howardb

Man, that just goes to show I've been working for the man too long.... The company I work for just LOVES to spew those meaningless marketing terms, and if you hear them often enough, you begin to believe that you CAN focus on your core competencies, get back to basics, while thinking outside the box, and deliver 110%, thus exceeding your customer's expectations. Ack! Makes me nauseous typing it... Sounds like you've done your homework :-). It is a nice presentation! Brent

Thanks guys. I will post a couple of pics tonight when I get home. Brent

Just edged some straps. I had a round wood burnisher chucked into a drill. I wetted the edge with the same water that I case with and WOW smooth edges. I will try to post a pic later, but the edges were gorgeous. I wetted and boned the back, which was REEEEALLLY rough, and it made a big difference. I had already stained with fiebings dye (spirit type I think as it is really old), so that may have been part of the equation. Hope it helps. Brent

Can't help you with the spiffy offset stitching part, but I groove both sides and then run the multiprong punch straight, and completely, through the leather. Mine is a straight punch style, but the stitching comes out even & smooth. I have done the same thing with a hand (diamond) awl too, it just takes longer! My stitches didn't offset like that photo, so I'm not sure how to make that part happen. Brent PS: I tried a bunch of ways to make that stitching pattern with my hand diamond awl. No dice. The best I could do was punching two small holes & offset the stitching through the two holes. Good luck! --BH

Steve - friggin brilliant! Very excellent marketing concept. I'd make a small suggestion - since you make simple things out of your scraps, why not make a key fob or some such out of their scrap, and include a little business card sized note explaining what it is and why you included it. You know, something along the lines of "I wanted you to see what your [item] looked like before I started. This [object] was made from the same leather and is unfinished..." blah blah blah. A reject like me (before I started carving and understanding the work involved) would just figure you left the scrap in the box and were careless. A simple something MADE from that scrap would be COOL to my simple mind, or would have been in my past life as a non-carver. LOVE the wrapping part of your presentation by the way. Very pro! Brent

I have a ladies wallet insert. The baggie said "Nannette". No instructions nothing pre-punched, just a sewn up interior. Anyone got a clue on this? It was out of Monte's stuff and I can't ask him without a seance... Biggest question - one of the edges has been rolled over and sewn, like it COULD be left open. Monte did one of these and laced it all the way around, which covered the sewn edge. If I want to sew it, what do I do with the pre-sewn edge? Can I line it and leave that edge open (like a mens wallet)? How would one add lining against an already sewn edge? Inquiring minds wanna know! Brent

Wow, a long thread for rotary cutters! I bought a couple of the Fiskars units at wallyworld when I was learning to quilt I loved them for fabric. I tried them on leather and loved them all over again. They have a little thumb lever to unsafe the blade (locks out, release button to re-safe). Then I discovered my FIL's Olfa deluxe cutter. It's got a squeeze handle to un-safe the blade. When you go to put it down it automatically safes the blade again. With the Fiskars, I had to push a button, but with the Olfa deluxe unit it's automatic. Very handy and the same 45mm blades as the Olfa (though the Olfa brand blades are side etched in 10mm increments. The blades last a loooong time until you either miss the cutting mat and hit the table or otherwise nick them. The sharpener looks like a great idea, though as long as they last may not be needed. I'll probably snag one if I walk past it in a store, just so I have it. I'm funny that way... Highly recommend having one on hand. Nothing better for cutting softer & thinner leathers, though apparently they are good for just about anything. Brent

I need a translator: from ancient leatherese into modern english! Thread Buying thread: I have seen every possible description for thread in many different posts and online catalogs. What I need is to know how to equate between the varying size references. I'm guessing that size DOES matter... "3 cord" is WHAT exactly? The link to Maine Thread provided some clues, but still questions remain. They have a chart at the bottom that shows 6 cord through 11 cord. 6 cord is shown as .035", 8 cord is .045", and 11 cord is shown as .055". They have waxed thread starting at .020" through .055" without the "x-cord" identifier. They also show an artificial sinew with NO size reference! How's a newbie supposed to figure this all out? Stohlman's book says to use "Buhlers 6 cord" to stitch holsters. I would assume you could use the mysterious 3 or 4 cord to stitch smaller things? I have a spool of very heavy looking black waxed cord (ultra waxed I might add from Mexico) that measures at about .035" to .040". No clue as to sizing. there's a '3' stamped on the label and '.250'. No other markings I have some natural colored stuff that I inherited that measures out about .025". The label inside the core says "Blue Mountain Industrial" and "waxed polyester twine". 9/15/80 and 4 ply. 900 308 966 also adorn the label. Yes it occurs to me that the 9/15/80 could be a mfg date, but I've seen strange size nomenclature on thread before so I assume nothing. I e-mailed Maine Thread for the size chart they advertise. Not sure what I'll get, but I'll share when it arrives. Brent

Awww, man I wanted to be the first one to post... I was gonna say " Hey kevin! That's a mighty unusual wallet ya got there". But, alas, I wasn't around to do that. So, mighty sweet bike bag Kevin! Brent

Helps me and I didn't even ask the question!

