Tugadude

I just remembered this video. Ian Atkinson puts out some wonderful content. Might be of some help. There are also other people on youtube that list their suggestions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTfMRaVyCd4

Nice job! And since the outside is brown it makes sense.

Is the exterior the dark brown? If so, I could see it. If it isn't, then to me it is going to seem out of place. In general, I have no problem with two-tone wallets.

Regarding a mallet, you can get by with a cheap one to begin with from Harbor Freight or similar. I purchased one of those hammers that features both rubber and plastic faces, it actually has two different striking surfaces and interchangeable heads. Cost me under $10.00 and it is fine for most of what I do. If you decide to begin stamping, then you'll want a real leatherworker's mallet for best results.

You've gotten some good advice in the last two posts. I would add to the list a carpenter's square. You can find small, metal squares in the hardware store cheap. They are good for checking for squareness and also as a straight edge for cutting. You may already own one and if so, bonus! There are a number of basic tools that can be helpful in leatherwork.

Your list looks pretty good. I will respond in greater detail tomorrow.

Welcome to the forum! If you look, you'll find some posts where folks have compiled lists of what they think are some good "starters". Here's an example, there's dozens more... My advice is to not go overboard and buy things which you'll end up not needing. The list of basic tools for leatherwork can be very short in order to get by until you encounter specific needs. You'll want a sharp knife (a cheap razor knife with snap-off blades is fine to begin with) I assume you'll be sewing by hand? Invest in some diamond stitching chisels and then go watch some videos from Nigel Armitage on youtube. He'll show you the basics and if you pay close attention and practice, you'll be surprised at your results. I recently bought these irons and I really like them. https://www.springfieldleather.com/Craftmaster-3mm-Diamond-Point-Stitching-Chisel Springfield also sells some nice thread called Rhino Thread at a very affordable price. It will probably work better with the 4mm version of the irons I linked above. For needles, John James Harness Needles are the type to get. They come in various sizes to suit the size of hole and size of thread you'll be using. The basic idea is to have a thread big enough to fill the hole but not so big that it looks "chunky". Narrow thread in large holes looks just as bad. So choose appropriately. You'll want a cutting surface. A cheap chopping block made from PTFE is a good start. You can find cheap ones in department stores. A hand burnisher is important for creating attractive edges. Some burnish with plain water, others like gum tragacanth, some prefer saddle soap and still others use Tokonole. If you are into carving and stamping, there are lots of threads here that discuss them. Look around the forum. Like I said, there are dozens of threads pertaining to your question. Might take a minute, but you'll learn a lot in the process.

Merry Christmas to all!

I echo the sentiments here. Even with all the fuss, I learned I am to be a grandpa in 2021, so that made my year! Merry Christmas to one and all. And to all the believers, remember on this day the greatest gift you will ever have received.

Landry, welcome to the forum! By the way, I also have a large collection of playing cards, so we have two things in common. Check out this thread, it is chock-full of good advice on finishing edges: I have a number of methods and I choose the one that makes sense for what I'm doing. For example, for the tops of card pockets in wallets I use Gum Tragacanth and a wooden hand burnisher. But when it comes to the edges of the wallet itself I will change it up and use sandpaper followed by the wooden burnisher and sometimes will finish it all with some beeswax. There are as many ways to do edges as leatherworkers probably. You can raise it to the level of art or you can be satisfied with a "workmanlike" level of finish. Some even go for raw, unfinished edges. So there's a lot of variety. This example always blows me away.

That is a very tasteful design and it came out great. I like the way the front and back taper in line with the handles. Nice detail. I also would like a copy of the pattern if possible.

