Tugadude

Springfield has single bends in buffalo that might suit your needs, check their website.

Stips would be easier with a cutting wheel and a straightedge. Use a straightedge with cork on the back to prevent slipping.

In the photo above, the picture flips when you click on it, so black is on left. The black one is the Tandy. I get so confused! They both have Pro in the name, should have compared model #.

I measured it at 6.5 SPI. The one on left is the Finesse from Springfield Leather.

I have the other iron from Tandy also, the 2mm in a 4 tooth and 2 tooth. They are very similar to the Craft Sha irons, I believe. I think they are pretty good, not as pretty as the one above, and chunkier, but I use them a lot. I will measure the SPI and let you know.

I bought the 10 tooth model #88055-10. Would have bought a two tooth to go with it, but they don't make one. I did a watch band recently and 9 SPI was the result. Here's a pic to show the marks. This is the smallest spacing and the teeth are very skinny. I used very fine thread in comparison to what I generally use. Results were decent though.

Thanks for the heads-up!

BTW, if in doubt, pick up the phone and call the folks down there. They are very friendly and helpful!

This works too.

They have this at Springfield Leather Co. Might work for you. What you are looking for is 2-3 oz. leather, closer to 2.5 oz.

Welcome! Be sure to check out the "How do I do that" forum for tips. When you want feedback, post a project on the critique forum. We're gentle and very supportive!

Cue the music, there's gonna be a showdown at the O.K. corral!

Looks good to me! I like the accent groove and the black edging, very sharp. Did you consider skiving the part that bends around the clasp? That will make your stitching easier and not affect the strength much. It looks pretty thick in that area.

I'll be interested in other opinions, but when leather is really thin and pliable, burnishing doesn't work. You need friction/heat and that is hard to generate when the edge is moving all over. If you want the best chance of success, a mechanical burnisher is worth a try. Lightly run the edge against the rotary tool and make sure the edge is moist first. If the leather is very thin, perhaps folding the edge over would be the best approach. This is commonly done on garment leathers which for obvious reasons don't lend themselves to burnishing.

Nice! Good contrast in color going on there, while starkly different they go together nicely.

Don't know if this muddies the water even more but Tandy has a conversion chart on their website where I found an old model 441, not preceded by a "D".

I don't think that is right. This is what D441 looks like, at least near as I can tell.

BTW, forgot to indicate that the verbiage above came from the Blanchard site. I'm taking no stance on whether there is a "need" for a left handed iron, just trying to be helpful!

Inverse irons (sometimes referred to as Portmanteau or reverse irons) have teeth running at the opposite angle to our regular irons. Normal Stitch Mark Direction: \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ Reverse Stitch Mark Direction: / / / / / / / / / You'll need reverse irons when punching through several layers is impractical such as with really thick leather or several layers of leather. Punch holes on the top side of your first layer and then use the reverse iron to punch on the face of the bottom layer. As long as you take care to match up the holes and you'll have a clean bottom side of the stitching to match your clean top side stitching. Reverse irons can also be used for an aesthetically to have stitches from different directions angle towards a center point.

Walt and Linda Sippel are the proprietors. Maybe they are members here, or you could ask them through their website. It could be a Hackbarth, some of those were similar.

He'll be thrilled, that is a beauty.

Good looking strap there! What is the backing material, felt?

They should just replace it for you. Good luck on your new hobby! P.S., if the blade came off because it is getting hung up in the leather, it needs to be sharpened most likely.

I think it looks just fine as-is. If it really bothers him, perhaps a little color can be massaged into the slit? Wouldn't close it up, but might help it to be less noticeable. My thinking is a sheath is for utility and is meant to pick up scars. Just a sign of use is all. I think you did a beautiful job on it!

Just for grins I looked up sources for lead online and found the attached information. Cheaper than I thought, less than $32.00 for a 6" diameter x 1" thick disc. Of course you have to pay shipping and it is heavy as lead!