Tugadude

Beautiful bag. What reason did she give? My youngest turned down a tote I made for her but it was for a good reason I guess, she is a tiny thing and she said it was just too heavy for her. I made it out of 5-7 oz. buffalo, thinking it would be a "last forever" bag, but it just didn't do it for her.

Someone posted about this similar issue just the other day. They wanted to somehow make their machine stitching look closer to saddle stitching. Apparently the main issue is the backside appearance. I will say that some of the machine-stitched leather articles I've seen leave a lot to be desired when it comes to the bottom stitching. I do not use a machine so I cannot follow some of the technical stuff, but hopefully others who do have machines can help.

The all wooden item is a creaser/burnisher. C.S. Osborne made a model 20C. I use something similar on tops of card pockets and it creases and burnishes in one step to my satisfaction.

Chuck, I'm glad you mentioned that. I also stick something into the holes to keep them aligned. In my case, I use the wide needles used for lacing. They are tapered and fit snug enough to keep the holes lined up but they don't distort the holes, making them bigger.

Another way to do thick leather is to use your chisel on the layers individually and then line them up. It can be done, I've done it. Nigel Armitage shows how in one of his videos. Otherwise, proceed as recommended above, it works too. https://youtu.be/lCFTDqQaEIc

Like anything else, when you aren't looking for it you see it everywhere but when you want to find it, not so much. I did find an etsy store selling them. I seem to remember Buckleguy.com having them but I don't see them listed anymore. You might contact Buckleguy.com and inquire. I seem to remember they weren't this expensive. I've seen all sorts of descriptions such as harness buckles, cinch buckles, etc. https://www.etsy.com/listing/622909024/solid-brass-cinch-belt-buckle-125-50-mm

I went to the Etsy store and there are some awesome photos of tools, but no real listing of what you offer nor pricing. Not that I could find. I'd be interested in seeing a list of what you sell along with costs please.

Impressive and attractive tools.

Don't forget that Tokonole is available in colors also. Never tried it, but the concept seems solid.

Happy for your friend! And good on you for memorializing the struggle.

The great thing is that not only does he show the irons, he demonstrates how they function and then how the finished qualities appear, often with varying sizes of thread.

Fred is right on. I try to stay with a length of about 6 feet or less. If it is a small project, I use 4X the length to be stitched. If you use white thread or another light color, it can become dirty or dingy-looking due to the friction of going through so many holes. And as Fred pointed out, the wax gets rubbed off so you can remedy that by waxing as your go. Always plan on some waste. Thread is cheap enough that you are better throwing a few feet in the bin versus running short and having a join in a bad location.

Very smart work. We'd appreciate knowing a bit about your stitching technique. That is very fine stitching.

Also check Nigel Armitage's reviews. He discusses those irons and SPI, size of thread, etc.. Look it up on youtube.

Awesome!

Well that bag is a great advertisement for those irons then. I also sometimes use wider spacing on the inside of turned bags to save time. I think 4mm might be the limit though. Maybe 5mm would work, but it might not give good results on thin leathers. I'll have to try that thread sometime. I've mainly used polyester. thanks for the info!

BTW, I was meaning to ask what your process is for handstitching. Do you use chisels to make the holes or do you use a pricking iron and awl? If you use chisels, what type if I may ask? it looks quite nice!

Thanks for sharing that fascinating book. I love stuff like that! My father was a farmer and told me about some of the things he built on the farm and I was amazed. Brings back memories.

Zuludog, I own two sets of the Tandy Craftool Pro Fine Diamond Chisels and I really like them. I have not polished them at all and they still function fine for the stuff I do. I wish the angle of the teeth was closer to 45 degrees, but it still provides a nice stitch. The 3.5mm is my preference of the two sets. The other set is 2.5mm and is great for fine work such as card wallets and such. If I took the time to polish them, I'm sure it would help, but I use a block of wood to help pull them out and dip them in beeswax when needed. For the money (and they are on sale now, I think) you can't go wrong. Here's an old thread I started on the irons.

I like it, but I have to admit the first thing that struck me was the use of 3 different fonts. I'm not sure it I like that or not. The other thing is the fact that Rustic and Rawhide don't take advantage of the "double-R'. I can see that somehow in a maker's mark that looks like a branding iron.

Welcome to the forum. I sympathize with your affliction! Actually, my bug has worn off a bit, but I'm just a hobbyist and it isn't my only hobby. You will find lots of helpful folks here and I recommend you go to the beginners section of the forum. There you will find some "sticky" threads that pertain to things such as burnishing edges, etc. which are very helpful. There are also lots of threads that discuss where to buy tools, what to buy, etc. When in doubt, ask. That's what a forum is for. As far as skills, one of the biggest things you can do in my opinion is to learn a proper saddle stitch. For that, there are lots of threads you can read. There are also some great videos by people such as Nigel Armitage and Ian Atkinson on youtube. They are great teachers. Learn to do it right before you pick up bad habits. The proper thread and needles helps as well. Both Nigel and Ian discuss that. Nigel also reviews both pricking irons and stitching chisels. I recommend learning how to use both, but especially as a beginner, the stitching chisels will be your friend. You can attain a very good looking stitch rather quickly by investing in a decent chisel. Nigel reviews cheap ones and high-end ones. I'd go with the Seiwa or similar to begin with. After you know what you want, you can then invest in a set or sets that suit your needs. Some of it will depend upon what types of projects you do. Good luck!

What's not to like? It looks great. I like the edge creases, adds a lot to the appeal in my opinion. The color is great, the burnishing is great too. This is a minor thing, but I do think the corners where the stitching changes direction could be improved by making the hole in the corner a round one. Nigel Armitage demonstrates it in one of his videos. Having a round hole there allows it to act as a "hinge" and the result is a square transitiion rather than a more rounded look. That is a minor quibble, but you asked and I do think it adds something to the finished look. The other thing is the thread. I think it is maybe one size too small for the holes. The holes are somewhat prominent in comparison. Did you tap them down at all? As you know that can help a bit. Obviously my comments are based upon my aesthetic tastes and you might see it differently. Like I said, it looks great. Perhaps there is room to be even greater?

Interesting that the video shows Allen screws, while the advertisement shows slotted screws. I appreciate you sharing both the ad and the review. Of all the irons I've seen, these appear to have a lot going for them.

Yes, very nice work. My comment is related to Fred's. What happens if or more likely when a bell gets loose and falls off? Nothing lasts forever. So you need to be able to get to the back of it in order to replace it. I'm sure you could somehow attempt to do it from the front, but it wouldn't be the same. Just a thought.

Based on what I've seen on Nigel's videos and his written reviews on his website, I think if I were to buy a new set of irons for watch straps and other fine work, I'd go with the Kevin Lee 10 SPI French Pricking Irons. They look amazing, work great and would suit your purposes quite well I think.