fredk

Hi, You'll find lots of good stuff on here and get good advice from friendly [mostly] [ok, I jest] folk with loads of experience Whereabouts are you located?

Very nicely done

Its similar but not quite the same. Our version of 'Pledge with Future Shine', formerly called Future or Kleer is as thin as water. Its is really like painting with water. I have used it on a couple of stiff knife sheaths. Only to lock some hand painted designs the colours of which I found would run with Resolene put on them. On one I put two coats, on another I used three. I would not go any more than that. None of the sheaths have shown any sign of varnish cracking or crazing I've used it a couple of times on flexible items, but only one coat. No adverse affects. All applications were by broad brush

Very nice indeedy Any more photos available?

I think you try to belittle me The word in the definition is CASE. In the UK that belt would not pass selling legislation as being described as a 'holster'

Basic Question; did you trim the copper stud to about 5mm above the leather? Trim to length first; about 5 or 6mm above leather, put on washer, drive down the washer, then burr the rivet. Trim the rivet stud even shorter if necessary; it only needs about 3mm to get a nice round top

Does this even qualify being called a holster? Its just a belt with an extra layer piece riveted on Webster Dictionary; Definition of a holster : a leather or fabric case for carrying a firearm on the person (as on the hip or chest), on a saddle, or in a vehicle; broadly : a case for carrying a usually small item on the person a knife holster a heart monitor carried in a hip holster

A sheath, or anything, is an un-even shape which needs cutting out. Even with a perfect 12 x 24 inch rectangle you will be cutting away some leather you cannot use. With a bigger piece, a half hide, you can twist and turn your patterns around so you can cut out many more of them with much less waste Homework for you; cut out, in paper, some knife sheath patterns. Lay them out on a 12 x 24 board/paper. See how much waste there is? Increase your base bit of board/paper, the bigger you make it the more sheaths you can put on it and the wastage becomes a smaller percentage

To add my 2p worth. Some Ebay 'rules' do not match UK laws. Me and #1 son got banned from selling on Ebay 3 years ago. In short we were returning buyers money per UK distance selling law, which wasn't the same as Ebays rules Ebay owns Paypal and between them they were getting about 14% of our sales. By cutting us off they were no longer getting £5,500 plus per year from our sales Tried talking with them but the people only had one script I joined an on-line auction site called ebid : https://www.ebid.net/uk/ Its still growing and as yet I've not sold anything thru it, but there again I haven't really tried. I took a punt on it and signed up for the lifetime jobbie at £49.99. No fees at all with that deal, just a couple [at pence rate] if you want 'gallery' pictures, that sort of thing. And at the lifetime membership you can link to your ebay feedback and to payment via paypal.

Even an engraver will pull the leather. Both those work best on very hard material I would suggest a pyrogravure; even just a soldering iron with a short line tip could be used in the manner of a pen

As long as you really cut through the top glaze Feibling should be ok. On jobs such as this I use cellulose thinners to really remove the top glaze, especially in any nooks and crannies. And give it a really good sealing afterwards

You can pay a lot less for your stones. Which ones? All of them, plus a couple of stropping leathers; one coarse & one fine I start off on a coarse grade water stone, then work finer on a couple of oil stones finishing off on a strop, keeping a fine grade diamond for quick swipes to keep the edge keen whilst working

Anyone tried saffron for orange-to-red?

They look just grand so they do These photos are looking like those trick photos which were on internet a while back; in the first photo the pockets and big patches look dark blue. but in the other photos they look medium brown!

I've been buying from LePrevo for 17 years - never had a problem with any leather. I tell them the thickness, square footage and type I want and let them send it to me. Only twice did I ask for a small sample first Hardware; do you mean rivets, buckles and such or tools? I used to get all from them as they were the only ones who would post to N.I. Now I buy rivets from China. I still get buckles from them as I like their range of brass ones. I usually/normally only use brass fittings and Le Prevo have good prices. Tools; I bought my first ones from them. Most are good, but they're limited in what they have. I bought a load of tools from Tandy last year, I also got some from China [via ebay] - eg a pair of special pliers which punches 3 lacing holes £35 plus P from Tandy, £9 from China; exactly the same thing cos they make them for Tandy You're probably paying an arm and both legs for delivery from UK. Have you tried that Parcel drop-off service? It sort of uses a N.I. post code to a place which then forwards it to a pick-up depot in Ireland - I think thats the gist of how it works

Nice

1. Two questions there a; any type you want to use, from any animal. The more exotic the animal the harder to get leather and more expensive it is. But leather from some animals is forbidden b. Soft leather. Soft leather can be thick or thin. Harder [stiffer] leather can be wet molded to make features on doorcards or dashes, or even a head-lining 2. Tandy keeps some. Sometimes they have leather that looks like its from snake or alligator, but its a lot cheaper. If you search on here you may find a list of leather sellers closer to where you are 3. What do you mean by this? More explanation please. For patterns just cut card or heavy weight paper or whatever, just whatever you do for cloth

I get my leather from LePrevo http://www.leprevo.co.uk/hides.htm

A thought. Ask "Scottsdale's Mueum of the West" in Scottsdale, Arizona. They are supposed to have one of the best collections of Chaps http://scottsdalemuseumwest.org/

I use a simple test. Burn a bit. Take a bit about the size of a quarter, hold in pliers, apply a flame. Real leather will scorch and smell like burnt meat, bonded leather wil start to burn, give off black smoke with black particles in it.

looks like a stuffing needle; for pushing stuffing up into tight places

Probably not a boot / shoe cobbler, but ask in equestrian and gun stores if they know a leatherworker. I reckon you're best bet will be through a gun store; they'll probably have contact with a holster maker. Holster makers work in lighter weight leather and generally don't mind to do it; saddle makers work in heavier weight leathers and may not have what you need As for samples to get or retain; I reckon you'll need three - the middle side and one from each end. The end pockets may not be exactly the same but made a bit 'lop-sided'

H'actually, thinking about this, I think the pockets have been made of cheap PU leather with a sprayed on finish. It takes a lot of rubbing to get through properly dyed quality leather. It takes months of regular hard use to make it start to show up, not two weeks. The saddle and holster makers on here will confirm this Whatever you chose to use, it will only stay on the surface. I'm not sure a leather dye is right on this occasion, it won't soak in properly and a lot will come off easily.A lacquer paint might be better

My ex- was conned into selling my Cadillac for £100. Guy forged a letter. He was to buy some spare parts kept in the trunk. By the time I got home and told police guy was across the border Junk mail - dunno if this would work for you; I pack up the junk mail, with old newspapers and stuff and mail it to the company. Only I don't pay the postage. I mark it 'Urgent papers inside' so the company feels compelled to receive it, thus having to pay the mailing charges. [return address is that of the company] I include a note; 'you stop sending me your carp and I'll stop sending you mine'. Works every time sock; yup, all black socks for me

As long as the plastic is HDPE it'll be ok. Here methylated spirits and other alcohol is often sold in HDPE bottles