LatigoAmigo

Maverick Leather carries a wide selection of chrome tan leathers, as does The Hide House. Not so sure about dyed veg tan hides. https://maverickleathercompany.com/ http://hidehouse.com/

Because the buffalo leather is so soft, it will be hard to get the lacing to look good, as it will tug on the leather and will be hard to make the stitching even. At least that is my experience. Firmer leather holds up better to the stresses of lacing. I'm curious what you mean by "skiving it to punch the stitching holes." Of course, I really have no idea what your pattern looks like or how you plan to assemble the pieces.

Functional, but it wouldn't win a beauty contest.

I have beeswax in several forms: pellets, block, and blended with paraffin wax. Which type would you use, and how would you apply it for best adherence?

Huh? What are you saying? Please be more clear.

In my world there is not much use for the bottom layer, but you should keep it around in case you need to pad anything. My advice would be to go with the heavier side, as splitting 2 oz. from a 2-5 oz. hide will give you a bottom that will be too thin to do much with.

There are many posts on this site about doing your own splitting, so you might want to take a look at them. Splitting a side of leather, apparently, is no easy task. I have an eight-inch bench splitter, and find it difficult to get it to split evenly, plus I can't split anything wider that six-inches. To split a side of leather you will probably need a band splitter, and even then you might find it a challenge to get good results using "seconds" due to various imperfections in the hide. It might turn out to be cheaper and easier for you to buy thinner leather than to split heavier leather. Just my thoughts...

You may have seen this light box referenced in a post on this very site. It has some great features and is reasonably priced. It is available at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Portable-Foldable-Photo-Studio/dp/B01GIL6EU4

You might want to have an accountant help you set up your books so you will have a clear understanding of inventory control and depreciation. Setting up your books will work best on the front end of your business rather than trying to tie it all together at tax time. For example, you need to understand how to value a partially used bottle of dye and half a hide, not to mention depreciating your hand tools and sewing machine.

This topic has been addressed quite a few times on this site, but the sad fact is that the edges of oil-tan and/or chrome-tan leathers do not "finish" like veg-tan edges do. I have tried a variety of finish processes and have found Tokonole to be my best choice. There are edge paints and hot irons available to accomplish a decent edge, but you'll find that different hides and different weights require different solutions.

Try Maverick Leather... they offer white 'roo lace in several sizes. https://maverickleathercompany.com/product/white-roo-lace-6mm/

Maverick Leather carries a selection of 'roo hides and lace. https://maverickleathercompany.com/product-category/kangaroo/

Here is the section of the bill referencing leather, I hope it might clear up your questions: (B) “Fur product” does not include any of the following: (i) A dog or cat fur product, as defined in Section 1308 of Title 19 of the United States Code, as that section read on January 1, 2020. (ii) An animal skin or part thereof that is to be converted into leather, which in processing will have the hair, fleece, or fur fiber completely removed. (iii) Cowhide with hair attached thereto. (iv) Deerskin, sheepskin, or goatskin with hair attached thereto. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please remember, we as Californians did not vote on this bill, it was passed by our legislature and signed by our governor.

The only information I've gotten has come from the news, but I understand that there are some exemptions. This came from Reuters: "Second-hand fur products are exempt from the ban, as are fur products used by Native American tribes for spiritual or cultural purposes. The ban does not include leather products or taxidermy." (My emphasis).

I have a similar portfolio, with edges that appear to be identical, and there is no bias tape involved. I had considered making one of these, but decided, because of the construction methods used, that it was out of my league... but it looked so easy.

EMB010... I sure hope you don't mind, but I've extracted the images from your PDF and posted them here. So many of us are visually oriented...

Big question, because most leather is made in a tannery using machines. So, if the leather itself is not "handmade" does that mean, no matter what process is used to make items from that leather, that they cannot be considered handmade? Just a thought.

Leather dyes are liquid, but Fiebing's Antique Finish is not a dye, but is a paste. You would typically dip a soft rag into the jar, and rub the paste into the leather like you might apply car polish. It is not applied like a dye. I'm sure you could find something on YouTube that demonstrates the application process.

Possibly by using something like Fiebings Antique Finish. This paste settles into the tooled areas, making them darker than the flat surface area which is wiped off during the application process.

If you really want help, you will have to post a larger and photo (maybe more than one) so some of us can better understand your question.

That is the rhythm that you want. Kinda like "four steps forward, three steps backward." Some hole will almost always show because the beginning and the end of the braid will not fill the holes in the same way as the rest of the braid. You might try using slits instead of holes. Lookin' good. You will find that there will usually be some variant in the finished look because of the nature of leather, i.e., thinner, thicker, softer, firmer. You might find that at the end of a long run of lace, the thong has gotten thinner as a result of being pulled through the many lacing holes. I have had the best luck using kangaroo as it is thin and firm, although 'roo can be pretty pricey. I hope you don't mind, but here I've posted your photos, as links are sometimes lost over time.

It would depend somewhat on the thickness of the strand you are using, i.e., if the lace is on the thin side, then you might want a smaller hole. That is from the near edge of the lacing hole to the near edge of the leather. Again, this depends on the thickness of the strands, if the strands are beveled, and if you want to see the lacing holes or not. The strand will be going through the lacing hole twice, so you might want to start with a hole the same size as the width of the strand, or just slightly smaller. You might try a test piece first, try some variations and see which one you like best. Keep in mind that the hole is going to stretch out a little. This will also give you a little practice with the braid. A beautiful braiding pattern... be sure to post the results!

I use a variety of oil tanned leathers, but don't use Resolene. Do you think that it might take away from the suppleness of the oil tanned leather? That is one of its best features.

That's not too far off... you might try braiding soap as it "serves as a lubricant so that when you pull a strand tight, it slides over and under the other strands and pulls tight clear up into what you’ve already braided." I found this recipe on a whip maker's website years ago. Bon appetit! Easy Braiding Soap Recipe.pdf

That is some beautiful leather. Let's let everyone see in case the link goes bad.