bigstripe

I just finished this belated Father's Day present which I started making on the week of father's day. I told him it would take a few days. Lots of "firsts" in this build: First time: designing a pouch that wasn't just a folded flap using a french beveler sewing miter joints using horn toggles utilizing buttons of any kind sewing with real thread achieving a pleasing dye effect using real lace And probably a half dozen other new experiences. Lots of help and advice came from wonderful leathercrafters here! Thank you!

So I'm working on a belt pouch for a belated father's day gift and I have it sewed together (thread with the prototype) but need a solution for fastening the larger pouch. The smaller pouch will house an enormous swiss army knife, so a snap will have a solid mass to press against and snap shut. The larger pouch, however, will house a headlamp which will fill the space but will lack a solid mass to press against. I'm looking for viable options for keeping the flap securely closed. At the moment I'm leaning toward a toggle button from a piece of antler or the manliest clasp Tandy carries, but I'm fishing for something better. Any suggestions?

I know what you're talking about. I recently modified mine and it feels much better. I removed the grooving bit and set it in a vice with the business end protected. I used a file and dremel to cut off about 2-3mm of the base end. Now the grooving edge isn't the same length as the tip of the guide bar and I can keep a better grip on the edge of the leather without slipping. I did the same for the creasing spoon bit.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out! With the groover I've been moving more and more toward holding the tool hand stationary and letting the hand moving the leather do the work like you suggest. I'll definitely try the silicone paper. I probably tried edging some pieces when some moisture from dying was still in the leather. I'll give them more time to dry out next time. The leather is pretty firm, the photos of my finished pouch show the mangled and mitered edges from my first experience with a french skiver/beveler and uneven stitching. I have a pretty good feel for how to improve that. I'm definitely ordering a set of french edges and some circle and oval stencils.

Hey folks, I'm hoping someone wise can tell me what I'm doing wrong. I've yet to get my edge groover to gouge around a nice curved edge without wandering all around like it's been in a bar all night. I can carve a straight border line just fine, but the curves are a pain in the butt I can't get right. Less of an issue is straight lines that meet at an angle like in the second photo. I'm fairly certain I can lick those with just a little more patience. I've gotten plenty of practice (30 oval keychains each with a gouged border, hooey) and still can't maintain a nice smooth curved border line. Pictures here are of my latest test project. I'm about to try making it a second time and want to know if there are any ways I can improve. I'm going to try marking the line with my compass and freehanding the groove with 100X more diligence and see if that helps. Any suggestions? The tool in question: https://www.tandyleather.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/88081-00.aspx

I'm working on a combo belt pouch with round bottom and not sure how to progress with sewing. Pictures of current progress and hastily sketched concept: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B7myIvPhNJYQfnFDWnZkSUJjRlJDUFA1SXFTRTRYODlqakJqWHpIbVk4OFl6cFBHTUxWZDg&usp=sharing Everything is cut to fit properly (so much geometry) with a little extra length just in case. What I'm concerned with is whether to sew a miter joint (which I have never tried) or to just set the edges perpendicular and sew it like that (see "sad joint.jpg"). I suspect I could manage that one but it doesn't look like it would be very durable with the threads exposed on the inside. I'm open to other methods as well. What do you suggest?

I would like access to the adult section,please. I would like access to the adult section,please.

I guess this is an intro post as well. I'm a newbie in San Antonio, TX and though I've only been at this for less than a month I have come very far in a short time. So much help has come from this board! I invite yall to see my Facebook page where I keep all my projects posted. If you like what you see then like the page! I'm not entirely sure how likes help me but I'm assured they do! Www.Facebook.com/spinnacleleather