pete

I've made 6 so far. No problem as you have had. I cut the back piece to size,cut the "holster" part, wet and bone it, let it dry, and trim- if needed . Then I sew it to the back, pete

Small plastic soda bottle. Punch a hole in the top, use a sheep scrap 1-2" sq. to spread it. Leave the scrap on the top when not in use- glue will never get thick, squeeze and pour where you want, throw away the bottle when you're done. The bottle holds more than you could use for most any project. Try it- I went the "glue pot" for years- NO comparison. pete

spot on ferg. pete

So glad to hear that your still among the living! Best of luck with your franchise- what type of business did you get into? pete

Marlon, WHERE YA BIN??? I've missed seeing you and your work. This is really neat. Love the color job and design. Tell me, how did you do the star borders. Cut or double edge creaser? Either way great tooling. stay well pete

Are the blades adjustable? How narrow will it cut? I might be interested pete

Tim- Beautiful work- as always! Tell me, did you use 1 piece to make the trim, or did you use one for the vertical and another across the bottom? pete

I have a new computer!!!!!! I got a Mac laptop and LOVE it! I also have a new game that won't play on this operating system but it does work on windows. It's "MYST III- EXILE" I played the first MYST (RIVEN) forever and was really excited about this one too. I would be willing to swap for a double creaser or #1 or #2 bissonett if anyone is willing. If not- does anyone want the game It's brand new- NEVER been played $49.00 retail make an offer- I'm motivated! and don't want to make a great amount on it- go ahead- you won't insult me! pete

Hi and welcome! Great people here and lot's of knowledge (decades and worldwide!) Depending on how big and sturdy and style and usage of the notebook will determine the weight of leather. Soft might be 4/5oz whereas firm and stiffer and larger might be 8/9oz. We need to know more to help you the most. Regarding the structure 1-I wouldn't try a 3 pc (2 sides and a spine) for your first attempt. It's much easier to make a 1 piece and simply groove the center and thin with a french edger to get a nice fold. Try to thin the center to about 1/2 the thickness if the sides. 2-cut your liner oversized and either start attaching form one side, let it( the notebook) fold gently over your hand and lift the liner up to it-or- lay the notebook on the table, start the liner on one side, and as you work the liner across, gently bend the other side of the notebook upwards to ABOUT a 90* bend making sure that you get good contact with the spine area. Once you're done, take a wooden dough/pizza roller and work the wrinkles outwardly towards the edges. As you work it and gently fold it open and closed it will get the results that you are looking for. 3- more information would be helpful but most importantly SEND PICTURES!!!!! Hope that this helps. Chan Geer has a great video on making a notebook. pete

Are you making this for fun or is there an order that you are filling? The reason that I asked is because a year or so ago I was going to make one for a gift. I gave up after trying to find the paper notes/calendars to put in it. I went to every store, office supply, etc and couldn't find any. The owners said that because of blackberrys, I phones, etc they quit making "day planner" inserts. No demand any longer. You might have better luck pete

I shall. I will be getting to work on this order with him when the dies arrive. stay well pete

I get them at WalMart in the sewing section. They are cheap and work well. I buy gold and silver- the gold one from last year hasn't dried up yet!!! pete

I wish that I could, but I didn't want to have one side ragged looking as I'm using thin, white, chap leather and cutting from the "other side" made for a jagged cut. Hopefully I won't have that problem with Chris's dies. They look really clean and sharp. No more Weavers for me. I've become really disappointed with the quality and sharpness. Plus, they are WAY overpriced. pete

they are Troy. Haven't received them yet but I can hardly wait. John Hopkins and I got a 30 chink order from a local drill team and didn't want to have to cut them AND the fringe by hand. pete

a picture would be helpful, but when you say form the spine were you trying to get it to "bend" properly around the book? Did you groove the fold lines first? Did you gouge out the center a bit? Did you make ANY preparations or did you figure that it would bend and fit if the dimentions were right? When and if you have to make a "fold" wet the flesh side only. Not enough to seep through. pete

For starters I would oil it first. Dye tends to really dry out the leather and won't let the oil really penetrate. Lighten your dye, cut it with alcohol . Let it really dry between coats. Try a light coat and let it sit in the sun a few days. pete

VEEERRRRRY Tasteful!!!! I like everything about it.pete

I just remembered something that I read here. I'm giving the credit to Bob Park.Even if it wasn't him....his stuff is so cool! Kudos, BOB! Use a thin blade on thick leather. Cuts deeper and bevels well. Use a thicker blade on thin leather. It makes a wider cut without having to go deep. Is that right, Bob? Anyway- I've been doing it since and I really like the difference. pete

Anyone have a 1 3/4" tongue buckle out there. I just finished a belt for my wife and can't find one. All the 1 3/4" I have found are harness, steel, roller, double prong,harness, etc. I want a nice looking western buckle with or without keeper or tip. ANYONE??? pete

I THINK that I got it from Kevin at Springfield, but if not I ordered it directly from them online. pete

I really like it too. Kind of melts with your hand friction and really seals the leather well, lets it breathe and waterproofs better than Mink Oil. 2 coats is best and let them soak in between coats. Well worth it. pete

One important factor that you need to know- Start your first needle from the back, then pull gently towards you as you push the front needle through on top of (in front of) the first thread. This will keep the stitch looking good as the second needle and thread will pull the hole closed when you tighten. Think of poking a hole through a piece of leather from the back side. Leaves a ragged looking exit in the front doesn't it? pete

HI! And welcome to the forum. 2 things that make the most difference and they are really important. Make sure that your leather is cased properly. Too wet and the cuts will mush and close. Too dry and you won't get them open in the first place! Search casing leather on the forum and you will get 1000 new friends chiming in! Secondly, make sure that your cuts are deep and even. When I first started (NO instruction, teacher, etc) I was very timid in CUTTING the leather. I merely "scored" it thinking that it was deep enough! Of course the beveling was timid too and the pieces came out like someone had gently used a scratch awl on a piece of glass!!! Submit your stuff- we'll all be glad to critique it and get you on your way write if you find work! pete

Make some patterns on paper! They don't have to be exact but you can come real close. The important thing is (I take it that there is no 2 fish knife sheath already) that you can get as creative as you want. Paper doesn't cost anything - want to bounce some ideas off some of the "artists" here? SHow the knives and place them in the picture on a table in a few different but practical positions. I think that there are a few thousand folks that watch this forum that might give you a few good ideas! BE CREATIVE!!! Have fun with this. As a friend told me years ago when I was trying to build my first hot rod and was puzzled with the wiring harness "are you smarter than plastic?" uh....yea! Let us know how it's going. pete

I believe that they are eschutson pins.