Thor

I'm sorry, I may not really understand what you're trying to say. Did you mark the stitch lines before molding the holster? Is that what your saying? If so, that's the wrong order.

I was wondering if someone ever tried something like this for table for tooling. Of course using a granite or marble slab instead of the wooden top. I'm wondering if that would work at all.

At first... it looks good and if it serves your purpose, it is good! Now to help you improve... get a bag punch or make one big enough for the slots. It makes those slots a lot nicer and you don't run the risk to cut into the surface as you did here. For the time being, always cut from the edges towards the center and don't go all the length. Your leather was too wet when you stamped it. Then, I just found that out myself recently, place your leather in the fridge for at least an hour before stamping if it's of poor density like this one. Bellies are always a little - well not my first choice. However, it really improves it. A small piece like this, I would dye in two stages. Insides first, then glue the sides together, cut the slots and make the stitching holes and finally dye the outsides. This way all your stitching holes and the slots are dyed and don't show the natural tone. Unless you are going to cut and bevel the stamping area (this is what I would do) I would very gently mark the area with an awl to get the borders and the distances to the edges right. At last some well sanded and burnished edges would be great. I hope this helps you a bit, but you're on a good way already. Keep up the good work!

I stopped ordering with Alibaba or Aliexpress, same company, because I ended up having to deal with too many disputes. One vendor claimed to have an item shipped, but provided a faked tracking number, another one marked it shipped, but it never arrived and so on. Further the support there is kind, but very incompetent. It's too much stress to deal with them. Even though it's tempting to save some money, the stress you may have if something goes wrong isn't worth it. If it come to machinery I usually contact the Sieck company in Germany first. Prices are fair and the service is great. Here are some Skivers http://www.sieck.de/en/machines/skiving/leather-goods-and-automotive-interieur/ Don't know about the shipping rates though.

Johanna, a few things I'm missing. Not necessarily needed - I just wanted to mention it for your "nice to have" list. If I click a link it would be nice if it would take me to the newest entry all the time. Links posted in the chat room aren't always an active hyperlink. Looks like that feature is lost when some text is added in the same line. It's kinda annoying if I get an email each time someone writes a reply to a topic I follow. Almost tempting me to update my spam filter. This option isn't activated or changeable in the settings area. Buttons for "go to top" and "go to bottom" would be nice. Of course one can use Pos1 and End keys, but that isn't really available on mobile devices. In an "unread list" it would be nice if only the last topic entry would be displayed and not each entry for that individual topic. It can be pretty extensive with the odd topic. Hope this feedback helps.

Kidskin usually refers to baby goat or baby sheep skins. So from animals not older than 6 or up to 12 months. That's the reason why it's called kidskin. I'm pretty sure terms are mixed up at times. One reason why I bought a trade specific dictionary.

Pure jealousy here. I'd like to be able to make a saddle like this. It's still quite a ways to go for me to be able to.

Using search terms like calligraphy or fancy letters etc should return the results you're looking for. I'm having some fancy ones in one of my Pinterest boards. You can find tons of fancy letters on Pinterest and arrange them with any graphic program.

A friend of mine does that for edge paint, but not for dye.

This looks very nice!

If I'm dying edges at all I'm using a damp high density sponge.

For it being just a hobby you are making some really nice stuff I think some professionals don't make as nice.

Yes, it looks like you added a zero too many all around. I always use a graphic program and size it to my needs.

Sandra, are you sure about the measurements?

Johanna, is there a chance to have a toggle option for the sidebar (status updates, recent topics...)?

Try any of these links: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/557461260106972363/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/557461260105912895/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/557461260106033907/ They are all dealing with that style. I believe I'm having even more of those on my Pinterest boards.

Congrats and thank you Johanna and gang, this is working much smoother than the old software. I'm liking it a lot and I hope others enjoy and acknowledge the work you did put into this. Of course there are things one has to get used to again, but this software seems to be much better. Thumbs up!

Just to confuse you a bit more... Doeskin can be made from the hide of the female deer as Birdman states, but can also be from a lamb or sheep and is mostly used for gloves, but the term can also stand for a heavy smooth satin-weave or twill-weave cloth.

I'm liking it a lot, too. That was a really good job!

Haven't had any good and remaining results burnishing goat skin. I ended up using a soldering iron and if that's not an option I'm folding it inwards.

Who recommended rubbing with alcohol? Oiling it prior to dyeing is something that is recommended at times. I never clean leather with alcohol. If at all I use oxalic acid. Anyhow you will have to use darker dye now as you can't get this out again. I'd use dark brown around the flowers and leaves, making it a two tone color and also promoting your tooling better. Besides, nice job on the tooling.

I really like your logo.

LOL you're right and I never paid attention to that either, but than again this was the time when they all had endless ammunition in their volts ;-) If you want to make the holster as well you might like to have this link as well https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/6314459_lorne-greene-gunbeltquickdraw-rig-from-bonanza If I can figure it out how it's been done correctly - the collar - I'll let you know.

Had to search pretty hard to find it, cause the collar is usually covered by the collar of his shirt, but I'm positive that the collar goes all around now. Check these pictures please: https://autrylibraries.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dortort-greene-88-1.jpg http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/the-colonel-episode-15-pictured-john-larkin-as-col-frank-medford-as-picture-id145136457 They are too large to post them here. Obviously the collar is part of the left and right as well as of the back element and then stitched together. That must be the reason why it looks like it's tucked in at the shoulders. If you manage to get it done I'd like to see the result