Roo, I've not been leathering long enough to have developed a rut, but I've been in ruts before. So many, in fact, that they named a band after me. Perhaps you've heard of them: The Ruttles? The band started out as Howard's Ruts, but changed soon after they caught the notice of the record companies. And the rest, as they say, is history. Anyway, I too suffer from workshop envy. My solution? become a part of the mess rather than trying to usurp the mess. (see picture). As you can see, I am part of the rest of the mess. Bench and storage bins right in amongst the sofa, puzzles, and clutter. Not pretty, but functional. AND in with the family while they watch TV and generally lay about. The best thing is that NOBODY needs me to clean up my bench for dinner or anything else! It's like I've become one with the clutter... almost invisible in fact. Might as well call it Claude Raine's bench. :D Brent

Hilly, I KNOW Tandy still does the wholesale club pricing for IFOLG guild's members. I honestly don't know about PSLAC or if they qualify, BUT I would strongly suggest contacting Tandy's home office for the official answer. They set me up for online ordering at club pricing within a day or so. Assuming you could qualify for the club pricing, they would also be able to contact your "local" tandy store for you and verify your membership. Worth a shot anyway! Brent

Modifying Hilly's post: I'm also on a budget, but I'm not afraid of putting my own edge on something. Hide crafters has Osborne & ALS for $60 ish; and Danny Marlin for $100 ish. Tandy has Al Stohlman (same as ALS??) and Osborne. Q #1 - why is Tandy's osborne knife twice the price? Q #2 - What's the better choice for an under $100 knife? keep in mind I'm as green as they get and not really sure when this would be required over other knife options. Oh and to brag a little... I have a SWEEET Bob Beard knife (I think its a skiver?) that is just ded sexy. It's wicked sharp. Pic attached - tell me what it is supposed to be used for! Another inherited tool...

Both great ideas! Ed, when I first read yours, I thought you meant a small kitchen sized board... Then it hit me you were talking about the same size Scouter was. Now it suddenly made sense! US Plastics is a cool place to wander around if you are ever in Lima OH. Never thought to ask them about big hunks of plastic! Brent

Brent, Wild guess here, based on observation and what the experts tell me... I don't see a stitching groove. Is there one and I'm not seeing it? From what I understand, the groove allows the thread to lay below the surface of the leather, thus protecting it from abrasion. Ask around, but that may be the key rather than type of thread. Good luck! The stitching looks great by the way. Brent (yeah, there's two of us!)

It's like... the Joker's change dish. And it looks VERY planned. I love the result!! Brent

Wow - nice!!! So is the bowtie secured to the sheath? you mention it's removable and I wonder how you get the knife out without the bowtie coming with it... Brent

I particularly like the use of the chewy stick. Bound to come in handy as a self defense tool... Seriously, it's fantastic. The stitching is very nicely done! Carving and dye work - just beautiful. Brent

A buckle and a snap? Man that's just weird enough to be cool! Brent

John, I would give Hide Crafters a call. I know they are going through some changes, but may be able to do a mail order for you or possibly point out the manufacturer. They are still in the PDF catalog at $10 each. I really like them! There's also a PA003; small, like a std backgrounder in a basic 7 kit. I probably need to score one of those too. Good luck, Brent

John, Why, pebbly backgrounders of course! (hahaha). Seriously, that's what they are... "pebble backgrounders". They are SST tools, marked "Hide Crafters" and numbered PA004 and PA005. Brent

I did this for a guy at work who's undergoing chemo. He's deathly afraid of spiders (the real ones), and I'm hoping this won't freak him too much and that he'll be able to wear it! I'll tell him it's not a real spider since it only has 7 eyes... It's rough, and I knocked it out in an evening, but I saved the pattern in case I want to do a 'nuther one down the road. The holder pattern came out of Saddlers Journal (if not the last issue, the one before it), and the spider is sketched from a photo I found of a hobo spider. Missed an eye and the pedipalps, but hey it looks spidery to me! Brent

Awww, that is sweet, even in fuzzy pictures. I will look up the pattern as that looks fun! Brent

Wow! awesome design!

Spider - kewl skulls. I may borrow from ya. I wanted to make some bookmarks for the kids and saw the vid on the coffin bookmarks on youtube. Maybe a skull on a coffin? yeah.... Anyway, I dig the cover! Brent