battlemunky

Uhm, that quiver is ridiculously cool. Welcome from Al-uhhhh-bama!

Pretty!

I have a Wuta hammer with a round face on one side and square face on the other. It wasn't as rough as yours but it still wasn't what I thought it should be so I sanded and then stropped it to a mirror polish. Mainly just because I could though... :-)

I dunno man, I think you are being a bit critical as well because that looks quite good. I totally see the vibe you were going for with the head and body of the eagle. Great looking knife too. Good job!

I have the Sinabroks and they are every bit as good as you think they are going to be. The brass handles will make your hands stink of brass though. That is the only down side IMO. I want 5 mm irons and Sinabroks doesn't make those so I'm going to grab the KS Blade punch set of 5 mm irons. IIRC, Sinabroks is a guy that either used to work at or co-created KS Blade punch. In any case, they are great irons IMO. I haven't used any of the other high end irons to compare but since I got them, I never felt the need. I have the 5 tooth and a 2 tooth and it has been sufficient for everything from key fobs to bags to sheaths. The higher tooth count irons I consider a luxury.

I mainly make wallets these days. I don't line them specifically because I want people to see the flesh side. I slick the ever livin' hell out of it though, but I want that to be seen. I spend a lot for that leather and so does the customer when they buy one so they deserve to see a good tight grain. It's almost like an assurance they aren't getting some loose grained lower quality leather. Horween, Badalassi, HO, and W&C all have that nice tight structure and I want folks to see it so they know that even if they don't remember the name of the tannery the leather came from that they did receive top quality leather. At least that is why I intentionally don't line wallets. I've done passport and Field Notes folios before too and didn't line them for the same reason. That sample in the opening post...that should be a second at best and I'd never sell that for top asking price. In fact, I'd have turned that hide back around for a replacement.

Beautiful set, and I completely agree with your backdrop, it's a super nice piece of color and complexity.

I think you may be over-criticizing it. Other than the one hiccup in the red, I think they all look pretty close to perfect. Maybe on the back side you could do a cast to get it slanted as well but I'm seeing next to nothing wrong. Maybe another leathercrafter could find a problem if they looked long enough but the rest of the population isn't going to see anything out of place, especially if its on something that isn't flat or has other things to see.

Beautiful work!

I tend to agree with most of the comments; the workmanship is impeccable as we are accustomed to seeing from you Mike and that the overlay should either be turned edged or inlayed because the edges are the only thing that are even remotely funky. It still looks wonderful and I'd carry that with pride everywhere but I could see with those edges being thin and exposed (especially on the magazine holster) that after getting in and out of chairs, cars, and rubbing on a jacket, etc., that they may roll a bit and become shabby. If it was a trophy case rig, I think there'd be zero issue but if it will be worn/used with any frequency I could see those edges showing some less than "character of the piece" wear over time, not like a burnish kind of wear. The set is a win, no doubt. I really like that mottling in the dye. I think it may even be a non-issue if the croc was thicker. It almost needs to be chunkier to be complete?

That's really cool stuff man!

That is verrrry poor, both the tool and what is becoming of Osbourne.

Looks great!

That's a really great idea with the leather books to hold the vows and guests. Sucks that the original leatherworker can't fix it but the brass plaque or even a leather patch over it should answer the mail. Halfway through March...should be doable if you can find the right person in the right amount of time. Best of luck and let us know how it all works out if you can!

Aquilum 350 isn't bad either and is water based and non stank. I've gone back to Barge and Weldwood stank glue though...that stuff just holds too well not to use it. I'll throw in another nod to Tanners Bond as well.

Yeah, that definitely wouldn't be in a room I could wake up and freak out over. Excellent work as usual @Marius Pirvu

Yeah, that is a nice thing you've made!

I started off using my Dremel drill press and drilling holes but found that my Dremel vibrated a bit much and the holes were always a bit sloppier than I liked not to mention you may need jigs or other leveling methods to keep your holes the same distance from the edge in the event the piece isn't flat. I just got used to using punches and awls. As others have mentioned, a light saber of an awl will get you through most everything and skill with it will land you close to the same place you went into on the other side.

Wicked!

Man, you're killin' it! You gonna protect this under a flap as well? Same concho conundrum too?

That's quite the endeavor Sir, looks great. I can't wait to see it as it gets dyed.

Yeah, it doesn't really look like it has been antiqued. I've seen that white stuff on my antique when I haven't used it in a long time but it has never done that on the work, just in the jar. I'd reapply heavily and then wipe it off with a paper towel and let it dry.

Welcome! There's a section specifically for kink here too. I mention it only because some folks can get a bit judgey out here in the main forum when they see a collar for a person.

Looks great!

That looks great! Pricing is on you and your market; it's maybe even harder than getting good at the craft. As far as suggestions...I've grown to abhor sharp corners unless they NEED to be sharp. Even if you just nip the tips off of them to round them a little I think it'd soften the entire aesthetic. It's a personal choice though. Your stamping turned out really nice and the feather looks good too! If you want to improve on your feather even more, Don Gonzalez has a few videos on tooling feathers and his method makes them fly right off the surface of the leather.