Daniel

Love the video, nicely done. I also love the music. What is the name of the album or song? I would like to get a copy. Thanks.

Thanks guys for all your help. Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I have some felt scraps coming my way. I hope it will help. I will look into you suggestions and see what I can come up with. I have a few saddle making shops that I have found over the past couple of days, I will see if I can get some scraps from them. Thanks again. Daniel

You might try to copy one of the big ones and reduce the size in the copier until you get the size you want. My wife is a quilter and I have done this many times for her. I have also done this with some of my smaller projects about the same size you are doing. Hope this helps. Daniel

Hello Rick, thanks for the reply. I need the felt pad. I need to make some burnising spendals for use on my drill press. I had a saddle maker down the street but he got out of the saddle making business about 4 years ago, just my luck. Where are the felt pads sold and how much does it cost per pad (Ballpark estimate)? Thanks for your time. Daniel

Hello, I need scrap felt material for a project. I am more than willing to pay for it. Please PM me. Thanks

Beautiful work!!

I for one use a Buck 110 folder. I get it very sharp, strop it and cut the small curved areas in the pattern. Always be sure to cut away from you and keep turning the leather as you cut to ensure you keep cutting away from you and keep you other hand behide the direction of the cut and way from the blade.. The curved portion of the Buck knife can cut the small curves by rocking the tip of the knife into the curve giving it a clean cut, work slowly and carfully. I have used this knife in cutting learther in the same way I use a head knife. For me it is easier than useing a head knife most of the time, but my head knife still gets used for time to time. Hope this helps.

Hello Kain and Welcome, I also recommend a starters kit. Look for Tandy Leather on you search engine and look at the starter kits and see which one you can afford. If you don't like any of them I am sure we can help you get started with some basic tool ideas little by little. I would also recommend that you look for a Tandy store in your area. They usually have classes that you can take for free in most cases. Also if you can find a Leathercraft Guild in you area that would help alot. You can go alot farther in leathercraft in a Learthercraft Guild especially if you would like to compete in the Leathercraft Shows. You can get some real good deals on tools on EBay, some people will sell their whole collection of leather craft tools for a good price as well. Maybe your Mom will get involved too, it is a lot of fun and you can make some money from it too. Hope this helps.

Just an update here guys. I found what I was looking for, I don't know how I missed this. In the book "Leather Braiding" by Bruce Grant, their is a section called "Handle Covering" as big as day. I will be using Plate# 45 on page 90 of that section. Thanks again for all your help. Still cannot believe I missed that!!! Blessings, Daniel

Thanks Rob and Mike. I have Bruce Grants book "Leather Braiding" and that did not help me any. When I was at the TLF this morning I saw Bruce Grants other book "Encyclepedia of Rawhide and Leather braiding" that you mentioned. I look at it real quick and liked it, but I did not buy it. I think the next time I go I will buy it and go from their. Thanks for your time. Blessings, Daniel

I sure could use some help on how to braid leather onto my wood tool handles for a better girping surface and great look of braided leather. I also plan to braid the top part of some of my walking sticks. I have looked on the net and several books, but no information on how to start the braid on the top and work all around the handles. I have very little experence in braiding, just playing with the plastic lace kits. Thanks. Blessings, Daniel

Beautiful work Steve. I like the contrast you have with knife handle and sheath color. Some like the sheath color the same as the handle of the knife, I tend to like more of a contrast between the two. The sheath color is wonderful. I like the tooling designe as well. The sheath is very well done IHO.

I am in Grand Prairie just southwest of Dallas. I need find out where you are on a map. The guild idea sounds good. I will be in touch. Blessings, Daniel

Hello Mike, I ditto everything Hidemechanic said only I will say it a little differently. After the hole is made run the right hand thread through the hole first, when you have pulled the right hand thread all the way through angle that thread downward. Then take the left hand thread and push it through on top of the right hand thread and pull it all the way through. You have made the first stitch, now keep the same sequence going, right hand thread/bottom, left hand thread/top. Keep up the same sequence and your stitching will look great if you have everything else Hidemechanic has mentioned. Beautiful handstiching takes consistancy and atttention to detail. I had some good teachers that made sure I would remember this. Hope it helps. Blessings, Daniel

