howardb

Wow! Just awesome. FRight out of "Ghost Rider".... (typo pun intended!) Brent

TT - The "black" is actually a dark brown and doesn't look quite as bad as the photo. I am very pleased with the result, though the stitching was a pain. That's just figuring out how to do it easier/better next time. I think it's my best effort to date. Not ready to quit my day job yet, but it did turn out nice. Rayban - no pattern! 100% original design, including the holster shape. Another reason why it's fairly simple! Brent

URGENT UPDATE: 3 instructors have cancelled. Buckeye should be posting something soon, but here's the info: Dale Grabowski, Paul Burnett, and Vicki Baker can't make the show at all. Chan Geer, who often has head count requirements has said he is coming! Good news for late signer-uppers who want to take one of Chan's classes. IF YOU ARE COMING AND HAVE NOT SIGNED UP PLEASE DO IT NOW!!! The instructors really need to know how many are coming! Brent

I tried it with a drill press (dremel in a stand) and it went WAY better than trying to push by hand. BUT, my edges weren't quite square and like a total idiot I grooved BEFORE gluing the seam up. So I had two grooves on opposite sides that didn't track with each other, so I was shooting blind drilling from one side to halfway, and then trying to find the hole drilling from the back side. Stitch wheels didn't help due to the variation in the grooves. It started out OK, but soon went somewhere in a handbasket. I still had to wobble around with either the needle or an awl to track the holes through. It came out OK in the end, but what a [expletive deleted] of a time. I will SO do this differently next time. Glue, grind, THEN drill all the way through (woo hoo), and THEN groove... It just has to be better next time, right?? Brent

Yes, I know. Not spectacular, and probably not my best tooling. So I wanted to learn lacing / edge braiding or whatever it's called. I think as soon as you do the looped stitches, it probably ought to qualify as braiding, but hey, I'm rambling again. Sorry. Anyway, the last two weeks, at my two guild meetings (Hoosier and Calumet), I learned how to do this lacing stuff and not to fear it. So I ripped the mediocre stitching out of this one (note the attempt at antiquing...) and used it to practice the lacing. I used single loop since it is smaller and thinner and I think double loop would have overwhelmed it. I had to splice once & just did a dry splice. I like the look and at least won't fear trying to lace things. I need to do a couple more of these things, and I need to do a CB cover for uncle bob. He likes lacing, so his will definitely get laced, and I might even get brave & do a two tone. Anyway, pictures of my first lacing attempt. It's single loop as I mumbled before. I used Tandy "superior lace" and it wasn't too bad, but doesn't taper as well as folks tell me the reeeeally good stuff tapers. But I think it will work for what I want to do. . .

Belt? Oh heck no... The welt is definitely there... a slice of the same 9/10 oz. as the outside of the holster. The need for a welt depends on the hog leg (as it was explained to me). Mine is a big N frame Smythe & Wessonski and the thickness of everything mandated it. It was a MAJOR pain handsewing 5 layers of cow. It's purt neer a half inch across that seam. If you have a thinner weep'n you can add a bit of length to the seam and skip the welt. I did one for my .22 Ruger and DID include the welt, but when I re-make it, I will probably skip the welt. The gun just doesn't need it. I will probably work on incorporating a safety strap on that one just for the learning experience. I'll also work with some thinner leather too. Two layers of 4 to 6 oz will work as well and have a thinner seam! Anyway, I'm rambling as the beers told me to. I'll stop now! Brent FREAK - thanks man! Praise from you is like winnin' the gold in china!

WC - awesome! ONe day? I'd have spent a week... Crystal - gorgeous! I must do something...

I ALMOST incorporated a "hammer thong" but decided against it. #1 - I didn't want to screw it up by adding yet another feature #2 - It's for me, and I don't go anywhere with the gun, so it's strictly show & tell. #3 - I was making it up as I went. I used the "Alex Madson" tracing method to figure out the pattern. I know he does "thongs" sometimes, and he even showed me how to do one. I even bought a nubby to snap the thong onto. Then along came reason #1. The others just helped rationalize #1. If I make one for somebody, I will definitely incorporate a safety thong (hee hee!) on the holster. Thanks for all the comments! Brent

Singteck - NICE work, even for a fridge magnet!

