos on YouTube. Both inspired (several future projects contemplated) and intimidated. From what I have seen I believe that I could learn to use stamps at least in a rudimentary fashion, but falter in my resolve when confronted with skilled swivel knife use in particular when applied after stamping for freehand embellishment. As a matter of curiosity and perhaps in the hope of overcoming my reluctance to begin (and fail?) am wondering if anyone would be willing to share their experience and/or opinion as to whether it is necessary to be able to draw in order to apply art to leather? Is the “eye” required to draw also a vital ingredient in the ability to do more than just copy other person’s patterns? All supplies sit still untouched. I can hear them calling, but can’t decide if they are saying “try anyway” or “sell me”. I am fully cognizant that there are no guarantees, but wonder what the universe might have to say on the matter. Thank you for your kind consideration. Fare well, dogboy

Hello, I too wish I had seen this thread before I ordered from ZW. Put in an order 1st week of December, got the standard acknowledgment email,...and then nothing. 28th of December ordered more stuff and asked that they ship what they had on hand and backorder the remainder. Same thing. Order acknowledged via email and then silence. Nothing I ordered was exotic, just some basic tools and contact cement. Eight (8) weeks after the original order was placed I had to cancel when my SO lost her employment and money I had allocated was redirected. Didn't lose any $$,... just time. Did not receive a single thing I ordered, or any explanation for the incredible delay. We are lucky to be able to come to this forum when frustrated in order to find out that we are not alone with same (frustrations). Should it really need to come to that however? Seems to me that if you are going to have a web presence (and Zack White has a really nice design) the least they could do is be prepared for their customer’s performance expectations to be informed by the medium of commerce, i.e. the web. If you represent yourselves as ready to do business online then fill orders and if necessary communicate ship date and delay information online at speed, or shut down your site and return to selling via a snail mail catalog and shipping in a snail mail time frame. Anything else is disingenuous, and perhaps just a bit cruel. db

Hello, Newb reading Leathercraft Tools by Al Stohlman and find a description of how to make a push/pull beveller based on a Craftool 8970 Smooth Beveller. Problem is that there is no actual pic or drawing showing the size or shape of the face of this tool. Tandy has a chart that suggests approximates, but I haven’t the experience to be able to discern the most appropriate substitute. Any chance someone reading has either tried to construct this tool or has the 8970 and might be willing/able to compare it to a more modern stamp and suggest a compatible replacement to be used in the construction of this tool? Thank you kindly for your time and consideration. Fare well, db

Hello, New here so I have not seen your work before. Most excellent as to both subject matter and execution. Can only hope I will one day learn to work that "clean" and with such miticulous color application. Brava! Fare well, db

Hello, I would like to thank y'all for your guidance. Yes I should have figured you have to carve/stamp leather to learn how to work leather properly, but I still appreciate the suggestion about Play-Doh since I can use it for answer larger layout questions. Also very much appreciate the offer from JLS Leather for some scrap to practice on. Much kindness and info in response to my first post and no discernable derision, looks like a win-win to me. Fare well, db

Hello, Have yet to touch tool to leather. Bought a basic 7 pc tool kit and a few border stamps that caught my eye. So many ideas large and small in scale. Also bought a bag O' scraps to learn tool usage upon. The cost of same ($15 for a 1 lb bag of mostly small and quite narrow scraps) made me wonder if there isn't some other medium which might be used not only for tool practice, but of the perhaps 8" x 11" variety for layout work. The kinds of things that occurred to my newb-ile mind were mediums that are either "erase-able" or so inexpensive that it would not matter. Could one use a variety of wax or clay that could be tooled and then smoothed over for re-use? Might someone have discovere'd a fiberboard or styro-foam derivative that could be marked on with stamping tools and then discarded? Not really very confident of my ability to draw/pattern and then sculpt, but if I could pre-work the idea without wasting tanned leather (read $$), I get the feeling this might be something (leathercarft) that I might enjoy learning. Any and all suggestions appreciated. Thank you for your time and forbearance. Fare well, db