fredk

the question is ambiguous. is it 'how many types. . .' of tanning? or 'how many types . . .' of animal leather? or is it both?

Sounds like chrome tan, two thin pieces with a piece of compressed card sandwiched in between Rather a standard way of making such bags as well as handbags, briefcases et al from the 1870s onwards

May I say; about 6 years ago a chap contacted me and wanted me to make holsters and gun belts for him to re-sell in his store. I got into discussions about styles, sizes, numbers et cetera. Then came the pricing. He was wanting top quality holsters for less cost than the cheap thin ones (about 2mm or 5oz leather) he was buying out of Mexico. The price he wanted to buy mine from me at would just about cover the price of the leather never mind the cost of time, dye, buckles et cetera. I told him this and told him what I estimated a plain holster would cost. I just stopped negotiating with him but occasionally when I run into him he still asks if I'll do the holsters for him, with the usual promises ' I can send more work your way . . . '

A lot of you say you are using the skiver blade which seems to be the sam blade for the automatic razor. My skiver blades are too thick to go into the blade slot on my strap cutter btw another answer for the OP is the pistol shaped cutter, or the plough gauge here; https://www.amazon.co.uk/OwnMy-Leather-Cutter-Aluminium-Cutting/dp/B0868B1N9S and; https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/958106152/leather-cutting-tool-leather-strap T.169 here; http://www.leprevo.co.uk/cutting.htm

They are too thick for the holding slot on the strap cutter http://www.leprevo.co.uk/cutting.htm but I bought mine by 10 from China via ebay. I built up a stock of them

I clean mine in paint brush restorer, then wash in soapy water

Oxygen is needed to enable the corrosion. This has been proven via archaeological finds where iron items have lain in wet peat bogs without free oxygen and the iron items are only mildly corroded. The greater the oxygen content of the environment the speedier and stronger the corrosion

Where I buy snaps, aka poppers, from the millimeter measure given is the diameter of the nice head

I read it; 2 colours, one colour being dark and lighter in shade. Light & dark tan and black

I would thin tan dye down real thin and apply it with a brush. Coat by coat, overall a few times then just the main area not going over the secondary nodules, until the main piece has some decent colour to it

one of dem dare huge ready-mixed seeement deeeelivery trucks type drum?

Have you asked any Native Americans? I read these days a lot of tribes are trying to keep up and get old traditional crafts going. Curing hides might be within their remit and the instructors might have some ideas, even if they don't use modern methods but traditional ones they'd need to know which modern methods or chemicals not to use

GLAZED Pigskin Tandy has it. Its very thin and very stiff on its own. But for a bag section separator I think two layers might be better https://www.tandyleather.world/products/glazed-pig-lining?variant=32543852003463

I would use glazed pig skin. Two layers with a piece of thin compressed card inbetween

I would try pure turpentine first. The pure artists type turps not the artificial replacement

thanks guys

That is excellent tooling. Looks very sharp with good depth Please inform this ignoramus on two things; 1. Why is it called 'Hand of God'? and 2. what is so desirable about having this holster over and above others?

Most excellent What are those items you have for holding the cord?

You need a passport to travel into Wyoming !?

I can only agree with the others; that wood grain effect is brilliantly excellent

Interesting stamps Sometimes Mida stamps, mostly 3D type, are for sale on ebay-uk. But most of those are similar to Tandy or Ivan and the seller looks for too mucho coin for them edit to add; I just did a new search on ebay and there is a newer seller and his/her prices are much more reasonable and affordable

That sure is a nice sign. How big is it? and could you not put a phone number on it in the bottom right? There are currently some 'crafters' stalls in one of my local shopping centres (Shopping mall ? to you lot ). Some of them have Q codes on their signs and banners and I noticed a fair few potential shoppers were using their smart phones to record the code. I think it would just be possible to stamp a Q code in leather, with care though

Not leather work; a remembrance and it may not be totally accurate. My paternal grandfather served in a US artillery regiment in WW1. He told my father that in their spare time some of his friends used to refashion used artillery shell cases using the horse and guns maintenance tools and they 'engraved' the brass shell cases using horse shoe nails. This 'tench art' was posted home to family and friends and some for selling. The makers got more money for the 'engraved' items than for the plain ones