DJole

So, you have tried these acrylic paints over a variety of different colored dyes, not just one dye color, yet they keep turning yellow over a few weeks?

Beautiful work, indeed. Is the metal ring (located on the outside of the thigh) used for something in particular? I can't even begin to guess, since I have no experience with cattle, ranching, or chaps (although my grandfather plowed with mule teams in the early 1900s!)

Since the thread is sold by (and perhaps made for?) Tandy Leather, perhaps you could get that information directly from Tandy (not your local store, but headquarters). Have you tried emailing them and asking?

I have recently started using InkScape -- it's free, and it does the scalable vector things (with nodes and curves) that I use for leatherwork patterns. I used to use Corel Draw, a version from 20 years ago, but it no longer runs on more modern computers.

Smaller projects are more likely to be completed (especially tooling), and if/when you goof up, it's not as big a deal. So a larger number of smaller projects rather than a few big projects is what helped me develop skills.

It is recommended by the Forum leaders that you take those photos out of Google drive and upload them to the forum: (1) faster uploads and (2) permanency in the links, because 5 years from now, when the link no longer works, the thread will be useless. That aside... That's pretty good work for a first timer! Mostly what you need is just practice and experience, to get confident smooth lines and good shading. Some closer photos would give a better picture of what you might need to keep working on.

Nicely illustrated! Good information there, for sure.

Welcome to the forum!

I recently re-stitched an old leather sword case for a Masonic sword a family member owns. The case dates to the early 20th century, and the leather is in great condition, but the stitching had all rotted out. I suspect that it was cotton thread, rather than linen. I matched the color in Ritza/ Tiger thread (thank you, RMLS for your help!), and then saddle stitched the case, and lightly conditioned the leather. I suspect that this time the thread will last longer than 100 years. I know I have one spool of Twist thread, some of which I used a few months back. It was really nice to sew with. I haven't used the Fil Au Chinois thread. I do have some colored waxed linen (7 ply, I believe), for making "period" pieces (like medieval pouches, for example) where a degree of authenticity is appreciated. (If we REALLY wanted authenticity, we wouldn't be using modern veg tan leather from a factory! :heh:) And if I REALLY wanted to be period, I would make up my own thread, rolling it with hand made code and stitching with hog bristle. But I never felt like working that hard yet. ;-)

Having a real bone folder would be cool, but I can't really consider myself a newbie.

If you try to rush the drying in some way by direct heat, you may end up cooking that leather or making it brittle. Just plan ahead to let it dry naturally. I wonder if perhaps anybody has used things like boot dryers in this process?

Isn't there a "suicide jocky" described in C. W. McCall's song "Convoy" from the 1970s?

That's got to be a permanent sticky link for the forum. Very simple and inexpensive!

My smooth bevelers: Craftool B395 (for small spaces) and Craftool B203 (medium). I use these most often. I have one checked beveler which I use not too often (Craftool B936). that's apparently narrower than the one you mentioned in your original post.

Nice work for a first try at stitching and tooling! How to keep the back lines straight? Well, first, how did you make the holes? If you used a pricking iron and an awl, the answer is a sharp awl and careful practice to build up muscle memory to insert the awl at a consistent angle, every time. You can find YouTube videos of Nigel Armitage using this method. He is very experienced with this, and his videos should help you get it right. If you used a stitching chisel to make the holes, then there are a couple things to watch fore: 1) slow down, and get that chisel placed carefully. It should be vertical (not tilted to either side), placed carefully along the stitching line and overlapped with previous holes to help align it. 2) Don't try to bang that chisel down through multiple layers of thick leather (like what you have there.) Instead, do each side at a time. Do all holes on the front piece, then lay that over the back piece like you're going to stitch it. Place the chisel in the holes and strike it to MARK the first set of holes in the bottom layer. Remove the front layer, and look at the back layer (which will be flesh side up). Mark your stitching line on that side, then use the chisel to complete the stitching holes on that line, using the marks you made as a guideline to start.

Welcome, Simmental! 1) Three layers is too many. You're probably going to have to do this in two or three passes. Here's one possible way to do it, which will take some time: (1) make the holes on the top layer; (2) set the top layer on the next layer, and go over the holes again, MARKING them on the lower layer, (3) Remove top layer, and finish the holes on the 2nd layer. (4) Repeat, using TOP layer and bottom layer. All the holes should line up just fine now-- but you have to be very careful when lining the pieces up. 2) Have you polished those irons? The cheaper ones will often need a lot of polishing before they stop sticking in the leather. 3) You could indeed use the irons to mark and then finish the job with the awl. That's the traditional way, and I think that's how Neil Armitage, an expert British leatherworker, does it. Prepare to spend a day or two watching his videos on handstitching, on YouTube: <https://www.armitageleather.com/online-classes> But in any case, you'll need to spend some time practicing, so set aside your project for a while (I know, it's tough!) and work on stitching until you're not fighting it anymore (and thus ruining projects).

Card holder wallet: bifold, two layers of leather with two pockets. Can be decorated (stamped or tooled) but not necessary, can be colored. Pre-cut and pre-punched with the help of a nice volunteer! Could be used to teach edge treatments (sanding, burnishing). Luggage or backpack tags. Neckerchief slide loops (if the troop or pack uses them).

All that happy dye! ;-) They were having a great time, and this looks like a nice product! Black and white are the difficult dyes, and it seems Fenice has got those figured out.

Welcome to the forum! We have a LOT of people with much helpful information about leather working. There are certain areas here dedicated to machine sewing, if that is your main interest. If you can't find them, ask a moderator to direct you!

Slick, polished work, with a good eye for the details... and the color choice is just fine. Maybe it's not your personal color scheme, but it's still nice design work.

That could be an interesting use for the scraps of exotic leather (python, ostrich, etc.) that are too small for anything else!

I use the Toluene-free Barge cement. (I located it on Amazon: "Barge All-Purpose TF Cement Rubber, Leather, Wood, Glass, Metal Glue 2 oz") I think using it in a well-ventilated space is still a good idea. I don't think I've ever actually tried the "real" stuff before.

Hopefully they can find somebody in the company who is comfortable enough in English to correspond with you. I suspect that they do very little business in the English speaking world.

So busy admiring the knives I almost forgot there was leather there, too! Nice houses for those blades!

I believe I misunderstood your request, and I apologize for sending you on a wild chase! I don't see what you are actually looking for there at Goods Japan, either. Rocky Mountain Leather Supply has a Round Dent punch, like you want: https://www.rmleathersupply.com/collections/pricking-irons-chisels-awls/products/ks-blade-punch-round-dent-punch-pricking-irons?variant=12116078985336 But the smallest available size is 2.7 mm, like Mike02130 warns in the previous post.