rickybobby

Just curious, What does this mean? And no, I never ask for a waiver. I am careful with a customers firearm and I do inspect for scratches, nicks, discoloration and point it out (when they drop it off) while the customer is standing there so they see it too.

The items you listed first "belts, bags, wallets, book covers, chaps and such" are better done on a Compound Feed Table type machine. Lighter weight leather sewn in a Stitcher Type machine does not turn out as nice. You will not find a machine that does everything. Read some of Wiz's posts, he has done a great job describing the different machines and their uses. When you start sewing thicker leather (like holsters) you will be better served with a Heavy Stitcher Cylinder Arm machine. If there was a "Magic Bullet" machine that sewed everything our job would be much easier!! It sounds like for your interests you need two machines. A table arm compound feed and a cylinder arm stitcher. Buy the table compound feed first for your lighter stuff then step up to the stitcher for holsters. My shop has 3 main machines, 628 Cowboy (compound feed flat bed for some belts, bags, wallets, book covers, and chaps) Artisan 3000 (Saddle work, holsters, Tack) Singer 29k Patcher (for small detail and hard to reach areas, and some parts on bags and purses). I have a couple others that I use for Cordura Bags and some lighter material that have a zig zag option but I bought them very cheap and only use them once in a while. Just my opinion, hope it helps! :brainbleach: Rick

:sign23: Still looking for a shoe jack stand near Phoenix AZ, ! Thanks, Rick

There are shoe repair supplies available on Ebay from quite a few vendors. You will need to know what style and size heel your boots/shoes need.

I have ordered several from Tuffcase (some for myself, some for gifts for friends) I also have some from other makers. The Tuffcase stamps are a great value. They will do the job you are looking for. they are not a "deep" stamping as others available but the others are 2X the cost. Grey Ghost Graphics Makes a very good Delrin "plastic" stamp. Jeff will do custom work, I don't think you can get that from Tuffcase but I never asked them. http://www.greyghostgraphics.com/ One of the finest Maker Stamps I own is from Infinity stamps in Chatsworth CA. http://www.infinitystamps.com/ It is also the most expensive. But it is the Rolls Royce of stamps. The details are very crisp. For a beginner stamp the Tuffcase will get you started, they will get your items branded with your name and as you improve move up to the GG graphics stamp, Jeff is super to work with and delivery is fast! Hope this helps,

Nice work! It's great when the planets line up and a holster goes out of the shop without turning into scrap leather! lol!! Very nice design. The title says it all! Simple and Elegant.

You raised the bar for the rest of us!! Very nice work! Excellent job on the pattern as well! (I have trouble drawing my own name!) The whole package is "top shelf" work, you did a fine job and the customer should be proud!

Sorry Sylvia, I use those products too and never thought they smelled like pine sol. Maybe use a charcoal cartridge painters mask or a fan when you need to use it!

Ferg, Looking at your designs made me search for "logo trends" on Google. I am facing the same thing you are, trying to create a logo and a recognizable "Brand" look for my shop. It is not a simple process! I know you have spent several hours/days on this and the work shows that but there are some other considerations you may consider. I have a friend that is a graphics artist and owns a sign company here in Phoenix http://www.signsthatsell.com/ He has seen the trend move towards minimalist typesetting and fewer colors with little or no bleed off of color. The "Bleeding Cowboy" font has been very "over used" (Ray's words) and is so 2007 (again, Ray's words) it dates your logo/graphics quickly because they have been seen for a few years already. They were new, used a lot, looked really cool, now they are not! Kind of like the "mullet" hair do! Classic stays, trends grow tired. Your designs are very imaginative and show that you are detail oriented and trying to bring as much info about your business to your customers as you can in a limited amount of space. The message gets lost in the artwork (JMHO). Others have observed that as well in replies. I have been looking at past leather business maker stamps for many years repairing saddles and tack. Some of the finest work out there has the simple maker stamp in an oval or a circle with the shop name (or persons name) city and state. What draws you to look for it is the work. When an exceptional saddle comes to the shop it stands out, even from 10 feet away, even if it is plain and sitting next to a bunch of full carved production shop saddles. People will notice quality and will start looking for the maker stamp. I am finding that more of my "plain" work appeals to a broader audience than tooled work (and sells quicker) (my tooling is o.k., I'm not a Bob Park!). We as artists appreciate the tooling and artistic aspects of leather work, the public (at least 80%) like more plain work with an edge boarder line or a simple cam tool edge. There are exceptions to that statement and I realize that too. Knowing your audience helps define what you make and what they will like/buy. Ferg, I think maybe some changes to simplify the logo may be an idea I would consider. If it looks good in a vector image (black and white only) it may be more appealing to a broader audience and quicker to recognize. Your name You city, state Fire hat shield shape border Axe surround shape for border website address Not all of these elements at once!, pick two or three that are most important to you. Put together 4 or 5 ideas (in vector image) and remember that your maker stamp will be what most people will see. Save colors and additional information for a website or facebook page. This is a learning process and I can appreciate how much time you have put in to this! It is not and easy task!

