jwallace

How much for just the knife?

Sorry for resurrecting an old topic, but I just wanted to comment how helpful this thread has been. I also make watch straps and the information shared here has been both informative and inspiring. @cjmt: I particularly liked your comment about using the finest materials. When I began, it was with two scrap packs from Tandy and Saddleback leather, obviously of marginal quality. I'm a small-time hobbyist and I've sold a few straps on Etsy, but man was it was tough to purchase that first side of Horween leather! Nonetheless, I see the difference in quality and even workability. The better materials, the easier the work (though it's never really "easy").

Darn, too slow! It's a great knife; I use the same one and I've been quite pleased with it. I just wanted a backup.

I look forward to this! I'd love one with similar grooves and a hole burnishing tip.

@TomG: 1) I make mine to fit. It's all a preference, but I have found that trimming small amounts of leather off is always nerve-wracking for me if it's already stitched. I'd just hate to go through all that work only to slice it too close. 2) Hand sew. 3) I use 0.6mm Tiger Thread and it really is the best stuff I've used. It's expensive as hell but the difference is that remarkable. 4) I've been told that sewing across the pin isn't really advised because it weakens the leather in that spot, essentially perforating it at a high stress area. While I could see that being problematic on a strap that might see some actual pull and stress, I just don't see strapping it on one's wrist coming close to that level of stress.

Hello there, I figured I'd weigh in as well, although many questions have been answered! 1 - Leather type and weight - This is purely subjective, but all my straps are made from 4oz. leather. As far as type, I have pretty much stuck with Horween leathers because I like the temper; they are not too stiff but not too soft. I also began by dyeing my own veg tan tooling hides but it was definitely my least favorite part of the process. Now I just buy finished leathers. 2 - The glue shouldn't have much impact on the pliability of the strap. I've skipped gluing and went straight to stitching and found no real difference. 3 - I'm not sure how to get away from wrinkling at the top. I'd love to be able to bend a strap back to its original shape after I've worn it, but experience has taught me just to leave it with some curvature and not mess it up. 4 - I order my buckles on eBay from zhuoleistore. She has a great variety and -- best of all -- they're cheap and on-par with the quality of other buckles I've bought from Esslinger, Jules Borel, etc. I hope that helps!

I had some templates made for my watch straps and I still have to work to get my holes lined up straight. However, in my experience, it's a combination of things that contributed to the holes being misaligned. As others have mentioned, I mark the holes with a nail, then I use my scratch awl to make a proper indentation. Then I use the hole punch itself and press it into the leather just enough to leave a mark. I measure the mark and ensure that it's straight, then punch. However, I found that punching my holes with the strap faced perpendicular away from my body helped me align things better. When I had it facing parallel with my chest, my holes were almost invariably crooked. Since changing position, they have improved remarkably. I also have seen a great improvement by punching on a marble slab with my self-healing cutting mat on top of it. With this method, I was able to get these holes:

I managed to find a vintage Dazor lamp on eBay for about $40 shipped and it works great. No shadows, articulating arm, and little heat. It does buzz a little, but then I just turn the music up. :D