oldhat

Hey pyxie that is really really nice.

Be careful if it is Bridle leather as it will probably not take dye due to the greases and fats that have been forced into it, i think the oil idea is most likely the best approach as already mentioned, if your not sure what type of leather it is you might want to contact your supplier for advice and to find out what treatments the leather has been given prior to sale.Good luck.

Hi Jon, i have given up with the spirit based dyes for a number of different reasons, have you tried the fiebings pro oil dyes, i have found these to be far superior to the spirit based dyes, i cannot promise that you will achieve the colour you want though as i mainly use browns and blacks.I thhink it might be better if you make some swabs of different colors and dilute strengths and then choose the color from those, i think that most color charts rarely look the same after application because there are so many other factors that could affect the final color, hope that helps a bit. Also i have heard people recommend Al Stohlmans book coloring leather, but i do not own that book myself.

Hi ukray, some great ideas there thank you, just thought of another, if i ever get a makers mark made it would be nice to make some leather tabs with a stamp on it, problem is i find the makers stamps quite expensive to have made.

I here you Chief, i have the same problem but the nice thing is once you buy all the tools it does tend to get so you do not seem to be always needing something.Stick with it , it is a lifetimes pursuit .All the best.

No problem Chief , you might also want to check out the Al Stohlman series of three books on leather case making, i cannot recommend these books highly enough, they are jam packed with info and are quite cheap to pick up these days. I would definitely recommend buying a rotary cutter for thinner leathers, they are also useful if you ever decide to line a project with fabric or pigskin. All the best.

Sorry to jump in i know you asked Art, but i use nothing but John James needles, also this is something Nigel talks about in his videos, i like the number 002 harness needles, not to be confused with number 2 needles which are much bigger, again check out Nigels sewing videos for advice on this.

Hey chief have you tried a rotary cutter for the thinner leathers, because it rolls over the leather as it cuts it tends not to pull like a knife does especially at the ends. I think you are being a bit hard on yourself about this project as it is a hard thing to work out, the main thing is if you learnt a lot doing it, that is where the value of a project like this lies. All the best.

Hello Bravo12,it is always hard when you start out knowing which is the right way to go, you asked if nylon is best, well that depends on your point of view. Many leatherworkers use nylon thread like tiger which to be more correct is actually polyester but that is nitpicking, however some leathercraftsmen would prefer to use linen as it is more traditional. I think most people would agree that tiger thread is the strongest but if you are trying to make historical re enactment pieces you might prefer to go for something more authentic, There really is no right or wrong. You do not say what kind of leather items you are making so it might help a bit if you did that. As for size i find 1mm waxed poly thread fine for most projects but might go for 0.8mm if i was wanting some finer stitching.If you want my advice i would start with buying some 1mm tiger thread, you can buy small quantities of some ebay sellers to let you give it a try without buying a full roll straight out.Also check out you tube for Nigel Armitages videos on sewing where he gives advice on types of thread and techniques and also Ian Atkinson has a video on sewing where he discusses different types of thread.Hope i have been some help.

Thanks dirtclod, i have now edited my post and added the video. Haha, thank you so much dirtclod, it is indeed a quilting square. I can find them all over the place now i know what they are called, thank you once again, i will be getting one of these for sure.

Can anyone help me with this please, below is a video of Arthur Porter, in it he constantly uses a large square plastic gauge with square markings on it. I feel that this would be a very useful pice of kit to have, but for the life in me i can not find one anywhere, does anyone know wha it is called or even where i could buy one, i am in the uk but if i knew what it was called at least , that might help me find one, thank you in advance.

Hey Julie, if you are on a tight budget these are good value for money i keep buying an odd one or two until i build up a whole set, i keep them sharp on a bit of fine sandpaper and even strop them on a bit of scrap leather. They can take a few weeks to come though. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oval-shape-Leather-Belt-Watch-Band-Gasket-Hollow-Hole-Punch-Cutte-Tool-CC-UK-GBP-/1912475 Obviously not as good quality as the more expensive types but for the price i find them ok, mabe if you find yourself using a particular size a lot you could then buy a better one in that size.

Blimey, i never noticed the 3.5mm chisels either, Julie i reckon that size will be perfect for dog collars and wallets and the like.you are spot on with your thinking about 4mm being s bit too big and 3mm being too small, 3.5mm would be just right, hang on have i just fallen into the three bears childrens story.

Yes Julie, i have two full sets of the lc diamond punches , i have the 4mm and the 3mm sets, i find these two sets do everything i need. I have had them for a while now and i cannot fault them.The 4mm set is the one i use the most, saving the 3mm for finer work. I just take care to always put a thick piece of leather under my project to protect the prongs and make them last longer.I also got the roller of them, it is fantastic and miles cheaper than anywhere else. I am thinking of starting to buy some of their stamps as they are cheap too, and hopefully good quality.

Hey jackbarba, your right about the benefits of linings, mainly looks and as you say protection especially for a ladies bag that might have make up and the like in,I like to line my wallets as well to hibe the internal stitching as i think it looks ugly when you can see how itemes are held together, some stitching on show lloks good while others i prefer to hide if possibele. Of course it is all personal taste and there is no right or wrong.. As i said you might want to ask for some advice regarding leather suppliers in your area, all the hides i buy from my supplier in England have extremely nice flesh sides in fact sometimes it seems a shame to cover them up they are so nice.All the best to you.

I would be proud to do this work, great job.

I like it, i cannot give any advice as tooling is something i too need to work on. For a first attempt though it looks good to me.

Hey Chief, i agree totally about your comments about things not being perfect, i love that every item i make will turn out unique even if itry to make the same item twice, it is what sets us apart from factory made stuff,great job i love your work man,really inspiring stuff, all the best.

Really nice job, any pics of the inside?

Hi chief, interesting first projects , a change from the usual key fobs and bookmarks, you might like to consider putting your pics in the critique my work section. Most people do not like to point out faults in the show off section as this is more for people wanting to display their work and it might cause offense. All the best.

Thank you for the reply my friend, it is a wonderful looking guitar strap, all the best.

Hey chief that is really nice, can i ask, is that crease line died and if so did you do it with a brush, it might just be the photo that makes it look black i don't know.

Hey tboyce, well that is the nearest i am gonna get to a new car, for sure. Thanks for the tip.

Have you considered chrome tanned leather for those types of bags. Also what thickness of veg tanned leather are you using, some photos might help too.

Simple but elegant, nice job.