Randy Cornelius

Boy this thread went down hill quick....

If you are dealing with Vegetable tan leather, yes you can use 100% pure vegetable oil or Olive oil to treat the leather. But soaking it will not necessarly make it etremely flexible. When replacing sturrip leathers I will soak the leathers before replacing them as it is very hard to oil them up where they go up through the tree. But after a good soaking they will be somewhat flexible but not like I think you are wanting. I have stopped using neatsfoot oil becasue of the issues with it being different from one manufacturer to another. I would suggest using Lexol conditioner, I use this to soften old leather to bring some life back to it. Randy

Sometimes Berry is a little slow on some orders, special orders esp. Just give him some time and he will come through. He is one of the good guys and will never do you wrong. Randy

I bought a gallon a couple months ago and have been using it on small cases like cell phone and knife cases and using some of the belly leather for the flaps and such and it seems to help firm it up for those uses. I would not use belly leather on a holster and use this product. I don't think it is a wonder product but it does help firm up those smaller leather projects made out of looser grain leather. I keep it in a spray bottle and really soak the leather after I have dyed it. Let it dry natural and it seems to help. Randy

I would also suggest books and some of the videos out there. When I started there was no one to teach me. I learned everything from Al Stohlman through his books. I think I have about everyone of them. They are great reference material. I also have a few books from others but Al explains it so everyone would understand. And the pictures are great and easy to see what he is talking about. I reqret never being able to meet him before he died. I still refer back to these books from time to time. It seems like everyone has a book and a video out there. Most are good but some tend to go toward the more experianced tooler. For starting out I would stick to the Stohlman books. Randy

You know my business really started to take off after cell phones came out. When I first got a cell phone the POS holder that came with it wore out and I lost one phone becasue of it. So I made a leather cell phone holder. Friends, family and everyone at the coffee shop seen it and had to have one. This spirred off my present business as I branched out making other things for people as well. My advice to you would be to start making small items and branch out from there, never leave home without wearing something that you have made for yourself, people will see it and ask you about it and want one made, cell phone holder,belts, wallet, purse ect, make sure your wife the same, make her purse, wallet and belt ect. Have some business cards made and always carry them. Don't be afraid to screw something up, mistakes are learning experiances. Also try and go to the International Federation of Leather Guilds anual show, next year it is in Nashville, Tn. There you can talk leather to everyone, take classes from some of the best instructors there are. You can also walk through the compition room and look at all the projects people have entered. This will inspire you. Above all ask questions here, join a guild if there is one in your area, if not there is the internet guild. Hope this helps Randy I bet if you told us where you live there would be someone in your area that would be glad to help get you started. Randy

The tooling by far took the greatest amount of time. But these are very labor intence projects from the set up, art work and design. This one, the client wanted it to hold 3 aprons, so that tool some thinking on my part to come up with a way to best do that. I spent more time just thinking about it than actually working on it. I don't know how other people work but I have to build things without a pattern in my mind, thus it takes a lot of thinking on my part, sometimes I work without tools I know but it helps me in the design stage. The lining is sew in. If you look at the out side you will see two rows of stitching. The inside row holds the linning and the outside row holds the gusset with the zipper in it. Thanks for the responces. Randy

Okay people, not even one "that looks nice" out there? Makes me think it's a POS... Randy

Bruce, I am just shooting from the hip here but the Angus Ass has done such a great job promoting the Angus cattle that nearly all the heards in my area are black. I went to the sale several times over the last couple years trying to buy some color for my heard as I was tried of looking at black all the time. You cannot find any colored cattle at all around my area. Maybe a few black baldies but nothing brendel or herford, charlios etc. I am wondering if this has something to do with the quality of leather. Almost all the feed lots want those black cattle these days. Just my thoughts.... Randy

I have not posted anything that I have made for quite a long time. This is a Masonic Apron Case that I was commissioned to do for the Grand Master of Nebraska. My wife did the velvet interior and the embrodery of the Square and Compass. If you have never been around Masons they all wear Aprons at meetings and offical functions. The Grand Mastor have very ornate aprons and like to have a case to protect them as they travel around a lot. Here are a few pictures. Randy Here is a picture of the inside

I always tell my students that if they want to spend some money that they should buy the very best swivel knife they can afford. A good swivel knife is one of the best investments you can make. High end stamping tools really don't make that much difference, (I know some will argue) but you can take a craft tool and grind and modify it to whatever you want. A good quality Swivel knife with a good blade will help most people a lot. Keep up the work. Lets see the next one. Randy

