Sheilajeanne

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.

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??