zuludog
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Posts posted by zuludog
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I'm looking for an edge beveler that makes a rounded cut, and I'm wondering whether to get a Tandy Craftool Keen Edge Beveler or see what I can find on Etsy - any suggestions or recommendations please?
Remember that I will be ordering from the UK. I can buy Tandy and Osborne tools from UK suppliers, but I suspect that importing from the USA would be too expensive
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For stitching chisels and punches I just use an old magazine
It is strong and resilient enough to support the leather, but soft and yielding enough not to damage the tools and thick enough so that the tools do not penetrate all the way through to the bench
It is effectively free, and when it's worn I just replace it
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I don't really want to divert this Thread, but here's another common mistake that's easy to make
If you make a knife sheath, check and check again that it's not going to turn out left handed if you want right, or reversed, or a mirror image, or however you want to describe it; you'll probably know what I mean
Guess how I found that out?
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I think that the two most common reasons for a belt turning out to be too short are -
Your waist of your trousers/pants may be, for example, 34" but that is against your skin. Remember that belts need to go over your clothes so you should give them a bit extra, say 1,5 to 2"
But to have a belt that is short by 4 or 5" it sounds like somehow you've got confused and forgotten to include the buckle turnover
there are loads of videos on YouTube about making a belt, have a look at a few and see how it's done
You could also make a mock up or pattern - cut some card, say breakfast cereal packets into strips and tape them together till you have a belt length. Then make it up as you would for leather and see what it's like
Ah! I've just re - read your OP, where you say you bought a blank - did you actually measure it yourself to check, or did you just assume that the measurements from the supplier were correct?
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As in the link posted by Hardrada I can recommend 'The Leatherworking Handbook' by Valerie MIchael and 'The Art of Hand Sewing Leather' by Al Stohlman
Nigel Armitage is a widely recognised expert on leatherwork, and his book is due out soon, I've already ordered it - 'Leathercraft: Traditional Handcrafted Leatherwork Skills and Projects'
There is a lot of information on YouTube. J H Leather has videos on making dog collars, and other things. These YT channels are also good - Nigel Armitage, Ian Atkinson, Geordie Leather. Just Search for 'beginners leatherwork'; 'making shoes', and so on
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Use the padding that came with the pony; if it works, why change it?
If you need to change it, I'd use undyed veg tan and glue it on with whatever you have. It would be very rare to change the leather on a stitching pony. When and if you do it won't be very difficult to cut and scrape it off, back to the wood
Have a look at a few YouTube videos and you'll see that some of their leather padding has obviously been on their pony for a long time and seen much use, but it's still OK
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I have some Tandy Craftool Pro edgers, but I was never too happy with them. As I'm staying in and not going on holiday thanks to the Lockdown I have been saving money, so I've recently treated myself to a set of Palosanto edgers; they're much better and give a neat finish. They get a very good review by Nigel Armitage, but be warned, they're not cheap
They were very sharp straight out of the box, and so far I haven't needed to sharpen them
However the contouring of the handle has a narrow neck which needs getting used to. Also someone reported on a British Facebook group that they are so fine that he split one; he replaced it with Kemovan, which are cheaper, and he's happy enough with it
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I would use 1,2 to 1,6mm thick = 3 to 4oz leather
Search YouTube for making a wallet. There are loads of videos of all types, several have downloadable free patterns
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Nigel Armitage's book is imminent - 'Leathercraft: Traditional Handcrafted Leatherwork Skills and Projects'.
