Chief31794

You have to ask them! Chief

I've always used the X4 measurement and it is pretty good, might fudge a little if it's on a holster or sheath at about 3/8 - 1/2" thick, but it is still pretty close I normally make it X4.25 for very thick leather. Chief

The weldwood contact cement used to be good, however, the last can I bought, I believe they have changed the formula, it, as you said, wouldn't hold together. Hope it works better on counter tops than it does on leather or there is gonna be some mad wood workers around here. General warning, Weldwood is out as a leather glue. Chief

Don't buy what you don't need, people tend to want to buy lots of tools when they start, buy them as and only if you need them. Chief

The calfskin lace from Tandy isn't bad, the other lace you listed and asked if it was waste product is exactly that, don't buy it, it looks and works like doo-doo. The best lace you can buy is kangaroo lace, however it will be quite a bit more expensive than the calfskin you're getting from Tandy. The Calfskin from Tandy is the best that Tandy sells in my opinion, the 2nd best (not quite as good but still pretty usable) is their Pro-lace line. Springfield has a line of lace that is theirs, I tried it, didn't like it as good as the Tandy Pro Lace definitely not as good as the Calfskin which is confusing because Kevin normally produces pretty good products. The Texas lace line from Tandy isn't in the same league as the plastic stuff you asked about but it's close, it doesn't hold up, frays on the edges and will break in very inopertune times. Stay with the Pro-Lace for cheapest good quality, calfskin for not quite as cheap but better quality, or Kangaroo for best quality but most expensive price. Hope this helps. Chief

The divider should not be glued to the back of the interior. I use these liners, they are inexpensive but they work well. If you want a more finished look inside, then cut a piece of pigskin the same color (brown or black) that's what they come in. It should cover the entire back of the wallet and then the other pieces are assembled on top of that, you can glue it as well, however, I don't glue any of the pieces. I assemble it with hand sewing cutoffs by putting a piece of thread through all of the holes at critical alignment locations and then lacing the wallet together. That requires me to punch the slits separately but I've never liked glue, rubber glue is just temporary and doesn't accomplish anything the threads won't and it is messy, you have to be very careful with it. If you're using contact cement, I've not had the greatest success getting all the pieces lined up perfectly before the contact cement locks on. If I sew a wallet (not very often, I like the laced look), then I glue the pieces and use contact cement so that the edges bond well. Hope that helps. Springfield also sells Chaylor Fenelli interiors that are really well made and require no assembly other than attaching them to the wallet back, they are made of calf skin and very nice but also somewhat pricey. Chief

First welcome to the forum it's a great place to learn lots about leathercraft and a lot of great folks here willing to help. Now to your question, good quality leather tools are expensive, they last a life time but they cost money. Most people start with Tandy, that is as inexpensive as you can get, they have one in most major cities and they have a great internet sales site. Their tools are cheaper than most, but they are also cheaper than most. Most leather workers graduate from Tandy to the better tool makers at some point, although some people use Tandy tools and supplies forever. It is a personal choice. I assume you want to do fly swatters, if you want to do something else, post it out here and some one will answer back with the tools you need. Many tools (razor knives, rulers, tri-squares, etc. can be purchased from home improvement centers like Lowes and Home Depot, they are less expensive than Tandy and better quality in most instances. However, leather specific tools, edgers, stamps, round knives, etc will have to be purchased from a leather supplier or on Ebay or at yard sales, since you've worked with your father and know what tools you used then you may find some good tools on ebay, my experience is that most of the tools on Ebay are for sale at retail prices and can be purchased at the suppliers for the same money, there are some exceptions. Good luck and welcome to leathercraft. Chief

Clear Lac is a great sealer, very water resistant, for real protection I use Fiebings Aussie, it is Beeswax based, I put it on liberally, then heat it with a hair dryer until it liquifies, then buff off the excess. It is for outdoor use in rough wet weather and has a nice mellow glow. Chief

I ship USPS Priority Mail in the flat rate boxes, I charge the rate for the mail, plus ~$1.50 for materials and handling (labor spent packing boxes costs money as well). I wrap all my straps, wallets, etc, in tissure paper, then use bubble wrap to protect it. I also round, small box is $5.35 I charge 6.95 to cover additional costs, etc. Chief

