mrtreat32

Yeah I don't have a splitter at the moment. If I start selling and making a bit of money I will invest in one and most likely some type of skiving machine. I have never split leather. What does the grain side look like after splitting? Pretty much the same as the top? Also when you split leather with surface defects does the layer below tend to be in better condition? thanks

I haven't tried any other brand yet so I can't compare directly. Yes the slits are thin but I use them to mark the spacing and punch most of the way through the leather. I than use the awl to open the hole so they are bigger once I do that. The other brands seem to make bigger marks but they probably are similar once the awl is done piercing through depending on what size awl blade you are using.

I think the change of leather may have been what helped youre stitching out. It doesnt necessarily need to be thick leather but if its thin it needs to have some firmness to it. I sewed a piece of scrap 2-3oz cheap veg tan the other day that is very soft and the stitching is all out of whack using the same method and thread etc. Im using a vergez blanchard pricking iron for those ones in the picture.

`Nice! haha do you really not know if you did anything different? Another small trick which seems to help a bit is when you tighten the threads to pull them in the direction of where you want them to end up. So instead of pulling both hands straight out from the project to tighten the stitch pull the left hand up and away from you a bit and the right hand down and towards your body( assuming you sew towards yourself) to direct them in the direction of the hole where you want them to end up. Did you use the same type of leather and weight on that last one? here is a pic of 3 lines I did the exact same way. The dark brown leather is a stiff leather someone gave me some scrap pieces of. You can see even though I stitched them the exact same way those stitches are much more slanted and look spaced out since the stiffness of that leather holds the threads tight in the opposite ends of the holes //// The other piece is some cheap veg tan that is a bit softer so the thread is sinking further in and touching more. http://imgur.com/mNGn4xy

No problem. I actually like helping and hope you can figure it out. ..or get your stitching to looking the way you want. Im pretty new to leatherwork and about a month back I was asking all kinds of questions about my stitching because I coudlnt get it right and people on here were mostly really helpful and answered a lot of my silly questions so I want to help out now if I can. Unioncraft and a few others had a stitching look I liked so I asked him and a few others questions and now Im happy with how it looks. Still trying to improve of course. a few people told me it wasnt about the tools and type of thread etc.when I was asking questions.. while this is true that nice tools and thread size wont fix bad technique I can tell you from my short amount of time in Leather work that it can make a dramatic difference in the look of the stitches. The SPI to thread size and type of leather all play a factor. Keep in mind there are different styles of stitching and looks to leather work. None of which are right or wrong. Most folks on here seem to be more into a Americana or Western look which I think is cool as well. But if you want your stitching to be slanted the process is a bit different. I have been playing around with both types for different things Im making. I made some coasters which I grooved on both sides and sewed with a .8mm tiger thread and it looks cool but the stitches are straight as a arrow and recessed into the leather. When I want to make something look more modern or fashion forward I use a compass to scratch the line(no groove) and thinner thread to get the slanted Hermes and European look. Im using a Vergez Blanchard pricking iron. I have only been doing leather work for a few months now but I have been reading whatever I can and practicing with any free time. Its getting a bit out of hand. haha When I get involved in something I get a bit OCD and do a ton of research and want to learn everything I can. I have also been trying every thread you can think of and have samples of a few more that arrived today. Originally I liked the Tiger thread because it felt easier to handle when sewing but now when I go back to trying it I find even the .6mm to seem a bit too thick because of the way it lays sideways. I really like the Fil Au Chinois but its very expensive and Im looking for a good alternative that comes in a variety of colors. The Barbour thread I got the other day is the closest so far and Im really liking it.

I know a lot of people will disagree but for a slanted stitch if you want a more designer look I think .8mm tiger thread is too thick. I will sew a sample piece in a little bit the same exact way. One line with tiger thread and one with thinner thread at 9spi. Tiger thread is nice but it lays more flat and even the .6mm that I have looks too thick for 9spi. At 6 or 7spi it looks nice but I currently dont have a pricking iron in that size. Do you have any thinner thread to try out?

