zuludog

Any tools must be well maintained & sharpened; once you get into the habit and have them up to the desired standard it doesn't take so much effort as at first. A lot of the cost of expensive leather tools is to get the final sharpness/finish/polish ready for use. On cheaper tools you get a basic edge and are expected to do that final processing yourself, that helps to keep the costs down I don't do tooling or stamping so I can't help you there, but Search YouTube for 'sharpening an edge beveler'; there are several videos. This one is good - 'How to sharpen an edge beveller' by lb custom knives. I have made a sharpening board similar to that shown - a piece of plywood, but it could be anything similar, 24 cm X 16 cm bevel both sides of an edge of some 3 mm veg tan leather about 18 to 20 cm long, and cut off that edge so it's 3 to 4 mm wide; use general purpose/contact glue to fix the strip to the board with the rounded edge uppermost. rub the strip with stropping compound a metal rod or bamboo skewer about 3 mm dia and 18 to 20 cm long; glue this to the board. this is a base for 2,500 grit wet & dry paper a small leather strop, about 18 to 20 cm X 4 cm, also glued to the board; could use my main strop but this is convenient This will cater for edge bevellers that are either flat or grooved on their underside to sharpen the inside edge of bevellers I use a similar method as described on earlier posts. I have plaited some 18/3 linen thread about 60 cm long and rubbed it with stropping compund. I fix the beveller in a vice, using soft jaws so I don't mark the handle, then dreaw the coated thread through the beveller as required

I'm with CHRISASH on this one. By the time you've messed about cutting, skiving, sewing, dyeing and all the rest of it you might just as well make a new belt. Plus a modified belt would probably not be as neat or as good as a new one However if you still want to lengthen it here's my suggestion, though I haven't done this myself - Unpick the stitching to remove the buckle. Cut off that end of the belt including the slot, then - EITHER Add a new piece of leather to lengthen the belt as required, and fit the buckle to that new end. Use the existing stitching holes to sew on the new piece, and skive then both to produce a flat join. Fit the buckle as usual OR Cut the buckle & slot off as above. Then get a new piece of leather to be sewn on the front of the existing belt to extend it; make the slot, fit the buckle, and fold it back to the back of the belt. Skive & sew the three thicknesses of leather at the old stitching holes - new at front, old in middle, new at back Clean the leather & dye it all; a darker dye will produce a more even result When it's being worn most of this patching will be hidden by the tail of the existing belt Like I said, unless your friend/customer insists, I reckon it would be easier and better to make a new belt. But you could re-use the existing buckle, and perhaps use a the old belt to make a couple of keepers, as a token geature Incidentally, I have recently subscribed to Nigel Armitage's Vimeo Channel; it's excellent, and only about the price of a pint per month. There are about 50+ videos, including a complete series on making a belt, with more to come

Hello Sangrati; sorry to hear you are having problems as sewing wallets should be straightforward as they are usually soft, thin leather I make knife sheaths which have a similar procedure, except that there are three thicknesses of leather to sew as it includes a welt, and the leather would be thicker than that for a wallet, at 3 to 3,5mm I glue the welt to one side of the sheath, allow it to dry, then glue on the other side of the sheath, clamp it together and let it all dry for a couple of hours. I mark a line with dividers then make the holes with a stitching chisel and an awl, then do the sewing. I don't have any problems with the parts separating while I sew It could be that you are not using a decent glue, or enough of it. I use a solvent based general glue like UHU & Bostik, or leather glue from a craft shop, but still solvent based Search YouTube for 'making leather wallets' there are several videos which will be helpful This video is good for a beginner - How to Make a Simple Hand Made Wallet by Nigel Armitage Also Nigel has made several videos on pouches; although they are on pouches they are masterclasses of neatness and precise methodical working. The same sort of techniques can be used for wallets. Search YouTube for Nigel Armitage - Pouches Hmmm..... I've just re-read your post. When you say 'prong' do you mean a stitching chisel or an awl? The layers shouldn't separate if you are using a stitching chisel as you will be hammering it down onto a flat surface But if you mean an awl it could be that it is not sharp enough and though you will be able to force it through one layer it might not be sharp enough to penetrate the second layer, and instead it will be pushing it away An awl must be absolutely as sharp as possible, to pass through the leather with hardly any effort. A new awl is rarely sharp enough and you must prepare and sharpen it yourself with a fine sharpening stone or wet & dry paper, followed by a strop. Again Search YouTube for suitable videos

