LoyalNine

Love that!

Admittedly I am very new to this leathworking thing. I wanted to make a radio strap for my own use and am a bit confused on what to use for leather. I have only ever worked with tooling leather so far. The radio strap and radio holder case is a pretty common piece of equipment for firefighters and the ones we have at work are well.. not mine and I thought Id try to make my own. Should I use purchase a back and cut strips or should I use harness or bridal leather? If I was to use bridal leather its already dyed black. Are you still able to crease grooves into it for a finished look? When I cut it does the color go all teh way through or do I have to dress the edges? and on the topic of edges do they burnish as well as a piece of Veg tanned leather? If I dye and use a good sealant will veg tanned hold up like bridal leather will? Sorry for all the questions... I have looked for answers but an getting more and more confused and was going to place and order with springfield leather and didnt want to waste my money. Thanks All in advance for any helpful response. -

Very nice. What weight is the leather you used? Curious what you did for a belt loop. Well Done!

I would like an add as well...

Ok guys... Advice taken. Will Do!!

I have 100 bucks tops to spend... I see one on eBay new it's a Vergez Blanchard Head Round Knife 120mm. Is this a decent knife or am I better to look for something used??

.I want to buy a draw gauge to cut belts and straps am I better off to buy one of the wooden ones from Tandy or whoever or am I better off buying this one? it is a metal Osborne appears to be very old and solid needs a little TLC and he wants $32 for it at a local antique tool shop. I tend to usually think that old tools are often better but I am not sure when it comes to leather tools which I have little experience with... https://flic.kr/p/nMutmt https://flic.kr/p/o2WvHd https://flic.kr/p/nMuF9A

Yeah man! the texture on that looks great. I am gonna steal that on my next sheath. ...it is the greatest form of flattery ya know.

Officially project #2 is in the books! This was a bit more time consuming than I had expected. I am sure I could make the next one in less than 3 days but seems as though I have more hours in this than I should have... I made some mistakes for sure. I went all the way around the front with the stitch groover and didnt realize till I was poking holes that the top (where the knife slides in) does not need stitching or holes. I was having so much fun I guess I didnt even give it a thought. So that groove is just gonna be there. The worst issue I had was my pricking iron did not go all the way through so I used my awl to make the holes in the badckside. By the second half I was figuring out how to get them in close to the right spot. However the first half looked like my awl went on a bender and was drunk. It was so awful I almost threw the project in the trash. I opted to take some 4-5oz and skive the ends down and use it to cover the stiches in the back. I uses Locktight adhesive spray (said it was ok for wood and leather) The bond is wicked strong - not sure how it will hold up but I think the leather will wear out before it peels away. I found I beat up the leather during making the project. Not sure if Id ever been able to use a natural finish - the black hides a lot of damage I did. I am Looking for some constructive critique that can help me the next time around. I finished it with oil based dye and caranuba wax. I was hoping for a bit more shine but that all I can get that combo to muster. Cell phone pics are not the best but I am kinda proud of this one despite its many inperfections. Really cool feeling taking it from design to the actual item in your hand that you can feel and smell. Thanks to many of you here of the forum for a great online community. All great fun! IMAG0307_1 by SansGroove, on Flickr IMAG0308_1 by SansGroove, on Flickr IMAG0311 by SansGroove, on Flickr IMAG0313 by SansGroove, on Flickr IMAG0314 by SansGroove, on Flickr

So I have this wood here from some trees I dropped last year. Was considering using it as a small area on my workbench. My work bench is a bit flimsy and would not mind having something with a bit more meat underneath. Thinking I could finish this up with stain and urethane and tap the top section to hold some tools. Honestly I'd this a foolish idea?

I am very pleased to hear I did ok. I very easily could have been victim to my ignorance and picked up some of the less desirable stuff you speak of. I chose the auction only bacause it ended very soon and was in my budget. I knew from reading the basic needed tools were there ( at least I thought).

I got my first set of tools in the mail today thanks to EBay! I spent $36.00 They say Craftool Co. With the following numbers 104, 113, 200, 231, 407, 433, 705, 710 if that makes any sense to you guys.

