bikermutt07

It maybe awhile yet, I posted this before I got inspired by the shoes. And that's going to take a bit.

Thanks for sharing @Dun and @chrisash.

Great job, and nice photography.

That looks like an excellent execution. Great job.

If these were less than $150.00 I would consider buying one.

This is my first recommendation to anyone. This will give you a great idea in what you have to have. It is well written and by the time you read it you will see what you need and don't need. There are a few options when it comes to stitching and what you are looking to accomplish. Lacing requires thonging chisels and lace. If you aren't lacing forget these. A stitching wheel, and a stitching groover are probably 2 things everyone buys in the beginning and then never uses again after the first month. When it comes to saddlestiching there are several confusing options. In the beginning buy the cheap stitching chisels on Amazon or eBay. The competition there has gotten very tough in the last six months. You can get a full set from 3mm to 6mm for about 20 bucks. If you want to stitch small items get some .6mm thread. Medium .8mm. large 1mm. Needle sizing is pretty confusing. But, if it fits in the hole, it will work. So, don't sweat it too much in the beginning. When you get moving along you can move up to nicer chisels (crimson hide), or start using a pricking iron and awl. You will need a wing divider for marking the stitching lines. I hope this helps.

There is nothing new under the sun..... .....except Doritos Tacos, which, happen to be horrible. How could they take such a wonderful chip and mess it up like that?

Good job.

Did you make this?

A lot of times the thinner leather will stretch when you get to the end of a cut. Drove me nuts when I first started. There are a few things to help overcome it. Rotary cutter is probably the cheapest option. I like the grey one in the leather section of hobby lobby. It's about 10-12 bucks. The olfa 45mm blades for this knife. Another option is a sharp head knife. You can roll the blade at the end of the cut eliminating the stretching. If you are going to keep using the craft knife strop the blade, even if it is a disposable. It will help. If you cut your successive pockets out a little large you can lay your first pocket on top of them for.a more precise fit. Then sand to your final dimension. Black River Laser has some great templates here in the states. They also will make custom acrylic templates for you. Wuta Leather is another one of my favorites and they have free worldwide shipping. If you want clicker dies, which is probably the best but most expensive investment, look to Texas Custom Dies. They are one of our sponsors here. They can also make mallet dies for you if they are small enough.

I start in the hole of my last stitch. That way it looks like the thread just continues. I try to map it out to where I wind up in a lower stressed area. I mean, I'm not building a parachute.

Proper breathing protection and ventilation will go a long way to protect you. I don't have advice on all the different types of dyes and which are less harmful to the environment than others. I will say this, though, I doubt the amount of dye you airbrush in your entire lifetime will have a drops worth of effect on the local environment. The many painting contractors in your area probably sprayed more laquer today then you ever will thru that airbrush. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking trying to do your part, but just providing some alternative perspective.

Yep, what I downloaded was over 300 pages.

Thanks, @Jesleright. @Wyowind I downloaded their first 2 books last night. It mentioned dialup taking 30-45 minutes. It was on my phone in about 6 seconds. Amazing how fast things have gotten in 20 years.

Well, I did break down and order the Hand made shoes for men Friday night. It is cowritten by Laslo Vaas. If it doesn't work, I will get the Tim Skyrme book. But, the HCC site has downloads for making lasts from scratch. I will be checking into that as well.

Yep, lucky indeed. Alexander also put up a holster sewing video recently. I'm sure I'm not the only who has posted about videos just sewing scrap? That is taking notice of the needs of future customers. I want to see what and how the machines can do the job. And, cowboy has done a bang up job producing videos, not of just Ryan demoing the machines, but videos on how to fix common problems. That is also helpful. Someday, I will luck I to a construction project that will produce some fast money, and I already know who I will call.

Cool, I still miss Texas. I moved here in '08. I tell people, "I have the only woman worth leaving Texas for".

Ok guys, we have hit the motherload. Today I was searching for more last suppliers and ran across an old thread here. It was of course someone trying to make shoes with no guidance. Well, some one suggested the Honorable Cordwainers Company. This is a 501c non-profit dedicated to the preservation of the the shoe making craft. They have free digital downloads, a library, as well as dozens of DVDs available from annual demonstrations from the 80s or 90s. Here is a link. I believe I will be signing up for this. http://www.thehcc.org

That is some nice work. Where are you displaced to? I'm in the Shreveport area.

Beautiful.

I think those could be found at Ohio travel bag.

I just saw a video this morning of Alexander from Solar Leather. He was showing off a hand operation lever. That was pretty neat.

What country are you located in?

Welcome.

You bet. You can make all kinds of stuff from scrap.