Yes, as above. But a warning. Wherever you store it when you have it, protect it from bright sunlight as this can bleach or otherwise discolour the leather You may not have a large workshop & bench. If you plan on using it, unroll it and lay it out on your floor last thing at night, then it will be pretty flat and ready for use the next morning

George Barnsley and Sons was a traditional Sheffield manufacturer of good quality, no frills tools for the shoe making and other industries, but they ceased trading years ago. However, the story I heard is that recently the administrators discovered a warehouse full of unsold stock. With these, they relaunched the company and also started manufacturing again. Well, as I said, that's what I heard, and I would be happy to have that confirmed, or to be corrected I have one of their head knives, and it's excellent! But like many traditional makers you only get a basic cutting edge, you must do the final sharpening and polishing yourself. This keeps the costs down. They make head knives, round knives, and other knives & tools. I seem to remember that the head & round knives were about £20 & £25 Unfortunately I cannot log onto their website, either by entering it directly into Google or via the link on this Thread, so I'm unable to confirm the prices. If you can log on I'd like to hear from you, in which case I need to get in touch with my local computer expert. That's why I hadn't mentioned them till now, as I didn't want to confuse matters. They also have a Facebook page. I can't log on via that either. I think that most decent suppliers will sell for export, but check for shipping costs and import duties

I don't do a maker's stamp, but some of you might be interested in this stamp supplier. They are British, but say they supply world wide. I found them in the magazine 'Waxing The Thread', produced by GDH Leatherwork https://www.gdhleatherwork.co.uk https://www.artisans.co.uk

Yes, you can do good work with a Stanley/box cutter/utility knife. They seem to work better if you re - sharpen the blades on a fine stone and a strop, probably because you polish the edge, and reduce the shoulders of the bevel As you've seen, round knives are expensive, and good ones are very expensive. An alternative is a head knife, also known as a half round knife. As the name implies, it has only one point, which makes it easier to use, and a bit cheaper. Search Google for - Osborne 73 head knife, and to find a supplier that's convenient for you For sharpening you can use the same techniques as for a round knife; also Search YouTube for "How to Sharpen Your Head Knife for Leatherwork" by J H Leather You can also look at a Japanese Leather Knife and a Kiridashi. Search Google and YouTube to see what they are, and suppliers Here's an idea - Sweden is famous for its knives and knife makers - could you find someone to make you what you want? Have a look at http://www.brisa.fi They are a Finnish supplier of knives & knife making materials. They also sell leather craft tools, including round knives The knives I use are - a Japanese Leather Knife; a Kiridashi/Paring Knife, made myself from 25mm hacksaw blade; a 100mm carbon steel vegetable knife that I no longer use in the kitchen, it is now my Trimming Knife

During the 1950s & 60s there were lots of comedy shows on both radio and TV. Here are a few more , just Search YouTube - Round The Horne; The Navy Lark; I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again; The Goon Show I didn't like The Goons, even though it was very poular; of course there's only one way for you to find out These were TV shows, so you'd better not watch them while you're driving! Steptoe and Son; The Dave Allen Show There were others but I'll let you find them for yourself, just follow the links on YT All of these laid the foundations for Monty Python's Flying Circus

Yes, 'The Blood Donor' is probably his best known sketch, with Radio Ham a close second As YouTube lists most of the sketches once you've completed the Search I thought I'd let people find out for themselves

Hello and welcome! There are lots of videos about leather on YouTube, both techniques, such as saddle stitch and edge finishing, beginner's tools; and particular items, like belts, wallets, and pouches. Just start Searching and away you go You might have heard of this already, but Search YouTube for 'Tony Hancock The Radio Ham'. British comedy, and a bit dated now, but still worth a listen

A couple of years ago I changed from Tandy needles to John James size 002 needles, which have smaller eyes. I noticed that waxed thread doesn't run freely through these holes, you have to pull it through So I stopped using the traditional pierce - the - thread method of locking on the needles, and just leave the tail of the thread hanging loose, as I do when sewing fabric I've never had any problems of the needles falling off, and I can adjust the length of the tail as I need to Nigel Armitage has several You Tube videos on pricking irons & stitching chisels, just Search through to see if there are any you like

