RawhideLeather

Well, here is the update I said I would do. I just tried them out today and a flat head 8-32 screw sits about 1/32" below the top surface of the male stud so no problems at all with the female socket not having room to snap shut because of the screw head - works/looks great! I can also use the 1/4" posts on these low-shelf sockets with 10 oz. leather and still get a good set too. I normally dampen the flesh side though so the leather compresses a little otherwise the post probably wouldn't be long enough for a secure set. I like to do the same with the female socket as well because I think it looks better and makes the whole snap more compact if that makes any sense. Hope this helps. L'Bum - It's pretty simple really, I just use a flat head 8-32 machine screw and an 8-32 T-nut or the female Chicago screw part for the opposite side depending on the application. I prefer the black oxide or maybe even the black oxide over stainless for the screws - but the latter may be a little overkill. Good luck! Richard

Some leatherworkers (such as myself) want to attach the black Dot Durable Snap studs to their work using an 8-32 flat head screw instead of the normal post. This is normally used on items that are too thick for a post or on something that needs to be removeable. The problem is that the black stud they sell has a high shelf making the screw head sit a little over flush with the top of the stud causing the snap not to fit. Or they find that the post they sell isn't long enough for a permanent attachment in thicker leather. Until today the only options that I know of was to use a mis-matched stud in another finish or make it work with the regular high shelf stud they sell in black (yes, it can be done but it's not easy) or maybe make your own posts by improvising. Well, I called today and talked with Tonya (very nice lady). I found out they have a black low-shelf stud but just didn't have it on their website! Now they do. Hopefully this will solve those particular little problems. I ordered some today and will post my findings when they arrive. The website is: http://www.smartcart.com/scovill/catalog/ The black stud can be found under - Dot Durable: Studs/Brass Item# 93-BS-10379--1C Richard

I know some of you folks were looking for these so if anyone is interested I just received a large amount of black zinc plated 8-32 X 1/4" long barrel X 1/8" long prong (3 prong) T-nuts. The base diam. is almost 5/8" (.615"). The finish is about that of the normal zinc plated kind in the hardware stores (a little rough) and the black color seems to have a hint of purple in the finish in some places. Willing to sell at a great price though, but only in quantities of 500 minimum for $25 ($.05 ea.) + actual shipping cost via Priority Mail (500 pcs. weighs 2 lbs. 3 oz. boxed from 29449) 1000 pcs. (yep, I bought a bunch of 'em!) or more for only $.04 ea. + actual shipping . Before anyone asks, I'm sorry but I just don't have the time to be sending out any samples at these prices.

My two cents. I bought a large order direct from Hermann Oak a while back and am very unhappy with it. I posted my experience with it here on the forum. I am going to use Wickett & Craig from now on.

Hi Randy. I feel your pain. I posted here about my awful order from Hermann Oak a while back. I may have forgotten to mention how difficult it was to cut. Very tough as well as abrasive. I have to sharpen my tools a lot more because of it. Hands down it was the worst leather purchase I have made from a premium tannery. They definitely lost me as a customer. Hermann Oak used to be great stuff, wonder what happened? I can't wait until it's all gone and I can go back to Wickett and Craig which is much easier to cut and mold.

Just thought I would let you guys know about a recent order I made directly from Hermann Oak. If you are a first time buyer they will sell you less than the 10 side minimum. I ordered 7 holster backs (much more than I usually order) with a moss flesh side and though I had used their leather many years ago and liked it a lot this order was extremely disappointing. The black backs were more of a charcoal color with a hint of purple so I have to re-dye those. The brown backs looked OK until I soaked them briefly for wet forming. The color washed out to an unattractive more light red than brown color - have to re-dye those. Some of the backs varied in thickness way too much - a lot more than any other leather I have purchased. Finally, there was a lot more waste than there should have been for backs. I have read that others on the forum like Hermann Oak leather. Perhaps they send their best to their distributors like Goliger and sell what's left over to guys like me. Don't know, but I do know that even though I was reimbursed $1 per sf after complaining to them, I will never purchase from them direct again - especially now that I would have to order a min. of 10 hides. No way Jose. I will be sticking to Wickett & Craig in the future - better leather and no min. order quantity. What has happened to the quality of many goods produced in the U.S.? Doesn't anyone care anymore? It's sad really...

