Sheilajeanne

Our local Tandy store still has the Craftool Pro stamps available, but I imagine once the stock runs out, that will be it. If you can visit a Tandy store near you, they may have what you need. If they don't, and really care about your business, they may be able to order the stamps from another store that still has them in stock.

That was my first thought, too. The machines I used in Home Ec. in school had knee controls. I liked them much better than the foot pedal on my mom's machine.

A quick search on Google turned up this thread on Leatherworker.net:

Exactly, Tom! However, some of the designs posted are downloadable, and the photos are a good source of inspiration to leatherworkers of all abilities. I've already downloaded a couple of Al's wallet templates for possible future use. He WANTED people to use them - he was always teaching! Even in the scenes he did for the Tandy calendar, he'd leave part of the picture unfinished, and stamp the tools he'd used beside the picture to show people which ones were needed for finishing the picture.

Gee, let me guess....

Very nice! Reminds me of the Roman shoe I posted earlier this week in Leather History!

I have recently joined this FB group, and the work being shown is AMAZING!! It started just 2 days ago, and already has over 1,000 members. If you are interested, google "Facebook Ann and Al Stohlman Group". I think Peter Main is the organizer behind it. And oh, the regret I feel when I find out Ann and Al spent over 20 years in my neck of the woods, just at a time in my teens when I developed an interest in leather work, but let it drop because I hadn't a clue what I was doing, and there was no one to mentor me... We also had a Radio Shack/Tandy store that wasn't too far away, where I could have bought what I needed to get started.

Ridiculously expensive for a block of wood, eh?

I think Mike has the best advice! Yes, be REALLY careful! As a one-person operation, you can't afford to be cheated on this.

Yeah, I store mine in a piece of 2x4 with holes drilled in it. Only problem is, due to recent purchases, I now need a BIGGER piece! I put labels in the middle of the rows between stamps with the names of the stamps on them, and they are sorted according to letter and number, similar to what you've done. I also bought a plastic storage rack from Tandy when it was on sale, and my most recent purchase of a large lot of tools and decorative stamps included 2 nice plywood boxes with dividers in them to hold stamps. I am thinking of sewing covers I can put over top of them to keep dust and dirt out when I'm not working on a project. Cleaning between the tools when you have over 100 of them becomes a real PITA! Too true!

I just realized something while reading this. Sewing machines are one of the few mechanical thingamajigs where women (especially OLDER women) have an advantage over men, because we were expected to take Home Ec. in school, while the guys took Shop. Many of us also had a sewing machine at home that we were allowed to use. And that means, of course, that we LEARNED how to use sewing machines. And a leather sewing machine, in most ways, still works pretty much like a domestic one...meaning I knew immediately what was wrong with the way the machine was being threaded! Sorry, guys, you will have to forgive me...having a moment here!

Thanks for the info, Mike!

bikermutt07, can you remember the names of the other videos on doing markets, so I can search them on his website? Sorry, couldn't get the bolding to turn off after I copied and pasted your name!

[sigh!] Was afraid you were going to say that! Where can I get one? Yes, new basement much, much drier than old, and mostly fully finished with a beautiful HUGE craft room. The house came with 2 dehumidifiers, so I have them both running. Unfortunately, there is nowhere else to store my leather, but I am keeping a close eye on it! So far so good...only moisture in the basement was when the water softener packed it in and started to leak! As it was the middle of spring thaw, and raining outside, I FREAKED!! I was actually relieved when I discovered where the water was coming from, although the idjits who had installed the softener hadn't equipped it with a shutoff valve, so I had to shut the water down at the main. No longer have a softener...never wanted it in the first place!

Thanks, Ferg. WOW, that's a LOT of punches! Definitely beyond my skill level right now, but would love to see just how the shoe is put together! It looks like the back of the display case has individual pieces of one of the shoes displayed at many times their actual size. Got to be some books out there with more detail...screwed up my knee when gardening on the weekend, so I no longer have any excuse to not get back into my leatherwork, which I've been neglecting since I moved in December! When I see something like this it just makes me drool...I'd so love to make one. Maybe I SHOULD buy that patcher Wiz is suggesting I buy! How heavy is a machine like that, and how hard would it be to get it down 13 stairs to the basement? https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/86163-singer-machine-with-table-and-motor/

Just found this picture of a woman's shoe from 2000 years ago, and it inspired me to dig deeper. Wow, I would SO love to visit the Saalburg, and see these shoes in person! The craftsmanship is exquisite! https://mymodernmet.com/womens-shoes-ancient-rome/?fbclid=IwAR3SO4duDxLTDw1n9dgTmPuCqF322fS-pGiYdPn7Nx2FtejMwNJJs4w4puo https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/08/18/2000-year-old-roman-shoe/

Thanks for the advice, Wiz! I appreciate it.

This is a very rural area. I was thinking if I did get another sewing machine, it would be something that could do simple horse tack repairs to bridles etc., which would require sewing something thicker than 1/4 inch. But that's certainly a very good price, and I'm rethinking my decision. I'm retired now, and once I finish doing what needs to be done to my new home, I want to get more seriously into leather crafting.

Okay, got the number from the seller, and it's a Singer 29K 51. I'm going to pass, because it won't sew anything thicker than about 1/4 ", and my current machine will do that. Plus, according to a post I saw on this site, it can be very hard to get parts for if anything breaks. https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/51788-singer-29k51-info-wanted-keep-it-or-junk-it/?tab=comments#comment-330415 Still available, if anyone wants it....

This is for sale, just down the road from me. Is this what they call a patcher? How heavy a leather would it sew? (And would someone else hurry up and buy it before I'm tempted??) https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2394687357264536/

That looks exactly like the end of an English bridle rein. That's the part of the rein that attaches to the bit. I imagine the owner recycled a broken rein to make the strap! Reins are one of the bits of tack that most often gets broken if a horse runs away, and steps on them.

Yes, my swivel knife is a Tandy that came with a beginner's kit. I sharpen and strop it every time I sit down to carve, and don't think I've ever found it needed resharpening before I was done with the carving. Most projects just aren't that big, unless you're making saddles or very large items.

Leatherworkers visiting the Stohlman museum sometimes comment on how primitive the tools Al used were. Some were home made, yet he produced gorgeous work that still makes people shake their heads at its artistry and craftmanship. My tools are mostly Tandy, and I've only ever had to return one tool because the stamp had a burr on it. Recently, I bought a large lot of used tools that included many of the older Tandy tools, which are supposed to be superior to the ones they produce today. I found out that due to their age, that wasn't necessarily so. Some of the old tools, due to wear and tear, weren't quite as sharp as the newer ones. The tools I've had the most trouble getting a good impression from are some of the larger figure stamps. They need a much heavier blow than the smaller tools to make an impression on the leather. This flower stamp, for instance, is one that doesn't make a good impression: https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/w532-craftool-flower-stamp The tools you'll need depend a lot on what sort of work you do. I don't enjoy basket stamping, for instance, so I don't buy those tools. I do mostly floral carving and figure carving, so I need mainly bevelers, shaders, camo tools, seeders, mule foots and figure tools.

My suggestion would be for the gusset to be a lighter weight leather than the rest of the bag, to allow it to bend more easily. That should solve your problems! I really don't understand why the gusset would have to bend in 2 directions. It only needs to bend inwards. You do not fold the edge over for stitching. It is stitched flat to the front and back of the bag.

Hope everyone is okay, and managed to stay safe from the tornados! Ferg, especially thinking of you, because I know you are very close to Dayton!