MichaelT

WOW! Stunning work! The amount of thought and all the details you put into that is flat out amazing. The etchings with the frames are great and that edging really makes the whole thing pop.Then add in the impeccable workmanship- it just blows me away. And it does put you in a spring state of mind. I really like the antler hardware, I'm gonna steal that idea

Count me in as another satisfied customer, never had a problem before.

Looks great, way to go for upcycling your old chair.

Count me in with those liking the color. I really like the two tone effect. How did you do that?

Wow! That looks great- you really put a lot of thought into that. I really like the mix of different leathers-, the textures and colors really make it pop. I can't fathom why he wouldn't love it- and if he doesn't- check his pulse! Nice rifles too.

Wow! Those colors are really vibrant. While we can debate what the "best" solvent is- what you are using clearly works. I don't get what a mermaid has to do with a bison- but your customer does, and you did a great job on it. I really like it and I get the feeling that the bison is looking at me like I owe him money.

Thanks to you for sharing the link. I backed it early on and watched with high hopes and crossed fingers. If I was close, I would take a class in a heart beat- but this is the next best thing.

Outstanding work, I second everyone else' s comments on how nice and clean it is. I really like the color. Could you share your dyeing technique? My attempts at using Fiebing's medium brown come out much darker. I've tried airbrushing it diluted 1:4 with denatured alcohol (not enough penetration) and swabbing with diluted dye. I can get an even color that looks good, but its much darker than yours.

I considered making one in that style- the thing I liked the most was the large throat that would hold a bag with ease- as opposed to the stitching pony style. What I didn't like is how you have to hold the tension with your legs- and that seemed to me to limit how you sat and where at. I came across some plans on Etsy for a clam that's made of steam bent wood and the jaws are under tension- the clam holds the work and you hold the clam, no fighting to keep your legs holding the work.

I understand! Kudos to you for designing on the fly to overcome an unforeseen obstacle. To me that's sometimes the satisfying part- "Now lets see- how can I pull a rabbit out of my hat and make this work"

Count me in as a user of a piece of deer antler. Folding, embossing, burnishing, whatever. I make knives, so there's always a piece laying around.

Wonderful bag, very clean and neat.. I really like how you did the shoulder strap- how it runs through a slider rather than a buckle- very clever. I cant recall seeing that before and I'm going to store that technique away so I can borrow it someday. If I could offer one constructive critique- the attachment tabs for the handle on the flap- what if they were pointed like the strap and strap tabs, rather than squared off? I think it might tie the three together and flow a bit more. It looks wonderful the way it is, but I just think- what if? Again, great bag, I'm sure your mother is very pleased with it.

That looks really great! Can you share some details, like leather weight and stitch length? What are the dimensions and a picture of the buttt stitching?

That looks great. You did a really good job on it and it shows that you've done your homework and have had a little bit of practice. As a former Marine- the "Knife, Fighting, Utility" has a special place in my heart. My grandfather was a submarine sailor during WWII and I have his that was issued to him and followed him home. In his words "They gave all of us one on one of our trips through Hawaii."

WOW! I really like those. The contrast of the colors and textures really make them pop. I can't imagine all the complexities of making shoes and how hard it would be even if you had a mentor. My hat is of to you for jumping in and doing it. Don't be too hard on yourself about what went wrong and what might be better. Shoes are one of the projects that rides around in the back of my brain and occasionally bounces to the front and says "wouldn't it be really cool if you could pull this off?" Someday maybe I'll try it and you really inspired me to go tackle one of the many challenges that lurk within my mind.

In the interest of full disclosure- while I haven't done much woodwork, I've had plenty of experience of seeing something that I want and figuring out how to get there. Add in the innate desire to make stuff and being a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to doing clean work (all traits I'm sure many of us share). Hobby wise- my background is in blacksmithing and knife making- both process oriented crafts that require attention to detail in order to do good work. All of this overcame any inexperience with woodworking. Working with leather has redefined to me what a sharp edge is and how to get there. That greatly simplified sharpening and tuning wood planes I picked up at the flea market. Sharpening a plane iron is waaaaaaay simpler and faster than a head knife.

Thanks. I'm going to leave it as it is for now. I've got the jaws pretty well smoothed over, but if it does mark the work, adding some leather padding is easy enough.

I just finished this stitching clam. Its made of steam bent white oak and is 36" tall. The jaws are under tension and measure 2 3/4" at the top. The throat is 3 3/4" at the widest and 19" deep. The dark areas on the wood are a result of the steaming process. I based it off of plans available here- https://www.etsy.com/listing/249232297/leatherworkers-saddlers-clam-and. I saw his video on Youtube last fall and thought it looked really slick. I have a stitching horse that I made from the plans from the back of Saint Stohlman's saddle stitching book and while it works well, it pretty bulky and is hard to store. This is slim enough that I can just lean it in the corner when I'm not using it. There's nothing to catch the thread when sewing- a problem I have with both the horse and another antique clam that I have. I like the fact that the jaws hold themselves closed- I can sit how I want and not have to hold the jaws closed with my legs like you do on the style that uses a hinge. It took awhile to scrounge up the material, make the tools and learn some new skills. Besides rough carpentry and workbenches, I've really no experience in working wood, but I think it turned out very well. I've yet to use it- the oil finish is still drying, but I just had to show it off.

I bought a 8 oz single shoulder and it arrived today with a piece of strap thrown in for free. Nice leather, honest description, and super fast shipping.

Thanks for sharing. Its so simple I'll have to make some just to try it out.

Forgive me if you've already tried this- but what about neatsfoot oil?

Its been a few years since I've done any leather work, its also been awhile since I've made a fixed blade knife. (Been fooling around making pocket knives) Here's a knife and sheath I made for an exchange on another forum. The blade is made from 1075 carbon steel, soldered brass guard and stacked leather handle finished with neats foot oil and bees wax. Saddle stitched sheath out of 7-8 oz veg tanned. Thanks for looking.