I've visited Springfield Leather and seen some of the operation "in the back", in other words, where they fabricate leather products for sale. When I began buying from them they didn't offer as many finished retail items as they do now. On a recent trip I noticed literally dozens of different items that they were offering, from wallets and key fobs all the way up to leather journal covers and such. All of this to say that they cut a lot of leather. If, in their experience they say one thing works better than another, I'll take their word for it. That doesn't mean that others cannot have different experiences, but again, with the volume of work they churn out they have to know what works, at least for them. Just because a material is soft doesn't mean it cannot be harmful to tools. You mention drag. Perhaps the rubber in Poundo Boards has some material in it which is abrasive? That wouldn't change the softness of the rubber but it would certainly affect cutting edges. I use HDPE for both punching and cutting. I keep them separate, one for each process. When they get ruined, I throw them out and replace. They're cheap. Cheaper still if you want to invest in a large piece and cut to size. Don't know if that helps but that's the way I see it.

Everyone has different tastes to be sure, but in my opinion that wallet is way too thick. There is no need for pockets to be any more than 2 oz. or so in my opinion. I typically use 4 oz. for the outside and 2 oz. for the interior. The other thing you can do is skive the perimeter of the pockets to remove some bulk. Many do that even with thinner leathers. By the time you fill that wallet with cash and cards it is going to be pushing an inch thick.

I agree with this suggestion. In addition to looking consistent, it helps to "fill the gap" between the stitching and the edge, making the stitching appear to be closer to the edge than it actually is.

I would say that 6mm is way too large for anything I typically do. I did purchase a set of 4mm Tandy Craftool Irons, which are actually wider than they sound. I used them on the inside of a turned bag project. It was a leather duffel bag and I didn't want to use too fine of SPI. It worked fine, but I would never go any bigger personally.

Good old practice works wonders. I've seen videos where people get excellent results from mediocre tools.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing your experience.

Which irons are you using? How many teeth? I agree that a soft piece of leather under your work might cause the lines to skew because of unwanted movement.

One thing I've learned is that if you expect to find the answers to any conceivable question or situation on a company's website, you will likely be disappointed. There are always going to be situations where you just have to pick up the phone or email the company for better answers or to explain your requirements. The folks at Springfield Leather Co., and I'm sure most other providers are happy to hear from customers and find unique solutions to their needs.

Can't imagine any better. This will make someone happy for years to come.

I agree with the statement about comparing French style to diamond point irons. You are also correct that there has literally been an explosion of irons onto the market. Like any tool, there is no such thing as perfect, but there are enough irons on the market now that finding one "perfect" for an individual is more likely than ever before. The problem is the trial-and-error one must go through in order to find that style. There have been a number of threads here at the forum where folks were selling off sets of irons that they decided weren't up to their expectations. That is one reason I asked that a "sticky" thread be established as a resource for folks to hopefully narrow down their selection process. Some irons are nearly perfect for an individual and may require some extra polishing. That is no different from awl blades that are purchased and then sharpened and/or polished to a desired level by the purchaser. Certainly the more one pays, the less work is expected. A $90.00 individual iron should be ready to go out of the box. The bottom line is even novices can attain a high level of stitching with an adequate tool and some proper instruction. It isn't brain surgery, it is making some slits and inserting some thread. I stumbled and bumbled my way through trying to learn the saddle stitch before I found a video from Nigel Armitage that unlocked the secrets for me. It allowed me to make a functional and aesthetically-pleasing stitch that was repeatable. I will forever be in his debt. That is one reason why I recommend his videos highly.

It isn't often that the actual product looks better than the advertising photos, but I feel that is the case with the new irons SLC is stocking. I have no doubt that they aren't "new" in reality, but they are new to SLC. They are highly polished and they pull nicely from the leather. I tested them on two layers of 4 oz. and they came back out with little friction. I'm not suggesting that these compare in quality to Crimson Hides, Kevin Lee or KS Blade. What I am saying is that they are very nice and cost a fraction of the price. Time will tell if they hold up. I am beginning a larger project soon and that will test them. This is some scrap with some stitching lines for comparison. Also, notice the small (relatively) holes made by the SLC 3.0 irons.

Nigel demonstrates the irons so the proof is in the pudding as they say. If they're rubbish, the work will reflect that.

Nice job, looks very smart.

I also suggest checking out the following thread for more info. Nigel Armitage has reviewed both of the irons that you are considering, I believe, so check out his videos on them if you haven't.