Wow! Lots of replies already and some funny ones to boot! I guess I should have mentioned that all of my business is done online so local sales or city size isn't a concern really. Hey, keep 'em comin'! Richard

OK, I'm looking for realistic answers here, not something from a nice dream - though if it's good for a laugh then that's fine too. I am thinking hard about relocating and as a semi-retired leatherworker I can pretty much live anywhere I choose as long as the real estate is in the average price range. I'm leaning towards the Sheridan, Wy. area for obvious reasons. Purely out of curiosity, assuming you were in my shoes and as free as a bird, where would you choose and why? Richard

Hey guys, I have spent countless hours searching for the type of black screws and washers like they use on this Galco holster: http://www.usgalco.com/HolsterT3.asp?Produ...amp;CatalogID=4 I even called Galco but they said "they wouldn't divulge that information". I guess it's some kind of trade secret or something??? I know you can buy the black oxide finish hardware but that will start to rust before long unless maybe it could be found with stainless. I would prefer black chrome or black/nickel if given a choice. The black Chicago Screws are available but don't have the look I want. Anyone know where I can find these in bulk (100's)? It's mostly the flat head or dome head screw I'm after as it looks like Ohio Travel Bag may have the washers. I prefer to use 8-32 screws if possible. Thanks, Richard

Hello all, Just thought I would let everyone know about the maker's stamp I just received from one of the forum members. I am very happy with the stamp and am now using it as my personal photo on the forum. Both the quality and the service is top notch - hard to find these days! He makes his stamps from delrin and his artwork is first rate. Got the stamp fast. I believe he does laser engraving and other things as well. His prices are very reasonable and he's a great guy and very easy to work with. His name is Daryl Barberousse and his forum name is dbarleather. Highly recommended! I am including a link to his profile & website in case you might be interested. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showuser=5622 www.dbarleather.com Richard

Scouter, Thanks for the reply.

Bruce, Thanks for your input. I have read many of your posts and I appreciate the depth of your knowledge and your gracious willingness to take the time to share it. I'm sure many others here feel the same. Good sense of humor too! When you speak...I listen. I was thinking about buying a lever squeeze oil can to use instead of the oil bottle as it has a bendable delivery hose. I suppose I will find out in due time if I will need a lube pot.

Guys, I read the previous thread on this topic but still have a few questions. I know you're supposed to oil all the holes marked with red on this machine and in the shuttle race as well but how much? A few drops? I know they make sewing machine oil for that but can I safely use something else? What about the rest of the machine? Should I spray oil into all of the openings that I can't get to with the oil bottle and remove the round cover plates and spray oil in there too? If so, what kind of oil is the best to use? Also, what the hang are lube pots and is that something I might need? I'll be sewing tooling leather up to 1/2" thick using Linhanyl bonded nylon thread if that helps. Thanks, Richard

Scouter, Does the spring-loaded auto-centering locator work well on the small punch too, or is it only for the large one? Thanks, Richard

cjbleather, I also punch holes for rivets, Chicago screws, belts, straps, etc. and that's exactly what I use these tools for. That is primarily what these tools were designed for since they will punch up to a 1/4" hole. They were not designed especially for punching holes for sewing or lacing although you certainly could use them for that if you desired.

Dale, This product would be targeted to the average leatherworker since they are hand tools that greatly simplify accurately punching smaller holes. While both pieces of the system would be used for strap goods, one of the tools can be used anywhere you need to punch an accurate hole. I did include the following in my description: "It also works fast and easy for just punching perfectly centered holes over an awl mark anywhere on a piece of leather. It punches one hole at a time." I don't do a lot of strap work either but I punch holes everyday and I use this system everyday and now my holes are exactly where I want them to be with no fiddling around. I think it would pay for itself in saved time and convenience in fairly short order. Just to clarify, it wouldn't be cheap but it would be in line with other high end hand tools. Sorry for the confusion.