I must say that I wouldn't have thought of Rocky Aussie's answer, but it does sound quite reasonable, I would try that No question here is stupid or silly, that's what forums are for

Hello Mathilde and welcome to the forum

There are lots of videos about leatherwork on YouTube, for both techniques such as saddle stitching or sharpening a round knife, and making items, like bags, belts, wallets and watch straps. As you watch them you will see the tools involved, and how they are used If you intend making watch straps and card sleeves my guess is that you will mostly be doing straight cuts on thinner leather. In which case you could consider a Japanese leather knife or a rotary cutter such as Olfa

That's a good shopping list. Here are a few comments - There are all sorts of knives available for leatherwork, some of them rather expensive. I suggest you start off with something simple, like a Stanley knife/utility knife/box cutter, you may well have one already. Use that till you get the hang of leatherwork, and see what sort of knives there are, and what might suit you Yes, get the skiver and chisels, but will also find a saddler's awl useful. If you're doing thin leather like watch straps you should choose a small awl like an Osborne 41 or 42 You can make your own strop from oddments of wood & leather. There are videos on YouTube and advice on this forum If you are going to skive leather you will need a hard, glossy surface, like a marble slab, a ceramic tile, or a sheet of glass

Very good! Nigel Armitage has made some videos on punching holes through several layers of leather whilst keeping the holes lined up, which you might find useful 'Multi Layer' ; and several videos on making pouches with pre punched layers - these are masterclasses on precise, methodical leatherwork, and well worth watching. Just Search for 'making pouches'

I picked up that up during my time in British Industry. Here are a couple more - Definition of an engineer - 2 + 2 = 3,99 to 4,01 Definition of an alcoholic - someone who drinks more than their doctor Another definition of an engineer - 2+ 2 = 3,98 or better

Definition of an expert --- someone who's made more mistakes than you have

Hello Kippler, a few more ideas for you I'm sure there will be lots of skilled craft people and workers in Nairobi. You could make all the wooden tools and some of the steel ones - strops, burnishers, mallets, mauls, stitching ponies, saddler's clams, knives. Get on to YouTube and play around, there are lots of videos. Use the Search Box and follow the links There are organisations that donate tools to African countries, like Tools For Self Reliance; Work Aid; Tool Aid. I don't know how you'd contact them, and leatherworking tools are a bit specialised, but if you don't ask, you don't get. Search Google for 'Tools For Africa'. I've just Searched Google for leatherworking tools in Kenya and found www.junia.co.ke and www.kilimall.co.ke Perhaps you know of them? Also I Searched for leatherworking tool suppliers in Africa. There are several in South Africa, such as www.woodheads.co.za. Now, I'm not very familiar with the distances, shipping costs, or duties involved, but that might also be worth looking into

Huh! I know the feeling! I did that on my second or third sheath; now I check and check again There's not much you can do except find someone who wants that sheath. You could try mentioning it on www.edgematters.uk , but it's a subscription only forum. However, many of it's members are mostly interested in making the knives, so there are often requests for someone to make a sheath, and by the looks of it, your standard of work would be very acceptable

I started out using Tandy stitching chisels and an awl with a blade that was 3,8mm at its widest (just measured it with my micrometer) and 18/3 or 332 & 432 linen thread Then I moved to some finer thread; Tandy's Hemp Carriage Thread, which is 0,55mm thick and I wanted thinner tools. I've settled on Seiwa European stitching chisels and a Number 42 Osborne awl blade, which is 2,3 mm wide. That works OK, but I could probably have gone to a thinner awl blade, like a #41 happily enough Incidentally, I've had 4 awls and each time I've mounted them in the traditional way, by knocking them into the wood of the awl. This is fairly tricky to get the blade correctly fitted and aligned. If I ever buy another awl I'll get an Osborne or similar haft that has a chuck or collet for mounting the blade; or already fitted by the supplier