I've ordered mine from Amazon UK, it's expected in early December. It's also listed on Amazon USA, expected at the end of October. Of course there might be other suppliers that I don't know of
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Well it's interesting! It's the sort of thing that someone will just see it and love it. So if the adherence & texture are even and OK, go ahead and use it
I think it would look good with contrasting stitching, like bright red
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Yes, I would think that a strap cutter would do the job
No, you don't need a wooden backing for a strop, but it's more usual, and I think many people would prefer it. Could try both and see what the customer reaction is
It depends how complicated you want to be. Could make a presentation box to contain a knife, a small piece of stropping compound, a small diamond sharpening stone or paddle of some kind, and a strop on the lid. Or put it all in a blister pack or similar
Search YouTube for how to make a strop. Most of the videos will be for one - off strops, but you might get some ideas
You might be able to use offcuts or second grade leather, but that would mean more work for yourself in selecting and fiddling around
Although this forum is based in USA there are people on it from all over the world, such as myself. I happen to know that SoCal = Southern California, but not everyone does; you could have made that clear
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OK, here are a few more comments
3mm chisels are best used for thinner leather, say 2mm thick, for things like belt pouches, including pouches/sheaths for folding knives & multi tools; larger belt pouches aka possibles bags; bullet/cartridge holders; covers for mobile phones and similar electronic devices; notebook covers such as Fieldnotes, Moleskine; bags & satchels; and making a wallet/holder for your stitching chisels As you do wood carving you could make a tool roll for your tools - Search YT; or simple slip on covers, I have done that for my leatherworking knives
Can also use 3mm on thinner 1,0 to 1,5mm leather for wallets
Unless you are making a bushcraft sheath which has straight sides, most knife sheaths are curved, so you can't use a chisel with lots of prongs, a 2 prong 5mm chisel is plenty for getting started, you don't need a full set. You can always add to it. And even a bushcraft sheath has curved parts
Most stitching chisels are measured between the points, but Tandy Craftool, with the all - black finish, are measured between the sides of the prongs, so the distance between the points is a bit bigger. So 4mmTandy Craftool is about 5,5mm between the points. The easiest way round this problem is just to stay with Craftool Pro (Silver finish) or the Kyoshin Elle from RMLS
To make it clear, when you polish the prongs you are smoothing the sides, and rounding off the angle where the slope of the bevel for the point meets the straight sides of the prong
YouTube is your friend! Search for techniques and any items you might fancy making. There are usually loads of videos, follow the links & prompts and watch as many as you have the stamina for! You will see how other people do things, and that there are variations on a theme; after a while you will develop your own method
Search YT for videos on the saddle stitch, you will use this for most leatherwork, and you might also stray onto the choice of thread. There are lots of videos, and some will probably show you the trick that is used when threading needles -- taper the end of the thread by cutting it on a slant or feathering the last 5mm or so with the tip of a knife; when you wax the thread it closes up to a point
These channels are good - Nigel Armitage.......Ian Atkinson..........JH Leather...............Geordie Leather............Weaver Leathercraft...........and many others of course
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I have a few awls, including an Osborne as you've shown, and it's the best I have. However, even this needed a bit of polishing on a fine stone and a strop - most new all blades do, unless you're getting the really expensive exotica where the maker has done that for you, and accounts for the high price
If you intend going through those 3 layers of leather, which would amount to 9 or 10mm I'd get a #43 blade
Search YouTube for 'sharpening an awl' there are several videos
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Ah, sewing -- welcome to the fun! Let's take the three items in order - stitching chisels; needles; thread, and also what you would like to make
To make sheaths you would typically use 2,5mm to 3mm thick leather, so you should use wider rather than closer stitch spacing. Also, it is easier to sew with wider stitch spacing, and as a beginner you would appreciate that. And here's another point, if you're using thicker thread you should also choose wider stitch spacing
Which brings us onto the choice of stitching chisels
Unfortunately, I think the 3mm spacing Tandy chisels you already have are a bit too close, and you would do better with wider spacing. So although you might not like spending more I would have a look at 5mm Kyoshin Elle chisels from Rocky Mountain Leather Supply. No need to buy a full set; a 2 or 3 - prong is about $15 and will get you started. See how you go, you can always add more, or go down a size
Thread........ 0,6mm diameter thread will do for most leatherwork, though some people like 0,8mm for heavier work; but for now, stay with 0,6mm
Synthetic thread is usually braided polyester, and the dia is given directly in mm. RMLS sell short lengths of Ritza 25 aka Tiger thread. It is very popular and well worth trying
As an old traditional industry, describing the dia of linen thread is a bit confusing, but all you need to know is that 0,6mm is size 18/3 or 432 in the French system
Needles.........JJ size 1/0 are too big. Buy some JJ size 002 needles, they are the right size for most leatherwork and will accept 0,6mm, 18/3, and 432 thread
JJ needles have a smallish eye, even on the larger sizes. Tandy needles SKU 1195 - 00 have larger eyes (in fact they are often called Tandy Big-Eye Needles) and you can use thicker thread on them. If the thread is too thick for those needles then you don't really want to use it for sewing leather anyway
Neither the JJ 002 nor the Tandy needles are very expensive, and you will have a choice of needles for most threads for the forseeable future. You will probably be able to use the thread you have already bought. You say there were some needles in the original box you bought. As you acquire different thread you might be able to use those, it's just a question of playing around and seeing what suits you
Stitching chisels work better if you polish the prongs. Get a thin sliver of wood, like a lollipop sick, or a thin, but stiff, strip of plastic or aluminium, and glue some wet & dry abrasive paper to it, to make a small file. Start with 400 grit then down to 600 or even 800. Polish & smooth the sides & points of the prongs so they go in & out of the leather more easily. It also helps to rub the prongs with beeswax
You can see that I do knife making, including the sheaths. I use 2,5 to 3,0mm natural vegetable tanned leather, usually shoulders, which I dye myself. But I have sometimes left it undyed, just greased, and it mellows to a sort of mustard yellow or very pale tan colour
I use stitching chisels with 5mm spacing; JJ 002 needles; 0,6mm synthetic or 18/3 or 432 linen thread.
