pete

It does take practice, but at LEAST try to do some beveling around the stamps. I've had to stamp a few times and with good, careful beveling and smooth matting you almost couldn't tell pete

in a nutshell- if you are using 1/8th lacing, poke your slits/holes 1/8th apart, 1/8th away from the edge. This will give you a professional look. pete

Lately I've been using scraps as an added item to my work. I punch out 2 1/2 circles and put my maker stamp in the middle, finish with Bick's+neatsfoot mixed, and edge and burnish the edges. Takes just a few minutes to do it but since I have been tying it onto the briefcase, wallet,checkbook, etc, the customers usually put a ring on it and add it to their keychains, car keys, use for luggage tags with their name "sharpied" on the back, etc. I actually saw a bag tag of mine in the Springfield, MO! I didn't even remember the customer. pete

I doubt if anyone here would steal your designs so how about a tutorial on how you attach the stones!!??!!??!!!! They would make great wallets and gear bags for musicians too! Sell them as a combination package. pete

very nice! Now take a smooth matting tools and get rid of the beveling halo and you will LOVE it.pete

when I was a teen my mother bought me a box from a famous auction house in San Francisco. Inside was about 15 DIXON leather tools. There are a few knives, a ratchet screwdriver, and 7-8 edgers #1-7. All are un-useable as the edgers are pitted or the toes are slightly bent but all could be restored easily. The knives are like barbers razors but the tangs are loose. Is there a market for these/are they worth repairing and who would do it? I would love to be able to use them. The HAVE to work better than my TLF tools and I'm sure compete with Bob Beard and others. Plus, the wood handles are superb and I have a thing about using " antique" stuff. pete

Never liked the stuff myself. I started using Bee Natural RTC and haven't looked back. Chan Geer told me about it. He was very instrumental in creating it and it works as a resist as well as Neatlac but goes on thinner, doesn't smell at all and dries in minutes.Doesn't go bad or thicken- heck- you can almost drink the stuff. try it pete

those are really nice! how did you make them exactly. do you have a stamp or were they lazer engraved, silk screened,? nice color too. give us the details!!! pete

Once again Bruce you come to the rescue! How do you have time to make a saddle when I see your posts daily? is this web page an addiction?!!!!!! Again, thanks. I have the TLF propetal- the tiny narrow one and it works well but the larger one is really useless. I even tried to flatten the tip angle but I still don't use it. I use the tiny one and hit the petal 3- 4 times in one hole if it's a wide petal. What sizes do you use most and who makes good one? Grey Ghost(Mosby?) thanks again ......now get back to work! regards pete

definitaly "scroticus camelieus" bacterin and 7-800 lbs with a left hind navicular problem.

. In the latest LWJ it showed a fender done by Don Butler where he thumbprinted AFTER he beveled and undercut. What do you guys do? Doesn't the undercut get mashed down if you do it first and THEN thumbprint? pete

what would you think about making a change to the pattern section and make it exclusive to folks who want to send in and offer their own patterns to share rather than the present situation ie; everything from pattern discussion to requests, where to find, etc. It would be really neat to have a place to click on where we can trade and create patterns only and not have to wade through all of the discussions. Just a suggestion- otherwise i love this place! I must log on 10 times a day! Unbelieveable that I can log onto a computer and trade ideas and techniques with talented artists around the world.

I have an exact copy of your tele (Fender telecaster) . It happens to be my Schwab 5 string electric mandolin. The pickguard is screwed on and you can either cover it and replace it, use it as a template, or both. If it doesn;t turn out well or the guy wants to someday make it stock again, I would probably make a template and just burnish the edges and screw it back on. Maybe some clear thin plastic cemented to the back so it doesn't curl or lift up. Go to the dollar store and get a cheap 3 ring binder and use the plastic. pete

Thanks Bruce. There is a saddleshop in Missouri north of here. I'll try him on my way to Springfiled. Last time I went though he only repaired with synthetic stuff! I may be calling on you. I hope they price shipping by the pound!!!I ll bet a large leaf bag weighs about 4 oz. HA! seriously, thanks for the reply. pete

where do you folks get sheepskin scraps. I use a lot of it as I''m sure that you all do but since Tandy quit selling it in bags I can't find it. Did they quit in every store or just Springfield Leather? pete

ok.....so we figured out what it is. I can't figure out ow to use it! pete

Bruce- that is a pre-made briefcase that you basically covered? pete

I just bought a laptop 13" Macbook. I was going to make a tooled case but realized that I wasn't going to take it away very often and that I could get a nice padded case for $20.00 from OVERSTOCK.COM. If I decide to do one I will get another , cut it up and use it as a pattern. pete

Not a saddle maker but I really like the job! Well done!!! Your knife work is great. How about a tutorial of some kind. Maybe a pencil drawing of a piece 4-5 inches long and a few frames as to what order the cuts were made! Still making a bunch of albums and wallets and checkbooks but a saddle......hmmmm. I still have my 1972 Paul Bear Capriolla wade. again great work pete

thanks a lot. that helps more than you know pete

I want to make a belt with a border and stitched. I have a TLF creaser that is 1/4" and an adjustable creaser. It's hard to run the 1/4" creaser and not have it jump the edge sometimes so should I : 1- dremmel out the groove and make it deeper so that it grabs the edge better 2- sharpen the edge that cuts the crease 3- be more careful as I run the edge 4- get a better creaser Secondly- I have made a ton of belts but never sewn one. No machine so I take it to the shoe shop. Should I have them stitch it 1/8 from the edge and THEN run the creaser? HELP!! pete

What do most of you do to finish say a coaster, mousepad, etc, even a belt where the leather is perhaps 5/6 or more and the back is split calf or deer? If I bevel the edge and try to burnish it, it shreds the deerskin. I cement the back and then trim it so that the edges are perfect but I don't want to ruin the backing. Should I burnish the edge and THEN glue on the backing and take a round knife and try to trim the back- hopefully not cutting the burnished edge? thanks pete and yes- I am leaving the edges raw- not sewing and obviously not lacing.

with what sis you sew those fine wallets? pete

WOW! That looks like persian ironwork or something! Would you be so kind as to post a picture of the individual stamps that you used? Maybe random stamps on a scrap piece of leather?