mrtreat32

just searched the essex leather and it looks real nice! You buy direct from horween? If so what are their prices and order amounts like.

sorry not exactly understanding this. Can you go into a bit more depth? the spacing the pricking iron makes will be exactly the same distance apart no matter the thickness. Do you mean it will change the way the thread goes through the holes when it is thicker? thanks

what types of leather are you using now? you have worked with chromexcel? how did it compare to the veg tan when stitching?

I also forgot to mention that I wish my stitching looked as good as the one you don't like as much! I would be pretty happy with both of those results!

Not sure if you are talking about the same thing but I just started sewing a prototype for a new wallet and the stitching along the border doesn't seem to be slanting barely at all. I have been practicing my sewing on thinner leather and the stitches look a lot nicer. Not sure if the thickness of the wallet is changing the way the stitches look. Did the outside 3-4 oz leather and the ends are overlapped with 2 layers of 2-3oz card holders. Using a vergez iron which is 9spi.

So Im mainly working on wallets at the moment and have made 2 bi folds without lining so far. The inside panel on the unlined wallets was cut a bit smaller which I learned from reading on here so that when folded it would bend properly and it worked great. Now Im trying to make a tri-fold style wallet and attaching all the pockets onto a liner which will than be glued and stitched onto the outer shell. With this design the lining area needs to be identical to the outside so that none of the flesh side of the outer part is showing on the inside. I havent yet attached the lining yet but from testing it by folding the wallet up it seems like it wants to push out past the outside panel. Once I cement this down and stitch along the border will this be fine or do you thin Im going to get bubbles and gaps in the lined area? I could also be doing this completely wrong. haha and open to any suggestions. Also quick beginner question. I have some embossed alligator printed cowhide that I want to try making some stuff with but for a wallet it seems like it would be a bit flimsy. If I want this to show on the outside would my best bet be to basically attach it to the smooth side of a piece of veg tan kind of like a reversed lining? Attaching it to the smooth side would make more sense and having the rough area be the inside pocket or I could cement it to the rough side and have the inside of the pocket be smooth? thanks.

When leaving my edges natural in color how do I get them to keep their light natural color. Im currently using "quick slick" and following most of the steps listed above but whenever I apply the quick slick or begin rubbing the edges with canvas or sanding they start to look a bit dirty and darken. I usually end up painting them since the color isn't too pleasing if I let them be. Is it possible its the canvas Im using? Also how do people get a colored stripe in the finished edge? I tried to find a google image but can't at the moment. Are they dyeing/painting one edge before the piece is assembled to just that layer has a different color. thanks

Yeah I can't tell what its doing exactly but it seemed to work last night when I tried it. I pretty much followed "the leather working handbook" instructions as best I could. left needle(back side) through first. Right needle passed through behind first needle while holding the thread back so it stayed in place and wouldn't pierce thread. As right needle is emerging through back side take thread in left hand and wrap it over the right handle needle once. pull tight. I was wrapping it around once only. Does wrapping it around in the other direction or more than once change the look at all? Its pretty crazy how small differences in the sewing technique can completely change the look.

Yeah agreed but for solid brass they seem to be cheaper than other places. Ohio Travel bag has a great selection but seems like a pain to order especially if Im not ordering for a business. Any other snap hardware sites . recommendation?

The buckle guy website has nice looking hardware but the snaps they use are different from the standard line 20 and 24. Does anyone know if you can set them using osborne tools or do I need to purchase the buckleguy setters specifically for thei hardware. thank you

what does casting the stitch do exactly? I tried it on a piece of scrap leather last night and it made the backside a bit more slanted instead of straight on my sample. I did it a bit different from the video posted above though. In the video he was wrapping it around towards his body and it looked like 2 times. I did it away and only went around once. Is it strictly done to get a angled look on the back?

How many spi are you looking for? I just went to fineleatherworking where I ordered mine and it let me add a 4tooth iron to my cart so I think they have them. Did you call and they told you otherwise. I have messaged the ebay seller before who sells vergez and he got back to me very fast and was helpful. Out of curiosity..How much are they directly from Vergez?

Thanks all for the suggestions. I have started using a chair in my kitchen that swivels to different heights and it has made it a lot easier. The length of the clam requires you to sit a bit higher to get the correct angle (a bit more vertical but still slanted) At least that is whats working a bit better for me Really bummed though! Was using it for just the second or third time at my kitchen stool and when putting my awl down the clam slipped and hit the floor. Didnt think anything at first but when I went to resume sewing the jaw wasnt holding the project as tight. I took a closer look and it had developed a crack down the side! I think I can maybe repair it somewhat but annoyed that a $200 clam would be so fragile with basic use. I contacted fineleatherworking where I made the purchase online it to see if they offer any type of warranty before I attempt a fix myself! What is the "Swiss one" ? curious to see a picture.

I was going to mention the same thing about the seller on ebay. He has the compass I ordered as well for a few dollars cheaper. But I have ordered from frineleatherworking once already so I decided to order from them again. I didnt order a 2 tooth iron. just a 4 tooth iron

I just ordered one and a scratch compass about 2 minutes ago from fineleatherworking. I didnt see anywhere selling them cheaper and Im not even sure they are worth it but didnt want to spend $40 on a pricking iron that was useless and have to buy another a month later so I decided to take the plunge. Where do you know of that has them for cheaper when in stock? Also not sure about what seller you know but no tax and free shipping so for the iron I paid exactly $109. Gonna find out soon enough if its worth it but Im sure they will save some wear on my awl blade and a bit of time as well.