Ok so I ordered from BK and already got the shipping info! I got: Swivel Knife , Barrel Size: 1/2 in. , Blade Size: Straight 3/8 in. Thick $45.00 USD 1 $45.00 USD Maul: Small , Size: Taper 16 oz. I opted to not overdo it and get what you folks and others on the forum have given for advice. I'll order another knife and blade after I get a feel of what I might need. I did learn from this that I am better to get quality stuff from the beginning with caution I need to not go overboard. I know the way I am and I'll try to use what I've got first. This is a fantastic forum - the help and advice given is very helpful. I should add I also picked up an older set of 8 craftools on eBay so I should hopefully be cutting my teeth on leather carving this week.

Again thanks all for the input on this. I am currently not using a swivel knife at all that's why I was asking. it's all new to me. With the help of this thread (and the search function) I think I have decided on the BK 1/2" barrell with 3/8 flat blade. That seems to be a pretty standard size unless I am mistaken? I plan to order an extra blade as well. Should I get the 3/8 that comes with the knife in thick or thin?? And what should I get for blade #2? I will mostly be practicing. Nothing too intricatee or huge to start off obviously.

My goodness - Response to my question has been fantastic. It has answered my question for sure and then some! Where I live is not exactly a hotbed of this sort of thing. I don't even know anyone that does leatherwork or if so where they could be found. I just don't have the opportunity to try these sorts of things out. I do like tools so I'll take the advice given on the BK blades. Ill prob order the whole knife from him as well as the price is manageable as lo g as I can slide it under the radar... I am going to buy one to start. What size and style blade should be my first one. I can't afford 2 right now.

Odd topic title I guess... But I just purchased a basic set of 7 or 8 craftools on eBay. It does not come with a swivel knife and I need to buy one. I was looking at my different options, new to old to beautifully expensive. Obviously I don't have a need for the latter but does the tool itself really matter or is it all about the blade? I see some old ones on eBay for $30 bucks and some others for $70. I have never even held a swivel knife and don't know if the tool really makes a difference or am I as well served by an old used craftool with new blade? Also I see different sizes. Does that refer to the blade or the tool itself? Do many of you use only one or do you have a set with differing size blades?

Life was all good when I had an iPhone. It fit great in my rear pants pocket and was always with me. Then my wife decided to drop and destroy her phone in the parking lot of the local grocery store. Soon I realized i had a choice: pay the deductable for the phone insurance of 99 bucks and get a refirb replacement of an almost 2 year old phone OR pay 199 and get two new HTC M8 phones for 100 bucks more. My iPhone was 3 years old and was getting a bit old so it made sense. What I didn't realize until I tried carrying this beast around is that it is only slightly smaller than a Sports Illustrated Football Phone. I work as a firefighter/medic and am bending, squatting and twisting on a pretty regular basis at work. On several occasions the phone has fallen out nearly getting lost. Once getting off the toilet...(That's the squatting part) I know I needed a case and there are some options out there but I just purchased a case and didn't want to buy the other Otter box case with the belt clip. I wanted something low profile on my belt, preferably leather, secure and that would look ok with my daily uniform. For some reason I came up with the idea I could make my own leather phone holster. (I mean how hard could it be really?? 😱) I found this great site, checked out YouTube and purchased a couple books. I am fortunate to have a couple places nearby that sell leather and tools. Armed with my (incomplete) list I started gathering the necessary items. My wife nearly spit her coffee out when the bill came to $146.00. Another trip to pick up a few more tools and some thinner leather than the 9oz stuff I first purchased I was ready to begin. It's the first thing I have made aside from something 30 years ago at scout camp. I am hooked! It's really just fun to go from thought, design to actually holding it in your hand ready for use. I have SO MUCH respect now for those that turn out handcrafted leather products and carvings. I already have a list of other ideas I need to make. It's definately not perfect but I'm proud of it. My stitching has much to be desired. I would have used snaps on the bottom side of the belt loop for easier removal, my groove lines are pretty choppy looking and I didn't wait long enough or use enough contact cement in some areas as the edges are lifting in a couple places on the outside where I burnished. It's the most expensive phone case I've ever had. I have a strong suspicion this hobby is gonna cost me some money. I love it. It's simple and not very fancy. 5-6oz leather on the front wet formed piece, 9oz for the rest. I got some wax thread at the leather shop. I have no idea what size needles or thread so not sure if it's right or not. I used Feiblings oil black and caranuba wax to shine it up a bit.