Michael, I am not a fan of IWB holsters but have started getting requests for them. I have made one for myself, (glock #30) and carried it for a few days. This hardly qualifies me to comment on yours but you asked for it ! Do you find that the retention to be good? I molded my holster a little bit and with the belt and IWB it seemed o.k. It looks like yours is like a western rig with little molding, does it stay in place? Mine rode a little high and I was always concerned that it did not conceal well, next time I will set the straps/snaps higher on the holster lowering it. (yours looks good) That is all I have, you explained the edges and all that (I have a box full of crappy test holsters!) I have not printed the pattern but its great of you to include! It will help a bunch of people get started! Rick

Very happy with mine from Jeff at Grey Ghost Graphics http://www.greyghostgraphics.com/

He is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Arizona time during the week

I know of one that is for sale in Phoenix AZ. It is at Southwest Leather. The owners name is Chip Sarchett his number is 623 780 - 2991 I just looked at it this week so I know its there. I did not discuss the price so I don't know what he wants for it. Tell him Rick Jorgenson sent you

Hi and welcome to the forum, The weight behind the marble is what makes it quieter, the dead weight will not resonate through the house. One thing I have recommended to beginners (on a budget) is... Buy 2 12in x 12in square cement stepping stones (about $2.00ea) Buy 1 12in x 12in square marble tile (about $4.00) Buy 2 tubes of construction adhesive (about $6.00 Glue the tile to the stepping stone and the other stepping stone to the bottom of that (so the tile is on top) Clamp together and let dry a few days. The marble is softer than granite and if you were to punch through with a tool less damage would happen to the tool, not real important with less expensive tools but when you start buying high quality tools it could mean a lot. Make the investment in a 5 pound rawhide maul (or see if the bearman here on LW.net makes one that heavy) and use the tooling base you made for $14.00 or $15.00 and that heavy maul for your wide profile stamps. It will make all the difference. Also, Buy one of Tandys "Hefty Handle" for your letters and 3D stamps http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/8197-00.aspx They make a huge difference. Another tip for that Hefty Handle ~ Grind a flat top on it! For some reason they make this with a domed (round) top. Take it to a bench grinder and make a flat top on it! It will work much better!! For the safety of yourself and the life of your tools, do not use your anvil and/or your brass hammer! Hope these tips help, it is another way to achieve your goal of quieting your heavy tooling, the base will also work for your regular tooling as well. The largest investment will be the maul. Check the LW.net advertising at the top of the page, someone has rawhide mauls in stock!

Hi, Welcome to the leather workers nightmare! Pricing our work so it sells and feeling ripped off when it does! We are a sick bunch but do love our craft! I would agree with Spinner and everyone else on multiple color work. Work with some antiques to get depth, and then a finish sealer, it is the only way to make it work for you timewise. Keep practicing on your tooling. I think you stated you spent "hours tooling" , with practice, the tooling for that should take about 20 to 30 minutes. It will be a while but you will find yourself automatically grabbing for the next tool and knowing just where to place it in a quicker and more positive motion. If you hand stitched that, STOP! you will never make enough sales to return the amount of time spent doing it. If you feel you must stitch something for a "look" you are trying to achieve, do a few items and go to a saddle shop or shoe repair shop and have them stitched. The few bucks a piece you pay will more than make up for the time you spent hand stitching. If you do not have a sewing machine, there are edge treatments and small borders that you can apply to add interest and dimension to the sides (framing the tooling) that will take far less time and enhance the tooling as well (many are tools that you can buy use) can you see a spending trend here? There is always another tool to buy! Congrats on your first sale! Now go do another to pay for this bad habit! :brainbleach: Rick