Hey, I live down by Paola. Just take a heavy pad with you and take the head off and lay it down on the pad. The stand you can take apart or just strap it down also. It will be fine. Missouri Sewing Machine can work on these machines, you have to take it to the down town store off I-35. Ed Pearson has a saddle shop there in Baldwin also, you might know him. Randy

This is where we would say you made a nice attempt. There are some problems that you need to deal with. I would suggest that you get one of the videos on Sheridan style, Chan Geer has a good one that is not too expensive. Sheridan sytle requires some special tools to make it look good. Steep beverlers, undershot beverlers and thumbprints just to name a few. Your flower centers are way too big for the flowers, there should be a thumbprint at the leaves where they come into the flower. Seeder is too big and you really need to work on your swivel knife cuts. I hope I have not discouraged you but with time and practice you will see a lot of improvement. Just keep at it and invest in some new tools that are specific to Sheridan style. The swivel knife is the most importaint to work on. With out good carving cuts to start you will not have a good final product. Keep up the work, we all had to start just like you. Randy

I cannot really tell too much from the pictures. If it was hand made or custom made it would most likely have a makers stamp somewhere. It not then it is most likely inported. Did you get ripped off? I don't think so, you are into it for 150 and that is about what it's worth. If you were closer to me I would tell you to bring it by and I would shorten the stirrups for you. But I am up close to Kansas City. If you cannot find someone to do it you can always ship it to me. Contact me off list if you are interested. Randy

I have a leather belt that I made for my 4 X 36 belt sander that I have green rouge on that I use all the time, sort of a power strop. Love it. Randy

I will add that if you save your money and get a Cobera class 4 or something simular you will never regret it. These machines were made for doing holster work as well as any other saddle or heavy leather work. Built like a tank they will stand up to years of use. Just oil them every week and feed them thread. Randy

I know how you feel, my favorite person, Teresa at The Tandy Leather Factory in Springfield Mo is no longer there, she worked there for over 10 years and we became good friends. But last friday I walked into Springfield Leather and there she was working for Kevin. Kevin you have a good girl there, hold on to her. Randy

Yes, you missed one of the best shows I have been to in years. A lot of people did a lot of hard work to make it a very good show. Randy

Hi, I live south of KC about an hour. If I can be of any help just let me know. There is a local Guild that meets at the Tandy store in Independence but I don't belong as I cannot attend the meetings because of shift work. They could be some help also. But contact me if I can help. Randy

I bought the Cobra because I have know Steve for several years begining when he was with Artisen. He is one of the nicest guys in the leather business. He goes to all the shows and I spend much time talking with him at the shows. He is alwasys there to answer your questions and help. Even when he left Artisen he still helped me with my Toro 3000 when they would not return my phone calls. Maybe if the other dealers would go to Sheridan, the international Leather Guild shows we could get to know them too. Just a thought. Randy

Personally, I think the 500 is a very fare price. I have done some complete restoration on saddles that totaled up to much more. The problem with some of these old saddles there is just no were to stop as you always find something else that needs fixing when you tear them down. If the leather is hard like you say, I would recommend Lexol conditioner to bring some life back to the leather. Adding just oil I have found does not do the job. I know others will have different oponions, that is what this forum is for. Good luck with the project. Randy

I know some places like Weaver Leather and Ohio Travel bag requires a sales Tax number to buy from them.

Don't know if you can get it in Canada but I use a produce called Fabric Tac, it comes in a 4 or 6 oz bottle has a pointed applicator tip and is clear, drys clear and does not smell up the shop. Will bond in seconds and holds like any other cement without the wait time. I buy it at Hobby Lobby. But might check at the discount stores. They have a web site that tells were you can buy it. Randy

Weaver Leather carries the felt I think you want, but I agree with others that the sheepskin makes the best padding. I make these ankle holsters all the time and feel the sheepskin works the best. I am afraid the felt would not hold up very long. Randy

You can use tracing paper to draw your patterns then cover the tracing paper with clear shelf paper from discount store. It holds up really well and you can use it over and over to trace the patterns onto leather. I also like to use clear shelf paper sometimes instead of glueing down the leather to plexiglass. I find a lot of uses for the clear shelf paper, it's like a clear plastic film with adhesive back. RC