Hello Kippler, sorry for the delay; here are a few comments for you We are fortunate in Britain and USA that, despite the recent changes to Tandy, there are lots of leathercraft suppliers. Here are three main ones, to see what they can offer; I think they will all sell for export - Abbey England; Goods Japan; Tandy Leather Factory However, as mentioned, most of the tools, materials, and thread for leathercraft are now made in China, Japan, Korea and other Far Eastern Countries, and there doesn't seem much point in shipping goods halfway round the world and back again; it would be better to obtain them directly. Unfortunately I'm not an expert on Chinese industry or international trade & shipping, and I don't know every manufacturer of supplier. But here are some names to consider - Kevin Lee, Vinymo, Amy Roke, Crimson Hides, Seiwa, Kyoshin Elle. Search The Net and contact them directly I've found that there is both a Chinese Embassy and a Chinese Economic Office in Nairobi, perhaps they could help you Nigel Armitage has made lots of videos about different makes of pricking irons & stitching chisels. It is in effect a list of most leather tool makers and distributors. Again, Search the Net and contact them. Some of them are rather expensive; I'm afraid you'll just have to see what's available, and decide for yourself on the best choice. Of course, I can't tell you how the prices will be affected by duties and shipping costs, but there's one thing of which you can be certain - the prices won't go down! You can make some items yourself - Make a strop from oddments of wood & leather. This is just about the easiest piece of leatherwork you can do. Try to use a proper stropping or honing compound A wooden edge burnisher. Search YouTube, the suppliers, and Google to see the sort of thing that can be done Do you know of a mechanic's or engineering workshop? Old 25mm and 40mm hacksaw blades can be made into leatherworking knives. Search Google and YouTube for - skiving knife, Japanese leather knife, leather paring knife, kiridashi Do you know anyone who does woodturning? If you want an awl then just importing the blade would reduce the cost and the shipping, then make your own handles I can recommend these books - The Art of Hand Sewing Leather by Al Stohlman and The Leatherworking Handbook by Valerie Michael. Used/ secondhand books from Amazon are good value and in good condition I'm sure a Search of YouTube and previous Threads on this forum will give you lots of ides & inspiration; or just ask again

I assume that it's straightforward enough to work on the bottom of the tool with stones, if necessary, and a strop in the usual way. But as you've mentioned the problem lies with reaching the inside of the tool, and the bevel Depending on how much metal you need to remove, start by clamping the tool in a vice and working on the bevel with a needle file. You would probably only need a flat file You could then make up a narrow file or 'wand' by gluing wet & dry paper to strips of wood that are just the right size to fit inside the tool, and polishing the bevel Alternately make up strips of wood as above, but glue them to some scrap wood to make raised strips that the edger will fit onto. Remove the edger from the vice and sharpen it on these homemade 'stones'. In both of those cases, work your way from about 400 to 1200 grit in in increments of 2 to 300; lubricate the paper with water, perhaps containing a small amount of washing up liquid/dish soap, or clear window cleaner. Only work the tool away from the edge Then follow up with a small strip of leather in a similar way Have a look at this video - 'How to sharpen French Edger' by Leathertoolz I would not be tempted to use a grindstone on your Dremel as it would be so easy to go to far and damage the edge or burn the steel I remember reading one leathercraft book which described a French Edger as 'probably the most dangerous tool in the workshop'.

Hello Kippler, and welcome to the forum! I have a cold at the moment, and not feeling very lively, but if you could be patient I'll try to send you a longer message in 2 or 3 days Meanwhile Search YouTube for relevant videos, there are lot's of them, too many to watch altogether. Narrow the Search by looking for techniques you want, such as saddle stitch or edge finishing, and particular items you might be interested in, like knife sheaths, bags, or belts. but remember that the same sort of techniques are used in various items. You will start to see how things are done, and the tools & materials that are used Two good channels to watch are those by Ian Atkinson and Nigel Armitage Regards, Zuludog

The advice from FREDK is good, do the best you can. Ordinary sandpaper will not work very well on metal, but wet & dry paper will You don't need to rub the chisel with beeswax every time , about every 3 or 4 times is OK. FREDK's tip about softening the beeswax with oil is excellent! I hadn't thought of that, but I'll definitely try it myself in future You should place and remove the chisels at a right angle to the leather where possible. Any kind of twisting, wobbling, or moving from side to side may damage the prongs and/or the leather I have used both types of Tandy stitching chisels - the Craftool Pro with the flat, silver handle, and the Craftool with the round black knurled handle. I think the Pro has slightly finer prongs, but they're both OK. I polished the prongs on both types, which improved them Have a look at Tandy's website and get a shopping list together for your friend. Perhaps you could tell us whereabouts in the US, and some of out American members could give you some advice? Remember that you can use a stitching chisel to just mark the position of the holes, by only knocking it in part way, then making the holes all the way through the leather with an awl