Here's a thought -- no-one likes spending money, but you might find it easier to just buy a decent set of kit in the first place, then play around with the items you already have when you've gained some experience. From Rocky Mountain Leather supply you could get --
One stitching chisel, about $15; JJ 002 needles, about $7; 0,6mm Ritza 25 about $7 = about $30, and it is a good combination
A knife sheath will have a font, a back, and a welt, so that's 3 + 3 + 3 = 9mm. A stiching chisel might not penetrate all the way through that thickness, so one technique is to start the holes with a chisel then complete them with an awl. In which case you may as well get an awl from RMLS when you place an order. Kyoshin Elle and Vergez-Blanchard are reasonably priced, and an awl is useful to have, even if you do most of the work with chisels
Search YouTube for making a knife sheath, there are loads of videos, often with slight variations; you'll soon work out what suits you
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The same sort of tools & techniques are used to make many items, and there is a lot of information on YouTube. Search for the techniques such as saddle stitch, edge finishing and so on; and how to make...belts....wallets....knife sheaths or whatever and you'll see how things are done. Could also search for 'beginners leather tools', and the Tools section on this Forum
Have a look at these YT channels - JH Leather....Ian Atkinson....Nigel Armitage.....Geordie Leather. There are many others of course, as many as you have the stamina for!
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7 minutes ago, Chris623 said:
I do, Rahere. I spent 17 years as a custom furniture builder and had, at one time, a pretty extensive array of woodworking tools and equipment. I've pared down some of the tools I've pretty much stopped using, but still have a lot that I just "couldn't do without".
I've got a really nice planer. But my only fear would be having the flexible leather jump up off the table and be destroyed by the cutters. Maybe if I used a double-sided tape I'd be able to hold it down. Do you have any experience with this?
Clamp down your piece of leather at an end or edge, and plane away from that fixed point - assuming you are using a traditional hand plane
As I mentioned, look at YT videos on making an inlay sheath, they show & explain things much better than just words
I would guess that things like snake or fish skin would be pretty thin anyway, and wouldn't add much to the total thickness
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I've never done inlay work on a sheath, or anything else for that matter, but I know the principle -
The front part of the sheath is sewn at the edges, and has a hole in the middle for the inlay
The decorative/exotic inlay piece is placed under the front part but doesn't reach as far as the edge; it is sewn just around the border of the hole
Skive the edge of the inlay and under the perimeter of the hole so that it isn't too thick, and doesn't have a step on the front piece
Alternatively use an inlay that reaches to the edge of the sheath, and skive both the inlay and the front piece so that the edge of the sheath isn't too thick . Skive and sew down around the edge of the hole
Search YouTube for 'leather inlay knife sheath' and 'skiving leather', there are several videos
For skiving larger areas than just the edges or ends of leather I use a razor plane, which is like a finer version of a carpenter's plane It is a reasonably priced compromise between the ease of an expensive skiving machine and the difficulty of using a freehand skiving knife or even a Safety skiver on larger areas
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27 minutes ago, Chris623 said:
Thanks for the links, "Bohunk". (had to look that one up!)
When I was last in Tandy's they had a 3-Book series on sheath making. Written by David Holter. It was a spiral-bound book that would lay open on a table so you could work as you looked at it. I thought it a bit pricey at $25 plus tax for each book but ome day I might buy the set. A quick browse through looked as it it would be pretty nice to have to get started.
