YinTx

That is some fantastic work! I really like the color combination. YinTx

Very clean! Looks fantastic. So this is 14-16 oz total thickness? YinTx

Just outstanding. I like the work you did on the fur. I have tried to emulate it, but no success yet. I now have another work of art to study! Thanks for that! YinTx

I really like how that turned out! Did you cement the leather to the wood? YinTx

I quite using rapid rivets for any application that requires strength. Even well set, it seems you can pull them apart. Solid rivets etc. are a better bet if you are relying on them for anything other than decoration. YinTx

Thanks much, bikermutt! Thanks, Fire88. Still haven't found a taker for the second one... might have to abuse it myself. Thinkin to try a tooled guitar strap next... YinTx

Thats a neat one, I don't recall seeing that one before. Several folks around here work on restoring these machines, so hopefully they will pipe in with some useful info, manuals, parts etc for you! Hope you share the final version when you are all done with it! YinTx

So the saw was $20, plus the cost of the blade? Is it normally used with flowing water, or just cut the granite dry? Does it make a cloud of dust? Been wondering, as I have a pile of granite I want to do things with, but don't want to deal with fogging out the neighbors with a massive cloud of stone dust. Also looking for decent ways to round the edges, same issue. I'm going to have to look for this! Thanks for the pointer. YinTx

Those look really nice. I've been dreaming to make this type of bag for some time... maybe I'll get time in the near future! YinTx

Let us know! Had no idea we were being hoodwinked. YinTx

I think I have an old one, it is probably a Tandy. Each of the 4 sides seems different. It is fairly slick on wet leather, for that reason I was assuming PTFE, but could well be nylon, I didn't look that closely. Don't have pics of anything I have used it on, since I don't use it as often as I probably should. YinTx

Awesome way to get a belt measurement! Great looking belts also! YinTx

BTW, she posed with that thing, made sure I had photos of all three sides. somethin else. I think she was disappointed when I removed it...

She is, and a total character. Will carry on a conversation with you if you want. Thanks. She did seem to like it, which was a surprise, as she doesn't usually tolerate collars at all. Thanks for that bit of info! Never even heard of a Tortoiseshell cat until you called it out! My brother brought her in as a stray, and she won't leave now. He's not really a cat person, but they get along like rum and coke - a match made in Heaven. YinTx

Those are absolutely awesome. The individual tooling those for you isn't able to do more? YinTx

Tried my hand at a cat collar, had a model that generally does not like to wear a collar. Let me know what ya'll think! Will try a narrower version for the next time... still looking for a good source of small buckles for this kind of application. YinTx

Awesome creativity, excellent design. Look forward to seeing what else you come up with! YinTx

How tiny? I have several sizes, and I can give you the number off of them if you give me an idea how small you are looking for. YinTx

Those look fantastic. Any issues gripping the smooth finish? The saddles look quite comfortable. YinTx

Also, regarding casing. I have done both in my short time tooling. On occasion, I will discover that the leather absorbs the moisture unevenly, and thus will tool unevenly if I don't let it sit for an hour or so. If I am doing something small and simple, quick casing is great. If I am doing something I feel is more complex and I don't want any difficulties beveling etc, I'll bag it for a few hours and let it set out for a bit. I guess what I am saying is both methods work for me, and I adapt/use which ever one I feel I have time for or I think the leather might need for a particular project. Nice to see I am not wrong in doing so, considering all the banter for/against each method! Thanks for sharing, Mike! YinTx

I sure hope so. I placed an order and gave him my money for a flower center tool at the show last year that wasn't in his booth, and haven't heard hide nor hair from him since. He also didn't give me a receipt, which has me concerned. The tools I got at the show were plenty nice, and I enjoy using them. YinTx

Au contraire, my friend. I really enjoy antiques, largely because they are often utilitarian and decorative. I enjoy figure carving, because it is challenging and unique. I look forward to being accomplished enough to combine many aspects of leather craft into my own style. As you have seen, I have a long ways to go though! Still just getting past the "howling mouse" phase. Is it easier to start on large (say 8" + size) or small size (say 2-3" size) to learn? YinTx

That is a pretty interesting design. Did you draw it yourself? YinTx

Agree on all points above. I did a USAF wallet as a gift, then discovered that you have to have written PERMISSION from them to use their symbol on anything. And it appears as though if you want to make a USMC or US Army etc. item, you have to have permission from each of them as well. So, I won't be doing those, until I have time to fill out their forms etc. This is one reason I tend to shy away from "borrowing" other folks designs. If I have tooled someone else's design that I did not pay for, it is not for sale. I might give it away or use it myself, but I won't sell it. (Craftaids I bought, some designs are "free" from places like Leather Craft Library etc. - I think it is probably ok to sell items tooled from those patterns.) As far as copying art- to learn carving - have to start somewhere. As an individual that can't draw a stick figure very well, it wouldn't make sense for me to dive into a complex piece and expect anything good to happen. However, I have my own leather patterns of things I make, and available patterns for tooling and such don't fit correctly. Or there are things I don't like about other folks designs, as they don't quite do what I want them to do (not that they are bad, most of them are great, done by incredible artists and masters - after all what is the point of studying the works of those who are producing low quality goods? - but they just happen to be not the end result I am looking for). This is forcing me to learn how to draw. I have begun sketching things - miserable, and in the garbage as fast as I can so no one sees em - but like my leather craft, I hope to begin improving over time to where I can sketch my own designs. I've never had formal art training, so this is a difficult and frustrating process, even more so since it seems most others in my family are incredible artists - sculptors, painters, designers, builders. As I mentioned in another thread, most of them aren't really believing I am making these leather things. I am driven to make things that others do not, I want to make sure I am not a fab shop for copy Hermes bags. I want to exceed their quality, not quantity. I want my customers to be happy knowing they have a unique item. This is not for every leather crafter. A lot of business models are built on volume. This means you have to keep it simple, and make a lot of the same items over and over. Nothing wrong with this model either, a lot of major handbag manufacturers begin to have similar looking products. As my wife says, they all just copy one another making what is most popular at the moment. Art is not dead, you just have to look for it. And pay appropriately. I think true artists are just driven to go down a different path. my rambling $0.02. YinTx

That came out great. The decoration on the top of the box is an awesome touch! YinTx