zuludog

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

If you put 'wet formed leather' into the search box of YouTube there are several clips & tutorials, including sheaths. Entering 'sheath making' will include clips on other methods You might like this website & forum. They have a section on sheaths & leatherwork so you could ask there, too http://www.britshblades.com This company is a supplier of blades & accessories, and their website has some tutorials on sheath making http://www.brisa.fi

This tutorial on YouTube has advice on choosing leather needles 'Saddle Stitch in Detail' by Armitage Leather Another Armitage tutorial, can't remember which one unfortunately, shows the correct use of pliers for pulling needles Still, Armitage Leather tutorials are useful to watch, it wouldn't be too much of an imposition to watch them all

Yes, you'll get lots of ideas & information from YouTube, just put 'leatherwork' into the search box. Also work your way through the past Threads on this forum Most beginner's leatherworking books will have info. on techniques, and a few step by step projects to follow. Ask at your library, or 'Leatherwork; a Practical Handbook' by Valerie Michael is good This company's website has some tutorials on basic techniques http://www.bowstock.co.uk

As with other traditional activities & industries leatherworking has developed its own methods & terminology which can be confusing when you first start. Plus, there seem's to be no end to the number of things you must buy!. To make sense of it, do some homework first. You will start to see how & why things are done, and get used to the jargon. Gradually you will acquire your own methods, tools & equipment, and see where you must buy a 'proper' tool; where you can use what you already have or improvise; and what you can make yourself. This last aspect can be quite satisfying. I have made an edge slicker, a strop, and a sewing pony based on illustrations & information in websites, handbooks & catalogues. I made a skiving knife by reshaping & sharpening an old putty or filling knife that cost 50p ( I think that's about 80 cents) from a car boot sale. They don't have to be perfect as long as they do the job and suit you. There's a helluva lot of advice & information on this forum, just work your way through the Threads & posts. You'll probably find everything you want to know has been asked before Similarly, there are lots of videos on YouTube; just put 'leatherwork' into the search box. Tandy is as good a place as any for tools to start with. As you use this forum you will get to hear of other suppliers, with recommendations for & against However, I don't think much of Tandy's 4-in-1 awl, and neither, it seems, do a lot of other people; it's also quite expensive. You're better off getting a fixed awl blade & haft. Browse through this Forum and you'll soon find other suppliers & suggestions This company's website has some good tutorials on basic techniques http://www.bowstock.co.uk Be prepared to make mistakes, both in the work, and in buying tools you find you don't need or like - it's all part of the fun!

Perhaps not a tool, but I often make patterns or prototypes from thin card. You can trim and fiddle to your heart's content, or scrap it and start again. It helps to see what the finished article will look like; any potential snags; and to estimate how much material I'll need Cereal packets are good for this. Logically enough I use the plain inside as the flesh or inside of the leather, and the printed outside of the packet as the grain or outside of the leather. If you use a completely plain piece of card make sure you keep a check of which side is which or you might end up with a reverse or mirror image for your final piece

I have posted something similar to this a few months ago, but to prevent you (and me!) searching for it, here it is again. By coincidence, soon after I became interested in leatherwork I met a retired, traditional cobbler in a pub. Here is a summary of a few pints worth of conversation Round or head knives are traditional, but unless you're a professional or a keen amateur they are tricky to use and need constant practice. Most beginners and amateurs would be OK with a craft knife (alright, he said 'Stanley knife'). You will need two of them. Choose the best and most comfortable, and pick through your collection of blades for 2 or 3 that fit well without any wobbling. The blades are meant to be disposable, but they seem to get better when they have been sharpened a few times - and keep them sharp. Use this knife & blades for cutting leather only Use the second knife for opening parcels, cutting string, sharpening pencils and so on. Its purpose is to ensure that the first knife is used exclusively for cutting leather. He also said that 'them new green boards' (ie cutting mats) were as good as anything he'd used

No need to be too specific at the moment; you can develop your own methods as you go along. There is a lot of information & advice on this forum, work your way through the Threads & Posts There are also a lot of videos on YouTube, just put 'leatherwork' into the search box Get a decent handbook; 'The Leatherworking Handbook' by Valerie Michael is as good as any. Or ask at your library You will start to see what you need, what you can improvise, how different techniques are used, and so on. You might like this website & forum http://www.britishblades.com Best Wishes zuludog

