Chief31794

Mark, Welcome to the forum. I live in Tifton, GA if you're nearby send me a PM. This is a great place to learn new methods and improve your skill. It is a very friendly site and all questions are usually answered eagerly and quickly. Ken

Dwight, Not to jump on to a growing thread, but I use Weldwood in the Green Can, it is water based, designed for leather as well as other things and it is nothing like the contact Cement that is gooey ("Good Word") or jelled, it has the consistency and look of Milk, very thin and flows like liquid, cleans up with water is VOC certified and I use an economy paint brush with bristles and use the size I need for the project I'm doing. It works the same way, coat both sides, wait till dry or at least tacky then put them together. It is still one touch and stuck and I've never had anything come apart. I mostly glue linings into purses, etc. It comes in small and quart size cans, I buy the quarts but you could get a small can and try it. It is available at a lot of places including Lowes which is where I get it. Ken

Thanks both of you, just curious, I was doing an inventory yesterday and it came up. Been converting to Barry King as my budget allows anyway. Got up through bevelers, pedal lifters and thumbprints, starting now on Camouflages and Veiners. Ken

Some of my craftools have a Z in front of the tool number such as I have a Z-V407 and a V407, does anyone know what the "Z" signifies? The few tools with a Z seem to be better quality. Just curious. Ken

I use a sander like the one below, they are available for less than $125.00 regularly and you can find them on sale. Might could find one at Harbor Freight, etc. It gives me the option to use the belt sander or a disk sander, I use both, the belt layed flat for cleaning dye mishaps off the back of belts and the disk for evening up edges on holsters, knife sheaths, etc. Ken

I use the thickest shelf paper I can find, the stuff wives buy to line shelves in kitchen cabinets. It works great for me, easy to cut, sticks well and comes off with no residue. My goods don't stretch with shelf paper. I keep a roll on my wall in the shop. Ken

This is my shop, need more room but I have to live with it.

I have just purchased a cusom made knife from and excellent custom knife maker here in SW Georgia so I want to make a very nice custom sheath to compliment his craftsmanship. My normal way is to observe as much as I can of how professionals and high quality craftsmen do it and then plan my way ahead. I specialize in Purses, Instrument straps, belts, bible covers and a few holsters from time to time so I hit the web looking for "Custom Leather Sheath Makers" so I could see their product. Yahoo returned about 6 or 7, after looking at their websites, I wouldn't accept a free product from most of them, the quality is "TERRIBLE", any carving is either a veiner along the edge or a stamped deer or fish (very muddy looking stamp work). The prices on this stuff was astonomical, for example $95.00 for a poorly made sheath. One example that is particularly disturbing is this , although this is a picture of a Custom Made Rifle Sling these are the pictures of work they are using to lure customers in and demonstrates the quality of their work, if this is an example of some of their best work, I'm amazed. Ken

Welcome from down in Tifton, GA, you'll love this site. Ken

Use either Lemon Juice or Wood Bleach lightly and then just let it dry. I normally wipe the entire area so there are no differences seems to help keep the dye and finish more consistent. Ken

I dilute with denatured alcohol. I use the same two colors and I normally use 1 part dye to 5 parts Alcohol. The colors are better then. You could try less, or more try a couple of samples at different dilutions until you get what you want. Ken

I have the 3 volumes of Al Stohlman's case making, in all honesty while they are a good reference they have become somewhat dated. The knife sheaths in volume 1 are rudimentary, but some good info. The hunting knife should have a welt but for some reason Mr. Stohlman didn't include a welt (Blade or Hilt) he did warn to keep the stitches at least 1/4" from the blade area. The camera cases are for old instamatics and other old model film cameras as you would expect. The books are worth the money but you should check other sources for knife sheath help. Just my $.02 worth. Ken

StrayDogLamont, Most stitching is done at 5, 6, or 7 stitches per inch, at 3/8" that is about 2.6 inches per inch. Most people use an overstitch device to layout the stitch holes for drilling, awling, etc. They are relatively inexpensive and Tandy has a set with all three wheels for less than $20.00 ($12.00 if you're an elite warehouse member). It is pictured below: Your project looks great, but I think more stitches per inch would improve the overall appearance and the security of the stitching. Hope this helps, Ken

Sorry I missed something. I didn't think Kate said he was selling copies on Ebay, she indicated that she would really be upset IF he was. He's still a deadbeat. Ken

X2 plus it looks like the stitches are a little too long, a few more stitches per inch and the stitching would look a lot nicer, just my $.02

Thanks everyone. The Lanyards do break free they have the plastic closures that give when sufficient force is applied. I bought these as kits from Tandy. It is their passport kit. One of a kind, one of a kind, one of a kind... I'll keep repeating it till I return from DW. Ken

In August we will be at Disney World for a week with the Grand Youngun's. They are 7, 6, and 5. I made these passport holders for them to carry their park passes and it has a zippered area on the back to hold ID and "Return to Grandpa" information in case they get separated from the group. They each have a favorite Disney Character and I used that for each childs cover, my wife (Nana) will be wearing Minnie Mouse, my daughter will be wearing Aurora. Granddaughter (6) Belle, Grandson 7 Speed McQueen, and the other Grandson 5 will be wearing Mickey. Dad is a CIO for a defense contracting company, he'll be in the computer geek cover (then he can use it for trade shows as well). Me (Papa) will be wearing the Beard (Brand of Resophonic Guitar (Dobro) I play. May get some grief about image licensing except the computer screen. I don't think Paul Beard would mind me advertising Beard Guitars (I'll be wearing this at Bluegrass festivals as well), we'll have to see about Disney. Ken

I use the mahogany and some of the other "darker" shades and I find that other than USMC Black they are all too dark so I cut them (normally 5:1) with Denatured Alcohol, they seem to cover more even and have a better color (thats 5 parts alcohol to 1 part dye). You can experiment and see what works for you. I find that if I don't cut them, they all get very close to USMC Black. Ken

I like buying leather from Zack White, they Split it to the thickness you prescribe, sell it reasonable, and ship it very fast. I use Tandy a lot with the elite membership, however, if I want a side of leather to work with, Tom the store manager in Jacksonville, FL (150 miles away) takes my order, I then explain what I'm looking for and he goes through the piles making sure I get what I need. Great guy to work with. I still won't buy most hardware (purse closures, etc from him because the quality is non existent), I buy most of my hardware from the Ohio Travel Bag company. Great folks there as well. I've had very few bad experiences with either of them and when I do get something from Tandy that isn't right, I call Tom and he makes it right quick. I visit the store about once a month (My Mom lives in Jacksonville) and make it a point to talk with Tom and build a relationship so that I'm not just an anonymous voice on the phone. As for tools, particularly stamps, I don't like to buy from Tandy unless I see them and try them out on some scrap in the store before I purchase them to ensure they are sharp and no defects in the face. The last several stamps I have bought have been Barry King and those I don't have to go try but at $25-60 at BK vs $4.80 for elite price at Tandy you have to weigh that in. After weighing, I am buying most of my stamps (and I seldom need any as I have a large quantity) from Barry King. Ken