The thread you're using is definitely not too thin. The thinner the thread I use the more noticeable the slant from my experience. I have used .8mm tiger thread at 9spi and after a lot of experimenting I found out my stitching didnt look slanted because the thread was filling the hole tightly and didnt have enough room to show it running from bottom to top corner. When I used that same thread at a bigger SPI (7spi or so) than it would slant again. I have been doing mostly 9spi which is pretty small so I started using thinner thread. Barbour and Fil Au Chinois 632. If I use .8mm or larger in that small of spacing its too chunky to see it running at a angle. http://www.fineleatherworking.com/linen-thread/waxed-linen-thread-ecru Here is a picture where you can see the thread on the right for example is starting to look less angled compared to the smaller ones on the left. The one on the far right almost looks straight in spots and would look even straighter if using thread around 1mm Also how thick is the piece of leather you are using. If you have the time I would try it again with 2 scrap pieces stitched together. I also notice the exact same sewing techniques create a different look depending on the firmness of the leather and a bunch of other factors. Also you are not using a groover I assume? Sewing the exact same way as mentioned above in a groove will not give you a slanted look because the groove is holding it in a straight direction.

http://imgur.com/cGRhblP back http://imgur.com/dqSDQbI front

Are you sure you are following the pictures exact? That is exactly how I do it and I have slanted stitches on both sides. That is also how Peter Nitz stitches and Hermes. I have actually asked him and he told me how he does it..he said he casts the stitch most of the time but not always depending on the thickness of the leather and if the back will be showing. https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150131553076948 watch at 2:45

Im gonna set up my website soon. Hopefully if I can sell a few items I will be able to justify a order directly from Tannery Row. I wouldn't mind 5 sides total but the fact that I can't get different colors or types is what doesn't work for me starting out. I placed my order with Maverick and I should have my first hands on with chromexcel this week. The big downside to ordering horween from Maverick is they stock mostly 5-6oz leathers from Horween. If I was able to order from Tannery Row I could get lighter weights which I would prefer. I have some samples coming from Tannery Row so Im excited about that. Looking forward to seeing the Cavalier in person which is basically chromexcel in brighter colors. I don't understand why it doesn't seem to be as popular. The lady I spoke with at Horween said she thinks the name isn't as out in the public because the big names like Alden etc all mention chromexcel so people think of that as the premiere leather from Horween. Well besides SHELL!

If you want the back to be slanted as well you need to cast the stitch on the back. Some people call it throw the loop and Im sure there are other terms. I was going to try to type it out but it didnt make sense. Here is a link I found that is pretty easy to follow this is exactly how I stitch if I want the back to also be slanted and it works great. http://www.bowstock.co.uk/saddstit0.html Its also the same way its done in "the leather working handbook" if you have that. Has nice easy to follow pictures as well. The nigel video are great but aren't his slants of his pricking iron going the opposite direction in most videos instead of like this ///// they slant towards him. I could be mistaken. Anyway please try that and let me know if that works

Im interested as well. There is also another tool in this thread that I found searching this subject. One guy posted pictures and his results looked really nice but the thread seemed to just end without any further info. here it is. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=38750&page=6 http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2001813/2546/tool-kit-10-in-1.aspx#ProdInformationTab this is the tool and comes with multiple attachments. also on ebay I saw these which look interesting.. curious if anyone has used them. Look like the wooden dremel burnishers with different size grooves. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/331208933594?lpid=82

curious as well. If anyone has tried these out I would love your hear feedback

thanks. I remember reading something similar on here to what you just said but I can't find the thread now. Maybe I will call and ask them. I have some stuff coming soon from Maverick so Im curious how that would compare to the Springfield stuff.

What is the deal with the chromexcel from Springfield? Has anyone ordered this and does it look nice? Have you seen it compared to chromexcel from tannery row? It doesn't say if its 2nd quality or not. I contacted Tannery row and they charge around $12sf and $8 and change a SF if you ordered 5 or more sides of a single color. Im curious if its the same stuff that Springfield leather is ordering and what to expect. You can order through Springfield for $10 a square foot which seems like a good compromise if you can't order 5+ sides direct from Horween. Curious to hear anyones thoughts on this stuff. thanks

I think I have seen mentioned on here before about fil au chinois on ebay and how the ones listed were different from the lin cable that is so expensive. Are those other threads also suitable for sewing leather? I never hear anyone mention Sajous other threads being used. Seems like they have a whole line of product besides the Lin cable. Anyway I was doing a search for Barbour thread and a book binding company near my house which I had no clue existed showed up so I went there to pick some up and they had a sample card with Irish linen thread on one side and French linen thread on the other. I picked up a spool of the barbour(they only had unwaxed) and I decided to try the French as well which happens to be a Sajou product. Was wondering if anyone has used this before..dont think I have seen one with this packaging. heres a pic Its not the Lin cable but it was sold next to the barbours as a french alternative to that so dont see why It wont work.

thank you. and I take it you havent had any negative effects on the quality of the stamp? The spirit lamp burns very clean and leaves very little residue on my creaser so I dont think the soot will be too much of a issue assuming whatever build up can be safely wiped off without softening the design.

