TwinOaks

Here's an older conversation that might be found useful...

Re: Stiffened leather I think there's at least a good chance that the leather was not stiffened as part of the construction, but rather as a result of it. Somewhere on here is a conversation I had with a guy who was experimenting with different oils. In it he noted that some oils will harden over a long period, through oxidation. They didn't exactly form a shell, like shellac, but there was a notable difference in the surface textures. Any waxes that were added should also be considered. I'm including a link to a vid that shows an alternate construction method for certain box types. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29RE0HXPM4U

It's done to make a seam a little more attractive/decorative, or to add a stiffener to keep a shape. As mentioned above (one of the posts), piping can have a semi-rigid filler sandwiched inside. The effect is that there's a hidden 'frame' holding the bag into the desired shape. The 'How?' is actually pretty simple - you can purchase commercially available piping, or....start with a strip of leather/textile and either simply fold, or fold around a filler, and glue it in place. Most piping will have relief cuts on the flat portion to prevent buckling around curves and corners. To install it, place it between layers with the right sides facing in, and sew.

Epos Custom Leather IS Mike & Natalie. One of the notable aspects of posting stolen photos is that the whole piece is rarely shown. For example: On the Popeye art, if the whole thing was shown....you'd see Michael's signature on the work.

I had a JW do something similar - I smiled and nodded at their pitch, but when I went to close the door he actually put a foot in it to stop me from closing it. Well...a short, well practiced movement later, and the JW was inspecting the business end of my home security system. I looked him right in the eye and asked, "How strong is your faith?" I think our address was black-listed b/c we haven't seen them again in the last 20 years or so!

The video from Nigel is not the same as what's shown in the first pic in the thread. The KK tutorial shows the method (or at least one way) to do it.

Thank you for sharing the technique!

Welcome to the best site on the internet! I have to agree with you on the therapeutic aspect of working on leather; but sometimes..... a project will just fight against you. Good call on getting quality tools from the start! A good artisan can use ANY tools, but good tools make learning more pleasant and often yield better results. Let us know if you have any questions, and we'll try to get them answered.

I bounce between leather artisan, leather worker, and a few others.... Generally, leather artisan, hence the name for my facebook group.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! You can get the VT leather for your belts at several locations- the first two that come to mind are Tandy and Springfield Leather. Since you're just starting out, I suggest using some pre-cut belt blanks. They're available in several sizes, and should serve you pretty well. Belts don't often have a "liner" between layers - the liner is another piece of leather on the back of the belt to provide a smoother interior. Please check out the "how do I do that" section for some tips on how to construct and finish the belts - there's tons of information on this site and there's usually someone around that can answer questions for you.

First it'll be yours...then your friend's...then your team. Welcome to your new addiction hobby!!!

Awesome! That type of machine is on my short list for which machine I will invest in. Please keep us informed on how it performs.

Howdy and welcome to the best site on the internet! Ditto what Mike said, and don't hesitate to post any questions should you have them.