zuludog

You could try asking on this forum http://www.britishblades.com

A rule of thumb is to make the line of stitching the same distance in from the edge as the thickness of the leather, even if you use multiple thicknesses. For example, on a knife sheath using 3.5mm leather there will usually be a front, a back, and a welt, ie 3 x 3.5 = 10.5mm, but the stitching would still be 3.5mm in from the edge When in doubt make the margin a bit on the wider side, you can always trim it down Using traditional measurements, it is taken that 1oz leather is 1/64'' thick. So 10 oz leather is 10/64'', or 5/32'' But if you round 5/32 to 6/32, that is 3/16, so Troy I has it about right Chapelstone:- 5 or 6oz leather, call it 6oz. So that's 6/64'' or 3/32''. If you round it up to 4/32'' that's 1/8'' which will give you a bit more room to manouevre, especially as you're bevelling the edges. As I said, you can always trim it back a bit, but you can't add it! Remember, we're dealing with the skin of a cow here, not precision machining If you're careful you can get the stitching as close to the edge as you can, or dare, but remember what the stitching is there for; it is to join two pieces of leather together, and there will always be a certain amount of movement, pulling, and so on. So the closer you get to the edge, the higher the chance of the leather tearing at the stitching holes. It will also depend on the type & quality of the leather; the finer the grain, the closer you can get to the edge

Just been watching a TV programme about Stonehenge and its associated structures In some burial mounds archaeologists have found bronze daggers and their whetstones dating from the early Bronze age, about 1800 to 1500 BC A bit of Surfing shows that Whetstones dating from the same sort of period have been found in South East Asia, China, and Italy Even before that, stone axes were shaped & polished by rubbing them against another stone. So it would be pretty obvious that metal workers had a long history, experience, & tradition of sharpening things

Just seen something I'd never heard of till now. I've been watching a TV programme about Hampton Court Palace, to the south west of London It was started by Cardinal Wolsey, but when he fell out of favour it was taken over by Henry VIII Part of the ceiling decorations were made out of leather mache, which is similar to papier mache. Seems logical enough; I've Surfed the Net, but I can't find out much about it

I am using an oilstone that was my Grandfather's. He passed it on to his Son, (logically enough), my Father. I inherited it in turn. I don't have any male children, but I do have a Son-in-law to whom I will leave all my tools, including the oilstone, and through him an 18 month old Grandson. Assuming it's not worn out by then. So maybe not centuries, but you get the idea. My apologies to any ladies who read this. There is no reason why they should not be able to use an oilstone and all the rest of it, but in this case my daughter has no interest whatsoever in such things. Dating from times when people were less appreciative, there are statues, tombs and other stonework in English mediaeval churches that show considerable wear and erosion where they have been used to sharpen scythes, sickles, and almost certainly swords.

I use a craft knife - 'Stanley knife' - but keep it exclusively for cutting leather. I've resharpened it several times so that it seems to be better than a new blade.

Congratulations, it looks good and neat. Not much else to say really, except 'less is more'

All the designs I've seen use some sort of strap or fold over flap - have a browse through YouTube Do you really intend carrying an axe on your belt? They are usually carried as a separate item, so you would be able to get two hands to the cover You could use a Sam Brown stud or a buckle instead of a snap, but I think you'll still have to use a retaining strap of some sort Have a look through the threads in this website, you might find a couple of variations http://www.britishblades.com

Sometimes, if the needles are just slightly too tight for bare fingers, but not so tight to need pliers, I use a thimble. I also use a thimble if my fingertips get a bit tender. As I do this as a hobby, and not full-time, my fingers don't become hard enough You can use a round/scratch awl as a small fid to stretch a hole slightly for backstitching without damaging the stitching or permanently enlarging the hole

Pliers, rubber grips, and similar tricks will help solve the difficulty of pulling tight needles through leather, but they won't overcome the basic cause, which is that the needles are too tight. You should be able to push & pull needles through the leather easily & smoothly just with bare fingers. Since a standard awl makes an adequate hole, and you would have to search quite a lot to find a very small/narrow awl, it is more likely that your needles are too big I very much suggest that you find some smaller needles. Even if you can manage with those you have, the correct, smaller, size will be less tiring in the long run Also, have a look at this video by Nigel Armitage on YouTube; 'Saddle Stitch In Detail'. Between about 3min 30sec and 4min 30sec he discusses needle size

The 4-in-1 awl with Tandy's starter kt isn't very good. This company supplies a better ready mounted awl for about £6 They also have some good tutorials on their website http://www.bowstock.co.uk

A woman goes into a jeweler's to have a ring valued, He says it's worth £45, and she is most put out But surely it's worth more than that! Have another look, it's only taken you about 20 seconds No madam; it's taken me 38 years

