JerseyFirefighter

Since we're talking about knives, I just wanted to take a second to show off my japanese damascus steel knives I picked up last month. 15 degree bevel on a 50/50 taper. Even when I hone these I start to cringe that I dont mess up the patterning. A gyuto, petty knife, and bread knife.

Im looking forward to it aquinn. Ive been meaning to experiment with this but life keeps getting in the way.

Thank you Art. It appears I will be paying Keystone a visit in the near future.

I agree with the notion of having a dealer being close. Keystone may very well be the only place near me. Aside from the city (im almost equidistant to both) if I couldnt find what I was looking for I had, and still have had the intention to make the pilgrimage over there. Two things concern me. 1: just 2 months ago I was trying to find a sub 1k solution to sewing, now ive finally accepted the reality that 2700-3000 is more of the realistic approach. Ive been deluged with the cobra,cowboy brand notions so a product ive yet to come across concerns me. Not for reputation's sake, but the ease and availability to find tutorials for use and repairs. 2:At least from what the description leads me to believe it may or may not have the accessories included in the cobra 4 premium kit. While my ignorance in sewing is without question, I would assume having the additional attachments and perks included adds versatility to what im avle to do. Any thoughts that can expand on my concerns would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

So ive decided in the coming month or so I will jump in with both feet and buy a sewong machine. The consensus is either a juki, cobra or cowboy. Ive settled on a cobra 4p and was curious if there was a place to get a good deal on it. After lookingnit appears they might very well have a MAP of $2750. Im totally up for a used machine if one pops up, but will buy new if neccessary. By the Jersey Shore. As far as I saw Keystone sewing does not carry the brand. Thanks!

I did keep it. I spoke with Liz at Springfield and had a nice discussion about it. Not being struck through isnt a deal breaker but I was a little bit disappointed at the overall blemishes. The flesh issues are spotty and in random spots along the back. They were very kind to me, and had offered to ship a replacement. I had told them I appreciated the offer, however I would rather keep the one I have than risk getting something similar as well as costing them additional money in freight. The offer in itself spoke volumes of SLC's customer service. Losing a bit of workable leather is a good trade off to downtime of not having leather to work on in general. I will continue to buy the H.O. B grades from them, however I also intend on branching out and trying some of W&C and RJF in the future.

It was Springfield Leather, which ive had nothing but great experiences with. The leather however seemed to be shipped from the tannery, a quick inspection, then tied in ribbon in the original packaging from the tannery (shipping labels and all) i could understand if they could not get full penetration in such a heavy leather, I guess I just assumed to see more than just a surface coating and cracking wax on the flesh side. Again this is just from my own experiences with drum dyed as most of my similarly heavy oz leathers have been dyed through and through. Ive gove them a call monday and show them the pics to see what they think.

Morning! I was wondering what your thoughts on the quality of this leather I bought. Its a 10-12 oz drum dyed leather that I found to be nowhere near my experience with drum dyed sides. The last back of drum dyed I bought (albeit 9-10 oz was dyed through, waxy finish on the front and solid flesh side. (I have pics if wanted fr comparison) This one I received seems very rubbery, is not dyed anywhere near through, and the flesh side seems cracked when flat, but even worse so when bent towards the finish side. Ive only bought 3 backs of drum dyed before so while im a little inexperienced in telling the difference, this one seems way off the mark for a drum dyed hide. Pics are in the album below thanks for your input! https://imgur.com/a/8s1S5 Edited to add the flesh side flat vs slightly bent And another side shot

As a relatively newer leather crafter, I can share your frustration starting off. I do not have any leather craft outlets anywhere near me so all of my leather tools and supplies are ordered online. Try your best to avoid places like AC Moore, Michaels, Hobby Lobby (aside from hearing they had tandy branded kits). It took me quite a bit of research just to find the right type of leather to buy to suit my projects. Videos are great resources, but hands on practice is where you will turn visual retention of those video into motor skill refinement. Tandy is a great place for beginners, as are places like Springfield Leather. Tandy catches a good deal of crap from people (in some cases justified) however they have been able to be an easy place to get a lot of the tools and supplies beginners and even more seasoned vets need for their projects. It's more reasonable to buy cheaper tools to start off to no only learn in a cost effective manner, but to appreciate the differences of cheap and quality tools as you upgrade. My first few carving attempts looked as you described...like as if a child did it. I suspect when a welder starts learning the trade his/her welds aren't the prettiest thing... they get better with more time logged in honing their craft. You'll get there... Save that first project somewhere you can find later on. You'll be both amazed and embarrassed over how far you will have come. Good Luck!

