UKRay

Go on, Russ, I'll bite - what is a center-finding ruler? Have you got a picture of one? Ray

Hey Clair, I asked for people's views on this subject and they were kind enough to give them. IMO your view is as valid as any other, but it is always helpful if a poster makes their standpoint clear from the outset. I value your expertise and agree that if all you need is twenty cards and have a sister who is a professional graphic designer then the decision is made. Unfortunately, most of us aren't lucky enough to have our own Clair on standby to 'homemake' amazing business cards! After your recommendation, I took a good look at Moo - they operate here in the UK as well and they seem very much like ProntaPrint/VistaPrint and the others. Can you explain, from a professional standpoint, how they are different and how to get the best from their service. That would be really helpful. Although I have a laminating machine, I find it temperamental at best and hadn't thought it could add value to my cards - I guess I need to take another look. Do you have any tips on using the things to best advantage? BTW: I just read the last few posts a few times and I can't see that Ken (or anyone else) is being judgemental here - like you they are just giving their opinions. Nobody is having a personal pop at you or your abilities. It just seems to me that your sister is lucky to have you handy! Ray

I'm with Luke and Marlon all the way - but one more thing you might find useful is to use a red pen to mark the holes with. When you come to stain and finish the belt, the red will generally vanish into the dye job whilst a black mark is there for good. Ray

Definitely a pinking iron - they come in rounds and half rounds as well as the flat edge sort. Ray

Good point, Denise - who are the audience for our business cards? Do we ever know who we are going to do business with? I think sometimes we do. For example, I know that I'm only going to sell a top of the range hand-stitched leather bag to someone who has quite a bit of disposable income - essentially they will have plenty of money. I like customers like this because they tend to spend what it takes rather than be penny-pinching. I hate a tight-wad! In fact, I would go so far as to say I would choose to make stuff for this kind of customer every time if I could. The problem is that because they have money they can choose to go anywhere for their purchase. In order to get their business I almost have to impress from the outset to get the order. These are the hardest customers to win, but like I say, I would only work for them if I could. They are less hassle and they spend more. The profit is better and the work is more enjoyable. But how do I interest them in looking at my work when they have never seen me before? In these circumstances I would probably choose a very good quality business card or maybe even a handmade leather one (I love that idea 'cos if it is nice enough they won't be able to throw it away so easily). At the other end of the scale, I make straps for cat baskets and bicycle baskets. They sell for little money but I do tend to sell them to stores in quantity. The store just needs my contact details so I currently use a VistaPrint card. It looks neat and tidy and is quite distinctive in a mass-produced sort of a way. It works. Although it seems to bring success for some people, personally, I don't see a shotgun marketing approach working for me because although it allows you to reach out to lots of people, you generally have to strike lucky on the day to make a sale. I'd rather target 'qualified' potential customers more closely - niche marketing has always been more effective for me and tends to bring good results quite quickly if I get it right. How long do people keep cards for - I don't know. I'm also not sure if people keep hand-made or mass produced business cards as long as they do nicely printed ones which is why I started the topic. I'm almost certain that a leather card will stay around longest... ...and cost most to make! What do you think? Ray

I don't think the issue is how much the cards cost, Charlie, and the rest is a tad unworthy of you. Nobody is suggesting anything like that. The first point is that cost doesn't enter into this. The issue is that many prospective customers do judge a person on first glance and don't bother to look deeper. Why do you think people buy branded goods and pay more for them? The supermarket's 'own brand' is cheaper and often identical but they like to buy the best 'name' and will pay a premium price for that. If they bothered to look a little harder they would save money, but no - they want the one with the impressive looking packaging. Okay, some folks may be happy to pitch their stuff at 'branded goods' level but I want to sell mine - which is no better or worse than anyone else's - for top dollar. Hence I want to find the best way of impressing the guy with the money. I don't care if it is a cheap way or an expensive way as long as it makes my stuff sell for more money than I'm getting now. Is that wrong? Point two is that nobody is trying to fool anyone else. That isn't the intention. This is simply about trying to hold the attention of the prospective buyer long enough to get a piece of work in front of them. I guess, if people are dealing in $5 pocket items made from Tandy kits that isn't too much of an issue, but if they move up a grade or two and start talking about $500-$1000 dollar deals then they want to have the best chance possible to sell. It is obvious that buyers are a lot more discerning about who they deal with as the cash stakes rise... I like your idea of a custom stamp a lot and maybe that is the way to go. A card that accurately represents the quality of your work - now wouldn't that be a cool thing? Expensive though - wouldn't you say? Very classy looking but much more expensive and a definite improvement on a home printed card. Nice idea and it would say a whole lot more about the person who made it. Maybe along the lines of a 'trading card' like people made for the PIF. Thanks for the input. I'm obliged. John, your idea of raised ink printing caught my attention and now I've seen one of your cards I am very impressed. Nice, classy and low key. I'd do business with you! LOL I'm also impressed with the idea of two cards... a bespoke leather card for people who really matter and a 'lesser' card for everyday use. Thanks for that Gary. You are quite right, this is just about 'doing a bit of dancing' to get bigger and better orders, Bustedthumb - and it sounds like you should add a bit more to this discussion... Ray

