Sheilajeanne

Yin Tix, I only was able to find ONE thread. The price right now is about as low as it will ever get, and I really don't want to wait for something better to come along. Saw a video of the exact machine I'm planning to buy, and they guy was saying, "WOW, that blade is really SHARP. You need to be careful not to cut yourself." There's some other stuff I am wiling to wait for, but this is something I would really like to have now, so going to take the chance on it. I never buy anything from Tandy unless it's on sale, or something that's really cheap to start with. For instance, got a package of 5 scroll stamps yesterday for $13.00, and a bottle of gold dye for $3.99. [sigh!] Okay, for better or for worse, I just pulled the trigger on this. Ordered it over the phone, and will pick up tomorrow. Edit: feeling jealous of this guy's work bench! Will have to figure out a way to mount the splitter in my rather tiny work space! This is the model I ordered.

Okay, I really NEED a splitter, unless I want to just continue using Tandy's overpriced kits! They have the deluxe splitter for same for $274.00 Canadian this weekend. Going to go for it. Being In Canada has its disadvantages when it comes to buying leather machinery from elsewhere. There's not a lot available here, and you have to pay hefty shipping and custom fees. Did find some info when I did a search, and seems it's a pretty decent machine.

Gosh, I've had SO many different jobs in my life... Started working at 15 in a factory at $1 an hour. Had a number of factory jobs in the summer while I was in H.S. Hey, anything to earn a bit of green! Also worked security (crowd control) at major public events in Toronto while in school, then spent a summer as a P.I. (loss prevention in drugstores.) Eventually got a science degree, but couldn't find a job, so bounced around doing temporary secretarial work (those Grade 9 typing classes sure paid off!) for the university and the government of Ontario. One of the more interesting jobs was working at the Best Institute at U of Toronto. I got to meet Dr. Best, the co-founder of insulin, and actually typed a letter for him once! Eventually wound up getting my teaching certificate, and teaching for a number of years. The only part of it I really enjoyed was teaching outdoor education during the summertime! I finally got tired of playing traffic cop to kids who really didn't want to learn, and decided to get my nursing diploma (R.N.) Eventually got the job I really wanted: doing visiting nursing. Then my life kind of fell apart when my husband was diagnosed with cancer and heart disease. He suffered a stroke in January of 2004 and died in November. I also lost both my mom and dad during a 10 month period from May 2004 - March 2005. After the estates were wrapped up, I tried to continue my nursing, but my heart wasn't in it anymore. A friend was wanting to try running a dog kennel, so we went into business together. She dropped out after a year or so, and I kept at it until I sold the business in 2015. I continued to work for the new owners for about a year, until we got tired of each other, and went our separate ways. Now I'm 64 years old, unemployed and wondering what the heck to do with myself! I let my nursing license lapse, and getting back into it would be extremely difficult and expensive, and take at least 2 years. Just not worth it at my age, but I don't feel ready to retire either! So, dabbling in leatherwork, and hoping maybe to make a few bucks with it. May run an ad in the local paper, and see if there are any seniors out there that could use a retired nurse to help them with their daily lives. Not really interested in going back into teaching. My next door neighbour is a teacher, and tells me stories of students coming to class high on drugs. Don't care to deal with that sort of nonsense at may age!

So, I know the Al Stohlman head knife is not something I want to add to my leather tools due to the poor quality of the steel. Has anyone good or bad things to say about Tandy's splitter? https://www.tandyleather.ca/en/product/craftool-high-tech-leather-splitter This was the one they had on sale earlier this week: https://www.tandyleather.ca/en/product/craftool-deluxe-leather-splitter It was listed at $200 U.S.

One thing I wanted to know is what's the difference between a head knife and a round knife? What's best for what task? Terry, I have a detail knife. It's one with a disposable blade, and I don't use it often enough to want to splurge on a really expensive one. Like someone said recently, even the disposable/snap off blades can do a good job if you look after them, and strop them! I suppose you could even sharpen them, if you wanted to.

I am thinking of getting a head knife or round knife in the near future. Which one did you buy, and what were your reasons for picking that particular one? As I'm female, with a small hand, I'm thinking the Texas Rosebud might be a good choice, but would like to know the pros and cons behind different knives.

A visit to Tandy is on my schedule for today! :D

Absolutely! There is no way these boots could have been fixed using a machine, as the split was where the toe of the boot meets the upper, where 3 pieces of leather come together. Sorel is a very reputable make of boot. I was surprised by the low quality of the construction. Stitching sucked, the dyeing sucked, and the boot had lost a D-ring for the lace because the loop holding the ring never got stitched! Just finished reading the thread on how to make a living with your leather work, and if this is the quality of (no doubt!) overseas mass-production going into the things we buy, there definitely IS a market for well-made quality leather goods.

