Sheilajeanne

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.

Welcome to the board! You will find a lot of information here, and some very helpful people! My first efforts at leather tooling were on a latigo rounder that fell off a saddle at a local dude ranch. I carved a 4-leaf clover into it, using homemade tools. It turned out pretty well, considering I'd never done leatherwork before! I kept it on my bedside table for many years, as a coaster, then one day it disappeared. I think it may have fallen in the wastebasket, and been thrown out... Look forward to seeing your quiver! (Yes, I'm into archery, too.)

Just curious to know what weight of leather do you used to make these collars? :D

Translated from Portuguese: Good evening to all, I am Adriano Claro and I live in Santa Abdullah/Brazil. I acquired a machine Dürkopp Adler 69-572 and I can't get a manual. Would anyone have one to make available? What's the difference from a 69-373 to the 69-572? Thank you all. I loved the site, it's helping me to know all about machines.

Do they have all their parts? When you say they 'need some work', do you mean cleaning and lubrication, or a major overhaul with replacement of parts? Also, how hard is it going to be to ship them? Are they the massive stand-up machines?

And I am also interested in getting a stamp made, and can't access the site AT ALL!

Crandom, thanks! Their Canadian website doesn't state load ratings. I'll have to make sure I'm ordering the same product. Shelta, leash size is strictly a personal preference. People who show dogs have leashes that are so thin they sometimes break! I'm fine with 1/2" but my dogs are extremely well trained and don't pull. It can be hard to find the larger snaps for 3/4" leads. Lead shanks for horses are usually 1' wide. I wonder what the load rating is on THEIR snaps??

You can get latigo strips for a reasonable price. That's what I used for leashes and collars, and am going to use them to make a protection harness for my dog.

Everybody probably has their favourite treatment for finishing goods that are going to be exposed to the weather. in my riding days, it was saddle soap and neatsfoot oil, but for collars and leashes, I prefer to use oil based dyes on veg-tanned leather, and finish with Eco-Flo Super Sheen. Of course, using latigo leather to start with is a good idea, but the colour range on that is pretty limited! What are some of your favourite finishes?

I've never made a lined collar, as I don't have a leather sewing machine, but would like to give it a try. Any tips on cutting the lining to get it to exactly match the collar? I assume and edge beveler is the best tool for getting an exact match, once the lining is stitched or glued on. And how do you finish the edges afterwards? My one attempt at slicking the edges on a lightweight leather was disastrous! It bunched up, and damaged the grain side!

The other day, I was looking for trigger snaps for dog leashes, and went into TSC. Their 1/2" snaps are only rated for 35 lbs. but a large dog like a German shepherd can weigh twice that! Tandy doesn't say how heavy a stress their snaps are designed to take. Anyone know of a manufacturer for snaps that DOES make a snap guaranteed to not break when a large dog puts it to the test?? I'd hate to have someone buy a leash from me, and have their dog get injured or killed as a result of snap breaking! The type of snap I'm talking about is the one in this photo

Bellies are uneven in thickness, stretchy, more likely to have scars or insect bites. The backside of the leather is more furry, too.

Lovely story! I'm going to share that with my friends!

STRONGLY agree with this! We did experiments on the toxicity of different plants in botany class in University, and walnut hull extract was the only plant that killed EVERYTHING!! Walnut wood shavings have killed horses if used for bedding for their stalls. Those that think the label 'all natural' means 'safe' are forgetting some of our deadliest poisons (arsenic, botulism toxin, ) are also ALL NATURAL! The species of walnut may also affect the shade of the dye. We have black walnut here in Ontario, and having hulled these walnuts to dry and eat the nuts, I can personally tell you about the lovely dark brown stain that stayed on my hands for a number of days afterwards. The inside of the hull of the nuts was black in colour, and produced a very dark brown juice. In the end, hulling the nuts for food really wasn't worth the effort. The nuts (which were also nearly black on the outside) were almost impossible to crack, and the nut meats were disappointingly small, once we got them open. We soon decided the nuts made better cat toys than food! The royal walnut, which grows further south, and is the one sold in stores for food may produce a lighter shade. I'm just going by the lighter shade of the outside of the shell, though.

OMG, OMG... an original Singer stool! I've never even SEEN one before! You lucky sonofagun!!

I bought a marble tile from Home Depot for $10. It's only about 5 mm thick, but if it breaks, replacing it will still only cost me a fraction of what Tandy charges for a quartz slab!

Yes, my local Tandy store has a Tippman boss all set up so people can try it out, and see if it's the right machine for them.