What are you using as a base to set this rivets on? You need to have a solid (I would choose a block of marble or a chunky steel anvil) base to hammer against. Ray

Dan, When you buy anything, surely you look at the deal as a whole, and not just at the purchase price? The first part of the deal is the initial supply of the right machine for the job. Machines last for years so you need to find a dealer who knows what they are selling and will make sure you have a machine that will not just suit you now but will still be appropriate in a year's time. They need to be honest with themselves and you about this. Then you will need to look at how your dealer might stack up in the future. Over the past year my sewing machines have cost me a lot of money over and above the purchase price. Accessories and spare parts can be very expensive and so can repairs. An engineer's time is unbelievably expensive but that doesn't matter if you have an angry customer on your back shouting at you. In the past five months my (purchased brand new) sewing machine has had a new motor, a new control system and five engineers visits to replace parts and set it up correctly. Okay its working now and it didn't cost me a penny because I have a great dealer; but how much would that have cost if I had not had a reputable supplier. In the past twelve months I have spent more than three hundred dollars on new presser feet, bobbins, needle plates and more and was grateful to find a dealer who stocked them for my machine. My guy is great and I trust him to come out when I need him. He answers phone enquiries with patience and consideration and always provides a fix to the problem. He is also in the UK so he won't do you much good! LOL What you must do, preferably before you have parted with any money, is be as certain as you can that the person you choose to do business with (and never forget that you have a choice) is both trustworthy and reliable. They must know the sewing machine business inside out and they must have a proven track record of fixing machines quickly - either by sending parts and a telephone technical support/after sales service or by physically fixing the problem. They must provide a 'lifetime' of peace of mind - all the while you own your machine you must be able to buy spares and get it fixed when it needs it. If your dealer doesn't have that reputation then ask yourself why you would even consider buying from them. Just my opinion and worth precisely what you paid for it. Ray

Use a pair of dividers to find the middle of your belt strip, mark where you want the first hole to go and then simply measure along the belt with a ruler and mark where you want the rest of the holes to be. Hope this helps, Ray

I think Celticleather is the man for this one... he works with this sort of stuff all the time. You might want to drop him a PM. Ray

It rather depends on how much pressure has been used to put the letters there in the first place. I have removed gold foil by warming with a hair dryer and carefully scraping it away with a scalpel blade but you won't get rid of the embossing marks quite so easily. In most cases I've seen, the embossing will have been done by a very simple hot foil press machine and, as the process doesn't require much pressure, it is sometimes possible to bone out the worst of the marks. If the machinist was a gorilla then give up and go home as I doubt you will shift the marks. Then you need to take Kevin's advice and patch or plate it. Hope this helps, Ray

I have a feeling you are right, Luke. Social networking on Facebook is fine if you have enough time to do it and the inclination to do it well, but I'm afraid I still don't understand what benefits can be gained from Twitter... Does anyone know? Somehow I doubt it!

