fredk

Sorry, I must qualify that. I like 0.6 mm when its a single thread doing a running stitch but 1.2 mm approx if its a double thread in a saddle stitch If its a normal round thread, 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm hole for a single thread. The thread will squeeze down a bit and the leather will expand a wee bit so the thread will fill the hole. Approx 1.5 to 2 x for double thread in a saddle stitch It will take more of a pull to take the thread through the smaller hole but if its kept well waxed it'll slip through well enough

afaia ALL STITCHING chisels are diamond and only lacing chisels are available in diamond or parallel tooth. The reason most sellers don't say the stitching chisel is diamond tooth is because they all are and its a given PS. We have given you several options. You have now become a Troll. From here on I'm adding you to my ignore list as I do not feed trolls

0.5 to 0.8 mm, depending on your thread. I use flat profile thread and its best in 0.5 / 0.6 mm holes

As far as I am aware, Yes it can be. I had some deer skins, some were as soft and limp as bit of tissue paper, I also had some which was thinner than the soft skins but was very much stiffer, almost like thin cardboard or heavy paper. In my case the thin stiff was too thin for wallets so was used to cover some shields and as a liner in shoulder bags.

a. question - what size of letter do you want? b. questions - upper case only, lower case only or both? There are not really a lot of sets made out there. Only other maker I know of is 'IVAN' and what they make/made is very limited as well. You need to search through the likes of Ebay, WORLD-WIDE to find sets, especially long discontinued ones. And be prepared to pay over the odds for a set you really like*. Also search out independent leather tool shops, Tandy type re-sellers. They may have an old set gathering dust on a back shelf** * I paid 2.5 times what I really wanted to pay for a rare set of letters which I decided suited a current project ** I found a set of lowercase letters to match an uppercase set I had in a re-seller shop in a remote corner of the US, after searching world-wide for months for the lowercase set.

Kinda, sort-of, yes. I used to mix some lavender oil into my beeswax/carnauba/nfo soft mix. A lady gardener used to order it from me. She used some of the regular mix on her leather goods and found that mix helped her dried chapped hands so she asked if I could mix some with essential oils in it to make it smell nice. Thus I added essential lavender oil into it and not only she bought it but I used to sell it in 50ml tins, mainly to other gardeners but other 'house wife' types and car mechanics. I checked with a university chemistry professor friend of mine about the mix and he checked and said that as they were all natural products which we use anyway all was fine. Local Trading Standards got a tin to test and never came back to me to tell me to stop.

Made in the UK I believe https://www.blackmountainsleather.com/collections/tools/products/leathercraft-pricking-iron-set-2-8-prong?variant=12551572717673

It looks like an upholster's stretching pliers. For pulling and stretching canvas across a chair seat frame before nailing the canvas to the wood frame

My son banned me from wearing mine out in public. He threatened me with dire consequences

You can't rub anything on it or you'll flatten the knap. On a hat I have which has an almost suede finish I use a spray-on water proofer eg: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Waterproof-Spray-Tents-Fabric-Shoes-Clothing-Boots-Camping-Fishing-Outdoor-300ml/283236893300?hash=item41f23c0274:g:Pl8AAOSwJ6Nb2Qkt and: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikwax-Fabric-Leather-Proof-Spray-Waterproof-Maintains-Breathability-125ml/232214169421?hash=item36110b074d:g:fuYAAOSwNnRYhPXE Waterproofs without altering the colour or the surface. The colour darkens a bit just after spraying but it returns to normal as the water-proofer is absorbed and it dries. Depending on your weather this might need reapplying at intervals. I find that in N.I.'s wet weather it needs doing once every 4 to 6 weeks.

Two opposite things there. An oxymoron Good, yes inexpensive, no A good tool like this will last your lifetime of leather work Check these out; https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/catalog/item-detail/67-7252/diamond-stitching-chisel-set/pr_55115 Others on here can advise on the company and the tools

Left end, looks like a selection of modelling stylus, with various ends Right end, another modelling stylus, useful for working with lace next to that I can make out two flat lacing needles. The other things might be round lacing needles - have they a hollow end middle item is as Tugadude says

au contraire, I like single for the apex of corners. Corners first, then work from centre of sides towards corners, adjusting if necessary the last stitch to that corner one. Adjusted stitches are less noticeable at the corners But in this OPs case I think he can skip the 1 and go for a 2 and a 4

How about 'Mink Oil' cream? or just good 'ole beeswax/nfo mix?

