Tugadude

Karl, I agree the front looks pretty good! It helps us to know what your process is. By looking at it, it appears you are using an awl to make the holes, is that correct? Are you using a spacing wheel or a pricking iron? Your holes appear to me to be a little past 45 degrees, which is a good angle. If they are too vertical, it will hamper the result. Billybopp has some good suggestions to help the matter. You can also review Nigel Armitages youtube videos on saddle stitching for pointers. If you are interested in stitching chisels, there is a thread created under the tab "Sewing Leather" that might be helpful.

Nice, but you might consider making the base paths a shade of brown in order to contrast with the uniform sleeve.

Looks great and surely it will last a long, long time. Is it designed to just hang?

I also really like it. I agree with billybopp, easy enough to put a pocket on the outside and then stitch all the way through to the inside pocket. Even if it is only a flat piece of leather to put a cell phone in, etc. Can't wait to see the next one!

Nigel Armitage put out a video on how he prepares awls. Might be helpful.

I'm no expert but they look great to me! Nice variety of handles.

https://www.rmleathersupply.com/collections/other-tools?page=2

Make sure to roughen the leather some. There are different kinds of bonds and when a surface is roughened it helps to attain a "mechanical" bond.

"Well, there was a time people did this stuff by hand so I figured why not?!?!" I love that! I'm told that my "forefathers" were shoe makers in Germany (actually Prussia at the time). What I wouldn't give to see a sample of their work!

Nothing controversial in my opinion. I offered a differing view and did so respectfully, I thought. We are rapidly becoming a world where any disagreement is viewed as an attack. We used to be able to agree to disagree. Oh well, maybe the pendulum will swing the other way.

Quoted from above: "So when talking about Made in the USA... When needles, thread and especially sewing machines (with other words main components of the fabrication process) come from foreign countries like Japan, Korea, China or Germany - is the product still "Made in the USA" to the FTC standards?" Here's the answer... U.S. content must be disclosed on automobiles and textile, wool, and fur products. There’s no law that requires most other products sold in the U.S. to be marked or labeled Made in USA or have any other disclosure about their amount of U.S. content. However, manufacturers and marketers who choose to make claims about the amount of U.S. content in their products must comply with the FTC’s Made in USA policy.

Also, I'm sorry if I started out my last post a little on the defensive. It is just that I felt that my original post was being characterized in a way that I didn't intend it. If you go back and re-read it, I didn't say anyone was wrong, I said "not strictly true" and I stand by the statement. Try making a product in another country, whatever its name and then shipping it to the U.S. with an American-Made label and it won't get unloaded, that's all I'm saying. Unless it is truly made in the U.S. or a country that has been given the authority to do so by the FTC.

