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!

Tweaked my slim wallet/ card holder design a bit. These two made from calfskin.

I forgot to mention that the scrap piece where I am testing it with better results I did not slick the edge. On actual projects I am using saddle soap, water, and a bit of quick slick from Sheridan before applying the paint. I wipe that down before applying the paint but maybe that application is preventing the paint from adhering as well as I would like. Angelus leather paints and others I have used haven't been a problem applying after that process.

Im not saying its bad edge paint by any means. I really like the results as far as looks are concerned but I have had trouble with it peeling off so far. It is a very popular paint and has a good reputation so there is probably a trick to working with it more effectively. I am experimenting on a piece of scrap leather at the moment and trying thinner coats. After I let that dry completely I tried peeling it off and it seemed to be a lot more permanent and harder to remove that way. I scraped it with my finger nail to see how it would hold over time if someone was using it as a wallet for example where the friction of removing it from a denim pocket might wear it down. Before I was applying it pretty thick and that seemed to make it softer and more susceptible to wearing off. Im not saying what Monica said is not true but from what I have gathered so far it does not penetrate the leather at all. Maybe her method includes burning it on or some other process that Im not aware of. I have tried it on a few types of leather and after drying if you peel it off the color of the leather is completely untouched by the paint from what I see. Even on lighter color leathers such as a natural veg tan when removed the leather underneath looks completely fine afterwards and barely stains the leather at all..which could be a good thing as well if you made a mistake and needed to remove it? She said she is using a neutral color also so maybe its a different formula?

this sounds really cool. Thanks!

I was actually considering doing a coat of the Edge Kote that way the leather is dyed and than going over it with the Fenice. That way if it peels off at least it will still be painted underneath. Maybe a similar result to what you got by mixing them.

Just recently started using fenice edge paint (tandy pro) and I have been super happy with the results. My edges are looking much smoother but there is one big catch. I have been carrying a few of my recent wallet prototypes that I used the Fenice paint on and 2 of them have areas with the edge peeling off (mostly on areas where the leather bends). I was wondering if anyone who uses this paint has any tips to make this edge paint last. The areas where it peeled off are completely natural color underneath. This paint looks great but doesnt seem to penetrate into the leather at all. Seems to sit completely on top. I just took some edge kote and the fenice and painted the edges of some scrap leather to compare how they dry and if they both peel off in the same way. I preferred the fenice results aesthetically in the beginning but Im under the impression that the edge kote actually dyes and penetrates the leather while the fenice just sits on top. Looking forward to any tips or hearing from others with more experience using edge finishes. thanks

Thanks. I understand moving it to a few positions before cutting through might be needed but that doesn't seem like too much trouble. Do you use a 1 ton arbor press or you think more would be needed for leathers going up to about 6-7oz max

I read some topics awhile back on here discussing manual and electric clickers for cutting out leather using dies. I am not yet at the point in my leather production that I want to shell out that type of money ($1300 for a manual clicker) seems to be the going rate? I recently came across a leatherworker on my instagram feed who uses dies and mentioned he uses a arbor press to cut them out. This seems like it would be too obvious and cheap of a solution. I have never used a clicker so I have no hands on experience with one. What do they offer that a arbor press does not? I would assume the cutting area is much bigger? anything else? BTW I make mostly small leather goods and use calfskin and other leathers usually 2-5oz. The guy on my instagram feed makes thicker bridle and veg tan wallets which look like 6-7oz pieces from what I can tell. For the leather thickness I am using would this work? I am curious if anyone can tell me the drawbacks and what benefit I would get from a actual manual clicker. Look forward to hearing anyones feedback thanks

The inner panel I make usually 1/2" shorter than the outside panel. That is the standard that works most of the time for me and I adjust from there depending on the style of wallet

Yes around $18. I didnt get the price on 5 or more skins so Im not sure. Agree I don't think the price is terrible if you include the shipping. If I was selling more items on a consistent basis I would have no problem buying 5 or more but at the moment Im not busy. Hopefully soon!