YinTx

Maybe the runny one was warm? I've not had one that thin. Old ones tend to get almost like clay, so maybe it is just fresh! I think you will find if you smear some on a scrap piece of leather, they will give you different results. If you really feel the need to dilute, you can buy the neutral antique and mix it in. YinTx

yes, I probably started at 600 grit and worked all the way to 2000 grit before polishing with rouge. It's been a while since I did it, but I was really happy with the outcome. Use a high quality 3m paper if you can. YinTx

heh, my dad, in his 80's, has some, but I don't claim to have any... again, cool pony, have you gotten to try it out yet? YinTx

I looked at my ceramic blade under a 10x loop, and could see grind marks from the factory. I "sharpened" it (ie, removed the grind marks and got a nice polish on it) and now no drag.. at. all. Strop once in a while if I feel like it, but with white rouge on a piece of cardstock, not leather. I think I used a Cerax stone to hone, but don't remember. Possible I used some sand paper because I didn't want to damage the stone. But they will take a shine like glass if you work them. Unfortunately, mine has an old crack, so I can only use the one side, which means I usually pick up a metal blade as a favorite. YinTx

Great work, especially considering you don't do wood work! You'll get some use out of that for sure. (but where did those metal coffee cans come from....) YinTx

A really big thread in a small hole. Also, possible that you occasionally reverse a needle as you are going, easy to do. If a hole size is a bit different when you use your awl, or your angle is slightly off, will make 2 stitches look funky too. Just some guesses. Cool use of a background texture stamp, by the way! YinTx

Thanks. I like tooling in particular, no style specifically. I've been trying to study several styles, and perhaps I'll come up with my own variation. I'm not sure Don's is exactly Sheridan, but it definitely has some elements of it. I think too much at once is a bit much also, so seeing all these items together is a bit much probably. Taken individually, I like them. But to get better, I gotta practice... Thanks! I have come to appreciate DG's patterns as well, although I will probably do some modifications for my own preferences. I think that is a key to leather work, learn and adopt and alter. YinTx

Yep, apparently the contract between ebay and paypal ended, and ebay is using managed payment, which allows them to hold your $$ for like 21 days, and charge you fees immediately after you make a sale. Ebay keeps the fees instead of sharing with paypal. It's a money grab for sure, and if they keep all the sellers, will increase the stock price. If they lose sellers because the little guy does not want to provide a bank account # for them to plunder, or believes that a SSN is not to be shared nilly willy, or does not have a business tax ID , then they will lose stock price. I imagine that will dictate how they progress. YinTx

That is definitely unique! Rather cool, too. What do you plan to do with it? YinTx

Nonsense, I take all kinds of support and critical suggestions! Thanks for both! He does a lot of great stuff right. So I finally broke down and spent some money on his patterns as a way of thanks and support and to of course help myself! Thank you truly! YinTx

Bit sneaky but it's actually Ostrich. Not sure if it is cheaper than croc, but they both have a really prehistoric look to them that appeals to me. I probably could have spent some more time on the edges of it, etc, maybe next time! YinTx

Awesome leather, nicely executed. Stitching looks top notch, and it took me a few minutes to notice you even used different colors of threads for a very subtle look! YinTx

I did a little bit of experimenting on these, some are smooth bevelers from Barry King, some are textured bevelers from Robert Beard. I think Don's designs tend to lend themselves to the smooth Barry King bevelers more. This is also one of the first times I've tooled on thick Hermann Oak leather (for the sheaths, 9-10 oz), which is a totally different feel for me than the thinner leathers (like the purses, at about 5oz). Thank you. I was really undecided about what colors to use, so you can see a combination of different approaches particularly on the sheaths. I am still undecided. We'll see what sells first! Plus, one vote for the contrast dyed sheath already up above from @Crashresq .... Thanks, perhaps the backside of the purses will be more to your liking... Appreciate it! YinTx

Thanks, I've watched him work, and finally decided to give his stuff a go. I used my own version of antiques on the purses and some of the sheathes, and just some antique gell on a couple of the sheathes. Appreciate it! Hair on was all machine stitched, and wanted to test the market on pricing. Much faster and easier than tooled! Thanks for the compliment, I'll put a closer image of that sheath. Thanks! YinTx

As mentioned, these are all Don Gonzales patterns, modified maybe slightly for my purposes. Took a bit to get accustomed to his style of carving, but I think I did ok with it. Not so simple as the videos make it out to be, but that's expected. Took a whole lot longer too. I don't call me Slow Draw McGraw for nuthin. YinTx

Sold is a bit of a misnomer, a very generous offering from @$$hobby is probably more accurate. Thank you kindly! YinTx

Interested. PM sent. YinTx

Interesting work, I like the Ribbon pull out option. But do yourself a favor, get a mallet made for hitting your tools. The steel hammer will destroy them. They are cheap, some made from rubber, some from poly, even a brass head hammer would be better than the steel one. Heck, old timers made whacky sticks from a piece of wood! YinTx

Rumor has it that Sheridan is brown and mahogany. Mix and match to get your own shade! That rumor might actually be in the book you hold, if I recall, if not it is on this site somewheres also. YinTx Definitely leather type has a lot to do with it. and nice strap, btw! YinTx

I've not tried it, but Springfield leather seems to claim their TokoPro is a game changer and will burnish chrome tan... anyone have experience there? YinTx

Interested, thanks! YinTx

Looks a bit like British Tan to me. Remember lighting and photography have a lot to do with the final look. The book I have doesn't seem to be quite so faded in color, could reasonably be Sheridan Brown. YinTx

Shoulda worked fine in that order. I've not had cracking like that when I stitch mark, so maybe the irons? Or maybe not the best leather? Stitch marking folded would be an issue. With or without glue should not matter. YinTx

Incredible work. And a whole lot of tooling!!! I always find myself pondering how you managed to get your colors. YinTx

A really sleek overall look. I like the color combos and textures. Great piece. YinTx