I was absolutely not being USA-centric. Just stating my opinion, which is based upon facts and I expressed same. Here is some info from a government website. It supports much of what I said. This snippet is what I was referring to when I said "Coming to America" is generally understood to mean the U.S. A Made in USA claim can be express or implied. Examples of express claims: Made in USA. "Our products are American-made." "USA." In identifying implied claims, the Commission focuses on the overall impression of the advertising, label, or promotional material. Depending on the context, U.S. symbols or geographic references (for example, U.S. flags, outlines of U.S. maps, or references to U.S. locations of headquarters or factories) may convey a claim of U.S. origin either by themselves, or in conjunction with other phrases or images. So to me, this means if you call something American-Made, it is understood that you are implying it is Made in the USA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is charged with preventing deception and unfairness in the marketplace. The FTC Act gives the Commission the power to bring law enforcement actions against false or misleading claims that a product is of U.S. origin. Traditionally, the Commission has required that a product advertised as Made in USA be "all or virtually all" made in the U.S. After a comprehensive review of Made in USA and other U.S. origin claims in product advertising and labeling, the Commission announced in December 1997 that it would retain the "all or virtually all" standard. The Commission also issued an Enforcement Policy Statement on U.S. Origin Claims to provide guidance to marketers who want to make an unqualified Made in USA claim under the "all or virtually all" standard and those who want to make a qualified Made in USA claim. This publication provides additional guidance about how to comply with the "all or virtually all" standard. It also offers some general information about the U.S. Customs Service’s requirement that all products of foreign origin imported into the U.S. be marked with the name of the country of origin. This publication is the Federal Trade Commission staff’s view of the law’s requirements. It is not binding on the Commission. The Enforcement Policy Statement issued by the FTC is at the end of the publication. BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT MADE IN USA CLAIMS Must U.S. content be disclosed on products sold in the U.S.? U.S. content must be disclosed on automobiles and textile, wool, and fur products. There’s no law that requires most other products sold in the U.S. to be marked or labeled Made in USA or have any other disclosure about their amount of U.S. content. However, manufacturers and marketers who choose to make claims about the amount of U.S. content in their products must comply with the FTC’s Made in USA policy. What products does the FTC’s Made in USA policy apply to? The policy applies to all products advertised or sold in the U.S., except for those specifically subject to country-of-origin labeling by other laws. Other countries may have their own country-of-origin marking requirements. As a result, exporters should determine whether the country to which they are exporting imposes such requirements. What kinds of claims does the Enforcement Policy Statement apply to? The Enforcement Policy Statement applies to U.S. origin claims that appear on products and labeling, advertising, and other promotional materials. It also applies to all other forms of marketing, including marketing through digital or electronic mechanisms, such as Internet or e-mail. A Made in USA claim can be express or implied. Examples of express claims: Made in USA. "Our products are American-made." "USA." In identifying implied claims, the Commission focuses on the overall impression of the advertising, label, or promotional material. Depending on the context, U.S. symbols or geographic references (for example, U.S. flags, outlines of U.S. maps, or references to U.S. locations of headquarters or factories) may convey a claim of U.S. origin either by themselves, or in conjunction with other phrases or images. Example: A company promotes its product in an ad that features a manager describing the "true American quality" of the work produced at the company’s American factory. Although there is no express representation that the company’s product is made in the U.S., the overall — or net — impression the ad is likely to convey to consumers is that the product is of U.S. origin.

I don't think this is strictly true. The part about South America listing something as "American Made". If they began doing that, I'm certain that the Federal Trade Commission would intervene. I did a google search for 'Made in America' and everything that came up that I read leads to this conclusion. In fact, most of the time it is explicitly stated or strongly implied that 'Made in America' is equal to 'Made in the U.S.'. If a country such as Brazil tried to export product to the U.S. that had labels that read 'Made in America', they would be refused at the port. The 1988 movie 'Coming to America' starring Eddie Murphy meant the U.S. The Neil Diamond song of the same name wasn't talking about Colombia. It is generally understood when you say America, you mean the U.S.A. Perhaps South American or Central American countries could label their product 'Made in America' and ship to Germany, but I doubt that too.

There has been quite the discussion about these. The design that many like is where the top of the metal piece flares outward, which makes putting the tape into the slot much easier.

I have no experience with any of this, but Fred's comments sound spot-on to me. There are times when I'll do a search to look at examples of leatherwork and invariably some examples from Etsy storefronts pop up. I click on them and visit their shop to look around. It is amazing to me how many shops have little-to-nothing going on. Very few products listed, very few sales. Obviously there are some doing well, but it makes me wonder about it all. I too would beware of something like this.

Sounds to me like the Ritza 20 would be perfect for those of us that don't need the ultimate strength of the 25. Would be nice for a dealer in the U.S. to stock it in multiple colors. I believe it would be ideal for wallets, watch straps, small bags, etc. If I were doing a nice briefcase that was going to hold a laptop and books, I'd probably stick with the 25.

I really like it. Very elegant appearance in keeping with fine writing instruments.

