billybopp

It's a shame that awls do not usually come usably sharp. If you do not feel confident in your ability to sharpen one, Leatherwranglers has them available in a ready to use state which may be money well spent for you! - Bill

MUCH more enjoyable to get those! - Bill

IIRC they moved in 1905. They may have continued to use Newark for about another 10 years (WWI) according to some sources. - Bill

Yup! Those work really well too - just try to buy them from anyplace but the local drugstore where they charge many times what you'd pay elsewhere! - Bill

@skiddrowe - are you talking about something like this? https://www.micromark.com/SANDING-WAND-SET - They are meant for modelers who work with plastic models and such, but they work great for roughing up leather to glue, or tight spaces cleaning up edges to burnish. - Bill

Sorry to hear @zuludog Our four legged family members are such an important part of our lives. I'd type more about it, but I'm getting some help right now from Charlie kitty getting in the way of the keyboard. - Bill

I have no idea if the blades with them are any good - Haven't tried them! The handle itself is not bad for the price. I like the way it fits my hand! I'd probably never have bought one except that I had an awl that I liked where the blade started pushing into the handle. I could probably have just pulled the blade out and epoxied it, but came across these at about the same time and decided. Meh. Why not! - Bill

Yes . But what he's using isn't a burnisher .. that has a smooth edge (and works great!) ... These folks use the sharp edge of a broken pane of glass! - Bill

That's a jerk needle. I have several but never used them. They came with cheap brass awl hafts that I bought on ebay. As for a glass scraper, I've seen a number of cordwainer/cobbler videos where they have used broken glass rather than a knife of some sort to scrape the edges of soles, despite having otherwise "normal" tools. Not sure why, but it seems to be a common practice! - Bill

i've broken a Tandy needle at the eye, but they are much too large and yet flimsy. I've never broken a John James needle .. or at least not yet. - Bill

I have a beader blade for my swivel knife that I like to use. Mine was a cheapie from eBay, but Barry King makes them too, in varying widths. That's what I used for the name outline on this guitar strap.

One of our members here @nstarleather put together a blog to help us understand what's what in leather terminology ... well worth a check from a guy that is well-informed and not trying to pull the wool over consumer's eyes .... https://nstarleather.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/the-grades-of-leather-hierarchy-youve-probably-read-about-is-a-myth/ It was meant to counter some of the BS on the internet, particularly by one particular huckster that did a bunch of YouTube videos full of disinformation to make his own expensive products seem better than they really - Bill

Looks great!!

In my best "Animal House" Neidermeyer voice ..... Is that a French Flag ... On your WALLET!?

Merry Christmas to all!

Ted Nugent headlined my first rock concert around 1980 in Charleston, WV. Opening acts were Krokus (awful) and Blackfoot (pretty good). It was also the first time I ever smoked anything other than tobacco. We realized just how loud the show was on the trip home when I asked my friend Russ to turn up the radio in his Horizon TC3 and we realized it was cranked - then realized that the windows were rolled down and realized that we couldn't hear wind noise. I then saw Nugent again a few years later at a water park in Orlando. The stage was set up at the end of the wave pool, so we watched from innertubes, so that was an experience. We hadn't heard of the newly formed opening band - Guns N Roses. It was quite a show! Good times! I'm really looking forward to live music again! - Bill

Lately, I've been listening to Cory Wong and the various bands he's in, Scary Pockets, Dirty Loops, as well as a mix of other stuff from the 60s through the 80s - along with a hodgepodge of classical, jazz, a little country and everything in between!

wanna bet the stonemason was peeking out the window and laughing the whole time? -Bill

Even if her skills are top-notch, it is still probably a good idea to keep very different products separate. That keeps the focus of the store to they type of product being sold. Each has their own identity to appeal to different buyers. If a brand diversifies its product line, it can be a good idea to brand them differently. For example - Would you buy a gun holster from Hermes or Gucci? Probably not. Would you pay $1000 for a handbag from a holster maker? Again, probably not. It's probably better to re-brand the newer line. Just my thoughts - Bill

I use an acrylic gauge similar to the one that @zuludog posted from etsy. Works great, very simple. I found similar on ebay, but they are marked in mm rather than oz. - Bill

Wickett & Craig is very good leather. They are one of two remaining major tanneries producing veg tan in the US, with the other being Hermann Oak. I have only used their English Bridle, but their russet veg tan is highly regarded. Some like the way that Hermann Oak tools a bit better, but both are highly regarded. - Bill

According to Wickett & Craig's website, they list Coblentz Leather in Millersburg as one of their distributors.

Blessed are the cheesemakers? Always look on the bright side of life!

LOL! Love it! Thanks for a good chuckle. - Bill

Gray and white dyes are pretty awful, no matter the brand. It's more like paint, really. Impossible to get even when dying veg tan. I'd suggest get pre-dyed/drum-dyed for those two colors. - Bill