Tramps Leatherworking

I made a pouch out of microfiber cloth with a drawstring at the top and I just put my glasses in the pouch and slide them in the leather glasses case --- plus it gives me something to clean my glasses with...

If you are looking to buy a new belt, try this company, I have bought several things from them... http://shop.sew-classic.com/Belt-Treadle-universal-3-16-diameter-P60013.htm You can also buy belt material in bulk on eBay...

I have two Singer treadle machines, the oldest being a 127 model made in 1922, and I use the traditional leather belts --- I think it adds to the nostalgia and character of the machines. When I install a new belt I rub it down with a good leather conditioner before I put it on the machine and I stretch it slightly, then install it. Once installed, I use violin bow rosin on the belt to give it a little more grip. ~Tramp~

So why does leather have that strong leather smell? Should it smell at all? Is there a bad smell you should be careful of? Well I’ll try to answer those questions in a short and sweet way! Anyone who has gone into a leather store has noticed the smell of leather. For most people it’s a pleasant smell. Leather is organic, it use to be living, as it was the skin of an animal. Anytime you take a hide from an animal it starts to break down. Now, if you just let a hide rot in the air, it would smell, but not in a good way! It would smell just like a dead animal, maybe not quite as bad. When they make leather they start treating it as soon as the hide is off the animal. There are many steps in treating a leather hide. You need to preserve the hide so it does not start to rot, like it naturally would. You also break down the fibers a bit so it is not really stiff. All the dyes, treatments, leather bathes and chemicals most leather goes through all have their own smell. Because all these liquids soak into the hide, they leave their own smell, mixing in with the leather smell. So some leather may smell stronger than others, depending on how it was treated. Some leather has almost no smell at all, while others always seem to have a strong odor. Leather also breathes, and always is letting out a little bit of the animal hide smell.

I disagree --- you would never get a consensus on that question... In judging music, as well as any piece of art, beauty is in the eye/ear of the beholder.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery --- how many motorcycle manufacturers don't make a Harley clone/lookalike model?

Isn't this like asking who are the best guitar players in the world?

Ditto... That is where I buy most all the thread I use, I use only Bonded Polyester in my machines, and have had no issues at all...

Google, Alvin professional cutting mats… I have a 30” X 42” and love it… If you shop around you can find some really good prices on these mats. I bought a cheap Poly cutting board from Wally world for pounding, and I also have a wooden 12” x 14” butcher block cutting board that works great. In addition, I also use a piece of hard rubber conveyor belt material for punching holes. I use an 18” X 24” Granite slab as a base for punching and tooling. I know this is a lot of info, hope you find it useful… Tramp

Just purchased a new machine (Consew 227R-2-LTHR Package) from the great folks at Nick-O-Sewing --- Nick was great to work with and the transaction was very professional. Check them out the next time you are ready to purchase a new piece of equipment, or supplies. No, he did not give me a discount for posting this... David (Tramp) ~Tramps Leatherworking~

Very informative --- thanks for posting that...

Thanks for the warm welcome, I'm glad to see some fellow Hoosiers and former Hoosiers here... I look forward to learning from you and improving my skills... David (Tramp) ~Tramps Leatherworking~

I am new to the forum and wanted to say hello... I've been riding Harleys and wearing leather for over 35 years --- years ago it seems that every time I went to buy something made of leather, I could never find exactly what I wanted, so I decided to just make my own --- it kind of escalated from there. I learned most of what I know from an old biker/leatherworker who I consider a master leatherworker. I do all types of leatherwork/repair mostly in the motorcycle/biker genre. There is lots of good stuff on here and I look forward to learning all I can about this great trade... David (Tramp) ~Tramps Leatherworking~