TwinOaks

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Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net. We're glad you found our littlecorner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs andprofessionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you mighthave. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.

Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net. We're glad you found our littlecorner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs andprofessionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you mighthave. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.

Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net. We're glad you found our littlecorner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs andprofessionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you mighthave. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.

The primary difference is that the back of the blade for the round knife stops at about 180 degrees, while the head knife tends to go a little beyond that. The effect is that the round knife, for me, is easier to make tighter corners/curves. The head knife has a little more "sweep" to the blade which puts more cutting surface in the leather. This really helps when cutting thick leather, as it allows the user to keep a better hand position when pushing the knife. For thicker leather, I need to tilt the handle away from the leather a bit more so that I achieve more blade in the leather. On longer cuts, it isn't as consistent as having a more swept blade. I only have the round knife from Tandy (AS brand), and use an Olfa style knife, an exacto, and others. There are definitely some better head knives available, just be prepared for the price. One of the 'complaints' of the AS brand head knife is that the blade is too thick, but I think reprofiling the edge geometry should take care of it.

I believe that an artist can create art with a variety of tools. However, higher quality tools create better quality work. I started with Craftools, and still use them- only because I can't afford $30-$50 each. I've also taken to making some of my own tools from SS bolts and rod. I started doing this because I get better beveling from a sanded and polished bolt shank than I do from a piece of poorly chromed pot metal. Some of my stamps are hand-me-down tools from my dad's leather kit, and they work very well. Most of the more recent ones (purchased in the last two years) show less quality, less attention to detail, etc. For the "basic 7" type sets, the craftools are more than adequate. For a professional leatherworker, they are, in my opinion, less than satisfactory.

Thanks everyone, I was kinda leaning to a new machine to start with, but I thought I'd indulge my friend's curiosity. I could probably get a used industrial machine, but would spend more that an new machine in getting it set up for leather.

What I've done with pocket edges is to skive like King's X mentioned and fold it over on itself. You need to use a straight edge and pre-crease the edge, and you might consider masking the leather away from the width you'll be folding so you don't get glue anywhere you don't want it. Then fold and press until the glue sets. Presto, very clean edge. If you're not comfortable skiving very thin leather like the 1.5-2 oz pig, you can also sand it with a block.

Work bare handed so you can braid, color, and oil the leather in one step?

....and here's a brief guide/pattern for a single fold "hipster" wallet: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=16830

Here ya go: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=9940.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net, Olive! It appears that you have a really good handle on carving, so be prepared for folks to start asking " how did you....." Coffee's fresh, restrooms are down the hall. Grab a chair and stay a while, just stay away from the donuts.

Vinegaroon gets my vote for deep, rich, black that won't rub off. Do a search for the term and look for the threads with the most replies- we got into the chemical reactions in one of 'em. A note of caution though- test on piece of scrap from the same side. I had one piece that turned a fantastic midnight blue instead of black...but that was alright for the product.

Save all your Lexol, oil, and other conditioners, pour out the water it's soaking in and use the container for something else. This piece is ruined. When the leather acts like that, you've either cooked it or burnt it- there is no 'fixing' it. Even if you can soften it, the leather has been damaged to the point that you can not reform it. What you can do with it is let it air dry and hang it over the stove or workbench as a reminder of what can go wrong....perhaps put it in a shadow box on a wall and call it "modern art". Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Hello one and all, I'm getting enough orders now to need a stitching machine to keep up. I've been planning on Boss around tax time, but now have had another option presented to me. A friend of mine is looking to finance the set up of a holster/gun leather shop in the gun store he manages and is hopefully going to own soon. Given that he likes my work, and wants to offer my leather goods as some of his stock, he told me to research the prices on a machine and give him some numbers. I can easily point him to the major 3 manufacturers, but I'm also curious about the used/refurbished market. I'll need a machine that will handle up to a half inch (for lined and welted items), and is at the very least a jump foot or unison feed. What kind of price range should I be looking at, and is it even worth looking at the used market? Should I just be planning of ~$2K for a new machine? Thanks, Mike

Hi Wapak, and Welcome to Leatherworker.net. Have a look around, think up some questions and ask away. There's a ton of folks here that'll help you figure out anything you're trying to do. Grab a seat and stay a while- restrooms are down the hall, Coffee is brewed regularly, but don't eat the donuts.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net! On you cue cases, check out a few of the posts by John Barton. He's a cue case maker, and turns out some fantastic work. You may have lots of room in the barn's loft, but carefully consider it's location- you don't want to expose the leather to a lot of humidity and/or spores if your girlfriend ever ends up with a molded hay bale.

Hi there, You've posted your thread in the "for sale" section of this site. You will probably get more responses if you'll re-post it in either "sewing leather", or the "sewing machines" sub-forums.

Sure, I'll post a pic of it tomorrow, when I get back home. A slight edit....it was a 3/8ths bolt, not a 3/16ths. oops.

In a similar price range is the Luberto's Cub series- 6 and 9 inch arms available. You're still looking at around $1200 to start, though. Not too far after that to get a motorized one.

I picked up a 3/16ths SS bolt from Lowe's, then ground and sanded the head of it, and finished it with a good polishing on white rouge. The result is a 5/8ths diameter mirror polished matting tool. When I decided I wanted one with a flat face, I did it again and made one side flat.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience, but after the Tandy bashing rant, I feel the need to chime in. I've had NO negative experiences with Tandy. Last year, I stopped in the Montgomery store during my lunch hour and picked out some leather and other supplies. Since space was at a premium in my work truck, I had it shipped home. When I got there the box was torn open (looked like a forklift blade) and everything but the rolled leather was missing. I called the store and spoke to the manager and he made it all good. Perhaps the manager you spoke with was having a bad day/week/month- hard to say- but his reaction to you and his handling of the issue was all wrong. I'm sure you'll have no problem getting the number to the DM, so you should definitely call about it. Thanks for the heads up about the lace. I'd bet the other sources -Hobby Lobby and Michael's will have similar problems if it's a batch problem.

Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net. We're glad you found our littlecorner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs andprofessionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you mighthave. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.

+1 to Lobo's statement about stability and comfort. I've also found that a wider belt is more comfortable than narrow ones.

Hi HDL, I've used 'roon on several holsters and sheathes with no ill effect. That said, I'd like to mention that my 'roon is rather old, and the acetic acid (vinegar) has been completely reduced/used up. There's still a little odor to it, but it's not a vinegar smell. If you have any question about the PH of the leather, you can make a baking soda + water solution and dunk the holster to neutralize any remaining acid. I've also used ordinary tap water to rinse it. In a nutshell (which, incidentally, can be used, but that's another thread) the vinegar eats the metal producing Ferric Acetate. The ferric acetate reacts with the tannins in the leather, producing gray or black (and sometimes the prettiest blue, depending on the tanning method). As long as there's vinegar active, it'll have a vinegar smell. Once the vinegar smell is gone, so is the vinegar. Keep in mind that leather actually does better with a slightly acidic PH. If it's TOO acidic, that can effect the finish on blued guns or steel in the white. I usually don't use any topcoat on the 'rooned holsters/sheaths. The reaction inside the leather tends to push the tallows to the surface, giving it a pretty good moisture resistance. In fact, part of the 'rooning process is oiling the leather to get some conditioning BACK INTO the leather. Instead of oil, I typically use Aussie conditioner and rub it in really well. Heat helps the leather absorb it. On the handful of occasions I've used a top coat, I used leatherbalm to give it a little extra shine.