I wet before edging but I wet it lightly and let it dry back to nearly natural, if you try to edge when it is too wet, the edger can leave marks and the leather can bunch up. The other thing is to have a very sharp edger, I strop all my edgers before using them. Dry works well but I like the smoother cut I get from dampened leather. You're gonna get lots of answers, one will be consistent, sharp edger only!!! Chief

Dang Ed, that's plumb beautiful. In my neck of the woods we'd call that a "keeper". Nice work, Chief

If I use Gum Tragacanth, I do it last. I finish all my edges with water and saddle soap, then let it all dry, dye the piece (including the edges), finish the piece with Clear Lac, let it dry, do any assembly, then I apply gum tragacanth to the edges and refinish them. Some dyes have trouble penetrating GT and that may be why you had problems along the edge, supersheen will not penetrate GT usually, so that is why I use it last. I've about stopped using it, the water and glycerine soap (Saddle Soap) do an excellent job. Chief

Looks Great. I agree, very unusual knife. Nice job. Chief

Stephen, Great job, you seem to have identified a few of the things you want to improve so that's good. The depth and detail will come with practice. I was wondering why you chose to lace it with a single loop, a double loop would make a much better edge and provide more strentgh in the construction. I actually use Mexican Round Braid pretty often on wallets using 3/32" lace, it makes a nice tight weave that is even stronger. If the single loop is what you wanted it's fine, if you want to use the other lacing tecniques, there is a book on lacing at Tandy Online for down load that is about $4.00 US, great addition to your library. I don't think it covers round braid (mexican basket weave), but it does the others. To learn the techniques I have a couple of simple (not very well done) videos on Youtube on different kinds of lacing, search for chief31794 and they will come up. Welcome to the forum, Chief

If the leather is properly cased, it should last for several hours. Very light re-"Dampening" is okay but not rewetting. Each time you suspend working on it, put it in a tightly sealed plastic bag, that will suspend the drying process. I have gotten behind and had a piece in the bag for up to 4 days and it is still ready to carve when you take it out of the bag. There is a tutorial on the How Do I Do That segment of the forum on how to properly case leather, it is pinned and was provided by Bob Park (Hidepounder), excellent tutorial on how to properly prepare leather for tooling. Welcome to the forum, Chief

Thanks, me too! I asked her if she carried both of them at the same time. Thanks, yeah I have several weapons, but I've been thinking about getting a carry permit. We're still pretty lax here in Georgia so I can carry a loaded weapon in my car/truck or any where on my property with out a carry permit. I have been meaning to go down to the probate office and start the paperwork. Chief

One customer ordered 4 holsters this week, two are for the same weapon one for the hip and a IWB as well. The black is the IWB for a Charter Arms .38sp revolver, there is a Antique Brown for a S&W 9MM Auto and an Antique Brown for the Charter Arms .38, and the Red one is for a S&W .22 and designed to be carried in her purse. I had previously made the lady a purse carrier for a .22 revolver as well. All this gun control talk is helping business. Thanks, Chief

Absolutely beautiful, very nice work. Chief

I make them in two sizes, both are about 3-1/4" wide when folded, I make one 7" wide (standard) and one 6" wide (some folks don't like quite that much wallet sticking out of the pocket. However, you can make them any size you wish. These are the ones I make up and sell off the table, customizing is pretty easy, particularly since I make and install my own zippers, so I can make them any length I need. Chief

Great job. WOW!! Chief

Mine gets that texture to some of it for the same reason (storing in cold shop), I shake it up after it is warmed up and it goes right back to proper consistency. Chief

I don't think the rivets bent, the minor distortion is from depressing the layers of leather between the rivet head and the burr. Pretty normal. Use the lighter hammer and stop hitting when the burr is tight on the leather, then snip and peen if the minor distortion is unacceptable for the project you're working on. These are very strong, depending on the appllication, you may not need quite that much strengt and a tubular rivet might do just as well. Chief

Thanks, I like the Chaylor Fenelli's with one caveat. They are even bulkier and don't fold as well as they should. The trifolds they have present a very thick profile. I like the bifolds okay, and they do add a touch with the genuine calf skin. They are well made, but a little pricey. Chief

Thanks, That's mine too. I've always loved Basketweave. I try to work it into a lot of stuff. Chief

These are some recent wallets I made getting ready for a craft show next weekend. The "Crazy Chicken" festival in Fitzgerald, GA. They'll celebrate anything down here. I also showed the Springfield Leather Company Inner as well as a Chaylor Fenelli Inner that I use a lot. Chief