I ordered a makers stamp from LWleatherworks that is made of brass which works great so far on veg tan and not so much on other unidentified leather that someone gave me. Which I knew was the case ahead of time. I plan on using a lot of chromexcel in the near future and I was wondering if this type of stamp can be safely heated (maybe over a spirit lamp I have). The maker of the stamp sells a electric heater which I may order down the line but could I heat this type of stamp in a flame without causing any type of damage to the integrity of the stamp. Not sure if the electric heater is better since there is no actual fire touching the stamp or maybe someone who knows more about metals can chime in and its fine to do BTW. This is my first makers stamp but the shipping and service was very good and fast from LW if anyone is looking into having one made. thanks

its actually crawford linen I ordered not royalwood.

simon what types of linen thread are you using. I really like the fil au chinois I have and ordered a few samples of royalwood that should be here tomorrow but Im looking for other good alternatives since the filauchinois is so pricey.

Thanks for the info. I was wondering if it was firm enough to form pockets and interiors with and it sounds by what youre saying that it is. Where are some of the places you get the goat online?

thank you. I couldnt find the site at first and kept getting results for steven segal( the martial arts guy) leather jackets. Is this type of goat for bookbinding the same kind people use for wallets and leather goods or its treated in some other way? They are also very expensive..Since I dont know much about goat leather is this considered top of the line stuff. (the hermann oak of goat)! http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/product_search.cfm?ClientID=15&SearchType=Keyword&SearchField=goat&x=0&y=0 I also came across this site just now and they offer much cheaper prices..closer to the kidskin prices. Are you familiar with any of these types of goat It is Siegel leather if anyone else searches it btw

I have been making wallets using mostly veg tan and want to start doing the interiors in various colors. A lot of leather craftsmen whos work I like seem to use Goat in various colors for the wallets interiors but I cant seem to find much in the US online. Hermes wallet linings use it as well for reference. I have seen the kidskin on springfield leather and that comes in lots of colors but I had someone at the shop send me a cell phone pic of them and they appear to be very glossy almost look like patent leather. Wondering if anyone has used the kidskin from springfield..is it very glossy? Is it thin but firm enough to still cut for pockets etc while holding its shape? Any feedback appreciated. Any suppliers of this type of goatskin or suggestions Here are a few links of the stuff online I was looking at using goatskin and kidskin that looks more matte https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/1558542_10151968647176148_7823032399567829198_n.jpg this is one of peter nitz who uses goatskin on the interior of his alligator wallets in bright colors http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/mafoofan/titc/071611/hermes3s.jpg http://en.lacontrie.com/leathers/kidskin thanks https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpf1/t1.0-9/988443_10151902276166148_762738186_n.jpg some more peter nitz. goat skin outside and inside

Agree that most old tools are probably of better quality. But like you said its hard to find certain types of older tools in good condition. here in the US it seems if the style of leatherwork you are into is more towards european styled stuff there arent as many vintages tools that suit that style of work. Pricking irons are hard to find used and most of the nice older stuff seems to be more focused towards western saddle making (stitching wheels, groovers etc) I have a Barry King awl haft that is beautiful and plan on ordering some edge tools of his as well but BK, Rons tools, and the other really nice modern tool makers in the US make the majority of tools for people interested in tooling and carving designs. If any of those makers made high end pricking irons and such I would purchase from them. Im sure the quality of these tools is better than modern VB in most catergories Also owning a decent amount of VB tools so far it seems that some are still made very solid and some seem very average. Maybe they still make certain tools up to par of the older ones and have changed manufacturing of others. The pricking irons and compass I cant imagine being any more solid but a few others leave a bit to be desired. To me their stuff seems to be a step above most other large US made brands and goodsjapan( which people say is good for the price).

That makes sense about the lighter leaving a deposit on the tool. Gonna order the burner you posted from the Amazon link. thanks