billybopp

The search on here is so-so. Try searching google on this site by putting in what you are searching for, followed by a space then a full colon and site name ... So something like canvas leather bag pattern :leatherworker.net Hope that helps! - Bill

I use a combination of disposable and fixed blades. Whichever better suits the task and way that I'm working at the time. I do find that disposables can usually be made better from the box with a few passes on a fine stone and some stropping, tho. Many of them have visible scratches from factory sharpening, and work much better with just a little work. I don't use expensive stones, just a couple of two-sided water stones mostly - I want to say about $50 or so for both of them. I also have a worksharp guided sharpening system that I used initially as I was learning to sharpen it was a big help in learning how to control the angle. I still use it from time to time when a blade is damaged, as the coarse diamond plate makes quick work of it! - Bill

Wet a thick piece of leather - or even a few layers to make thick - put the rivet head on it and hammer from the backside. The leather will make a form for it that'll work from then on to support the rivet. That little trick works for all sorts of oddly shaped rivets. I set a ton of skull rivets and some others that way. - Bill

There can be a number of reasons, as mentioned lack of electricity for somebody doing mobile repairs, etc. Cost is a big reason too. I'd add to the list space - manual machines are generally smaller and lighter. I'd add noise they are relatively quiet with less noticeable vibration. I'd add control / speed - they just aren't going to run away from you as a motorized machine might. I'm sure there are other reasons as well. - Bill

I wonder if an old washing machine wringer would work for bigger pieces ... Hmmmmm - Bill

Looks good! I especially like the "pillowing" on the back! - Bill

Those are cobbler tools. The skiver-like tool is essentially a plane, sometimes called a heel shave (or some variation thereof) - It's for shaping the edge of the leather sole. The other tool - the name escapes me - the wheel version is called a fudge wheel - but it's pretty much for putting that fancy corrugated pattern on the outside top of the sole/welt. I'm not a cobbler, so forgive me if I don't have the names right! LOL. Maybe somebody will come along that can help me out on that and correct as needed. -Bill

Try Wickett and Craig - their hides are North American, tanned in Pennsylvania, and you can buy single hides/parts from them directly. Hermann Oak uses all North American hides as well I'm pretty sure. - Bill

I have a Singer bantam sewing machine that has a wood storage case. The outside is covered with pig skin. - Bill

To me, that looks exactly like a civil-war union US stamp - that might give you a good starting point for a search! You may also be able to get a stamp made for not too much $$. And that is a very cool item to have! - Bill

Good going! The stamps you have might not be as good as the ones in the distant past, but the ones from the 70s and 80s are still better than the ones that Tandy sells now. Even the new ones are OK to get started with and learn from - as you figured out, it'll just be a little harder to keep things lined up but you can overcome that with some practice and some adjustment. When you figure out which ones are most useful to you, you may want to buy better quality to continue on with - it'll just be easier to work with 'em! That's what I've done and it works for me. - Bill

@chrisash I see your point, however at this time @Rhale is mostly right when it comes to new tooling stamps for sale. Bob Beard and Wayne Jueschke both make hand-made tools with the price tags that go with that(WAY beyond my budget, so I can only speak to their reputation)! Barry King tools are semi-mass produced and still very good for the price. Sergey Nescromskey (spelling?) from Romania also makes good tools, and the ones that I have are good, but there are not many "traditional" tools in his catalog yet. The stamps out of Asia are mostly sub-standard by all accounts, but that may change in the future - they are catching up on other types of tools! In the past, there were some good tooling stamps coming from other places, but those are not available new anymore sadly. As for other types of leatherworking tools, there are few left anywhere that mass produce with decent quality. The best right now come from those that hand-make these tools, and most of the world is represented with these! The old mass-producers are mostly gone, and those that remain are a shadow of what they once were in terms of quality (in particular thinking of CS Osborne in the US, and Vergez-Blanchard in France). PS - If you ARE going to purchase tooling stamps from Barry King or Sergey Nescromskey - be sure to use the links at the top of the page and give Leatherworker.net some love! Also, if you're interested in used stamps check out Bruce Johnson's banner ad above as well! - Bill