I suspected the tool might have been a problem, I had thought using the large tandy rivets with a tandy setter kit would be a pretty good match. Any recommendations for either a universal setter for large/medium double caps or two specofic sizes? I dont want to even look at a deformed rivet ever again! thanks for your insight.

Sorry thought the pic uploaded

For some reason, no matter how I address this issue my double cap rivets constantly deform, and are 50/50 on holding tight. Background info: Using large double cap rivets with 5/16ths posts and a craftool 8105-00 setter kit with the concave setter. Im also setting on a large thick piece of granite on top of my workbench with very little flex. I get horribly inconsistent results. I have tried with the posts sticking out past the leather 1/8th of an inch, ive cut the post near flush with the leather. I have tried setting post side and setting cap side. I have also tried different setting pressures and have made certain the tool was straight when setting. Does the photo below give any indication as to what im doing incorrectly? I have little issues setting rivets crudely (hammer to rivet head on granite slab for a flat finish however after the first hit I see a slight deformity and the second flattens it out just fine. Any help would he appreciated. I just dont trust rivets for securing two pieces together while I have these results (plus it looks pretty rough)

I think this is more English than most people can handle. I asked myself what the heck is a brolly strap until I clicked and saw the umbrella. Makes perfect sense now.

Outstanding. Thank you!

Turns out the top picture appears to be licensed HD apparel so I guess now I know why there's a leather belt out there with size specific logos

Thanks for the insight. This is just a one off that an acquaintance was looking for. I have no intention on marketing or reproducing it. Being that I found those items for sale on different sites, I figured there would have been somewhere that may sell the emblems. Im not too crazy about taking emblems and converting them to be attached to something. If there's a premade concho or rivet out there i'd love to buy it for this person.

Thanks for the heads up! I dont think those will suit my purpose (unlesss they are somewhat malleable). Someone's looking for a custom harley dog collar and the 2 1/4" length most likely will stick out when bent around the neck. A long shot, but if you happen to have anything around 1"-1.5" id be all over it. Thanks again.

Hey folks, Anyone know where I can get some Harley inspired hardware. Particularly containing the logo. I keep seeing emblems like the picture below but cannot find a source for it. Thanks! or this...

I humbly request access... I would like to see behind the curtain.

I have always loved this look and would like to try it on some of my projects.. How would you make this woodgrain look as well as the smoked edge that blends in with it? Any help would be appreciated! Thank you.

I have yet to make the trek to allentown, but I can say there are no leathercraft outlets. All of the leather supplier searches turn up premade leather items or leather care. I purchase all of my items online unfortunately. I wouldnt mind saving crazy shipping costs for just a shorter drive than PA or Manhattan.

Thank you gentlemen for your input. I guess this was the kick in the rear I was looking for to sit back and take stock of what direction I really should be heading. I probably should refirect my train of thought to "buy once, cry once" then fumbling about with learning to sew on a machine that cant handle the job I would like to use it for. It seems I'll put a little more time and a fair amount more money towards the machine budget.

I was expecting for it to be a used machine for the reason you stated above. Just something to push me down that road before making a substantial financial committment as a hobbyist.

Thank you both. I will look into those models and vendors. I guess truth be told since they really dont lose much value, when im ready to step up to the big boy table I can offset the cost with selling whichever one I pick up.

Hello guys and gals. Im sorry to beat this topic like the dead horse that it is in the sewing machine world. Ive read some very good information in this sub and appreciate the expertise. The only problem I seem to have is that most suggestions for machines are well over a thousand dollars. As a newer hobbiest just starting to get his feet wet into selling items I would like to know if there are suitable machines that can withstand the rigors of sewing leather on a small volume scale for the interim before I know that sewing is for me, and that a few thousand dollars seem more like a wise investment than a risk. I started looking into vintage singers and even then find it difficult to wade through all of the models over the years. My main materials would just be sewing a thin lining on 9-10oz leather. Would something like a Singer 251-2, juki ddl555-5, or a Singer 121h be viable options? are there any recommended machines that can be had within the $200-500 range? Id have no problem selling the machine off when im comfortable and ready to upgrade. Thank you for your input in advance.