What sort of tools, and what sort of work? I'd say 4oz is a bit on the thin side for carpenter's or mechanic's tools, but OK for lighter things like modelling or jeweler's tools, or perhaps a knife roll. Probably OK for work pants (presumably 'trousers' on this side of the Pond) unless you're doing something rough like bricklaying or a stonemason Why not make a smallish tool roll and see how it goes? Another thought; I have made overtrousers and jackets from waterproof fabric, on a machine, and I can tell you that it's not easy. A pair of trousers would be quite a large and tricky thing to make. If you don't have enough experience to choose the kind of leather you need, would you have the experience to make trousers? You could compromise by getting a decent pair of jeans and sewing large patches onto the areas of wear & abrasion, applique fashion.

For the work that I do a Tandy number 3 is OK Put 'edge beveller' into YouTube's search box and there are several clips; this one is especially interesting 'How to sharpen an edge beveller' by lbcustom knives

There is a saying in Britain, I wonder if you are familiar with it in the USA? Handsome is as handsome does

I haven't used Goods Japan pricking irons, but here are a few comments that might be useful I make mostly knife sheaths from 3 to 4mm leather, and use Tandy's Proline Diamond Stitching Chisel; 2 prong 4mm spacing. I am happy enough with the results, and a professional saddler said the spacing was OK. 2 prongs is a bit slow, but is OK as sheaths are small items and have curves; besides, this is a hobby, I don't have to earn my living from it. Perhaps I'll get a 4- or 6 prong sometime For thinner leather you'll need shorter stitches, so should use an iron with correspondingly narrower gaps between the prongs I use my chisel straight out of the box, but soon I might dress/fettle/polish the prongs with a needle file or a very small strop homemade from a piece of fine abrasive paper ( say 800 to 1200 grit ) glued to a piece of stiff card or a sliver of wood. The Proline chisels are reasonably priced at £10 to £15 each, but at the moment Tandy have a limited range available. There are no plans to discontinue them, but they are having difficulties with their supplier. They have another range available, the Fine Diamond, but that is more expensive. There are a lot of video clips about leather on YouTube, including the use of pricking irons. Nigel Armitage's videos are good, look for 'Help With Making Holes' by Armitage Leather There are several clips from Goods Japan, both for irons and other techniques, but I haven't watched them all. Put 'Pricking Irons' into YouTube's search box If you haven't already got one, you will need a soft hammer of some kind on a pricking iron Be careful what you get. Chisels with flat prongs are intended for thonging & lacing. For hand stitching you want those with angled, diamond shaped cross section prongs.

What you have asked is a common enough question for newcomers to this craft. Here are a few ideas based on my learning experience The problem when you start is that there are a lot of unfamiliar techniques, terms, and jargon, and it can all be a bit confusing and overwhelming. You seem to need a lot of tools, many of them expensive, all at once. By reading around the subject you will gain a lot of instant experience, and start to understand what you really need; what you can make or improvise yourself, and where you can manage with a cheaper alternative, at least to start with Try to contain your enthusiasm; there is a temptation to want to do everything at once, but get the simple, basic stuff right first, both tools & techniques. You will always use them, and can build up from there You can learn a lot from a humble key fob - pattern making & marking out, cutting out, stitch marking, edge bevelling, using an awl, skiving, sewing. And that's before you consider tooling, staining, & dyeing. Any decent leathercraft book will outline tools, techniques, and have a few simple projects. There are recommendations on this forum, or try your library There's a lot of information in this forum. Work your way through the past threads and different sections, That should cover just about any problem you've heard of, and has a lot of suggestions for beginners. Similarly put 'leatherwork' into the search box of YouTube, there are loads of clips, especially on choice of tools and simple projects for beginners. I find those by Ian Atkinson, aka Leodis Leather, and Nigel Armitage, aka Armitage Leather particularly good. But they're all worth watching; you'll learn a bit each time, and get used to jargon and the methods, and see slight variations and different approaches. Be prepared to make mistakes, both in the work you do, and buying tools you find you don't really need - it's all part of the fun!

