Cletus2014

So if I used the antique tan, for instance, as the base coat, would I let it dry completely before applying the black? When you say "alcohol" dye, is that just leather dye that isn't oil dye? Does the base coat actually resist the black from penetrating completely into the leather? I basically understand what you're describing here, just not quite clear on how to go about it. Any other suggestions for achieving this finish?

I'm trying to figure out how to do a finish like this and I can't seem to find anything on antiquing that described this process. I borrowed this image (if you are the maker, I hope you don't mind my using your excellent work as an example) of an iPhone case to show how this maker has done the finish. I love how the dark brown transitions to black near the edges and can't figure out how to get this affect. Is this just a black antique gel around the edges, with brown in the middle? Anyone know how to get this effect?

PM sent on one of your 5/6 sides...

Hunio - Your work is truly exceptional and to me looks just like something straight out of Hermes or Louis Vuitton. Very close attention to detail must certainly be among the keys to this look, but I'd sure like to know more about how you do these trays. I'll bet a lot of folks here would be interested in a detailed tutorial, or breakdown of just how you make these. I know I've seen several questions about your covered snaps, edges, etc., would you care to tell more? Either way, thank you for posting!

Billybopp - Thanks for the input on the creasers, it's quite possible I just need more practice, but so far I've been completely unable to get these new CSO creasers to work AT ALL without wandering off the edge of the leather. I'm about ready to take a file to them and try to do something, as they are completely useless as is, unfortunately. I might should have gone ahead and got the VB screw crease in the first place and been done with it. I'm beginning to learn to go ahead and buy the better, more expensive tools first, rather than wasting money and time (and leather) trying to save money re-buying cheap tools again and again. My experience with awls has been varied, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it at last! I started out with the Tandy "wing blades" too. I didn't realize that's what they were called, but I do see, in hindsight now, how completely useless these things really are. What a struggle! And this was when I was barely first learning to stitch and also didn't know any better. Tandy should be ashamed, selling such junk and for the prices they ask too! (of course, you could spend several hundred dollars to get their "club discount" for a year, what a deal!) My next awl was an Osborne 143? or 144, I forget, but once sharp worked quite well. I recently bought a Barry King small haft and #1 awl blade and also a VB 38mm awl with blade. The BK came fully polished and sharp and works beautifully, though I've since reground and polished the tip to suit my style. The VB had a very sharp point, but was roughly finished, not polished at all and was basically unusable too. Now I have also reground it and polished the entire blade and now it effortlessly pushes through the leather, every bit as good as my other two awls. The point of the long story here (pardon the pun) is, as long as the blade is basically the correct type, size and length for your style, it's important to spend some time getting it dialed in before it becomes the tool it's meant to be. I'm not sure the brand makes much difference (please note, I did say not "much" difference). I've spent probably several hours on each of my three stitching awls and they all work beautifully for me and they are all nearly identical in tip grind and polish, with the length and width of the blade being the only difference, for different stitch sizes. If you look at it this way, you can then more or less choose and awl for the design of the haft/handle and use whatever suits you best, without worrying too much whether you're getting the "best" awl blade. You can make most blades the best, by the work you put into them.

PM Sent - not clear on whether these have been sold or not?

Not to reopen an old thread, but I have a question about the Osborne irons that I've seen some here - Joe? - comment on. I bought one of these, the 609-7, from the CSO Tools site for around $55 and I found that the length of the dents (don't know how else to put it) was far too long to get an accurate stitching line. The marks appear to be slanted properly, but when stitching I've had to try to "aim" the awl for the top of the dent/mark, which lead to much inconsistency in the stitch line. I spent several hours with a file, on each of the two side of the iron, if you can picture that, and was able to get the length of the dents down to a somewhat more usable "width". Still not perfect though and stitch lines are still inconsistent. With even more file work I might be able to approximate the fine, narrow stitch track, or line, or whatever you want to call it, of the Blanchard irons, but I'm not as optimistic as I once was. I'm about to give up and spring for a set of #6 VBs at this point. Does this sound like your experience with the CSO chisels?

It's funny (well, not really funny) but since I've really discovered leather working and saddle stitching in general, I've been on something of a quest for a better, cheaper pricking iron. I originally had a couple old Tandy junk irons and didn't know the difference. I finally sprung for a set of #8 V. Blanchard irons in a set from a guy on Ebay and have since spent pretty close to what those cost trying to find a less expensive alternative - so far, without success. To date, I've purchased two different sets of Chinese "White Metal" diamond irons, which are barely passable but work, total with shipping, about $75. I've bought a CS Osborne 609-7 direct from their site, which after several hours of file work, is just BARELY passable, ~$65. I've seriously contemplated spending the money (and time) it would take to get a set of Dixon's shipped from the UK, which would end up around $225 all told. If I would just bite the bullet on a set of #6 Blanchard irons ($219 free shipping), instead of spending dollar after dollar trying to find something "cheaper", I could finally get on with life and quit worrying about it. I never learn, it seems, when it comes to stuff like this: If you want quality tools, sometimes the only way to do it is to spend the big money once and be done. Clearly, this is just my opinion and my own experience, I'm not telling anyone they should run out and spend a couple hundred bucks on anything, whatever you're doing probably works fine for you, this is just me.

Hi Joe - The problem I've been having isn't because of whether I get the tools hot or not, it's these CSO creasers I got that will not stay on the leather and do their thing - well, the #2 will, to a point, if I'm VERY careful and slow - but the #1 is unusable and slips off the leather edge every time instead of following the edge and making the line. I was looking for some opinions on possibly some way to use, or hold these tools that I'm not figuring out here. I can't imagine too many ways to use it that I haven't tried yet, but who knows?