They look great! I would like to see a couple additional pictures of the shoulder (jackass rig) . I have not attempted building a shoulder rig yet nor have I seen one in person. I think I would have a ton of questions to see what works and what doesn't for someone who has used one. I have heard the jackass from Galco is one of the most popular and used and would try to take the good aspects of it and incorporate it into my own rendition. They all look good, keep building. The little I have worked with horse hide I have found that casing it properly helps with the wet forming. What has worked for me is dropping the stitched holster in a bucket of water with about a 1/2 cup of Murphys Oil Soap in it and leaving it in for about twice as long as cow veg-tan seems to work. The HH is so dense that it does not get real "floppy" from this type of soaking. The Murphys seems to help with the molding process of this dense hide (I use it or saddle soap on most of my leather for wet forming anyway). The weight of leather depends on the finished product requirements and is also a bit of a personal preference. I tend to use a little heavier leather then some others. I am concerned about retention but believe it is had by contact on the inside of the holster (leather contact to the firearm) not from making the outside of the leather look like a "drawing" of the firearm. I do some external molding to "chase" some lines to help with the internal contact but not as much as some that use lighter leather. Its just my preference and I think it may help the holster last a little longer. They do have a lifespan for duty use and it is not forever, though it may look good and work for off duty use in its later life. Experiment with different weights and see what works for YOUR style and preferences and that will dictate what weight leather to use. Not the answer you were probably looking for but I think it is one to think about, I think others may agree. If your style of holster building works and looks best with a certain weight it would be a shame to try to use another weight because "someone told you to" . Its good to ask around but you have built enough holsters to do some of your own experiments that failed research (I have a box full of them under the bench at my shop!!). Hope I didn't bore you! lol!! I'm off my soapbox now!

Great job!! I have been using Marks patterns for the last couple years and recommend them to anyone wanting to make chaps or chinks! I have also used the bridle pattern and sold quite a few and got orders for custom to match their saddle tooling pattern. Nice chinks! Now on to the next pair:You_Rock_Emoticon:!!

Just think how many holsters and mag holders you can make with a double shoulder or side of leather!! The $50.00 you spend for a dbl. shoulder should generate about 5 or 6 holsters and as many mag holders! (doing quick math) $45.00 per holster (wholesale) and $25.00 per mag holder (wholesale) should net you about $350.00 and a whole lot of fun making them!!

I paid $85.00 and $165.00 for the two large books several years ago (and am glad to have them in my reference library, I refer to them all the time!) I do not have the smaller book and have not seen one for sale.

I think the 3/4 is to light weight. I use 5/6 or 7/8 for most wet molding items that you rely on durability and retention of the item. The extra effort in the wet forming/molding process will set your product apart from others. Just my .02

If you have a drug store or some other convenience store near you they have $1.99 rubber flip flops, (in Hawaii we called them "rubbah slippahs" ) I have made some with using those soles as patterns and were able to get a general location for the toe and side pieces. I used nylon webbing, vibram crepe, with a vibram power sole material. They are very strong. I don't have a picture or I would post it. Look for some cheap ones to pattern after. I bought all sizes at Joannes fabric for .99 cents a pair

Hi Kelly, The knife needs to be sharp enough that there is no drag when used. Once you have used one that is that sharp you will know. Spend some time on the blade, see if you tube has some vids on it. I sat down with Paul from leather wranglers at the leather show and used one of his sharp blades "WOW" what a difference. I went home and sharpened all of mine. I am still working on getting them as sharp but spending some time on them and "giving them a little attention" has paid off on the ease and quality of work. give it a try, I mean tell your "friend" to give it a try!!

(crowd says) Hi Kevin Its been 3 months since I last used a dull swivel knife. Oh yea, this isn't about me! Kevin Just make it a habit to sharpen those things once in a while! I strop before starting a project, I strop while doing the project, I strop it before putting it back in the tool slot, I think I may have a problem! lol!! Look on youtube for vids on sharpening swivel knives also, check out Paul from leather wranglers video on sharpening head knives, its not that hard and he does a great job showing how it is done. As Sylvia said ""A Dull knife is a Dangerous Knife. A Dull knife is a Dangerous Knife. A Dull Knife is a Dangerous Knife." And a dull swivel knife is just frustrating!!

I had the same trouble, I quit using explorer as a browser and switched to Firefox. It works every time! I also noticed that everything runs quicker on firefox as well

Andy, Very nice tools! I also like that you are bringing some older style tools back that were dropped from production. The "moulding" style tools are something that is unusual (I have not seen before) and I would like to see what some of the very talented "toolers" here on LW.net would do with them! Nice work, I look forward to seeing additional styles as you ad them.