x101airborne

Flintknapping is a hobby, but I am uneducated about it and it is a hard skill to pick up without some hands / eyes on help and mostly so far I have made some sharp gravel. I got some obsidian from a friends rock garden and that is another thing to try to work with. I have done some archery but gave up on it. I just don't have time. I used to use Muzzy broadheads and just got the replacement blades. Never tried sharpening them. Any of my experience sharpening is on knives. We do all our own slaughtering be it beef, pork, deer, etc. Trying to work a dull knife makes the meat look like heck and is more dangerous than using a proper sharp one. As for the head knife, I would not try shaving with it. It sliced the callous on my thumb clean. It did not try to slide on the skin at all. Do any of yall sharpen your skivers / gougers? I saw a video on it, but I am sure that is another skill to master. My edgers are so dull all they do is rip at the edge, not cut.

I have been pulling out all the old tools I purchased used a year ago and found a head knife that was covered in light rust. I got some 800 grit paper and took the rust off to find it is a C.S. Osbourne knife but it needed sharpened badly. Ran it through the stones then the strops and musta had some success cause when I went to touch the edge with my thumb, I took about 8 layers of callous off without even knowing. It goes through saddle leather like it isn't there. Looking at how to sharpen other tools, I see I need some more stones and rods to do different tools. Question posed to you good people is how often do you sharpen different tools and how sharp do you want them? I think I got a little over-zealous with this head knife, but my Father is an ex-butcher and razor sharp to him is when he goes back to the stone. I think the first atom was split with a processing knife from a slaughter house.

That is pretty awesome for your first try! Way to go!

I sure like that 20 gauge cartridge wallet. They are all great but I like that one best.

Notice that the flesh is only black past the wedding ring? Just sayin.

Thank you all for your help. I bought out an older fellow who was giving up shop and he had a lot of tools that are hard to work with. Although I appreciate all his tools, he doesn't have some basic tools and I don't want to add "crap" to the woodpile. On top of it all, I still need to find a grooving tool to hide stitching and a hand awl for hand sewing. Are the Awl for All tools that great? Or what do other hand stitchers use?

Thank you. I will also be looking for a set of 5 TPI or so pricking irons. A 6 tooth, a 2 tooth definitely, may be getting a 4 tooth to go along with the set. Thing is... my machine will sew light leather up to about 3/8 inch, so I only want the irons for thick heavy leather. Before I buy any, I want to make sure the set will meet my goals.

Beautiful!

I like everything you did, but I LOVE the carpenters pouch. Now if someone could just help me not set down my speed square and some smart guy wealder weld it to a beam....

I was just going to ask the same question. I have some finished black leather that is waxed on the finished side. It wont take water for nothing. I cut a scrap and tried to tool in a Cara Cara design and the cutting took, but that is it. Even a solid "whack" with a heavy mallet on a basket weave stamp yields light stamping. I am new as you and glad to see I am not the only one learning. I honestly was feeling alone there for a while.

Lil bit of both on the leathers. I asked my family to allow me to order my leather and they wanted more of a surprise than just a little money, so I got 4 halves, 2 butts, a shoulder and a box of unknown square foot leather that I have no idea what kind it is. I is very nice looking, but most fresh leather is. Unfortunately that is all I know of it. But really I am not ready to start cutting into the fresh leather. I am going to edge and finish every piece of scrap leather I own till I have this finished look down pat. I read and printed Hydepounder's tutorial on edging. It is now a part of my notebook. I have cotton daubers, going to purchase some wool ones. I need a good sharp edger edge kote in black and brown Gum xanthum (however you spell that) I have denim, canvas, etc.... Anything I am missing? I would like to get an order in hopefully in a couple days.

I know I am a noob and in no way pretend to know anything, but did you by chance change leather suppliers? I reload ammunition a lot. When I have an issue, I identify every little change or detail no matter how small (even down to lot numbers of powder) and I usually find the issue. Experience has taught me to change only one variable at a time and take notes.

With my Christmas money, I would like to order some tools to help me achieve better edges. Since I don't know much but am eager to learn, please help me identify what essential tools are necessary for proper edges. I don't want to buy cheap tools on a guess only to find I would be better off with a little more expensive tools and they would last longer and work better. Thank you for all your help.

I know I am just learning and don't even know the basics, but I only wish I could make something that nice. I have a pair of old Leupold Binoculars from the 50's that would just love to ride in that.

It is beautiful. Like a weightlifters belt narrowed a bit. Love the tooling. One day I may be able to do something like that. Hopefully.

Ramrod.... Very valid point. Appreciate it.

My folks milked cows for 60 years before I did it for 6 years then the whole family sold them down the road. We pulled out our old milk tank, 9,000 gallons for a new 14,000 gallon model. The old tank was just put out in the pasture and that Holstein bull would roll it back and forth every morning and every evening while the cows were being milked. That bull never did anyone harm or even came off threatening that I remember, but when you looked at him, most folks just decided to stay in the truck.

A what-a-hoo-ha? Time to get my Google-fu going.

I had the same problem with balled up stitches doing a lock stitch on my new Seiko. Shop owner in Yoakum said to lessen bobbin tension. Fixed the problem for me on my machine. Hope it works for you.

They are also used to put weaning rings in calves noses and if you have a bull that will NOT quit crawling fences, add a foot of dog chain to his nose ring. We did that to a bull (we check them daily) and he got it hung in the fence trying to crawl through. We let him stand a while tied to the fence and when we let him go, he would not come within 20 feet of a fence. Also, I was told that the flange on the outside tube went toward the handle, not toward the tip. That was so when it was used, the hollow tube could be stitched in place.

Thanks. I guess in order to be more correct, I should have said "I have never seen a belt lined with suede". I have seen gunbelts such as the western style ones that don't go through the loops lined so they don't shift but never seen one inside the loops that was lined like that. Thanks for the link.

I am thinking about a belt. Mainly for a working belt.... hang anything off it, gun belt, stick in a pair of fencing pliars for a moment, etc. Thing is, I hate my belts sliding around while working. The buckle goes one way or another, drags the pants around, pinches here or there.. My thought is to line it with suede. My hesitation is there is a reason why no one lines their belts with suede. Any of you more experienced folks tell me why belts are not commonly lined with suede? I have no problem trying and failing, Just don't want to do anything unnecessary unless necessary. LOL.

Gorgeous. If I had that and someone else had a feather in their ear we would both be tickled pink! Great job!

I was permanent party from Feb 2000 to April 2004. Thank you for your kind offer. I will definitely be tapping the extensive knowledge of you kind folks here.

Thank you all. I will call some machine shops on Monday.