A big help in sewing is a hemostat or pair of needle nosed pliers to help get the needle through the holes. I was repairing an old pair of Sorel winter boots tonight, and just about went NUTS hand-stitching a seam that was only an inch and a half long! Couldn't find my hemostat, and the leather was thick and stretchy and the holes just very small slits. I needed my strongest glasses and a very bright light to even see them! Using my awl to stretch the holes a bit did help, but it was still a real PITA! Had me wishing for a needle with a smaller eye, and sharper point!

That head knife sheathe tells me you have a talent for this, no doubt because you are already an artist. However, you may want to get a kit for your first purse. After that you can use the pattern that came with the kit to cut your own, and tweak the pattern to your liking. One thing I'd darn well like to do with the Tandy kits is get rid of all the holes for lacing, and saddle stitch the purse instead.

Hey, I know Tandy has its downside, with quality issues on a lot of its stuff, but I still like to give credit where credit is due! Interesting how most of us giving positive reviews of Tandy are from Canada! Maybe things are a little different here than they are in the U.S.

I think you did a good job, Yin Tx! I have some Tandy modelling spoons and a really small tear-shaped backgrounder that I use to get into tight spaces like that. Just ordered some Celtic Craftaid patterns, so will be doing some Celtic crosses and knotwork myself, but am NOT planning to reduce the patterns in size after reading your post! :D I also have a really powerful light on a gooseneck arm that I use when I'm tooling, plus a really strong pair of reading glasses, which I bought especially for leatherwork. Eyes aren't quite as good as they used to be when I was younger, and every little bit helps!

I googled it. It creases and edges leather. Many high-end bag manufacturers use it: https://www.rmleathersupply.com/products/electric-edging-tool

The nearest Tandy outlet to me has rarely let me down. The leatherworking classes that started me in this hobby were first rate, and there's always someone who seems to know how to answer any questions I have. Several staff member that I've met are really into leatherworking as a hobby, and love to share ideas and tips when they aren't serving customers, and have the time to chat. They had a special online Black Friday sale recently, and for the first time, I ordered stuff online. It was shipped the same day. They packaged it up so well that I had a hard time getting the box open! When I did get it open, they'd included their latest catalogue and flyer. I'd also ordered a messenger bag kit, and when I opened that up, I found they'd thrown in a nice little bonus: a Tandy carrying bag, the sort you can use for groceries if you don't want to use plastic. They also included a notice about a change of address. They are moving to a new location in February. I wish them the best of luck in their new spot!

Would like to see what you have available, too! Sheila jeanne 23 at yahoo dot com (remove spaces, of course!)

Yep, that's a stamp. And some VERY nice tooling! Is that a saddle?

That type of scroll is an extremely common element in Sheridan carving. See this example here: https://www.tandyleather.ca/en/product/revival-handbag-kit Here's a Craftaid template with a bunch of Sheridan designs on it: These are NOT stamps - they must be traced and carved, then stamped using a number of different tools (leaft veiners, bevels, seeders, pear shaders, etc.) Can you show us a better picture? How big is the scroll? Maximum size for a stamp is usually about an inch. Any larger, and it's nearly impossible to get a clear impression.

I made one of these last year for my sister-in-law. The links to the patterns no longer seem to work so here is the pattern I used: The main problem was finding leather that was thin enough to fold easily. I had to pay about $10. for some large scraps from Tandy, since I don't have a leather splitter. pinwheel purse3in.pdf

Plastic cutting board will bounce. I found quartz slabs - the ones Tandy sells - too expensive, so I bought a granite tile from Home Depot for $10. It works great!

Ditto on Alpha's advice! Fiebing's oil based dyes are my go-to dyes. Eco-flo sucks!

You can buy plastic storage boxes that are meant to store under beds. Might be able to fit a whole shoulder in one. I roll mine and store them in a cupboard, protected from light .

The problem could be that it's just poor quality steel. Like Art said about certain brands of head knives, they just aren't up to holding a good edge for any length of time. Not familiar with that brand name - does anyone know if it has a good reputation?

Is the skull in the second photo real? If not, how did you do it? Also how do you get such high bas-relief on your work? Do you use something underneath the leather to mould it? Very, very nice work!

Lovely work! What's a blood knot?

The knowledge of the staff varies from store to store. I've found the Tandy store I deal with has some VERY knowledgeable people. The guy who teaches the leatherworking classes is by far the most knowledgeable, and he does NOT like Resolene. He said it peels and cracks, and recommended Tandy's Super Sheen. But I'm willing to bet Resolene only has that problem if you don't dilute it. He's not just trying to push Tandy products, though. He told me Fiebing's Pro dye was by far the best, when I was having trouble with Tandy's Eco Flo products. And he was right.