battlemunky

With the walnut dye, you need to get them while they are green and then boil them into oblivion. You know how handling the walnut husks will turn stain your hands for a few days, basically, any nut husk will work as dye that way. I have a few gallon bags in my freezer waiting until I can get to them. Use trash pots though, it'll stain even stainless steel. As far as setting it out into the sun goes, just leaving it out for several hours will begin to darken it but if you wet it first or oil it first will yield different results. Try experimenting a bit. I think it matters how it was tanned. Some recipes are different than others and will work differently depending on the tannery's recipe and how the hide accepted the tanning. Then just use it and treat it like you usually would. Sun tanning is the chemical free and least effort way to darken it, you just have to have a bit of patience.

Nice! I like your work!

That's a thicc boi piece for sure. Looks great!

I've seen these rigs and have always come up with questions as to why what was done, was done. Having made a rather exquisite replica, why do you think they didn't sew the bottom of the main belt? It just goes around the turn at the bottom of the buckle and then stops. Is there a reason for that?

But are you a lefty?!? THAT is the question! I'm teasing of course but I have a few unintentional lefty items, I think a lot of us do. It's almost a rite of passage. The stagger on your stitching is great! Aside from the wonky stitch line on the back, it looks good, keep it up!

Those holsters look quite nice and that stacked handle is a thing of beauty. Welcome!

That looks great!

Set it in the sun.

It is beautiful but unfortunately I think society has trained us to see that style more like a woman's tote/handbag than something manly. It is a great bag but I'm not sure if you can make one look manly. If it isn't some sort of doctor's bag or something I think it'll be hard to make the shift to "manly". Having said that though, eff what society says...rock that beautiful ass bag wherever you want to and if people are stupid/bigoted enough to relate your masculinity to your desire to easily carry stuff they need to rethink their position in modern life.

Alternatively you can use something like Zerust. I use it for my straight razor storage box and haven't had an issue since. They come in a bunch of sizes too. Check Amazon unless you need some industrial sized chunks of it. Disclaimer: I am not sponsored or affiliated with Zerust or any of their family, etc., just a satisfied user of their stuff.

That looks medieval! Awesome.

More clean work @JLSleather. Thanks for sharing!

Way to go! That looks like a frustrating yet worthy project. Struggle makes worms into butterflies

I have 4 different swivel knives, one BK, one Tandy basic, and two no name/unidentified knives. To me they are all similar enough to where I have different blades on each and use them for the blade and not the knife so much. If I had to do it over again I think I'd opt for the route @billybopp suggested and then when you determine whether or not carving is your thing or not, then invest in a better name unless you like the cheaper ones. The blade is the important part unless the yokes don't turn well but @fredk's advice should limit that too. Let us know which direction you take. It's always cool seeing other folks' directions in the journey.

Those cane toad pieces kill me. Thanks for taking us down the lane with you.

Looks pretty clean and tidy.

You gotta get some goat action pics from your customer after you deliver. I know nothing about tack but it looks great! Classiest goat EVAR!

This topic has come up a few times over the years and I think wyosheen is your only option. The new neat-lac isn't like the old stuff and the old stuff is carcinogenic in a million different ways or something... If you find something suitable in your search, please post up for posterity.

Creative Awl (just Google them) has several bags and many of their patterns are free too.

I used Tim's tape and it tried but just didn't hold well at all. I got a few to hold long enough to get them sewn but it was wonky the entire way. Using veg tan dyed with Fiebings Pro Dye. My brother is a LEO and I made him a badge wallet and the window lasted about a month, not to mention butt sweat and humidity (Florida...) transferred dye from the other parts of the wallet to the window and turned it blue... I found it easier just to leave them off. I mainly avoid them. I may give it a whirl again one of these days because I've learned a good amount since I tried last time and may be able to assemble things in a different sequence to help myself as well. Maybe a different double sided tape too. *EDIT* Also, using the PVC available from Hobby Lobby in case it matters.

I used clear PVC on a few and it's hard to hold in place while you sew it since a lot of glues don't want to stick and then if you don't have a good seam allowance it'll pull through. I gave up on putting something in the window and just leave it open.

Take a dull blade to a strop vs hones. Sure, it's all grit removing material but you get from the point of making something have an edge (sharpening) to polishing that edge (stropping). So while theoretically you could strop a blade to sharp after years of passes, you can keep an existing sharp blade polished with a strop much easier. You do you though. Whatever works for you, works.

I've never counted stropping as sharpening really. To each their own I guess. A stropped edge glides so much easier.

That's edge paint, guaranteed. You can see where they sanded it a little shallow on the one pic. If you are really wanting to learn how to paint edges, check out Corter Leather's channel on YT and he has a few excellent videos on how to nail painted edges. He makes it look pretty simple. Even though paint eventually peels off, it looks great at the time of selling, if that is what your customer desires.

Wow, that's a great looking bag with solid execution. Well done!