mrtreat32

thanks andrewchee with your feedback on the scahrf fix. I'm surprised to hear that since book binders seem to love it.

The baby calf is really awesome. I actually prefer it slightly to the box calf they have for the type of stuff I like to make (wallets, small leather goods). It is thin about 2oz but the temper is firm enough that it will hold up well for interior pockets on wallets and stuff like that. It could even work as the outside panel on a wallet if you doubled it up or lined it with another leather. It also comes in a lot of really nice colors. (someone on another forum said the baby calf they have isn't d'annonay but from another french tannery. they were told this over the phone by amelia I believe). Either way its super nice so I don't care if its not a big name. The box calf is really nice as well. Super firm temper! Very rigid for how thick it is. Comes in less colors and is a bit more than the baby calf. And they also sent me samples of the milled calf which feels amazing but it much too soft for anything I make. Would be great for bags I suppose or garments. I have calf from charles hardtke as well that I ordered before the site shut down and I actually slightly prefer it to the calf from d'annonay and was around $8 sf! Too bad that site isn't around anymore. And the stuff at fineleatherworking is very nice but they are marking it up considerably since they will sell you half a hide and smaller amounts. Im pretty sure the calf they have is the same as the one from Amelia. And the goatskin they have I can find cheaper as well. Only thing they offer that I don't have a source for is the German shrunken calf.

Thanks for the response. Yeah I have ordered baby calf and french calf from that contact before. Prices are reasonable but I think $14sf for french calf last time I checked. The colors on hide house look similar to the d'annonay calf so was wondering if there was a chance its the same product. Or something equally as good.

Ahh I was gonna mention maybe scharf fix. I have been eyeing one at a bookbinding store near me but wasn't sure how well they worked. In your experience can it also skive down leathers that are around 4oz or is that too thick?

Has anyone ever ordered this and do you know what tannery they source it from. I called Hide house and the lady I spoke with said they weren't allowed to give out the tannery info which I understand on certain products. The price is very good for french calf and I was curious about the quality and if it could possibly be d'annonay or another one of the big names from france. thanks

Yes david this is sometimes why I prick from the inside out. I stitch mostly at 9spi so sometimes there is really no avoiding a tiny rip on the top of a pocket since the gap between each tooth is so small. IMO its hardly noticeable though with the very small stitching. I also vary it depending on the color of wallet Im working on. I make a lot of items with different color interior/exterior so if the color of the thread matches one particular side I have that side as the back since small imperfections will blend in a bit more. If the stitching is high contrast I try to make sure that side shows on the front since it is very unforgiving.

Just curious what side everyone is sewing from when making wallets? Which side do you treat as the front since one side usually comes out looking slightly better & on wallets both sides are highly visible. Sewing from the interior>out or outer>interior. Im changing it up from project to project but curious on what others recommend.

alligator flank/near the legs. looks nice actually. was the supplier panamerican? that looks like their glazed cognac alligator

thanks guys. The black wallet pictured I only used sand paper and fenice edge paint. There is another thread I made on this forum about having fenice edge paint not adhere as strongly as I wanted so it was recommended that I not apply any saddle soap or any other products that might stop it from holding onto the leather as strongly. So for this wallet I sanded down and used 1000grit sandpaper. I than applied a layer of fenice edge paint. When that was completely dry I sanded down any bumps with 1000 grit and than applied another layer. I did this 3 times. When that was dry I applied a clear gloss coat (angelus brand) let that dry and finally rubbed on some parafin was which I than buffed with a piece of scrap denim.

The card slots that are in back are sewn further up on the leather body and the ones in front are sewn a bit further down...in this case they are staggered a 1/2inch.

Natural chromexcel and black chromexcel. Black is fully lined with red goat and natural is partially lined with buffalo.

thanks for such detailed feedback. I am trying this right now on a new wallet. I sanded the edges and used a 1000grit sandpaper as my final step and than applied a layer of the paint. I am waiting for this to dry completely so I can sand it down a bit and than I will apply another layer as you suggested. I have a feeling its going to adhere better.. I put a bit of the paint on a scrap piece of leather a few days ago and without typical burnishing process it seems to adhered much stronger. The one drawback so far has been the applying of the first layer was a bit more complicated and messy since I wasnt working with a super smooth edge like previously. Do you think after the final sanding it would be ok to next time use just plain water and canvas before applying the paint? I assume since the paint is water based this should still allow it to hold very strong and give me a better edge to work with? Thanks again for such a comprehensive response and I will be placing my next paint order through your site.

Yeah I glued everything and sanded down the edges so that the compass would mark evenly. This card holder is so thin that I punched pretty much all the way through with the iron.

This could be but I was smoothing the edge underneath so that the paint on top would sit even across the piece and look as professional as possible. When I leave the edge more raw and apply it you can see the bumps through the top coat. Unless I put it on super heavy to compensate for anything underneath not being smooth? Not really sure

Thanks! No the back side doesn't have any pockets. just 2 in the front and one on top. Is there a way to post more pictures in a reply? I only see the option when making a new topic. Haha. I would maybe trade for a 12 pack but Im partners in a small bar/restaurant so I have unlimited Narragansett at my disposal!