You don't have any contacts in the US that can order one for you and send it your way?

Sewing last night through 2 pieces of 4oz leather and I had to apply a decent amount of pressure and it felt like a few times I might bend it. Im not sure how many mm wide it is. I just looked at the website but don't see the info. I have the slim which they recommend for doing more than 6spi. Its my only awl blade but I guess its longer than most others from what Ive read. Listed as 2.5" long. So with it only going about 3/4 inch into my handle I have about 2and 1/4 sticking out which makes it feel more delicate.

Stitches looks nice! I spoke too soon. Mine don't overlap anymore. I was sewing on a single piece of leather up until yesterday to practice my stitching but last night I tried working on a actual project and my stitching looks much different now that I have 2 pieces of veg tan that Im going through. Im guess the thickness of the project influences the way they form somewhat. Tried out the white tiger thread (.006) for the first time and I got better results than the Fil au chinois. Maybe it looked better partially because I was sewing a light piece of veg tan and the black had a lot more contrast to show off any mistakes. Still need to get the back of my stitches looking decent...all over the place at the moment. Tiger thread I was able to thread the needle on the first attempt each time and the Fil au chinois I can't for the life of me get it down. It takes me 3-4 attempts to get it through the eye.. I have tried the slanted knife trick and I wax the ends etc. not really sure what Im doing wrong.

New to leather working and ordered a vergez sewing clam. I chose that style of clamp because from pictures online it appeared to me like it would be more comfortable to use than the western style pony clamps. Before this I have never used either so I have no hands on experience with a stitching pony. Also thought the angle would allow me to watch tv while sewing without obstructing the view! I have just started to work on my first few projects and Im fairly pleased with how my stitches are turing out for a beginner but the back side is looking a bit all over the place. Does anyone have any tips or pointers on using a sewing clam? The angle doesn't allow you to see the backside of the piece while you are working so its very hard to get the holes punched straight through. I know this style of clam has been around a long time and I believe Hermes uses this style so there must be some advantage to it. I would consider maybe cutting the bottom off a foot or so which would allow me to place it in a more vertical position. Any tips or recommendations would be greatly appreciated

Yeah I am only stabbing it about a inch through but with the blade sticking out so far Im afraid I could snap it. The longer it is the more bend it allows. If it was set further into the awl handle I feel that it will be a bit more sturdy when I have to apply a decent amount of pressure. Is it common to cut blades off to make it a bit shorter? You mentioned that it will eventually be a inch long but in the meantime doesn't feel super sturdy. thanks

Thanks for the very thorough feedback. I was expecting it to not look as nice. Gonna maybe use it on some projects to see how they turn out before I use other more expensive leather. As for lining. Can it just be glued into place with contact cement or does it always need stitching? Say for example I made a very simple card holder with 2 pieces of veg tan. The piece in the back extends higher than the front piece so normally I wouldn't sew all the way up to the top and across. If I wanted to line the back piece with the pigskin would it hold firmly by contact cement alone? thank you

Placed my first order with springfield leather and ordered veg tan and decided to order some of the "mission pigskin" since it was cheap to try out for lining. It actually looks pretty nice which I wasn't expecting. Are there any other uses for this type of leather? Its fairly thin but is it not possible to use it for wallets or at least for drafts before I use the nicer stuff? Was wondering if anyone has any good uses for this stuff. thanks

I saw that in one of his videos and tried it and got the same slanted angle as I normally do So you pull through the left needle first from the back and the second needle in your right hand comes forward and down. correct? maybe I described the way Im doing it wrong. so with a hole like this //// after I pass the back (left side) needle through. I try to bring the right handle needle in front of that and down so that it is in the lower corner of that slant closer to my body.

Yeah I ordered a small amount of .008 in white and .006 in cigar but have yet to try it. It does appear bigger than the fil au chinois oh similar size. So if I wanted to get something even smaller I would be out of luck with the tiger thread since the smallest I have seen listed on etsy or ebay is .006? Have you found anything else that seems high quality for a cheaper price? I should probably be using something cheaper especially in the meantime since Im just learning. My back stitches so far have no angle or very slight. Im pretty much just experimenting now before I attempt and actual projects. At the moment Im trying to follow the "art of hand sewing" instructions exact. ////////// punching holes like this, sewing towards my body, left comes through first, right hand needle making a cross and come over the left hand needle, and trying to place the second needle closer to me on the bottom angle of the holes. Do you have another method that is producing better results? A few tutorials I read online do it how I described but pass the right hand needle through the back and top of the hole.. if that makes any sense. I wonder how the results vary

so Hermes uses the fil 432 and 532? Im a bit confused on how the sizing works. What size tiger thread is equivalent to 432 fil thread? and what is 277? Different manufacturers use different sizing methods correct? Im also experimenting with using size 4 and size 2 needles for this thread to find out what I prefer and works best for me. Both of these should be compatible its just a matter of preference right? Casting the stitch is the way you hold it on the backside as you pass the second needle through right? Im watching all the videos I can find but its a lot to learn.