I had a look at those books and thought well, yes, they're OK and nice to have but not for the high price demanded
Watch YT videos for free, and put your money into decent leatherworking tools - and the leather of course! As I posted earlier there are loads of videos and you'll soon pick it up
Try making something simple first, like a key fob, you'll still be using the techniques of pattern making; cutting out; saddle stitch; edge finishing
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1 hour ago, Chris623 said:
Please tell me you are kidding!!!!!
Believe me when I say I was dragged kicking and screaming down this leather working rabbit hole because I "have to make sheaths for my knives".
Ah but think of the benefits!
You will have many more toys and tools and knives to play with and spend your money on
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Who knows how we settle on a hobby?
I, too, started with knife making and realised I had better learn to make the sheaths; I think several people on this forum got started that way. At first it was just a means to an end to make the sheaths, but I now also make belts and wallets
If you do start doing leatherwork you will quickly realise that the same construction techniques - sewing, edge finishing, dyeing etc are used in many items - belts, sheaths, belt pouches, wallets and so on And one of the first things you will need to learn is the saddle stitch
YouTube is your friend, Search it for techniques and how to make specific items. In your case knife sheaths, including making a sheath for a round knife, are an obvious choice, but consider others, and watch as many as you have the stamina for. You'll soon see the methods and the tools that are used - you have a whole lot of new jargon to learn; welcome to the fun!
I can recommend these channels - Nigel Armitage.....Ian Atkinson.......J H Leather.......Geordie Leather
Don't be afraid of the suppliers! email or phone them, explain that you're a beginner and what you'd like to do. After all, they know their stock, and it is in their interests to help you
But before you buy anything you might think about asking on this Forum for suggestions and opinions on your possible choices
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Yes, John James needles
For the most used diameter of thread, which is 0,6mm synthetic, 18/3 linen or 432 linen in the French system choose John James Saddlers Harness needles product code L3912 size 002. Beware; JJ sizing system is a bit confusing. Make sure you get size 002 and not 2/0
Incidentally, what thread do you use?
RMLS sell the Chinese Yue Fung thread, both linen and synthetic under their own 'Twist' name, and it's excellent
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I've wondered if a large wood carving knife could be used or modified for fine leather cutting
And you shouldn't have much difficulty making a skiving knife; an English style leather paring knife; a kiridashi; or a Japanese style leather knife; some of them are similar anyway - as if you didn't have enough to do!
And have a look at Vergez - Blanchard's L'indispensible knife, both on their website and YT; you could probably make something similar, but with a fixed instead of an interchangeable blade
I made a Japanese style leather knife from an old box plane blade, and once you've got used to the asymmetric/offset blade it's easy enough to use; look for those on YT as well
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Have a look at these YT videos and you'll see the sort of thing I mean -
How to hold and use a Round Knife by UK Saddlery
How to polish a Leather Round Knife by Leathercraft Masterclass
How to sharpen your Head Knife for Leather Work by J H Leather
Also have a look on Vergez - Blanchard and George Barnsley and Sons' websites. But note that as a traditional manufacturer Barnsley only give you a basic cutting edge and you are expected to do the final sharpening & polishing yourself as that keeps the cost down, and you can adjust it to suit yourself
I have a Barnsley Head Knife and it does take a while to do that, but once you've got the edge right, it's excellent
To add a bit of interest you can compare UK Saddlery's Scottish/Glaswegian accent with J H Leather's middle class English accent
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30 minutes ago, Chris623 said:
Does anyone have any thoughts on what bevel to use on a head knife? I know Leather Wranglers offers a full distal taper (like a fine chef's knife) and a shorter, steeper sunburst grind like a rugged camp knife.
I can't give you any technical specs, but I'd say go for a long, low angled gradual taper or bevel, without any noticeable step or shoulder
Skiving Strips
in How Do I Do That?
Posted
Search YouTube and Google for a mini leather plane; also play around with the Search for leather skiving plane, japanese leather plane and similar combinations. Find them via Google, Etsy, Amazon and so on
Not as good as a bench mounted skiving machine but you can get them for about £10 if you shop around, and it should be OK for skiving a welt
I have one - get the blade sharp enough and they are surprisingly handy
Or Search for a razor plane; a bit bigger and more expensive than a mini plane, but still cheaper than a bench skiver