For most sewing, such as fabric, the needles are pointed and both pierce the material, ie make the hole, and feed the thread through it Leather is tougher and thicker than most fabric and will exert a clinging effect, or a drag, or friction, on a needle as it passes through. So the usual practice is to make a hole first with an awl; remove the awl; then pass the needle through the hole. To do this with the minimum of effort the needle must be narrower than the hole, or the hole have a larger diameter than the needle; or a combination of both Leather needles, aka harness needles, have a blunt, rounded tip so that it can be fed gently through the hole without catching on the leather If you cannot sew easily, you need narrower needles or bigger holes; so push the awl further through, or get a bigger one The exception is when you are sewing very thin, soft leather. As this is usually used to make gloves, the needles are called glover's needles; they are triangular in cross section, and sharp Even if you get the needle & hole combination right you might occasionally need to use pliers, eg when backstitching, but this should be an exception As mentioned, Nigel Armitage has a couple of good videos about this

You should have wet formed them before you oiled them. However, oil will soften leather. I suggest you just wear them, but not put them in water. The previous owner will have formed them a bit, though to his feet of course, but you shouldn't have to do as much forming or shaping as you would for a new pair If you find any uncomfortable spots, 'work' or knead them with your hands eventually a lot of the oil will wear off so you could try wet forming them then if the fit isn't quite right

I also thought a bought mallet was rather a lot of money, and was about to make my own, but found a hide mallet in an arts & crafts shop sale, at a fraction of the price from a leathercraft supplier For my mallet I was thinking of a head from a piece of sycamore, scrounged from the tree surgeons when they were working at a local park, and faced with 1/2" dense polythene (?) from an old kitchen chopping board. I would attach it with some small (long but narrow) countersunk screws around the circumference of the faces The handle was to be made from an old chair leg

I think a few years ago MoD tried a boot that was closed & smooth at the front, and entry was via lacing vertically right at the back, from the top of the ankle down to the heel, so your foot slid in & out without any effort or bending & twisting They discontinued it as the lacing did not stand up to the rigours of military use, but it might be OK for everyday. You could try something like that, modifying some old boots yourself - proof of concept, as they say in the aviation industry

This company make hiking, military,& motorcycling type boots and can supply & make boots in various levels of customisation & modification. They can also pair up two boots of different sizes, eg you might need a wide 10 and a medium 10 1/2 I have purchased hiking boots from them and they're very good It's worth making the effort to get to their factory & shop in Richmond, but they also have local agents Prices are not dirt cheap, but reasonable for the quality & service you get Have a browse round their website, then contact them & see what they have to say http://www.altberg.co.uk A custom made insole might help. Making the mould is a bit expensive but thereafter the insoles themselves are fairly cheap Shop around for a Chiropodist/Podiarist/Sports Clinic I have used this clinic, and it will show you the sorts of things that can be done, but you could probably find someone closer to home http://www.reboundclinic.co.uk

Although not an instructional video, you might find this interesting. Note the prices. Currently £1 = about US $ 1,6 http://www.johnlobbltd.co.uk

A book very often recommended for beginners is Al Stohlman's 'The Art of Hand Sewing Leather', but it always seems a bit pricey to me, at £14 to £15 At the moment Tandy UK are offering it at £8-91p

Surf the Net for 'compass cutter'

I borrowed this book from the library ages ago. Mostly knife making, but I think it also had a section on sheath making Step by Step Knifemaking by David Boye Not books of course, but there are lots of videos on YouTube, just put 'sheath making' into the search box This website & forum has a section on sheaths. Also the sections on completed knives often include pictures of the sheaths, for some inspiration http://www.britishblades.com This company is a supplier of blades & materials. They have some tutorials on their website http://www.brisa.fi

I make mostly knife sheaths from undyed veg tanned leather which is dull yellow or very pale buff coloured. When I have sewn & finished the sheath I soak it pretty well with leather oil and leather grease applied all over, including the inside, with an old toothbrush, and warmed & kneaded in with my hands This darkens the colour slightly to a sort of dull mustard or very, very pale tan colour, which I think is reasonably attractive. It must be, as other people have admired it and said it is a nice change from the more usual dark browns and blacks. After a while it becomes a bit more mellow and less harsh There is an colour change when you first apply the oil which you think is going to be a disaster; it results in darker brown blotches, but after 24hrs or so these reduce and even out to give the attractive overall colour Try it on a piece of scrap to see what you think

I had a similar problem with my Janome/New Home machine after it was unused for 18 months to 2 years. Fortunately a neighbour's sister was a professional dressmaker, and when she visited she identified & solved the problem in about two minutes It seems that I had been using my needles too much and even though they looked & felt sharp they had become slightly blunt. Fitted some from a new unopened packet and everything was fine

LIDL are currently selling a 6 piece hole punch set for £3,99 covering 5,0 to 8,0 mm They also have a minidrill, accessories, various drill bits, and a drill sharpener Alright, LIDL are maybe not the very best tools, but quite good enough, and good value for money

Well, I've never used a round/head knife, but I'd say follow your own judgement. Mr Stohlman is obviously good at leathercraft, but if you think a 5" knife would suit you, then get it, and learn to use it. If you put 'leatherwork round knife' into the search box of YouTube there are several videos of them in use, that might help you to decide if the 5" will be OK