DJole

Fred is right -- and you most likely have those things already! As many have done, I bought a stitch groover tool years ago, which cut a stitching groove. I haven't used it for at least the past 5 years, though. I found it a bit hard to control and get good straight lines. Now, like many, I just use an inexpensive wing divider. I find I get better results (as long as my edge cuts are straight!), and I can control the distance of the line from the edge a lot better. The stitching groover now just sits in a box somewhere...I'm not even sure where it is at the moment! ;-)

I think I wasn't clear in my description. Let me try again! The "diamond" or Japanese stitching chisels, as you know, make slanted lines as in (A) in the diagram below The usual stitching follows the direction indicated by the red "stitches" in line (B). I think your lines on the right side of the plastic window are doing the opposite, as shown by line (C). That's what I mean by "reverse." It seems like all the other stitching on your wallet is done the usual way, but that one line appears to be backwards, and doesn't match the other ones. But perhaps I am just seeing it wrong? The 1 mm thread you used in this project looks okay -- it has a robust look to it which matches the design.

The stitching to the right of the photo area looks like it was "reverse" slanted -- was that a deliberate design choice? It looks odd to my eye.

2 mm thick. It was from a side picked up from a Tandy sale table years ago, so I can't put a tannery name on it. I believe it is veg tan--- looking at the side thickness, I don't see the "band" that marks chrome tan. I used my 3 mm stitching irons to mark the logo. First I sized the logo in a graphics program, then printed it out. I then taped it securely to the red leather, and used the irons to outline the letters. The thread I used is Ritza tiger Cream, in .6 thickness.

It was quite easy. You can see how I made a slot at the top of the tooling leather to insert the clip in, then I riveted the clip to the strip, then used wet molding to form it to the clip and stitched it on. I didn't want any hardware inside the case to scratch the phone.

This is the first time I used a big holster clip like this.

I did this one for a co-worker, who is a proud owner of a Subaru Impreza WRX. I had to take some time off from work due to catching COVID a month ago, and he had to pick up the slack. In face, the whole piece was made while I was at home recovering. So I thanked him with this, made to fit his phone.

You might find that Angelus dyes has a good color for you:

You mean plans like these? --> http://djole.altervista.org/djole/Publications/Leather/S/StitchingHorse.pdf

The bottom photo shows the "drifting" stitching line that many of us struggle with. Take the time to make certain the stitching chisel is really vertical. I find it helps to make sure the line is pointing away from me vertically (this way--> |) rather than horizontally (this way --> ---). This helps me to check that the iron really is vertical, and not leaning, before I strike it. Some people have built jigs to help the keep the iron straight. Another way to manage this is to get a set of Reverse stitching irons, in the same size, and use them on the back piece. The normal irons go this way / / / , and the reverse go this way \ \ \ , so that when you put them together, they match up in direction.

oh, man -- I'll really have to see if I can swing that. Right now I'm in the middle of car upkeep.

I don't have Sinabroks-- they're nice, but too expensive for my budget. I began with the Craftool chisels, like most of us -- what else was there, or what else did we know about? :-) Big holes, big spacing-- not much use for the majority of what I make. I wonder what you mean when you say you are punching through a "lot of layers"? The more layers you have, the more difficult it is to keep the lines on the back side of the piece from wandering if you try to do them all at once, no matter what irons you are using. It would be nice to get through 4-6 mm of leather with one whack of the tool, in a straight line on both sides of the leather, but there's a BIG learning curve to get there, and I don't think the irons are meant to do that. I have a set of 3 mm diamond irons from Japan Goods; the original set had 1, 2, 3 4 and 6 prongs. I later added a 10 prong. I find that I use the 2 prong a lot for curved lines. The 10 is nice for making long straight lines, better than the 6. I hardly ever use the 1 (why use it? Just use an awl!) or the 4. Like NDphung above, I have found the 2 prong and the 10 to be the go-to irons I use the most. I also have a set of Kevin Lee diamond reverse irons in 3mm. They are excellent quality for the price-- well polished and finished, but they are SMALL and LIGHT. That could be a deal breaker, since they are so light and small, you have to place them carefully and strike them carefully. Like Kevin Lee states, these basic irons are helpful to get a feel for using irons without spending a lot of money. I have a set of 4mm pricking irons, of Chinese manufacture. I bought them knowing I'd have to spend the time polishing the teeth, which is a pain, and I haven't got them as smooth as my other irons. But 15 prongs makes a nice line!

Maybe this video from Leodis Leather will help: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyTg_hfpNUM

Maybe Angelus has a color you like? https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0265/7379/files/Color_Chart_Leather_Dyes_FINAL_8-25_045620ee-4788-481b-acc7-d48d85e74022.pdf?v=1640643954

the gussets here are two pieces: one on top where the zipper is, and the other around the bottom. What I did was cut them long, and as I sewed them to the front of the bag, when I got close to the overlap I carefully measured and trimmed them, and then sewed them together right at that time. After the gussets were connected, I finished stitching the back of the bag on. Thanks to careful work, all the pieces lined up very well.

Angelus really does have some great colors!

You are correct, sir.

Sharp blade is necessary to start the cut on the Tandy wooden cutter. I just changed mine a month ago, and WOW did it make a difference.

I'm making a series of bags. This is the first one. It's big enough to fit most smart phones-- 7" long by 6" wide (18.5 X 14.5 cm). My sister loves it and wants to give it a home, so this one is no longer in my inventory! The design is Craftool Pro D2171. I haven't really done a "diaper" effect so I thought I'd try it out here to add interest and texture to the back. That's Angelus Rose you see as the lovely pink shade, and Clear Tokonole on those gorgeous smooth edges. Ritza Black thread, some red waxed linen on the zipper, and a metallic gold thread on the D-ring tabs.

Nice work! How long does it take you to complete one of these?

Nice work for an early project! The blue stone laced in is a great personal touch. I think the leather you used for this project was too thick-- hard to make sharp bends and good stitching holes in that thickness. Learning to skive is an important skill, too.

you should change the title of this thread to "What is a good Brand of sewing machine thread for a CB3200?" You'll get more specific help that way!

Try the search box up in the top right corner, and use the term "head knife" in quotations to see a list of threads discussing them.

You're a Newfoundlander? I spent 3 fun-filled years in St. John's going to Memorial. Are you a townie or from out 'round da bay?

Sometimes, yes...but mostly when I'm not paying attention, or when the thread becomes short. I have a variety of threads I use, from waxed linen to waxed flat synthetic. I find the flat threads don't catch the needle as often. And yes, I pull the thread like you mention, and it does indeed help. it also helps to size the needle and thread to the hole. Too large of a needle, and more stabbing happens.