TwinOaks

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Turk's head 4x5, gaucho knot, Spanish ring knot..... You can find some tutorials for them at http://myriam.dakotabraiding.com/Tutorials/Tutorials.html

Also, you need to use very thin leather.. 1.5-3oz, depending on how small you want to make the object.

Break out the manual and adjust your timing. If you can't see where/how, or jusrt mdon't want to get into the repairs, it's time for a trip to the mechanic.

The finish goes on last....but since you re-dyed, you'll probably want to thoroughly buff the leather to removed excess dye particles before applying the finish

I've seen very good (but admittedly a limited number) results with neatlac over tankote over antique...i found the youtube vid by keith valley saddlery, and tried his method. It works very well, and after proper drying times, holds up splendidly with no discernable rub off. As far as NOT using -lac products over antique....I can only presume that applying it directly on the antique may lead to some issues of lifting the antique.

Well, you should be sealing the paste down as part of the antiquing step....are you doing that or just antiquing and go? One of the -lac finishes should serve you well for this. IIRC, the current version of the old neatlac is 'wyosheen'.

Here is probably the root of the problem. The tandy pro-water stains work fantastically, but if you're using 'eco-flo', many people have had issues with it. Especially if you oil over it. When you are able, try the regular alcohol (spirit dyes) or the oil dyes. And don't forget the buffing step. You might also consider either dip-dyeing, or spraying the dye...both will provide a more even coverage.

Dye, buff, buff, buff, resolene, dry, buff. Dampening will help the leather pull the dye in, just don't have it too wet.

I think Kangaroo is what chaylor-fenelli uses for their liners...very thin, but strong. If you'll take a look at a commercial wallet, you'll see that almost all of them use a fabric backed leather, and only have leather at the visible portions as cyber was describing.

"The amount of damage to the spring clip far exceeds normal wear and tear, and my warranty does NOT cover abuse to the items I produce. I most certainly can repair that and install a new clip, however, normal labor and material rates will apply. If you want, you can supply the clip and I'll only charge labor." Incidentally, look at the clip for signs of pliers or any other tool marks. TAKE PICTURES AND SAVE THEM. That way you have proof of what condition things are in when you take them in for repair, AND when you give them back.

When a thread devolves into arguments over who's right and who's at fault, it's time for the padlock

With the mixed reviews we're seeing, it appears that this could be a case of "got too busy", or "new person in charge of some aspects." Or maybe the person Ferg initially dealt with is going through a rough time and it's showing in their work. Regardless of what the case may be, it's an important lesson in customer service: Look at the amount of "bad press" this incident is causing for Infinity. I can only hope that they get everything straightened out.

Thin leather usually dries out much more quickly than thicker leather....the tooling on the left side of the wallet..what's in that pic, looks pretty good. It was the lettering that was showing "too dry". If you find the leather drying out while you're tooling it, you can spray a little onto the leather from the flesh side to help keep the moisture content in the right zone. Since the leather was already dampened, the water will move through it more quickly. With that in mind, a light spray or two from a utility spray bottle, and a minute or two for the moisture to normalize should do the trick. On that pic....blurring, blanking, or cropping would be acceptable. We just have to keep the 'open' pages safe for youngsters that may be browsing. Thank you for the offer to alter it.

How about the best of both options? Get them as clean as possible, use them for a pattern, and return them with the new bags. That way, the customer gets to keep the bags that obviously have a lot of sentimental value, AND gets a useable set of bags.

First things first....this is a public forum, and the general rating is "PG". Your first pic has been removed to keep the post in the guidelines. We do have an adult area, and you'll need to contact admin for access privileges. Next, it really looks like your leather was far too dry for the stamping. You need to have your leather properly cased before any tooling.

I guess it is just a perception issue with the photot...3D object on a 2D screen. I enlarged the screen so that the trigger guard was the right size, and compared. The part that had me wondering about the size is the amount of the slide that's ahead of the dust cover...where the ball cuts are. But, as you said, the bottom line is that the customer is happy.

Mocs are usually chrome tanned

Did the paper towels have any design on them or were the just plain white? If so, it may be a transferral of whatever is used as a mordant to keep the ink on the paper towel from running all over the place. After all, you were using deglazer, which is pretty potent solvent.

I'm pretty sure i completely missed the English Bridle part of that question.....however, it might not hurt to give them a call and ask. I presume this is not what your asking for: http://springfieldleather.com/30895/Side%2CHarness%2COld-World%2CRusset/

Bernie, thank you for your generosity in sharing your skill and experiences with us.

Read this part and then go do it....isolate those from any other leather IMMEDIATELY. Bagging them in ziplocs is fine, as long as they're zipped. Now...Shtoink is right on track with making patterns out of those. You might be able to clean them, but the leather is probably rotten. You'll need a specific work area to clean those, preferably outside and away from any other leather. After you spend several hours or days cleaning them and soaking, and re-conditioning them, you'll be able to tell if you got all the spores that are buried down inside the leather....if you didn't, it'll come back pretty quick. At that point, you could use them as a pattern for new bags, then give the old ones back and tell your customer that they were beyond reasonable repair. Your customer will probably appreciate that more than losing something in them when they fall apart. Incidentally....if they are sewn with natural fiber thread, the thread is more than likely rotted as well.

If that's a rig for a 3" 1911, it looks like there will be a LOT of empty space at the muzzle....sure it's not a Commander (4" bbl) size? Also, if that is built as a horizontal holster, you NEED to put a thumb strap on it. Just about any pistol is going to be butt heavy enough to compromise retention/security on a ' no strap' design.