YinTx

Weeeeel, it seems yesterday was day one of hunting season for Turkey, Duck, Goose and DEER here in South Texas, so of course no one showed up to the GUN Show! 'Splains a lot, I think. However, I did see one seller moving holsters like hotcakes for $85-$200 each to the folks that did come. Second day was a bit better, sold 3 items - 1 card holder, a small ladies purse, and a mystery braid bracelet. Managed to pay for the table space and the gas to get there. I think maybe another 100 folks meandered in during the day. YinTx

Barkeepers Friend is sold in the cleaning section of pretty much every grocery store and super market here, and consists of 7.5-9% Oaxalic Acid. https://www.barkeepersfriend.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/SDS_BKF_Cleanser_Polish_6-12-15.pdf Has some feldspar in there, which just settles out to the bottom I think. Anyhoo, people clean all kinds of stuff with it, no signing anything. Works great too! YinTx

Thats some nice carvin right there! Nicely done! YinTx

Had expected that might influence things, but there was an ATM 10 feet away if anyone was truly interested. A lot of the vendors here were dealing in cash, and the ones near me assured me that it wouldn't affect my sales. I figured if there was enough interest in my items, I'd get a card reader in the future. This is a small show, so maybe 40 people walked through by the end of the day. They'd look at my stuff, say how nice it was, then panic when they saw a price tag! The things that sold were all $5-$20 items, of which I had none. So, tonight I put these together with some of my "prototype" veg tan leather. Coated in my neatsfoot oil/beeswax mixture, trimmed and punched, day planners and note books ready to go. $12, $12 and $20, going to test out the other end of the pricing spectrum. What do you think? Understood, and expected as much. Will eventually do a card reader, but wanted to test the waters first. All the tables were full, this was early morning during set up time. Avoided that other trouble, btw. YinTx

Made this along with the rifle slings to add to the lineup...

Thank you all for the well wishes. Day one over. Big goose egg. Apparently $65 for a real leather rifle sling is too steep? Better luck tomorrow! YinTx Oh yeah, the table... as you can see something for every price range from $5 to $350

They don't get it, because it doesn't exist anymore. They've freely handed out their privacy to the corporate world, who in turn sells it for a profit. This is how fake book makes money. Folks don't understand why you would object to giving away your privacy for nothing, after all, they did no problem. The answer I always heard was "Why, what do you have to hide?" They miss the point. Even they have nothing to hide today. But tomorrow, when someone decides that your opinion is against the grain of society, at a minimum you are open to severe harassment, online and offline. Just check out that big Eastern country, maintaining a data bank on how socially acceptable you are to decide what kind of school and job your kids get, or how much credit you get or the job you get or where you are allowed to live. Good luck with that. YinTx

Is that tooled veg tan? I like the lace work also. YinTx

Basketweave was a good choice. This is a pretty big bit of tooling! YinTx

Subtle improvements leading to perfection. Nice! YinTx

Just finished setting up the table, didn't remember to get a photo, will try to first thing in the morning when the show opens. Thanks all for the well wishes! YinTx

Worked hard all week making a few items. Doing my first show this weekend, made some wallets and some slings. Didn't all come out like I had hoped, the basket stamp went a bit wonky on the one, colors not what I expected.. but sellable? Will also sell some odds and ends I've made in the past. Wish me luck! YinTx

So wow, Polyiso doesn't burn/melt etc. at 450f? That thing came out great, btw. Awesome job! Definitely something you can use with pride now. YinTx

I recall seeing this video when you first posted it, fantastic work and definitely a different type of skillset. Truly unique and exceptional, thank you so much for sharing it with us! YinTx

Thats a whole latta bar grounding, you're going to get the practice you want on this one alone! Look forward to seeing the final result. YinTx

These are awesome. YinTx

I have a bottle, but couldn't really get a pull up effect, seems I don't know how to use it? Be happy to try again if anyone can suggest techniques... YinTx

hahahha.. yeah. this. In fact it only serves as the first place for her to find any cash I might have on hand lol. YinTx

Nice! Stitching looks nice, edges are great, tooling held up, your buddy otta be happy! YinTx

Nice alteration! Definitely more consistency with the same type of rivets. YinTx

I have seen this around here before. A quick search in these halls revealed the following nuggets: Hope it helps! YinTx

Thank you Scoutmom! I have another version of this I am trying to finish... but having a challenge matching the dye for the back....usually do dye work at the same time, but wasn't able to this go around (some match up issues). Inability to match colors is why I always try to do colors at once, instead of weeks later! YinTx

Hmm, yeah, gonna hafta be honest here, I'm just dang slow. But, on the bright side, I don't charge for my pace. In fact I tend to charge less based on my pace. Makes em happy anyhow. I agree on most of the stuff on this thread, I get frustrated with the low end stuff being sold for premium prices. Had a guy try to sell me some Damascus knives, high end he says, only USA retailer from his custom supplier. Alas, made in Pakistan. He seemed to be doin good business selling 3 kitchen knives for $400. But, somedays I just put my head down, damn the torpedos, ignore the bombs bursting left and right, and trudge ahead... at my slow pace. YinTx

How long have you been working with leather? Many of us have been at it for years and still regularly make errors. As they say, practice makes perfect. I don't think you should consider it a personal struggle if you make mistakes while learning, that is how many of us learn. YinTx

This is awesome info, even something I have been asking a few players and they are unsure what they want/need because they don't have enough experience with custom work. I am in the process of making a tooled strap, this answers most of the q's I've had! Thanks so much for sharing, I'll be applying the info to my build. YinTx