This might be of interest... https://www.tandyleather.com/media/downloads/CraftoolConversionChart.pdf If it doesn't open by clicking on it, simply copy and paste in your browser.

Did you post anything in the thread? If so you can find it by looking in 'Content I Posted In', under 'Activity.'

There are a number of sites where you can purchase the tool. Search for diamond stitching pliers or similar. They make straight ones for lacing, but you want diamond-shaped holes. https://www.etsy.com/listing/695007403/4mm-diamond-point-pricking-iron?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_a-craft_supplies_and_tools-tools_and_equipment-tools-pliers_tweezers_and_tongs-pliers&utm_custom1=f75226fa-04d6-4812-9ad1-4753905fdd43&utm_content=bing_352012663_1305120451828985_81570054685939_pla-4585169648612732:pla-4585169648612732_c__695007403&msclkid=677532845b381d4ce6df6cc90763e054

LiftPig, I suggested this "sticky" portion of the forum exactly for questions such as this. Nigel Armitage has a lot to say about the subject, but to find out the answer to your specific question you have to watch several videos so I'll give you what my opinion is. But I encourage you to watch his saddle stitching tutorials. They are fun to watch and you're going to learn how to do a proper saddle stitch in no time. If you are already proficient, you'll still pick up some tips. Here is the link, then I'll give my thoughts. So pre-punched holes, in my opinion are a huge asset to stitching and completing a project, but the type of hole is what makes all the difference. In my opinion, the kits you purchase and some templates, use round holes because they are easier for them to fabricate. Quick and easy. Unfortunately, the resulting stitching they contribute to is often lacking. Mostly because the holes are too big, the thread is too small and/or the practitioner doesn't understand needle priority because they haven't learned how to saddle stitch. The mechanics matter. The beauty of stitching chisels, to me, is that they create the "pre-punched" holes, but they do so in a configuration that lends itself to saddle stitching. In other words, most of them aren't round, but shaped more like a traditional saddler's awl and as such, produce a stitch that can appear as though it was done entirely with an awl. And it allows for beginners and intermediates to achieve a level of quality they otherwise could not. Not without months or even years of practice. The other thing to keep in mind, and Nigel Armitage talks about this in his post, is that what a lot of us do here is not saddles and tack, but rather small items such as wallets and bags. They don't demand the same attention to stitching because they don't weigh a ton and run 40 mph. I would never attempt to make a saddle but I'm extremely comfortable making a wallet or a briefcase. I do use an awl on certain portions of projects, but for long, straight runs of stitching it is hard to argue with a chisel. So those are my thoughts. I hope they help a little. In the end, when a project is complete you are supposed to see the stitching, not the holes. I don't see any way possible that you won't see 1.5mm holes after stitching and to me it just looks bad. YMMV.

I'm thinking that you can use that lathe if you were ever to want to fashion your own ink pens. Or handles for tools, awl hafts, etc. Nothing too heavy. As with everything, it probably is as much about the cutting tool as it is about the lathe.

I want to publicly thank the moderators at this forum for agreeing to post this as a "sticky" topic in the 'Sewing Leather' section of Leatherworker.net. I am glad that value was seen in it. For those that haven't found the thread, I urge you to go and read the post from Nigel Armitage. It was his videos that really hooked me on learning this craft. I am and will always be a hobbyist. But I am very proud of many of the things I've made and the process was helped along by watching videos from Nigel and others. If you don't know what the differences are between stitching chisels and pricking irons or their strengths and limitations, you owe it to yourself to read Nigel's comments. If you are looking to buy a set of either style of iron, you owe it to yourself to read Nigel's reviews and watch his videos. It will help you from making a mistake and buying something that ends up being something different from what you expected it to be. His written reviews are extremely detailed, down to what needles and what thread to use while his videos show the irons in action and the resulting stitching. Here's the link:

Like all of your work I've seen it is well thought out and well executed. What's not to love?