Pete, Yes, I have the centering ruler too but I find that to be slow & awkward to use as well and it is only good for straps. It also still leaves the task of centering the punch over the awl mark accurately which is greatly simplified by the other half of the system. Regis, Not a bad idea but the above reply to Pete still applies. bcurrier, That is a nice machine but it only works on straps and is geared towards very high volume and you are limited on the spacing between the holes. It is also out of reach price wise for most leatherworkers whereas my system would be in the high-end hand tool range price wise. Thanks for the input guys! Keep it coming!

Hello all, I need as many opinions on this poll that I can get, so to those who take the time to give their opinion, many thanks! I have been doing leatherwork now for about 40 years and I believe that punching holes that are perfectly centered and evenly spaced has always been one of the most difficult and painstaking parts of doing leather work, at least for me it has. There has been more than one project that the part I was the least satisfied with was the hole punching not being perfect. I either had to set a pair of dividers to lightly scribe a center line which I hoped wouldn't show later, or make a template which is tedious and then you would need more templates for different widths or maybe use a ruler to try and measure the center of a strap, etc. I then sometimes had trouble getting the hole punch centered over an awl stab mark and at best usually had to make several light "trial impressions" before I could get it close enough to punch. I thought that all of this was rather a PITA! If only there was something that would make all of this fast as well as being very accurate, easily adjustable and easy to use! Well, to that end I put myself to work and have developed a system for punching small holes (up to 1/4") in strap goods that are perfectly centered and evenly spaced every time. I have been using this system with working prototypes that I made in my shop for a couple of weeks now and I am extremely pleased with it. Being a machinist for many years has certainly helped me accomplish the design and prototype completion. It is a 2 part hand tool system and works fastest in conjunction with a pair of dividers that most of you already have though they are by no means necessary to use the system. No worries about scribing any lines that might show up later however as the dividers aren't used for that. It quickly (only a couple of seconds) and easily adjusts to any thickness & width of straps up to 2" wide with the current prototype - (I could redesign the tool and make the width wider if there is a perceived need that I haven't considered...anyone? :scratchhead: ). It also works fast and easy for just punching perfectly centered holes over an awl mark anywhere on a piece of leather. It punches one hole at a time. The tools are precision tools and would be of high quality. I'm sorry I can't go into greater detail but I want to protect my idea of course. I can say that the tools won't be cheap as they will be expensive to manufacture but then again how many quality tools are? I have thought about trying to make them myself but it took me quite a while to make the prototypes so I am thinking that if there is enough of an interest in this type of product that trying to get them manufactured would be a better direction to go in. I'm sorry but before anyone might ask I won't be able to offer any of these for sale any time soon. What I need from you guys specifically is the answer to the following questions: 1) Do you think there might be a market for this type of product? 2) Assuming a market could be there, what price range do you think people would be willing to pay (come on now - be realistic - these are precision tools!). I know this is a difficult question to answer without actually seeing the product, I'm just trying to get a general idea whether or not it will be worth the trouble and expense to try to get it to market. 3) Do you think I should get a patent before I show it to any interested parties? I've read that they're pricey and aren't really much protection anyway and that they just allow you to legally sue someone which is very expensive. Of course if I didn't have a patent I would have them sign a confidentiality agreement. 4) Any advice as to how to proceed from here? I have no idea where to start though I have done enough research to know to be very leery of 'invention submission companies'. Should I try to get it marketed myself (I have enough savings to at least get started I would think) or should I try to get a large corporation interested? 5) Do you have any other input or suggestions? If so I would be very glad to hear them! Thank you all in advance! Sincerely, Richard Holloman Rawhide Leather