Thanks folks for the replies, Randy, I have heard the line many times from other Artisen buyers. I will call Artisen before I order the Boss and have a talk with them, I believe Dave (Artisen Dave) is a member of this fourm. I will support our members and ask for him when I call. Money is one of the major factors but not the only one. Thanks Skipj, I am making only concealed carrry holsters and sholder holsters of various types. I have no plans on making any western style holsters at this time. I know that the Artisen 3000 will do everything I need at this time and more later, but I am making a major career change within about a month. I will be quiting my current job and run my own small business that I have had for 2 years full time. My business is not just selling leathercraft items but various items on ebay. I just love working with leather. Thanks. bruce johnson, I have heard what you have said many times also about the Boss, which is one of the reasons for deciding to purchase one. That stirrup plate sounds like another good attachment to get. I had no intention of butchering my Ken Allen stitching horse I can promise you that, I will still need it for lacing and some hand stitching. I was just going to use clamps with padding to hold it down. I will not part with that stitiching horse, it's too well made. Thanks again for alll the information bruce. Blessings to all, Daniel

Thanks Don101, unicornwoman and Mike for the welcome and information. I will look into the Lone Star Guild membership again and more than likely join the quild if their is no quild in Dallas. Thanks. Daniel

Thanks Freak, I looked up the TLF site and got the number. I was their when they first opened up in Dallas. There was no Guild meetings being held their at that time. I will call them Monday to find out if things have changed. Thanks again. Daniel

Hello Luke, I am not sure how I will mount the machine. I have a stitching horse made by Ken Allen. It's a very well made stitching horse with an English head for sewing large items. The head is adjustable and easy to remove. If Tippman will sell me only the extention attachment to their bench I might do that. If not I can attach it to my work bench. Randy mentioned the Artisen in his reply and I did some additional research on that machine. It is very nice indeed. It will do almost everything the Boss will do and faster, but also more money to boot. The Boss will use a wider range of thread sizes and needles, plus a wider range of stitch lengths. With the work I will be doing in the future this might be an advantage. With the work I will be doing now it is not an issue. I still don't know these machines that well and getting the Boss is a good starter machine. I am looking at about another $1000 more if I buy the Artisen without any accessories. Looking at all the information so far Boss is the way to go so far money wise. Thanks for asking. I am always open to more information. I cannot order the machine until Monday. So I can still change my mind if I get a better deal or more information. Daniel

Thanks BruceGibson, Regis and Mike for the welcome. Daniel

Thanks Randy, I will order the center presser foot. The extra bobbins and needles I have aready decided on getting. The Artisen looks like a good machine but I don't think I am ready to go that route just yet. I am getting a real good deal on the Boss, I know that it could be very difficult to deal with but I am very confident that I can deal with the issues that will come up with it. Thanks again for your help. Daniel

Blessings, I have decided to purchase a Boss sewing maching. I have never sewed leather with any type of machine, all of my sewing work so far has been by hand. My hand sewing is too slow so I have decieded to purchase the Boss sewing machine. I like the control of each stitch on this machine vise the motor driven sewing machine, at least for now. What I would like to ask is what accessories would be needed other than what comes with the machine in regrads to the presser foot attachments (or anything else you might think I would need). I know somewhere along the road I am going to need some attachment at that moment and not 5 days later for a rush project, so I am trying to plan ahead. Most of my work will be with: belts, holsters, bags, purses, wallets, binders, portfolios, briefcases (soft cases)and some seats. I will not be doing any horse tack items or saddles. I did get a chance to play with the Boss machines at the Tandy Leather Factory some time ago, so I have the general feel of it. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks. Daniel

Blessings, I have been browsing this fourm for about a week. This has got to be the best fourm for leather I have found. Lots of people here willing to help and share their hard earned knowledge to make it easier for all to enjoy leathercraft and stick with it. Thanks is advance, I hope my contributions will be as useful as the ones I have read here. I have been working leather off and on for about 40 years. I was once a member of the Lone Star Leathercraft Guild serveral years ago before they moved off to FT. Worth, just to far to drive after that. I first learned leathecraft in junior high school in shop class. They were the only projects that I made in shop class that did not fall apart in a few days. So I stuck with it. I make the common small projects, belts, wallets etc., so I have not done anything unusual. I have decided to sell some of my work part time for some extra cash and maybe a part time or full time job later on. I love to work leather so this is a joy for me to do. Maybe I can come up with something unusual to sell, something unique. We'll see. I will make something to show in the next two weeks. You have given me alot of inspiration the past week with the many beautiful projects that you have shared on this fourm. I will be posting a question about the Boss sewing machine in the proper place, I have decided to purchase one. Thanks. Daniel