YinTx

Your stitches in that photo look pretty decent to me, what is it you are not happy with? Battlemunky, your photo doesn't show, but I suspect .25" might be ok to carry, depends on how many cards, etc. one were to carry in there as well. Thanks, Capt.! Some stuff I want to improve on the next version, when I get to it, but this one turned out pretty good considering all the firsts for me. Thanks for that, I also do appreciate the suggestions, only way for me to improve! YinTx

Millie, thank you for that. Good thing the pink thread matched the pink leather, because the backsides started to show I was getting exhausted! Thank you, tzleather. It was a bit over 100 hours of labor as best as I could tell...I'm not the fastest maker out there! Thanks, alpha2. She is a good friend, so I was happy to do the work for her and her husband, plus she was really really happy with it, which makes me glad. Other unexpected consequences: She likes it so much she's been showing it to everyone that will give her 30 seconds, whether they know her or not! And it got some serious mileage on her facebook page, lots of folks liked it, even though she only posted a far away photo of it on the kitchen counter! YinTx

Makes perfect sense, I like the method. YinTx

I have always kind of wondered what that basket stamp would look like. I think I kind of like it. Do you have to rotate the tool each time you hit it to get the look? The pattern it leaves on the back is pretty nifty too. I like how it came out. What did you use to antique it - acrylic or paste? YinTx

Thank you. It was made as a gift for someone else. I just used Fiebings paste antique, followed up with Tan Kote, then Resolene. It is not originally my pattern, I slightly modified a Chan Geer pattern I have. Thank you both. Stitching isn't perfect, I was getting tired (was nearly 11pm, had to be done for today) so it has a few errors as always. Just some judicious use of camera angles It was 532 thread. I have a couple of other wallets I just finished that the stitching isn't nearly so good, so the photos didn't make the final cut. Every brand of thread I have lays differently. Every size and brand of stitching/pricking iron I have leaves a different look to the stitch. Even when I use a different awl blade, the stitch comes out differently. Really have to just decide what I want a particular piece to look like, and select my thread/iron/awl combination from that. Thank you. Thank you! Thanks! Firewalker, Thank you for the compliment and suggestions. Corners are hit and miss for me, sometimes I get em just right, other times complete failure. Of course, once done, I have to decide whether to keep it or add it to the growing pile in the scrap bin. This was the smallest lettering I had done to date, and the thinnest leather I'd tooled to date, so I agree, a bit choppy around the lettering. I use a casing solution of my own creation. I think in this case, the leather was probably still not quite dry enough to tool (and I need more practice, practice, practice...). Inside flap I had seen before, and I liked it, so I put it in my memory bank for later use. YinTx Battlemunky, how does a wallet feel with that much thickness to it? Once folded, this wallet would have 7 layers inside, and 2 layers from the outside. So using 3 oz interior and 8 oz exterior would be 21 oz plus 16 oz for a wallet of 37 oz thickness, or over 1/2" thick without the cash or cards. I would like to go thicker with the leather, but this has held me back... YinTx

Yeah, I'm not seeing any detrimental errors. Looks quite good to me! YinTx

I opted to keep it simple this time around, and not lined. I will make another and line it to see how it comes out. Until then, the final version can be seen here: YinTx

Finally finished the Sheridan style wallet I had carved a while back. Think it came out ok, but overall some things I'd change for next time, like using thicker leather. The interior was like 1 oz, the exterior I think was 3 oz or so. Juane Fil Au Chinois Lin Cable thread. Let me know what you all think of the end result! YinTx

Your sheaths and knives keep getting better and better. Kudos! YinTx

I generally like high contrast stitching, but you are right, this does draw the eye away from the tooling. But, it is really good stitching, and makes a nice frame for the tooling, so that helps. A beige thread to match the leather color might have been better in this regard. Perhaps with time the white will be less vibrant. I still really like the entire package tho. YinTx

I like it, I am making some with a similar design right now. Only difference is one set of pockets has an additional slot behind, and I slightly rounded the corners. What kind of leather is that? YinTx

Outstanding first effort, great design! That for sure will get a lot of use. Look forward to seeing what you come up with next! YinTx

Hahaha, that is awesome. I always end up snagging some unsuspecting passerby and ask them to "kindly hold this for a second while I do something" then proceed to stitch for 30 minutes or as long as the arm strength and willpower of said passerby lasts. And thanks to the rest of you for finally coming to my rescue. Those are the lil contraptions I was looking for. YinTx

I think so. I have a bottle of it, I used some in my casing solution...seemed to work ok. YinTx

The other one I saw was metal, and smaller. Doesn't look complicated, then again neither does the regular stitching clam. YinTx

Ok, this is the closest thing I've found. Apparently they are called loop clams, they fit inside your regular saddler's clam. I know there are better photos out there, but they are eluding me just now. If anyone else has a pair or remembers the thread, help a guy out, lol. YinTx

Someone on here had an example they were using just last month or so, and showed an up close photo of it, but for the life of me I can't remember who or where or what topic it was under. If I come across it, I'll cross post it to here so you can see. YinTx

These look really good. Proof is in the puddin, as they say though. When you start using it in earnest, you'll decide on design changes. I know it's not quite finished, but one thing I see that could become an issue is the points on your decorative wood catching your thread as you stitch. You have no idea how annoying getting my thread looped around something when I am in my stitching kata zone is. Not to mention it jacks up the tension, and you have to pull out a few stitches back to get everything back to rights again. Same might be said for the clam closing mechanism. Lot of folks frustrated with the inexpensive versions with a bolt and a wing nut, hanging up the thread as they stitch along. For me, the strap on the inside of clams always limits the size of item you can stitch. Same with the size and shape of the clam. So really depends on what you are making, as to what kind/shape/style of clam will be most useful for you. Me, I need a tiny attachment now so I can do watch straps. No way I can do them on my saddler's horse! Just food for thought as you go through with your progressive engineering. Your clams are really nice, and I think you might find an audience here that would be interested in purchasing if you set your price right and your quality is right along with the design. YinTx

That's a lot of work in there! and you drew the pattern? and hand stitched? Nice! Do you have a close up of the concho accent so we can see the floral design? YinTx

MillieB, Thank you so much! My favorite part of it too! YinTx

If the Hyper Blue is the color you are looking for, then buckle guy has a lower price by $1.76. If you want a selection of just a certain shade of blue along the spectrum, Pacific Trimming has the selection. Also, they both sell a dye-able version that you can dye yourself for just the color you want. Either way, hope these get you what you are looking for! These are the zip styles as shown on Pacific Trimming: YinTx

If my foggy memory serves correctly, I got a double ended zipper from pacific trimming...was a nice Riri also. They have all kinds of colors I think... and there is a layout of the different sizes for comparison, which was nice. https://www.pacifictrimming.com/zippers-7/riri-zipper/m6.html YinTx

Crashresq, Thank you for that! Glad to hear I have inspired someone as well. Generally I'm looking around the sites for inspiration and motivation, hadn't expected that my works would be motivating others already! YinTx

What exactly is navy silver? Most of the "sizing" I have seen starts with an M, as in M8, so do you mean 5" to 10", or do you mean an M5 to M10? Those are entirely different things, wouldn't think they are interchangeable. I have and use YKK(Excella nickel) and Riri, they both make a polished tooth zipper that runs very smooth and looks very nice. They are a bit expensive, but since they will be on a product I make for many years, I think the cost balance of penny a day is worth it. I have bought from zipperstop, buckleguy, and others. YinTx

What is the range of weights that you have used, and for items like book covers, wallets, etc, what would you recommend? YinTx