Hello fellow leathersmiths. I decided to post this hand stitching guide to hopefully help others avoid the trial and error and weeping and wailing that I encountered when learning how to hand stitch properly and to humbly attempt to contribute to the forum which I perceive as a wonderful thing. If only this type of information had been around when I was first learning! My heartfelt thanks to you Johanna! I offer my apologies beforehand if any of this has been previously addressed as I'm sure that some of it has been. This guide is not meant to be all encompassing but merely to add to the wealth of information readily available in books. I very highly recommend the book "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather" by Al Stohlman. Al's wife Ann probably hand stitched more items in her lifetime than most of us will ever dream of so why try to reinvent the wheel? I stitch mostly knife sheaths that are approx. 1/2" thick and there are a few hard earned tricks and tips that I'm happy to pass along to my fellow crafters. Since about all I make right now is knife sheaths, this guide may be slanted slightly towards that style of stitching. Disclaimer: I have only been doing leatherwork off and on for about 40 years now, mostly as a hobby, but as a full time business in the last couple of years. I don't claim to know everything there is to know about hand stitching or to have all the answers. Please note that these are merely my own opinions and observations and are not meant to disparage anyone else's methodology by any means. The way I have learned to stitch works well for me but I don't want to imply that it is the absolute best for everyone else. You are all entitled to your own opinions just as I am. If I make a mistake or two I'm sure someone will be nice enough to point it out for me ; -). First off, I highly recommend you buy or make yourself a stitching horse. I made the stitching pony that is detailed in the book mentioned above. It was a lot of work to be sure, but it was also a challenging fun project and the end result was worth it to me. If you decide to go this route feel free to email me for a couple of time saving suggestions. I haven't seen one of these in person but the one in the Weaver catalog appears to be well made and at a decent price. They only sell wholesale to licensed businesses though (by the way, a retail license isn't expensive or difficult to come by - do some research online for the state you live in if you're interested in getting one). I'm sure there are some other good stitching horses out there as well. The stitching horse will free up both your hands for double needle stitching and hold the work securely and at the proper level for comfortable stitching. I have read how some folks like to use a drill or punch or such for the stitching holes. This method could result in a hole that is too big, is difficult to keep aligned correctly on the backside of the project and may not look professional as a result. It also can allow for a looser thread fit which is not very desirable especially if the thread becomes broken somewhere down the road. A diamond shaped awl is the proper tool for the job in my opinion and when done correctly will be almost invisible giving a much neater appearance and more secure stitch. I use a saddler's harness awl for the job. After roughing up the welt area on the flesh side of the sheath as well as the welt itself on both sides with a hand leather rougher that's made for the job, I then apply the glue (Barge's rubber cement works for me) and allow it to dry for a minimum of 10 minutes. I then assemble the sheath and use spring clamps around the edge with a piece of doubled buckskin underneath the clamps to protect the leather from clamp marks and allow the glue to dry. Then I sand the edge even on a belt sander which makes for a nice smooth even edge. The even edge makes it easier to get a nice uniform channel gouge and also makes it easier to burnish later. I use a 4" x 36" belt sander with a 120 grit belt for this. You can finish sand with a finer grit if you desire. As an aside, your local pawn shop is a great place to pick up some cheap shop tools if you are a bargain hunter like I am. I've purchased the belt sander, a drill press and other tools in great shape for as little as 1/3 the new cost. It helps to have an idea of the item's new price beforehand and be willing to dicker. I rarely pay over 1/2 the new cost for a used tool no matter how good the condition unless it is something I need right away. Don't pay any attention to the sticker price as they intentionally are marked high (sometimes ridiculously so) to allow for dickering which they fully expect from an experienced pawn shop patron. Check the date on the sticker. If the item has been sitting there for more than a few weeks they are more likely to be motivated to move the merchandise at a great price. Usually you can find one shop in your area that has the most reasonable prices and/or is easier to dicker with. Now, back to stitching! I prefer to gouge a stitching channel on both sides of my sheaths with a stitch groover so that the thread sits just below the surface of the leather. This will protect the stitching from abrasion and will make your work last longer. It also gives you a guide on the backside when pushing the awl through. Of course to do this the leather must be thick enough so as not to weaken it. I would be leery of using the gouge on leather under 8 oz. or so myself. Alternatively, you can dampen the stitch area and merely depress the channel with an edge creaser or similar tool if preferred though this will make stabbing the holes more difficult. After gouging a channel I dampen it and run an appropriate sized stitching space marker in the channel to keep the stitches evenly spaced. I prefer a spacer that has 6 or 7 stitches per inch for my sheaths. I also run the spacer over the stitches when I have completed the sheath. This evens out the stitches and gives it a more finished look. It also helps to make white thread white again, at least with Nyltex it does. I have found that the textured rubber palmed gloves that you can buy at Harbor Freight and elsewhere work much better for me than leather gloves or just my bare fingers as they offer a much better grip to pull the needles through with less effort, plus they last for a good long while. Since I use the double needle method I use both gloves. I also very highly recommend buying 2 sewing palms - one for each hand. It is basically a piece of leather that fits over your thumb and wraps around your palm which has a vinyl bound iron thimble sewed to it just below the thumb. The palms make pushing the needles through much, much easier as well as safer! I use the large blunt tip egg-eye harness needles size 4 or 5. These help avoid the needle piercing the previous thread when pushing the 2nd needle through which would create a bit of a problem. I prefer the awl haft with the chuck on it rather than the handle with a needle shoved in it which can become loose over time. Make sure your awl haft fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Mine