This company supplies blades and other components for knife making, but also has some things for leatherwork. At the moment they are selling:- Edge beveller with 3 interchangeable heads, sizes 2, 3, 4 for 15,50 euros Mini shape punches, 6X set, including star, crescent, heart for 15,50 euros They are a Finnish company so probably mainly of interest to European members http://www.brisa.fi one euro is approx 1,19 US dollars

Tandy UK are selling a '9-in-1 round leather punch' item code # 8054-00 It is a matrix of 9 hole punches you can set up as you wish. It is in their closeout sale at £12-50, so you'd better decide quickly if you want one.

Be sure which kind of pricking irons you have, and what you want them for The flat chisel shaped prongs are used for thonging. The pointed diamond prongs set at an angle are for hand stitching For either type a needle file should do the job The angled pricking irons are not intended to fully pierce the leather, but to mark the spacing & positions so you can follow it up with an awl You should not use anything hard & solid like stone or metal underneath the leather. You need something hard - ish and firm but with a bit of give. Try cork, rubber, wood, or closed cell foam camping mat. I use an old magazine and replace it when it becomes worn.

I inherited my Dad's tools, many of which had been left in a shed and ended up in a similar state. I cleaned them up with pieces of emery and wet & dry paper or cloth, some of them quite small. Grades used were medium going down through the grades to very fine. I see from my stock I used 220, 320, 400, 600; but they are what I happened to have, it doesn't need to be exact. It takes time, but it's satisfying when it's done Dismantle the items as far as you are able or feel confident Work on a pad of several layers of newspaper and remove the top sheet as necessary Wear old clothes as the mixture of fine abrasive dust & rust will get all over the place Finish by wiping down with a rag, followed by a very thin smear of oil

I don't know much about large scale manufacture of leather goods, but I have worked on product development in the food industry for many years, and on the wholesale and retail sides of outdoor sports equipment & clothing. Here are a few considerations The first thing that springs to mind is economy of scale. I, too, am sure that such machines exist, though I don't know exactly what. I am sure, though, that they will be expensive, as a brief glance at the tipmanni link shows. Then you'll have to add the cost of die cutters, installation, a decent workshop and so on. From your other Thread, you may want to add a heavy duty sewing machine The cost of all this must be spread over your finished product & sales to bring the retail price down to a reasonable level, and you'd have to sell a helluva lot of wallets to do that. Which is, of course something that existing companies already do You might be able to manage with just the dies, and adapt a hand operated drill press stand, but that will mean finding out the hard way if it works or not. Or you could just pound them in with a mallet. I can't imagine the dies will be cheap, though. You have, presumably made templates/patterns from aluminium sheet, instead of measuring & drawing each piece at a time - haven't you? Now, I don't know everything, and no offence meant, but if you don't even know the correct name for dies, describing them as cookie cutters, and you don't know what sort of machine you want, I suggest you are not ready for that step, and need to do more homework & get more experience. In Britain there are various development agencies & advice councils for small businesses, both on the accounting & business side, and helping with grants, loans, and choosing & sourcing equipment. I don't know if there are such things in USA, your job is to find out Handmade goods sell because they are handmade. I can go into a store and buy a perfectly good & serviceable wallet quite cheaply. You are making & selling a unique item. You could probably get away with die cutting. but once you start doing machine printing & machine sewing, you lose that image in the mind of the purchaser, and that could have two effects on your sales If customers realise your wallets are no longer handmade, they are free to shop around, either to another 'manufactured' item, or to another supplier of handmade products You will be competing with established large scale manufacturers, who will quite probably beat you on price & delivery times You could emphasise the handmade & unique nature of your wallets by offering different (shorter!) quotes, and/or stamping each one with a makers mark or a serial number Sorry I don't have any quick fixes, but perhaps this will give you something to think about

Thanks for your replies

I'm British, and don't know much about guns, so I would be grateful if you would excuse me for asking this question I've seen several Threads where people have used blue, dummy guns when making holsters - why can't you use a real one?

I think you've all seen me post this website recently, but here it is again. Go to their forums http://www.britishblades.com

Get her something completely superfluous, fun, and romantic for Christmas!!!