LatigoAmigo

This is just a guess, but it seems you would be more likely to find potential students if anyone knew what part of the country you're located in.

It depends on how often I use the thread burner. In my case I might go for weeks without using it, but I haven't changed the battery since last summer.

I had a similar experience, then went to longer lasting lithium batteries, and found that the burning elements are replaceable, so my interest was renewed at that point, and I haven't looked back.

I burn the ends with a battery powered thread burning tool that I got at Amazon. Very happy with it.

Think about latex paint on your house. It is water based, but does it bleed in the rain? ... Nope. I think that once Tokonole sets up there should be no bleeding problems. I have a jar and have used it to edge some chrome-tan leather. Works great, and although I can't confirm its durability. When applied, it reminded me of Fenice edge paint only thicker. If you add color to the clear Tokonole you will change its chemical makeup, and that could have a negative affect its durability. My 2¢.

Consider using a tapestry needle... blunt tip, big eye for big thread.

Be sure to vent the fumes to the outside. Might not seem like much, but depending on what you are cutting/engraving, it can be very important for your health/life. Certain materials, when laser cut, put out toxic or semi-toxic fumes. I'm only going on what others have said, as I'm no expert and am not sure of the severity of each, but PVC is one, some vinyls (like contact paper), and chrome tanned leather have been recognized as problematic.

I would recommend giving Maine Thread Company a try. I use them exclusively, and have been very pleased with the quality of their thread. https://www.mainethread.com/index.php/waxed-polycord Their waxed poly thread comes in 31 colors in 6 sizes, 70 yards per spool, and is available in assorted sizes, as described below: .020" ultra light weight polyester cord, 1 ply waxed. 210 feet on 2.5" tube. .030" light weight polyester cord, 2 ply twisted and waxed. 210 feet on 2.5" Tube. .035" light-medium weight polyester cord, 3 ply twisted and waxed. 210 feet on 2.5" Tube. .040" medium weight polyester cord, 4 ply twisted and waxed. 210 feet on 2.5" Tube. .045" medium-heavy weight polyester cord, 5 ply twisted and waxed. 210 feet on 2.5" Tube. .050" heavy weight polyester cord, 6 ply twisted and waxed. 210 feet on 2.5" Tube.

According to the Tandy website, "This rich-looking leather from Spain has been veg-tanned in a historic tannery with a naked finish that has a luxurious two-tone pull-up effect. Use to make lightweight belts, cases and handbags." https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/portifino-double-shoulder-tan

I have used iron on fabric interfacing, but due to the oils in chrome tan, the interfacing does not always adhere. I have glued fabric interfacing with Barge cement, and that has helped, but since it is not sewn in, it might pull away from the leather over time. On my latest project I'm lining a bag with Salamander Bonded Leather because it needs a lot of support. The description reads in part "... By finely milling vegetable leather scraps as well as chrome shavings which we obtain from all around the world, and adding natural fat and latex as a binder, ... SALAMANDER bonded leather fibre material is made of over 90 % natural and re-growing raw materials ... we obtain bonded leather fibre material - a continuous product, which is available in a number of qualities and thicknesses." https://www.etsy.com/listing/677134510/salamander-bonded-leather-04-50cm-x?ref=related-5&frs=1 There are other similar products available, but I like that this one is available in various weights. I have found that because this is real leather, it bonds well to other leather, so I'm hoping that is does not have the same tendency to pull away as the fabric interfacing does. Time will tell.

Are you sure that it is not Fiebing's Tan-Kote?

That is a great solution to a tricky problem. When I started reading your post, I imagined that you would have solved it using curved needles. I'm not sure what the sofa needle you use looks like, but I use tapestry needles for my stitching, and your problem helped me find something that I honestly did not know existed, curved tapestry needles. Thank you for sharing your problem and finding a creative solution.

I went to the website, thanks for the tip. But when I tried to see what was available "in the store," I saw that some of the item's images would not display. So I looked around the site and found that the best place to catch up with Knotty Linda is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KnottyLindaLeathercrafter/.

I know that what I used to purchase from Tandy did, but I don't know if "all" kangaroo lace comes beveled. You will want to order some and see for yourself. If found some "Roo" lace at Maverick Leather here: https://www.maverickleathercompany.com/product-category/kangaroo/roo-lace-spools/ I do, but prefer beveled lace. I don't know what youtube videos you are referring to, but I have never cut lace from round or square pieces cutting from the outside towards the middle. I've seen it done, but did not like the quality of the lace. It was too uneven for me, but it worked just fine for the leather worker I saw using it. No matter what decision you make, you will have to open up your wallet, either for pre-cut lace, or for tools to cut lace. But don't worry, it won't hurt forever...

I'm a big fan of the Bruce Grant books, in fact that is what got me into leather work. Braiding is a wonderful pursuit, and these days I cut much of my own. In the past, however, Tandy kangaroo lace was my "go to" for most projects. These days it is not cheap, but it is "firm" and beveled, so the lace does not stretch and it lays down very nicely. At this point in the game it might be important for you to get good results, otherwise you might not be encouraged to continue braiding. As to cutting your own lace out of scraps, I've seen it done, but I ended up getting a table top lace cutter. No beveled edges, and it requires rather long pieces of leather to provide you with the same length lace, but it has served my purpose.

The batches of this that I've made, which I keep in jars, have lasted years without turning rancid.

Then I misunderstood you, sorry about that. The document I posted was something I found years ago. It may have come from this site: https://whips.wordpress.com/2010/02/15/easy-braiding-soap-recipe/

That is not a link, but rather an embedded PDF. It should either open or download when you "click" on it.

You might try applying the neatsfoot oil and dressing to the leather before you engrave with the laser. I often use this braiding soap recipe to coat the leather, and find that it helps keep the residue from penetrating the leather. Easy Braiding Soap Recipe.pdf

As they say up in Maine, "Hard sayin' not noin." I kinda doubt if it's really leather, as it looks like a manufactured material. Maybe you could order some and see. Or provide the link and we can all take a closer look, as it is hard to tell by just looking at the photo.

That material is cut and layered, like rows of roofing shingles, so there is more to the process than simply cutting the leather with a laser, which results in a flat piece of material.

Thanks for the kind note. No problem, I saw it as a very smiley face. What happened was I converted a spreadsheet to a JPG, and when posted it appeared very large, so I replaced it with a somewhat smaller image to make sure it was not too obnoxious.

Here is a conversion chart for all to see...

That's pretty wide for splitting with a fixed blade. I have an Osborne 6" splitter and find it a challenge to split anything over 5" wide. There is waste on the leading and trailing edges, plus some stretching due to the amount of pressure necessary to get the leather through the splitter. I have see that some suppliers will split your leather down to the thickness you want.

I'll bet if you post a photo of your strap cutter, people here familiar with these kinds of tools might find a way to help you.