didn't so I cut some off the end and sanded it to a slight roundness. You may also want to drill a small hole through the handle near the end and thread a piece or stout thread or cord through it as well as through the sewing palm. Why do this? Well after I dropped mine on concrete for the 2nd time (strangely they ALWAYS seem to land on the blade tip!) and had to spend a couple of hours each time re-sharpening the awl blade I finally got smart - at least temporarily :-). I like to use Nyltex thread. It is good and strong and there is no need for any thread preparation except maybe to cut an angle at the ends to make threading the needles easier, but thread of course is a personal choice. OK, we should be about ready to clamp the sheath in the horse and start stitching! I prefer to have my work extending above the jaws by about a half inch or so, that way I can support the work on the back side with my thumb and forefinger as I stab with the awl and it also gives me room to angle the awl up or down if I miss the center of the channel. I also make sure I keep the stitching line parallel to the top of the stitching horse jaws so that my awl stabs are always at the correct angle. You should backstitch at least a couple of threads at the beginning and end of the sewing depending on the thickness of the leather. I usually start by stabbing 3 holes and start my first stitch in the 3rd hole and stitch backwards to the 1st hole and then proceed forward. A pair of linesman's pliers helps to pull the last needle through the double stitched holes. You should always start your first stitch from the back side of the project by the way to be sure you get the needle in the correct hole in case you had to make an adjustment. When I get to the 3rd hole again I only stab one hole at a time from then on. One of the best tips I can give you is this one: don't just stab the awl all the way through and hope for the best as you will certainly be disappointed with the results! I use my index finger on my awl hand as a stop (keep this in mind if you have to shorten your awl haft) so that the awl is just barely peeking out of the other side. I take a quick look at it dead-on and if it isn't in the center of the channel but is close I merely push or pull the awl handle up or down to compensate and then push it through (this is why I find it helps to wear a bright headlamp so that I can clearly see what I am doing on both sides of the work, it also helps when I'm cutting leather). This forces the awl back towards the center and works well. If its nearer the edge of the channel or out of the channel entirely just pull the awl back about half way, adjust the angle and try again! With practice you will soon be able to get it in the center most of the time on the first try. Using this method your missed awl stabs won't be visible and your stitching should be pretty uniform. This is one of the big advantages of stitching with an awl - you can't do that type of correction with a drill bit. Once drilled, it's there for good. Of course when pushing the awl through it is very important to look down directly over the awl so that you can keep it perpendicular to the work. When I am finished backstitching at the end of the project I simply cut the thread flush to the surface. There is no need to tie a knot as the backstitching will hold the thread tight. To cut the thread, I have found that nothing beats a toe nail clipper with a slightly rounded head for quickly cutting the thread flush with the surface with no fear of damaging the leather or nearby threads as is quite possible with a knife. Since the awl blade must be consistently stabbed at the correct angle (about 45 degrees) in relationship to the channel (please refer to Al Stohlman's book), I sanded a small flat spot on my awl haft (handle) as a quick visual reference point once I got the angle where it should be. I have found that a very sharp awl blade is a must - buy the best you can find. I believe Bob Douglas at Sheridan Leather Outfitters in Sheridan, Wy. has some very good ones. I have also found that even with a sharp blade stabbing through thick leather can be tough sometimes especially with harder leather so what I discovered is that if the awl is first stabbed a short distance into a cake of beeswax it lubricates the awl blade allowing it to pierce the leather easier. If it's still hard to punch the awl through then you need to sharpen or maybe just hone your blade which is an art form unto itself. I made a large tapered hole near the top of my stitching horse's right clamp that is the same size and taper as a new cake of beeswax and just shoved a new cake in there. Since the hole was tapered to a smaller diameter as it goes in, the cake won't fall out when pushed against with the awl even though the hole goes completely through the wood. One cake has lasted for several months with plenty of wax to go. I can just do a quick jab into the cake without letting go of the awl or needles before I stab each hole. I only stab one hole at a time as the holes seem to close back up fairly quickly. I find it's also easier to establish a rhythm this way. I takes me about half an hour to stitch up 9" of completed work with the double needle method and that's taking my time and stitching 1/2" thick leather. Since I stitch a lot of the same items I prefer to cut my thread to the length I will be needing so that I don't have hardly any left over when I'm done rather than using a length that is way too long and harder to work with. It is easy to figure out how much thread you use per inch for different thicknesses of leather if you make notes of how long the thread is when you start and how much you have left when you've finished. Just try to make sure you have enough thread so that you don't run out of it before you're done or you will waste time trying to get going again. You can figure to use about 7 times your stitching length for your thread length (that's for stitching about 1/2" thickness). Your time isn't cheap but thread is! Well, I guess that's about it. The rest is covered better than I possibly could in the book and it has illustrations to boot. I strongly urge you to learn how to stitch as suggested in Al's book. By not setting down the awl or dropping the needles you will become much more productive in time. I can't say I do everything exactly as suggested in the book (such as exactly how to hold the awl and needles) but I have adopted most of it. Find what works best for you by experimenting. It does take a while to get comfortable with this method and it will feel awkward at first but I have tried others and have found this to be the fastest as well as the most ergonomic method and one which produces the most professional looking stitches as well. Just start out slowly and methodically while practicing on scrap and have patience - it will come to be second nature in time. If I can learn how at my age anyone can! I hope this guide has helped in some small way to those of you that are striving to learn this style of hand stitching. Good luck and Happy Stitching!