That hat is a standard cotton wide-brim fedora. You can just make out the stitching under the brim. Its the shaping of it and the hat band which makes it different https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Adults-Summer-Hats-Wide-Brim-Light-weight-Green-Blue-Natural-or-Black-Fedora/293579791476?hash=item445ab81c74:g:124AAOSwnuJevTOZ https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/The-Hat-Company-Mens-Classic-Summer-Cotton-Fedora-Hat-A232/163518106314?hash=item2612704aca:g:jyUAAOSw5pRcUydv https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fedora-Hat-Cotton-Hawkins-Wide-Brim-Band-BEIGE-WHITE-4-Sizes-Trilby/291643915961?hash=item43e754feb9:g:-JgAAOSwhfxZbOAO

What did you use as an anvil to hit against? You should have used a small round anvil with a dished head. The dished head preserves the curved head of the snap Also hitting too hard can cause this. A few medium taps is better that one great whack to set the snap rivet

An old thread, recently added to and I'll add some more. Re-reading through my old books I found some information which may be relevant. From about 1730 to about 1820 British Army soldiers and some other European soldiers wore a special leather collar called a 'stock'. It was made of very thick stiffened leather meant to make the soldier keep his chin upwards, and by doing this he kept his back straight and did not slouch. The edges of the leather were known to be sharp, they cut the soldier's flesh under his chin, they left weals where the cuts healed. Period advice given to the patrols sent out to find deserters was to look under the chin of any suspect for these weals and if he could not produce his discharge papers he was a deserter Hard or semi-hard leather can have a cut edge sharp enough to cut flesh. I have often enough got a 'paper' type cut from fresh cut leather. If the edges of the stock had been bevelled they would not have cut Afaik, Armies in the US & Canada wore the stock from about 1730 to about 1815 and again some regiments wore them in the WBTS but it was not exactly the same then but a shorter collar 'stiffener'

That is a very ambiguous statement. How far back do you want to go? Bees' wax, lanolin oils and beeves fat, now known to us as neetsfoot oil, was used by the Saxons and 'Vikings', (400 AD and after). The Romans (350 BC to 600 AD) used bees' wax and lanolin oils. Carnauba, being from South America is from after the 1500s, and seems to being used on furniture by the 1750s. Not all threads were linen. There was also thread made from nettles and birch bark

I use my beeswax/carnuaba wax/nfo mix. I use my harder version. I apply it with a cloth and rub it in. Takes some work but I can get a nice smooth and shiney surface, almost as good as the grain side. I do it on all belts and straps I make.

Spotted this on ebay UK 6 sqft of white leather, about 0.55 mm* thick for £10 per (* about 1.4 oz?) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pittards-High-Quality-Glove-Making-Leather-55mm/324201584439?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Pick-up only from Woking area but I'm in discussion with the seller to post some to me in N.I. Ideal for lining those projects methinks

I might try it soon-ish as I have a couple of items I need to do and this might work on them Can you send me a scan of It?

That looks like a most excellent strong bag. It should last a wee while An excellent idea. I'm supposed to be making a bag, in this sort of style, for my dottir for her going to Uni. I think I'll use your idea for the strap.

Apply Ockam's razor to your problem

btw, Le Prevo has been open again the last few weeks and are looking your orders

When I made wood toys we often had to make dowels rounded over at the ends. We started them by using a pencil sharpener. The one we had was an old office one, with a crank handle. After this we held the end of the dowel on a belt sander clamped up-side down on the work bench and rotated the dowel. We would do a few hundred at a time in stages. One day I'd put the dowels thru the pencil sharpener, afair I got it down to 1 every 10 seconds. The next day I'd do the rounding on the belt sander, again afair 1 every 20 seconds. Thus a few hundred were done in a couple of days, enough for a few weeks output. I usually had to do the rounding as the other 2 workers were too impatient to stand/sit and do them. Sometimes if I felt the urge I'd do a small stock, well in advance of requirements, just a couple of hours and I could do several dozen dowels. We were using dowels in 3mm to 6mm, 9mm, 12mm, 19mm and 24mm diameters, all but the 19 and 24 could go in the pencil sharpener.