Woods

This was my first holster rig for a friend in SASS. Wanted to keep it very simple, with smooth and clean lines. There were 2 holsters, but I only took pics of one, and the belt had bullet loops in the back, which were done in black also. And just to keep with the old west motiff, the billet where it was stitched to the belt body was done in the Ace of spades pattern. Thanks for looking, Woods

Donovan, What you can place on any leather item you make can be as individual as you are. I, for example, would think sometimes words and phrases could be just as dynamic as a picture, but pictures also have strong points as well. For example, just a few ideas I thought of offhand : choosing one of the seven dwarves, and then making him appear OPPOSITE his persona, ie. Grumpy holding a bunch of flowers, or Dopey, carrying a shotgun! For words or phrases, perhaps tooling in the phrase "IF YOU CAN READ THIS, YOU KNOW WHAT MY A** SMELLS LIKE!" (just came to me, do this in a swirling pattern, getting smaller as you get to the center, so people have to get close to read it!!) Skulls and dragons are classics as mentioned above, Maltese crosses, etc. I try to look for artistry and humor as these are two things I enjoy, but they have their place as well. Wait a minute, how 'bout this? Craft the seat to look like a toilet seat? Believe me, I am not suggesting these to be a wise guy, but, honestly, have you ever seen anything like what I've described? Just my thoughts on what I think might be cool, but it's all up to you. Hope this helps, Woods

James, this may be common knowledge, but I'll chime in anyway. The finer stitching is very nice around any project, but make sure to not go too fine on any areas that will receive stress (such as support straps or closure tabs) Too many awl holes will eventually weaken that stress area and cause it to rip, much like the perforated edge of a postage stamp. But if the project would seem compromised by not doing that fine stitching, at least add a rivet in the center to help carry the burden. As I said, this was probably already known, but just thought I'd give a heads up anyway!!

Yote, try Siegle for your first attempt, but I will tell you now, pricking chisels (more appropriately called "pricking irons") are VERY expensive. EBAY may also have some as well.The best, I am told, come from Joseph Dixon. I use stitching wheels for the most part, and I have a 6 spi pricking iron. You can get stitching wheels from mostly all vendors, and I would just reccomend a vendor that supports this site, as prices are on average for wheels. You may have some difficulty finding some finer stitching wheels, but they are obtainable if you persevere. Antique and flea markets are a good source, if you know what you're looking for. Good luck, Eric Woods

Chris, from what I can see in the photos, it looks like the 1st one is 5 or 6 spi wheel, the second looks alot like my 7 spi wheel, and the last one is probably a 10-12 spi wheel. Somewhere on the tool, there should be a number, (many times it is on the wheel itself, but not always) and that # designates the spi. Madmax is right, if you press the wheel hard enough into the leather, it will leave a small indentation for your awl blade, but unless you are using VERY thin leather, it won't go all the way through. Being as how the first 2 are Osbornes, and the last was unmarked (from what I can tell) that would explain the difference in appearance. Those are nice wheels though, have fun using them. One more thing, a wheel just marks the spacing for you, while a pricking chisel marks spaces AND the angle at which you would pierce the leather with your awl. If you use the first 2 wheels, you will get something that will look like this: l l l l l l l l the last wheel should look like this: . . . . . . . . . . . Now from there, it would be up to you to angle your awl properly as you prick the leather. On the other hand, a pricking chisel leaves marks that resemble this: / / / / / / / / / the angle is actually marked for you. I know folks who use both wheels and pricking chisels, and each seems to have their favorite. Hope this helps.

Chris, I am rather partial to Osborne tools, and even more specifically older Osbornes if you can find them. (it can be done, I found a whole box of old Osbourne knives and such barely 1 mile from my house, got the lot for around 80 bucks! That was my one lucky find ever!) Although I know next to nothing about saddle making, a shop should have: At least 1-2 round/head knives, leather "utility" knife (looks like a large butter knife with a razor sharp edge), a bevel edge skiving knife, strap cutter, various sizes of round and oval punches (don't skimp on those, buy GOOD ones the first time, I speak from experience), several sizes of strap end punches (I think english points are cool, but that's my opinion), assorted mauls,several sizes of english and french edgers, an assortment of edge bevelers, several different sized creasers, a "V" gouge, stitching groover, and possibly a splitting machine. This is by no means a complete list, and quite frankly I wish I had all those tools also, but I have a good many of them, and I keep adding as resources allow. This has not even touched on assembly tools such as sewing implements and such, but hopefully it will give you a start. With other folks stating their preferences as well, I don't think it would be long before we help you blow that budget, and still not have everything you want!!!! Good luck, and hope this helps, Eric Woods

I have had the opportunity to learn from several very talented leather workers, and one thing always remained constant: Those tools are for marking the leather for stitch placement. Then each hole is individually pricked with your awl. I used to use a diamond punch (6 stitches per inch) and pound on it to pierce the leather, and while this worked, it left rather large holes that did'nt look "right" Pricking each hole individually is a tedious pain, but your work will look SO much better and neater,it is worth the effort. For example, I was making a civil war era item, and selling them for 25.00, using my old slam method. Did'nt always do well. Now, with the longer, but neater approach (and once you do it a few times, it does'nt take THAT much longer) The same item sells for 45-50 and I can't make them fast enough. Sorry to ramble!! And Hilly is correct, if you use the wheel, prick and sew your item, then run the wheel back over, it will "compress" the stitches and make it look almost machine sewn. This is just my 2cents, but has worked well for me. Woods

Well, lets see if I finally got this figured out (posting pics) Please excuse the poor quality of the photos, I'm just glad I was able to get them to show up! Any and all critiques are welcome, and I hope some folks enjoy, thanks for looking. The first 2 pics are of neck collars, but are just short of being finished. The last pic is two of the leather bracelets I "made up" as I was going along. Eric Woods

After intoducing myself in the members area, thought I might show some of what I do. The plain leather box should have been dyed black, but the customer wanted a natural finish.

Well I suppose it is finally time to stop lurking and start posting. I found this site a year or so ago, and have checked out everything I could, sometimes until my vision was blurred due to the late hour. My thanks to everyone on this site, as you have all in one way or another helped me to become a better leather worker. My specialty (I suppose) is American Civil War leather items. I have posted on the "Show Off" section a few things I have done. As soon as I become a little more experienced with my camera and the computer work, I will post more. Just wanted to take a moment and say Hi, and even more important, Thank you all. Eric Woods