MADMAX22

Ive had good luck with grizzly. Its still imported stuff but much better then harbor freight but also more expensive. I have a dust collector and a 12" disk sander that have been going strong for about 6 years now.

Yep thats understandable. I guess I kind of didnt follow exactly what the OP was really asking for. The sales men/ladies at WC have there own extensions and will transfer you to the person you want or if they are gone will pull up your account which has the details from your previous orders (even if its been a while) which ofcourse you have a handle on.

I guess I dont really understand what you are really asking for. Are you asking for prices that are not listed on there website (bulk orders)? If so then your well beyond the "craftsman" type of business. There prices listed on the website are fair prices compared to any of the standard retailers. HO is a little better pricing if you order there quantities however WC will split a single side down and send it your way if thats what you want. If your asking for advice on what leather to use for a specific job/project then I think that would be a question better suited to the forums here so that you can get input from those who make things all day long as there primary/secondary job. WC like HO has a limited selection (harness/bridle/tooling/latigo....) and pretty much all of these can be split down and back side refinished. Just remember the splitting usually gets in line with current orders so could take a little longer to process your order. Still they have always been within 2 weeks for my orders which is fine considering it has to ship across the country.

Have you talked to them? So ya go on a forum to ask others about there "opinion" on the knowledge of a sales person? Everyone is different. Some guys that order leather probably think they know more then the guy that has worked at a tannery his whole life, others may barely know what veg tan is. I personally think you should just call and place a order if you want. There advertised prices are less then any other retail price. If you have the cash to place a large order then you should be calling and arranging the price and shipping anyway. I have personally dealt with atleast 2 of the 4 listed sales ladies/men and Matt. I called, told them the 4-6 different hides in what thickness I wanted, gave them my info, got leather within 2 weeks. Oh and the leather is always much better then any retailer I have tried.

Two comments that usually dont go together - "I am fed up with cutting leather" "I am a leatherworker/craftsman"

I agree with Colt that a tree log on end basically acts like a good solid one piece cutting board. The end grain of the wood will not fight the tool (like a board on its side does), its very solid for a cutting surface, and renewable by cutting a thin layer off the top.

Think Ive worked with most of them, not a issue with any of them. I usually know exactly what I am ordering ahead of time so there isnt much conversating. Tell them what I want, give them my info and wait for delivery. Anyone of the sales staff have readily answered the few questions I have had on that rare occasion.

I use a pricking wheel and awl when hand stitching, one of these days I may try the pricking irons just havnt had a use for them yet. Guess they help with the awl stabbing. My word of advice is get a awl and look up some of the sharpening videos on them. Having a sharp awl is key. Armitage has a decent video of sharpening them. Once you get an awl that will punch thru a couple layers of 8oz vegtan with relative ease it will make sewing things much easier. It also allows you to concentrate on your stitching instead of fighting your awl and getting frustrated with the results. Using a awl for stitching and lacing will significantly improve how your stitching/lacing looks on your projects over punching holes IMHO.

Not to mention if you honestly charged by the hour as you got progressively more efficient at your process you would actually make less then when you started. Now if you charge the same amount as when you started then I guess you would make more money but you wouldn't really be charging by the hour anymore.

Thanks, I read about that and was considering it. The original ones are bronze I think, could be brass also. Not sure what I will go with, need to do something it tracks very well and is a nice size for cutting patterns and what not.

Nicely done. What materials are you trying out for the heads? By the way is that an old Atlas bandsaw ya got there? I have one of the smaller 10" or 12" (cant remember) that I replaced bearings on, just need to mount my motor and replace the blade guide inserts.

That looks great, looks like just the key for doing the job. Did you have it made local or have a contact for someone that can make them. Thanks.

Dont have no info on it but did see this on CL kind of in my area. http://nanaimo.craigslist.ca/atq/5690728062.html

Looks great. Also finishing the top of the bag IMHO is so much better then the ones you see that are just the thin raw edge. Just looks so flimsy and unfinished.

I have not tried any of those horse fronts yet, what is the overall temper on them, they look like a nice weight but wasn't sure of the temper and mold ability.

springfield use to have them but have not scene them on there lately. Mavericks is about the same price. I didnt care for the chromexal butts as they tended to split very easily when trying to get it to bend. The standard vegtan ones are pretty nice, still require care in molding but you can actually do it with the straight vegtan. The straight veg ones I like because they show nice "character" with use, edges polish up easily, and its a dense tough leather. It is a pain to evenly dye and the thickness can vary quiet a bit. The chromexel is nowhere near cordovan just in case anyone has any misconception as far as the "butts" go although you will see people list them as upper cordovan. Ive got a wallet prototype that I made for myself out of the veg horse. Looks good just gonna take a long time to break in and will last my lifetime.

Now that is a real nice setup you made.

Do you have a double stack your going to use to mold it to or are you just using a pattern for a general size and calling it good? If you can make a single stack then "learn" the process for making your double stack. Its the exact same principle just make it deeper.

What is the setup for the feed dog and presser feet that you use for those. Looks good.

I dont do edge paint myself but if you burn the dauber some it will get rid of the fuzz and make it more controllable. I use those 1" foam brushes that you can get at hardware stores. Harbor freight has them very cheap and Ill grab a 100 or so when I am down that direction. They do pretty good for dying as well.

Usually the antique is part of the last step after oiling and sealing but before stitching otherwise your stitches will get full of it. May be doable with black thread and a horse hide brush or similar to clean it out.

What kind of knife are you using? Straight cuts are achievable or atleast pretty darn close. Sand paper wont give you a straight edge unless you have a good sanding block and you still run into the same issue of keeping it straight to the edge. With my round knife I can get a good straight edge, with one of those box cutters I personally cant control it worth nothing unless its very thin leather.

About the best place to learn IMHO. Welcome to the site. I am from the wet side of WA.

What thickness leather is it? I have rewetted leather for tooling during the process because some of the projects you just cant finish in time, its usually not a big deal. I dont notice any problems with it. Just dont over wet it, damp sponge usually works well for this. It could not be cased properly but it also looks like the typical tandy leather that has that rough hard skin side that just doesnt take tooling very well. I remember the first time I switched over to some good leather and the ability for it to hold impressions was like night and day. Not saying that hide isnt good to practice on. I would start trying to do simple patterns at first though.

I am not the best at critiquing tooling and I know it just takes alot of practice. That piece looks fine, the leather looks pretty rough and I am sure is contributing to not taking the stamped image as well for things like the pear shaders. I would keep practicing on that stuff for now trying to finish the pieces so you get the kinks worked out of the whole process then try and get a nice shoulder or side of leather like wickett and craig, hermann oak, RJF leather. Something that will tool so much nicer.