Thanks mrtreat32, I'd be interested to hear how the VB screw crease works out for you. I came very close to getting one of these, there's an Ebay seller who usually carries quite a bit of Blanchard stuff and had this tool for right at $70. I should have just got that in the first place, rather than screwing around with these other ones. The Barry King awl - I actually bought the small haft and the #1 blade and I'm really happy with it. I'd been using a CSO #143 (I think) and it served me well once I had it all polished up and sharp enough to slip through the leather. The BK awl (blade) was already polished when I got it and works beautifully. I've heard the Douglas blades are very good, but I'm happy with the BK for now. I also have a small Blanchard awl, but I've not had a chance to polish it up yet, so haven't used it. Last thing - If you're looking for a round knife, or any kind of leather knife, don't forget to check out Knipschield Custom Knives. I just got my new French style head knife and Wharncliff trim knife yesterday and I am so blown away with how bleeding edge, FRIKKEN SHARP these knives are, I've never seen anything like it in my life. I always thought I was getting my shoe knife pretty sharp and stropping it up to straight razor edge - NOTHING compared to these Knip knives, which slice right through a tough old 14oz latigo like it's butter. I've never seen anything like it. Terry Knipschield's prices are great too and the knives are beautifully and perfectly done. Do yourself a big favor and check it out, if you don't already know about Knipschield.

I'm kinda going through the same trials and tribulations with properly creasing leather myself. Like you, I've been using my dividers, which work okay, but I recently picked up two (a #1 and #2) CS Osborne Creasers from Ebay. I'm starting to wonder though, whether these CSOs are seconds or rejects or something, as I can not, no matter how slow I go, or how carefully it try, keep the tool indexed off the edge of the piece. It doesn't even seem to "slip" off, but rather seems to actually pull off the leather, which obviously screws up the edge. The #1 is worse than the #2 and I've so far found it impossible to use the #1 at all and this is on a piece of 4oz veg tan with a very clean, square edge. I can't even imagine trying one of these things on a work piece with an edge that's been beveled or isn't completely perfectly sharp and square to guide the tool. Anyone have an comments on this? I know the vintage CSO tools tend to be a little (or even a lot) better than new ones, but these creasers seem unusable to me. Could it really be I just haven't figured out how to use it properly? I'm thinking about dropping half a buck on a Barry King (Their awls are a work of art) and be done with it.

Rick - Funny, I just noticed this post, I got my Knipschield knives today in the mail and it sounds like I'm about as amazed as you are! Terry does absolutely beautiful knives at beyond reasonable prices, I'm so glad I found this maker. And SHARP??? I'm the same as you - I thought I was getting my little Dexter shoe knife pretty dang sharp Yeah, no comparison at all! I've never seen anything even come close to the way these Knipshield knives seem to just magically part the leather. I bought a French style head knife and the Wharncliff trimmer and I spent the morning practicing on a heavy, tough old sole of latigo, figuring this was probably the toughest leather I'd ever cut. These knives go through it with almost no effort at all, what an eye opener! I'd keep right on going, bragging about how good these knives are, but I'm running out of superlatives to describe them. All I can say - for all you leather guys out there who've not tried or heard of Knipschield Custom Knives - this is the big plug. Terry is a great guy to talk to, as knowledgeable about knives as anyone I've ever come across and can make you a one-off head or trim knife in something like a week. For about half what you'd expect to pay, just to top it off! Thanks again Terry! I was blind but now I see.

rawcustom - The sheath in your photo looks to me exactly like Horween Brown Chromexcel. Even if it's not Horween, chrome tanned aniline leather tends to have that waxy smooth, even look to the finish which distinguishes it from veg tanned leather. I'm still pretty new to the trade though, so you would be well advised to get a more experienced opinion if it's an important question about leather.

I ran into a little snafoo trying to stitch gussets into a small bag and I hope somebody can tell me what I'm missing here - I'm making a small tool case with gussets, which is basically a scaled down version of Neil Armitage's iPad Messenger bag. This is my first attempt working with gussets and it is indeed a tricky business getting these right. I have a small stitching pony that I built and I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how to hold the work for stitching the back side gusset. The front side, or the first half of the gusset was difficult to get positioned and stitched, even though held in place with contact cement. I managed okay though and could clamp it in my pony for stitching because I could just fold the gusset down out of the way to get the bag in the clamp. It's the second half that I'm really hung up on. I can't just fold the gusset down now, like I did on the front panel stitching. So how do you clamp the work for stitching in the second part of a gusset? If this bag were any larger I'd really be in trouble, as my stitching clamp is rather small, but I can't even see how a larger clamp would help with this problem. I just can't seem to figure out a way to clamp this bag to hold it in position for stitching once the first half of the gusset is done. I've watched Neil's Messanger Bag video several times, but he doesn't seem show the stitching of the second half of the gusset, only the first half. I hope this is just some simple trick I don't know about and someone can enlighten me, 'cause I'm stumped! Thanks for your help!

Seaphoenix - From one beginner to another, I want to second (or third or fourth) the recommendation for learning to hand stitch leather. Nigel Armitage's videos are invaluable, the guy is a terrific teacher! I believe that proficiency in the basic saddle stitch is one of the core skills any leatherworker should have and I can tell you from personal experience, every minute you spend practicing, and every dollar you spend on quality stitching tools will pay off handsomely. There's a moderate learning curve here, by no means insurmountable - properly using the awl, what size stitch or thread, types of thread, etc. - along with a healthy dose of practice before you really start to see some results. I think you'll find that the first time you do a perfect line of fine saddle stitching on a wallet, case, or whatever, you'll be thrilled with what you've accomplished and feel ready to take on the world.