It's my understanding that in general, the oldest Tandy / Craftool - the ones with just a number and no letter are the best. From the 1950's & 60's are best. In the 70's and at least most of the 80s when they started adding the letters, they were still good. It's mostly in the 90's on that they started to decline significantly. Until recently, modern Craftools were considered bottom of the barrel - but over the last few years with Chinese tools that bend the first time you hit them the Craftools are starting to seem a little less junky! When thinking about tools, consider that the quality of some is much more important than others! Things like basketweave and geometric stamps that REALLY have to line up correctly are more fussy than some others - so keep that in mind! Your tools should be just fine - but in time you may find that you want to upgrade some of them - the ones that are most critical and the ones that you use most! - Bill

Basket weave stamps need to line up precisely, so quality makes a difference there. Barry King makes some nice basketweave stamps. Not cheap, not super expensive, but worth what you pay. Tandy is not up to snuff, nor are the Chinese stamps. - Bill

I'd be up for giving a try! Thank you! - Bill

Looks good, as always! And totally recognizable as your style! - Bill

This may help - not great quality, tho. Singer 16 Manual.pdf

Good to know! I had heard long ago that they were not usually returned. I wonder if they were returned in more urban settings, and not so much rural. It would be pretty expensive to return them empty via train or wagon. Either way, the staves would make a very serviceable stitching pony! - Bill

I haven't heard of using barrel staves to make a pony before, but it makes sense. Barrels were used to ship just about any and everything at one time, and they were essentially disposable in much the way that shipping pallets are today. Many of today's woodworkers use pallet wood to make utility items for their shop if they have access to pallets. If you look around, you may still be able to purchase wine barrels - some home improvement stores and plant nurseries sell them cut in half as planters. - Bill

You're a good man, Ferg. - Bill

You could always get some self-adhesive cork and add that in yourself - that's what I've done for my long straight edge. I don't remember how much I paid for a 1"wide roll , but it wasn't terribly pricey. - Bill

Seems to me that a leatherworker oughtta find a nice wooden stool just under the right height at a yard sale, some foam padding, and some veg-tanned leather to tool up 'n make it look nice. - Bill

To a large extent, edgers are a matter of personal preference and suitability to the task, with the same caveats that go with any cutting tool on taking and holding an edge. My older Tandy craftool edgers seem to hold an edge better than the newer ones, but I do have a full set of them so they're useful for when I need an out of the ordinary size. I bought a couple of new CSOsborne bissonnette edgers to try out. I liked that they can be used on both push and pull strokes, but haven't had much luck with them, probably because I can't quite get a handle on how to sharpen them! My current go-to is an antique Osborne #1 common edger. For sharpening, I have some small files to use when they need a lot of work, but mostly use bits of leather or round leather cording (depend on the shape of the edge needed) glued to a board. One set of those have some heavy duty compound on them (brown tripoli), and another set with on which I use a lighter compound (green) for stropping. For sure make a strop! They make all the difference in quickly "touching up" your cutting edges. You'll need to do a full on sharpening far less often if using a strop. The first strops that I made were fairly small, and I still use those for small blades like my swivel knife. I have a much larger strop of a couple of feet length that I use for larger blades, allowing me to take a larger pass at it. Much faster! I often use my leather strop to touch up kitchen knives, pocket knives, disposable utility blades, and just about everything else with an edge - Very handy! - Bill

Bruce Johnson has a few of these with blades intact ... https://brucejohnsonleather.com/leather-tools-sale/shoe-boot-making-tools/ - Bill

That is a channel groover. It is used by cobblers / cordwainers to cut a slit in the sole of a shoe at an angle. The "flap" of that slit is lifted up and sole sewn on with thread lying in that channel. The "flap" is then glued back down over the stitches to make a smooth surface. That one looks to be missing its blade, which seems to be a very common with these. - Bill