The technical stuff is very useful so many thanks for that. I also found the way people present their leather goods both interesting and useful. The idea of using two pictures in one is a great idea but I'll leave animated gifs to the experts for now! Ray

I've been playing with this for months now and I can't make my mind up if it is a useful tool or a complete waste of my time. Who reads it and what is it good for? What do people want to read... I'm obviously missing something somewhere! http://twitter.com/barefootleather Ray

I do like to see things that push back the boundaries a little and give us some fresh ideas to play with. Nice job! I've never seen leather armour quite like this and I'm looking forward to seeing the whole job completed. Don't forget to post pictures. Ray

I've just been looking at some of the older posts where people in the US talk about their multiple trucks, bikes and vehicles. I confess to feeling very slightly envious as I want a truck so badly I can almost feel pain when I think about it. LOL The big drawback for me is insurance. I'm already insuring the car I drive and the one I don't. I insure the house, the dog, the house contents and even myself just in case I drop dead and can't pay the insurance company any more durn money. Heck, I pay so much for insurance I don't have any money left over for gas. How do you people in the US afford to insure your 'fleets' of vehicles - and what does it cost? Or don't you bother? Is the law relaxed about insurance or is it, like here, a very serious business? Ray

My sincere apologies if you are offended by anything I have said but I really don't know what you are offended by. This is simply a place for discussion and trying to work out ideas. People do need to justify their ideas to others and I'm looking to be convinced by sound arguments. Your contribution is as valuable as anyone else's. Instead of saying you 'won't bother' why not add something of consequence to the conversation instead of walking away. You might be surprised at the response. Ray

I heard what you were saying, Dirtclod, and, as usual, am inclined to agree with you. Personally, I think you know a lot more than you let on... LOL Equally, colttrainer's point is valid - of course it is my work that counts in the end not my printer's work. But first I have to get the customer interested enough to take a look. As crafts people I would hope we would all take time to assess a person's work rather than make decisions based on their business card. Unfortunately we live in a world of conspicuous consumerism where people are judged by designer labels and by the car they drive. This extends to the way they brand their business and how they present themselves in a meeting. Perhaps the US is different, but here in the UK a person is generally 'judged and hung' on first impressions. Seeing my business card is often the first time a potential customer 'meets' my business' 'face' so obviously I'm concerned that I present the best face possible and give myself the best possible chance of doing business ever time I hand out a card. I have looked at Johanna's card and sure enough it is a very good looking piece of work and exactly what I would expect from someone who has achieved so much (some might say the impossible) and now has no need to impress anyone with business card bling. It is a good solid piece of business collateral and is not pretentious in any way. I should also add that she did a much better design job than I did! However, I'm asking if bling has a value with customers that goes beyond a casual glance and a nod of approval. Does the look and feel of raised ink printing add value to my business offering? If it does then I want it. I want my business to look better than my competition in every way. What do you think about that?

I don't think anyone has any doubts about the need for a business card, guys, but my question was about quality. Let's say I produce a home made laser printed card myself or even order a cheapo business card from Vistaprint with all the right details on it, will people think that my business is potentially inferior to one that has its cards beautifully printed and presented? I think they might... what do you think? Ray

That is a handsome coat, cousin! When are you gonna make me one? LOL Ray

At this point, Ellen, it is probably worth saying that if you ask for a specific piece of information or help with a project or design it will almost certainly be forthcoming! LOL What are you looking to make? Ray

Looks just like a carrot peeler to me too, Art! Thanks Knut - now, what exactly might a guy do with a circular welt cutter 'cos, to the best of my knowledge, I have never met a circular welt!? (Keep it clean!) Ray

Hi Ellen, There are very few 'free stuff' websites associated with leatherwork. It takes years to learn the craft - and that includes pattern making. Plus, patterns take a long time to develop and many people are understandably reluctant to give their hard work away for free. Having said that, the people here are very generous. You might like to take a look at: http://leatherworker...l=patterns&st=0 http://leatherworker...h=1entry57672 Just remember that , in many cases - especially where leatherworking is concerned - free stuff is often worth what you paid for it. Ray

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/G-BARNSLEY-cutting-tool-leatherwork-shoe-cobbler_W0QQitemZ220567867170QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectable_ToolsHasdware_RL?hash=item335ade8f22#ht_500wt_1182 I have one just like it and I have never known what to do with the thing! What is it? Ray

I purchased some stuff from Brettuns Village a week or so back and the company gave me excellent service. Shipping and packaging was great - and fast too given I'm several thousand miles and an ocean away. Their rivet setters are superb tools and infinitely better than anything else I have used. ...and no, I don't work for them and they aren't paying me! Ray