Freak, Sorry about the tooth. It does not appear to have disturbed your creativity or skills. I was about to ask what it was, and then saw the last pic and went "aha"! Looks sweet! Brent

It started out life as a Tandy kit. I don't like their liners, so I made patterns from the kit for the lining and pockets. I went ahead and used the tooling leather from this kit, hence the holes. I have made one other so far (pictures later hopefully), but will probably end up making a bunch and giving them away. This one, in fact, is now a sample unit. The buddy I made it for (it turns out) is not "William" as his given name, but "Bill", so I have to make him a new one. Amazing how you can know someone for 40-odd years and never know a little detail like that. Anyway, I made the design by borrowing a rose from an old pattern and taking various leaves to fill in. Then I did the "vine" to wrap around the space for the initials. It's probably not botanically correct. You design guru's, any way to mod the design within the space? Brent

Yes, I've shown it in it's various stages, but it's finally DONE! Critique if you want, but I am happy with it. I can still learn even if I'm happy! Brent

Well, it's OK I guess. I mean, what's with all the black & red & stuff? Shouldn't leather be brown with flowers on it?? WHOA, Just kidding of course. Kevin, you've indeed outdone yourself. Freak and his polysyllabic expletives said it best! Fantastic work! Brent

I gotta echo that "WoW" from a few posts back... Brent

Hey kids, classes at the 2008 IFOLG show are filling fast! Get your registrations in NOW to secure your spot!! See above (earlier messages) for links for the class packet (aka Mini Workshops). I'll see you there! Brent

[brain straining to come to grips...] "Rope - Celtic Knot"... [snap] "Celtic Rope Knot"... [crackle] "Celtick Knot with Rope"... [ding!] GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY!!! WHY HASN'T SOMEONE DONE THIS BEFORE??? It is the most incredible mental conjugation since "I THINK THEREFORE I AM". I have enough trouble doing the Celtic Knots and now I have a new standard to live up to. Bruce - I doff my lynch lid to you. You could not have connected two more perfect dots together. OK, so maybe I was over the top a tad, but it is a fantastic idea. Great job! Brent

There is a similar type of swivel knife at art supply stores: http://www.unitednow.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=EX-16004. One example, around $5. Used primarily for paper cutting (stencils, I think), but I suppose it could be used with leather. I've got one of these knives somewhere in the tool pile. I'll have to give it a shot. Brent PS: I think I have some of those original handles too left over from my Father-in-Law's tools. I always wondered what they were for.

Freak, Now I know why you have a fan club. This design is wicked-cool-awesome-rawks-spiffy-neato-boss-radical-turbo-tubular. Dyed it's even better! Brent

Brilliant idea Ryan! I hope this is huge for you. It's definitely one of those "now why didn't I think of that" products. Let us know when they are up for sale. Brent

Dangit. I wanted to be the first. I probably WOULD have been if I had only posted the pictures I took. I saw the design right after it was posted and KNEW it was right up my alley! I scaled it for a rounder, and got busy. By the end of the day, June 1, I had my little Celtic rounder. Then I got turbo lazy and never uploaded the picture! Oh well. At least Crystal made a cool somethign out of her project. Mine's just another wierd round thing laying around... Brent

Johanna, I think he's talking about the video chat feature already on Yahoo IM. I just darted into the chatroom here and it's audio/text only. No video support currently. Brent

JOhan, My mother in law has been selling her doodle pages for $.50 each and craftaids from $5 to $10 depending on size. The older tools (likely what you are calling hand-finished) should probably go for double that, and some might be worth more. Brent

I hope they will get it up soon. Not sure why they haven't yet! I had the advantage of getting the first copy since the author is my mother in law and lives upstairs! And natch'rly, I had to take care of my homies here at LW... Brent

WE HAVE WORKSHOPS!! Register early folks, some of the instructors have to get a minimum # of students or they won't make the trip. Any questions PM me! Brent MINI_WORKSHOPS_2008.pdf MINI_WORKSHOPS_2008.pdf

Johanna - thanks for making a page for these. I looked through yours on the home page and I don't think mine are any better. Next show, I want exclusive access after awards so I can get proper lighting set up. I was not happy with these at all. As far as the pretty lady with Allan, I'm not sure but will try to find out. Clay, right back atcha. Mine were: Mine is the bookmark on the right. It didn't place. My stuff on the HLG table: My checkbook cover didn't place at all! It was up against some very nice ones though, so I don't feel bad. Brent