MikeG Yes, the tools do leave very shallow dents in the surface of the maul head so as Billy P suggested it may not be hard enough for tooling. I should have mentioned that I no longer do tooling in my first post. Still if one doesn't do tooling or maybe wants to save the expensive maul for tooling and use one like this for everything else it might be a good buy.

Blake, I use the 30 oz. maul everyday and I think it's perfect for what I do (punching holes, slots, etc.). I don't do any tooling however so I can't attest to it's suitability for that particular purpose.

Hello all, If you are in the market for a maul and don't want to pay the high prices for what is offered on the leathercraft sites you might want to check this one out. It is only $24.95 for a 30 oz. maul and I think they are well made and a great buy for the money! A maul works much better than a mallet in most applications in my humble opinion. I find the 30 oz. works great for punching holes, etc. in heavier leather but they offer lighter ones as well. At these prices you can buy several for the same money. Happy Holidays! http://www.grizzly.com/products/Mallets-30-oz-/H0992

Something you might want to give a try is Obenauf's heavy duty LP leather protectant. I use it on my knife sheaths and it's a great product in my humble opinion. It is an excellent conditioner for the leather as it doesn't seal it like some products do therefore allowing it to breathe. It does a good job of waterproofing as well and it's wax based leaving the item with a natural look which I like. It doesn't soften the leather. I use a hair dryer as I apply it for better penetration. Since it doesn't seal completely however it can allow some rub-off if rubbed hard. It gives a nice slightly waxy finish that can be quickly buffed to a semi-gloss shine if desired. It also darkens the leather somewhat so be prepared for that. Hope this helps.