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I found a great video that describes exactly the approach you outlined (done with a punch and handsewn but could be machined). And yet...note that on this bag the side seam is overlapped (visible in the interior and exterior). I don't think there's an equivalent seam on the other side. That double row of overlap...I'm thinking that's what @Wizcrafts was saying needed a post machine.

Thanks @Wizcrafts! That was indeed my meta question I'll have to dive a bit deeper into @Spyros and @toxo responses as well. Thank you all - truly appreciate your insight (and design critique!).

Longtime lurker...tried some hand working...would like to try sewing...ironically just sold a Pfaff 545 that I used for making canvas items for my boat...and I'm trying to think through what I should get. As a woodworker I have many saws, so I get know there are machines better suited for certain tasks. And with wood I can program it in my head - but I don't know how to build a leather item. So...how would I build this bag and what machine type would be ideal? I don't want to build exactly this bag, but I could imagine doing stuff like that. I can see a flatbed for the...well...flat parts, but then...would I need a cylinder for sewing up the side? Not knowing anything...I think I'd start with that bottom sandwich - smaller liner / side / heavy bottom piece - on one bottom long edge. Then wrap the side and do the other? I think the side is one entire piece with one side seam based on the exterior view, but there could be a second side seam hidden behind that pocket piece. Two side pieces would make the bottom easier, but then leave those two side seams. And...is there some sewing on the short bottom ends? I can't see anything in the pictures but then...it seems like small items would potentially slide out if the bottom distorts. How are those bottom ends secured? Can this entire bag be sewn with a flat bed? Would a cylinder with an add-on table be more appropriate?

I asked this over in a leatherrefinishing forum and got a formula response to purchase a $215 sponsor kit. I just purchased this chair, at first thought it was soiling, seller said the finish was worn, but I think what happened is that someone wiped the headrest with a solvent. Note that the finish is intact into the folds.And I'm really lazy here - I don't want to spend more than 15 minutes "fixing" this - is there a quick coating I can put on this? I was thinking that it might simply be lacquer, and I see posts about Resolene and Leather Sheen - what would happen if I just wiped this on this spot?

This really stopped me cold. I run Windows 10 on most of my machines, and I usually don't bother to change the default settings. Which means I get random Bing images on my "lock" screen. Many of them are beautiful and interesting things that occur in nature - but from a different perspective that makes you stop and look. And the today I had this one (I dropped the resolution - it was much larger). I'm new to this world, but hey, I actually KNOW what's going on here! Wierd, huh? :

Thanks for those Shapleigh images. How large is the larger one? Were sheaths commonly supplied with this kind of knife? I note that the <DE> logo on the small one does not match their logo and those letters look like a common set of stamps I've seen, so I'm wondering if this was typically left to the buyer (who was, obviously, a leather worker). Shapleigh ceased operations around 1960, but Clyde continued at least through the Vietnam war (found a 1964 pastry knife on Etsy)

Thank you Bruce for the additional insight on these knives - I appreciate your response and willingness to add to the knowledge of used/vintage tools. A "nice" knife for a fair price - that's exactly what I was looking for. I've seen quite a few posts on this forum from newbies in the same position - trying to intelligently choose among all the same choices (Tandy, Chinese, Ebay, high-end) and paralyzed at making a "mistake". So I figured a thread that outlined my thought process could be useful. Almost 100 people have viewed my original message, so I'm assuming that someone would have pointed out any obvious "mistake" by now.

New member here. Longtime woodworker, new to leather, my second project will be a belt for my 3yo grandson. I read a few threads here trying to get up to speed on tools, and yesterday I pulled the trigger on this well used Clyde round knife (pictures below). I have Stohlman's "Leathercraft tools" book where I read his opinions, and read here about (and rejected) the Stohlman "stainless" knife. I looked at the Bruce Johnson vintage knives. I learned that new CSO knives (like the 70) weren't as highly regarded as the old ones. And the lusted after knives were in the $200 range - a little rich for me at this point. So I bought this Clyde. Not much on the forums about this maker, but Bruce said several nice things. No apparent issues with modern offshore copies. It's a slight bit larger at 5.25" than Stohlman's recommended 4.5". My only concern was the rough polishing that seems to have erased most of the maker's mark. The Ebay seller was solid, and the collection he was selling included mostly CSO plus a Dixon groover, all tools look well cared for, and all tools came with some forum of edge protection (this one with a sheath). $65.95 including shipping. So how did I do? I'm betting everyone here has bought something like this on Ebay - and there were more than a dozen watchers for this item and a few are probably on this thread. But I know very little about leather tools, so I'd love to hear the collective wisdom of this forum. Don't worry about hurting my feelings. Edit: I have a Tormek so I can easily sharpen this knife.

That's a good looking tool - at least the working end. Was that $80 delivered? I'm a bit curious - and I know almost nothing about leather stitching - did you stitch that by hand? It looks very even - I would almost say machine-like.

Thank you for your response! I was actually surprised how few of my woodworking tools would be used in leather work. The only that seems directly useful would be my Tormek sharpening system. But I also have some tools for doing canvas work on my boat - a Pfaff 545 with servo-motor, the green (Chinese) QJ gromet hand press, and a Hoover Press-N-Snap - and those look directly usable. Especially since my first project is going to be a belt for my 3yo grandson. Oh, and I already have a strap cutter. So...the takeaway I get from your post is...I really have to piece-meal a collection. I'm resigned to that, but I would really have preferred to not have to do that much research. My first eBay leather tool arrived today - a 12 piece (Chinese) hollow leather punch set (1/8" to 3/4") that I paid $14.95 for on Saturday. "High Carbon steel", "Hardness: 48HRC". Looking at the edges through a 4x loupe...they aren't very good. So I can chuck all except the 3/4" into my Steel City (Chinese) drill press and dress them up with my Harbor Freight (guess the origin) mill files. And maybe a stone. Sigh. Edit: maybe I can chuck them into a hand drill and use the Tormek? On a positive note I see that @krominix has posted a positive experience report on the "high quality" tools.

I'm new to this forum and leather craft in general (I'm more of a woodworker), and since I'm looking at buying some tools I read through this entire thread. 9 months and, as far as I can tell, not one person has received a single tool. But clearly lots of interest by forum members. I see quite a few eBay auctions with old random sets of Craftools go for $5 per tool. And I see the eBay listings for Chinese new tools (particularly thinking about bevelers and edgers) in the $2 to $5 range. Tandy tools are in the $20 range, smaller brands seem to start at $50 and go much higher. Frankly I'm stuck. I don't want to buy poor quality tools, but I don't want to drop $500 initially either.