billybopp

I came across this video yesterday, and found it interesting. This whole series by Adam Savage visiting behind the scenes at the armor department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC has been great, but this one has a fair amount of leather work included. The metal work is pretty amazing too - I noticed on the really fancy gauntlet that the background work is almost exactly like bar grounding that we use in leather, and makes me wonder if leather work adopted it from metal work? There is also an interesting discussion on some of the preservation problems with mixed materials. Also of note is the desktop catapult behind the curator! - Bill

It's surprising what can happen at times when you just have a nice talk with folks!! - Bill

I'm pretty sure the stitching is either to hold a foldback on the leather, or purely decorative. I made something similar a few years ago for my sister-in-law as a Christmas present. I used brass escutcheon pins to secure the leather to the wood. I don't have much wood working gear, and I would have chosen a different type of wood if I had known just how hard purple heart is! LOL - Bill

Getting those two crossed up in the wrong situation could be a REALLY big problem!! LOL - BIll

They do. But I think I remember reading on here that it's hell on sewing machines - particularly tensioning parts. I doubt that one or two jackets would do any noticeable damage, tho. - Bill

As for Amazon reviews, I never did trust the numbers other than a starting point for more review - even if the calculations are correct! Read the actual reviews with a critical eye. Some sellers have indeed been caught pumping up their own reviews at times, but even ordinary reviews can be very revealing. I try to look at both positive and negative feedback. Different folks have different definitions of what a good/bad item is too!! Some made up examples like those I've seen: "Received this item fifteen minutes ago, a whole day earlier than I expected! Five stars" ... Tells you NOTHING about the item itself. "I plugged it in and the lights came on. Five stars." ... Yeah, but does it work? Does it do what it's supposed to? Who knows! "I've been using this for over a month and it does everything it should do and is very nice looking. Five stars." ... Now that's a decent review that is worth one in the plus column. "I just got this thing and the shade of green is two shades different from what the picture showed. One star." ... Who in their right mind buys a thing looking for a very specific color using internet pictures? And how is it otherwise?? "UPS lost my package. One Star." .... Seriously??? I've seen it!! - Bill

@Bert03241 I had no idea rattlesnakes wore invasion stripes!! - Bill

I haven't tried shoe making yet, but I'm thinking about it! From what I can tell, lasts can be used for quite awhile at least until they get enough nail holes in them to make them unusable. Lisa Sorrell has a limited selection of new lasts at https://sorrellnotionsandfindings.com/product-category/shoe-lasts/ . You can make your own, but I'm planning on purchased lasts as I'm no good at wood carving! Harry Rogers has a few videos about learning to make lasts and shoemaking on his YouTube, and has also written a book on the subject. - Bill

A priest, a minister and a rabbit walk into a clinic to give blood. The nursed asked the rabbit "What is your blood type?" He replied "I am probably a type O." -Bill

The Secret Life of Machines was a really great series from the 80s! One of the best at explaining how things work with a slightly gritty edge. Those old shows are all on his YouTube! Check out some of Tim Hunkin's new videos from the last year or so. He has a series from his workshop on practical engineering for makers covering everything from pulleys and levers to basic electrical and electronic design ... from his own experience rather than from a formal engineering point of view. Really enjoyable to watch. - Bill

It almost reminds me of Porter Wagoner. - Bill

I've actually put something like this to use in my house. We have some plumbing that can sweat like crazy in certain weather conditions. A couple of those run right over the breaker box and would occasionally drip onto it: Not a good situation! I shredded up a towel and tied it to the pipe upstream for the box, so now the water hits the towel and stops there - the towel gets wet up near the pipe, but the water dries out even before it can drip to the floor. - Bill

You are correct. Fringe was intended, originally at least, to give water a place to go where it wouldn't soak through the main part of the leather, and allow it to dry more quickly due to the increased surface area. Attractive nor not, it served a purpose. - Bill

No project is complete until there has been a blood sacrifice. - Bill

https://tandyleather.com/collections/tools/products/replacement-blades-5-pack Injector razor blades should work as well.

Welcome aboard! - Bill

Volume III has some scabbards and zippered cases. They are available from Tandy Leather at $14.99 US each. https://tandyleather.com/collections/supplies/products/the-art-of-making-leather-cases?variant=31977098838147 They should be available on Amazon as well, but probably more expensive. - Bill

Agreed! There are three books, and they are excellent. The projects are mostly outdated (unless you're still using an instamatic camera), but the principles in it are still as valid as ever. - Bill

Welcome aboard! You'll be surprised how woodworking skills can be helpful with leather! - Bill

I've seen a couple of those shells in the Smithsonian. They're really cool! - Bill

It might be interesting, but probably not very do-able! The Stohlmans have both been gone for many years, as is (I think) George Hurst, who would have been a good author and knew them well. At least in later years, the Stohlmans were VERY private according to Hurst, to the point of even rejecting business meetings with Tandy for months on end! But I have no doubt that there would have been some fantastic stories is such a book! - Bill

Several years ago, Serge Volken did a video on incision knife carving on YouTube that was fairly interesting. - Bill

You're probably right. Some leather shops "back in the day" may have had dedicated tools for tooling, but I have no doubt that folks decorated their leather - maybe around a campfire at night when on the trail or whatever. I remember reading that Al Stohlman did some of that sort of thing. He served in WWII and did some leatherwork then - and when he returned home didn't have access, or couldn't afford, proper tools so he made his own from nails, screws, bolts - whatever could be found. - Bill

LOL! It's probably like anything else - when you do a thing occasionally and for your own gratification it can be relaxing and satisfying. When you do it for a job, not so much! I have friends that liked to make home-brewed beer, and got very good at it. They decided to go into business brewing, and took all of the joy out of it. To quote one of them "The best way to ruin a perfectly good hobby is to make a business out of it." - Bill