SCOUTER

Just for the record, As an amateur knifemaker, I will be attending the NYC knife show next week. One of the biggest shows here in the NE. I have found that 90% of the knives presented at these shows will never see any real use other then an occasional carry and or display. These knives are of the same caliber as a fine engraved gun or high end watch. A different catagory altogether... My point is that it's ovbvious that Jim did not design this sheath for outdoor survival, grit and grime of a good work knife. This sheath is a testiment to fine craftsmanship. There is a huge opening for beautiful sheaths in the custom knife market, many knifemakers don't want the sheath to outshine the many hours it took to make their knife. So next time you see a Ten thousand dollar fully engraved 24K Gold trimmed pearl handled revolver don't ask "Nice lookin but How does it shoot?"

Tempus... TANDY is the place to start. Go to their website http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/ All the books by Al Stohlman are great but in my experience nothing beats instructional DVD's. You can buy them or rent them at Smartflix learn to do it right from the start... Good Luck!

ClayM, What a great idea putting both challenges on one piece of leather! You really nailed that floral! WOW!

Ok, hear me out first My friends father asked me (over the phone) if I can make him a wallet. At first I thought he was talking a nice Italian Tri-fold with satin liner... But then he said his wallet has lacing around the edge. Ok, I thought, the only wallet I ever made was for my Dad while I was at Scout camp circa 1975. He loved it well maybe not. I told my friend's Dad I would look into it. So I searched the net for wallet kits and found some that are lined and look decent. Could I pull this off? My question is Are there any "kits" made that don't look like a kids craft project?

"And be careful ordering on-line from Siegel of California. . . my orders are very frequently messed up one way or another. . . <_< " Indian, Leather Bum is right, Learn from my mistake, don't be fooled by lower "advertised" prices by any particular company. Find a good leather shop that you can trust and save yourself the aggravation. After waiting for months for tools that never shipped from one company (who's name I won't mention) I got them from Zach White in less then a week!

Beautiful workmanship! Great "name"! WELCOME!

Wow Barra you have a lot of great recipes! I used to use Turpentine alot when woodworking and now I have a low tolerance to the smell. The liquid Floor wax you mentioned (like "Future") is amazing stuff! I knew a guy who would buy it in quantity, repackage it in small containers and sell it as "Clear Coat". He tells everone you can use it on just about anything you want to shine! He made a killing! People were always telling him how great the stuff is! We used to use that stuff in the service to "keep" our brass shiny and even on our dress shoes! Lasted for quite a while!

Steve, Great job shading the leaves! Wow!

Ok, Here it is with just a SPLASH of color...

Spider! I couldn't get those girls out of my mind... (reminded me of someone...) anyway had to carve one of my own. Who do I have to thank/blame? You or Drac? (this one is only about 6 inches)

Craftsman! There are a few leatherworkers on this forum from "our" area! It really is a small world! I live in College Point.

Rusty, Again another BEAUTIFUL job! That "rope" job is wonderful! Just wondering how big (or small) is the piece? I love it!

Spider it's funny but I have found that neatsfoot oil, after it dries dosen't darken the leather. If I ever did a carving like that my girlfriend would give me the "look" :glare:

I'm always interested in old fashioned home brewed concoctions that people have used for leatherwork. I see alot of people like Olive Oil, but is their anyone out there who has an old time recipe that they wouldn't change? (Stuff like Pine Pitch, paraffin, Castor oil, Shellac-my favorite, kerosene, Brown soap, petroleum jelly, linseed oil...) I remember as a kid breaking in a new baseball glove, every kid had a secret way of getting that glove to feel just right. Some methods included oiling-adding ball and sleeping on it under your mattress, kicking it around the infield, rubbing countless coats of oil into the glove... By thie time it was "broken-in" we out grew it! (That's when it paid to have a big brother)

Wag, Just curious, Did it need two coats of the Black? Did you dip or brush on the dye? Looks good! Thanks

Spider, Holy Cow! That is NICE. The facial features are perfect! Great Job! Great Subject!

Wag- There are two basic types of waterproofers/sealers for leather- Breathable and Non-breathable. We use breathable sealers on clothing like Boots, Shoes, Gloves... They let the leather breath (somewhat) or "vent" and consist of Shoe polish, silicone sprays, snow-proof, waxes... The non-breathable finishes like poly-coat, Laquer, Super Sheen... They seal the leather. Since holsters don't need to vent perspiration and water-resistance is a plus, you can go with the wipe on acrylic finishes that is very much like the water based poly-finishes that you would use on wood. The problem you might have is that those type of finishes don't adhere well to a waxed or oiled surface. (like yours now) So unless you prep your holster by scrubing the surface with a good cleaner, you might have problems with the sealer type finishes. We have some awesome holster makers here that have their finishes just right. Good Luck!

I wish I was a Cowboy so I could have stuff like that! NICE!!!!

RWC- Rawhide is spot on- The round knife has to be razor sharp yes but if it is dragging on your cutting mat you are doing double the work. One of the best things I ever bought was a poly-cutting surface. I have tried everything like Pine, Rubber, masonite... Poly is the best! Just today I went to a local hardware store and bought a 24" X 18" poly cutting board for $15- SWEET! Also, one way to see if your knife is sharp is to hold it edge-up under a bright light and see if you can see a reflection on the edge of the blade, if you can it's not sharp! Oh Yeah, To KEEP it sharp make one of these.

Hello Wag, Just a quick note- Dyes and paints are nothing more then pigments suspended in either a water or solvent base. When we stain, dye or paint an object, the thicker the pigment the less absorption. Stains and dyes tend to absorb into the workpiece and paint lays mostly on top. Some stains and dyes have such a well blended and fine pigment that most of it gets sucked into the leather, but depending on the absorption of your leather, some particles might remain "on the surface". Therefore it's always a good idea to buff the surface after the dye/stain dries and then apply the next treatment. Just a note, I have had dyes (USMC Black) that really sink in and after drying will not rub off at all (like a magic marker) and other dyes like a Red Mahogany that leaves alot of pigment on the top. As for getting the dye off your fingers... Leather dye is really hard to get off your fingers... Wear gloves!

Rusty, We are very happy to have you here! Your work is beautiful and your style is unique. The dog came out wonderful! Look forward to seeing more of your work! Awesome!

I recently bought some Tandy White Jeweler's rouge and I have never seen rouge this hard! The consistency is harder then CHALK. I have used rouge before and it was mostly a hard paste like substance where you could dig your fingernail into. This White rouge is like a brick! I tried to "soften" it up a bit by putting it in a zipper-lock bag with some warm water... No luck, still hard after two days. It's so hard that it won't transfer to cardboard! Is this the normal consistency for their rouge? Is there a way to soften it up? Thanks!

Welcome Rusty! Beautiful job! I like the way you "cut" the border! Very nice!

Tracy, Thanks very much! I never even considered using a lighter weight thread in the bobbin! Your tips are truly appreciated. As a amateur machinist I have met a few guys who work on/fix sewing machines. They like watchmakers have a unique skill that's hard to "learn". Thanks again!

If you want to talk workshops... Al Stohlman had a beautiful workbench that was a work of art but for me not as comfortable as I like. Spending 4 hours standing over a carving can be hard on the back! Now, to date the best most well thought out work area I have found for leatherworking is by Peter Main. Just go to his website and click "Studio Workshop" http://www.petermain.com/parent.htm