BearMan

Hi Jon, The Pastor wanted the Bible to just rest inside without being attatched, so he could like the Bible out easily. That's the reason for having the welt around the edge so the Bible would stay in while closed. He wanted the pockets that way so that the sermons could slide in yet they couldn't just fall out because of the welt. I hope that helps,,, Ed

Thanks Michael,,,

Hi Everybody, Here's a Bible Cover hot off the bench. The design was done before getting Bob Parks book,,, so don't look too close. The next design will be better! The Pastor wanted it so that the Bible could be lifted out, so the raised welt holds it in while closed. All of the color you see, came out of the same bottle. It's Angelus "Gold" , reduced to basically 3 different values. Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Here's some info that might help. Burnishing Compounds, Edge Dyes & Waxes So now you have your burnisher, some leather, the machine and are ready to go! Not yet grasshopper...you need a burnishing compound! Ask any number of leatherworkers what they use and you'll likely get an equal number of responses. The following is simply my take on the subject as I learned it from Bob Park. Saddle Soap + Water. Glycerine Soap works also. Simply add some soap & water to a dish to create a slickening agent, dip your fingers in and rub a small amount onto the edges of your leather (preferably after they have been edged & sanded properly). This will lubricate the edge of the leather and help disperse the burnisher friction & heat more evenly. It also helps the two from sticking together or abrading as you burnish. A couple of other popular compounds, though not my recommended ones, are Gum Trag, beeswax, and saliva. Obviously, saliva isn't sanitary so it's out. The other two aren't my favorites as they both will seal the edge of the leather, hindering the ability to dye the edge further after burnishing if desired. Once the piece has been burnished with a non-sealing compound, you can then apply a contrasting color edge dye or simply seal with your finish of choice and buff to a shine. The final buff should be done by hand as using a rotary burnisher over a finished or edge dyed edge will result in the burnisher melting, abrading or heat cracking the edge paint, none of which are desirable.

Hi Mike, They will be about $40.00 including the mounting mandrel. We would need to know what size shaft in on your grinder. Most are 1/2". We are in the process of developing a mandrel that will work better, than the other mandrels avail. now. So,,, if you're really wanting a grinder mounted burnisher,,, just wait a bit, until we can come up with a design the will consistantly run smooth. Thanks,,,

Hi Everybody, Mike516,,, a burnisher for a bench grinder has a bit of a problem. With the way that the mandrel attatches to the grinder, it's virtually impossable to make the burnisher turn perfectly smooth. That design will work,,, the rotation just wont be smooth. The adaptor that mounts to the grinder is held on with set screws, which pushes the body slightly off center. That is something that Beary only makes on request. yngliver,,, pm will be sent www.leatherburnishers.com leatherburnishers@yahoo.com Thanks ,,,

It seems like international shipping has gotten a lot slower in the past few months. I recently had something sit in customs for almost a month, before it was released.

Hi Tim, I recieved my Tangleboss on Sat. Very nice & precice machine work!! Very ,,, Very smooth action. I've only played with it for about 10 mins,,, while I see that there may be a little bit of a learning curve,,,,especially for an old fart like me,,, hehehe J/K It's very easy to see how useful it will be for the majority of my swivel knife work. Thanks for the very fast service. Ed

Hi Tim, I ordered my knife yesterday,,, Thank you for the Father's Day discount. Pricing is always one of the hardest aspects of offering a product for sale. But then again, offering a reduced price for a special occasion, should be seen as an opportunity to buy something you normally couldn't quite get. Thanks,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, Some prices on Beary's LeatherBurnishers. The General purpose & the HolsterMakers Drill press Burnishers are 5 1/2" to 6" long & about 1 3/8" in dia. They are only $35.00 ea. The Dremel style Burnishers come in 6 different designs. 5 of the designs are only $12.50 ea, when bought in sets of 2 or more. The # 6 Dremel style Burnishers, which is the Swept Cone version, is $17.50. The "Master" set of 6 Dremel style Burnishers is $80.00. Beary also makes a holder for the 6 piece set, which is only $5.00. >>>Please read the feedback on the web page. <<<< Thanks for looking,,, www.LeatherBurnishers.com Beary's Email: LeatherBurnishers@Yahoo.com

Hi Everybody, Here are a couple burnishers that I was able to get a picture of. Beary seems to be able to ship everything out, before I get a chance to get pictures. Beary made several Drill Press Burnishers, & a bunch of Dremel style burnishers, in the past few days,,, a bunch more to go this month. Beary has been pleasently surprised by the amount of orders,,, & all of the countries they are going to. Right now he has a backlog of about 2 weeks. Of course all orders are greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking,,, Ed www.LeatherBurnishers.com Email: LeatherBurnishers@Yahoo.com

Hi Everybody, Here are some of the projects we made during May. Beary is making lots of Burnishers, & sending them before I can get any pictures. I'll have some pictures in the next few days. The 17oz maul laying down, is made with some Presentation Grade Cocobolo,,, some of the nicest I've ever turned. That one hasn't been sold yet. I may just have to put that one up for bids someplace. Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Thanks for all the wonderful comments,,, Here is the only picture I have of the insides. They wanted a welt/flap around the edge, like what they had in the one they have now. I think next time I may insert some stiffening material in the welt, just to keep the lines straighter. Thanks,,, Ed

Good Morning,,, Thanks for the compliments!! The difference between Angelus & Fiebings,,, The Angelus seems to stay truer to the color when diluted,,, whereas the Fiebings seem to get a little "muddy". Also, the Angelus just seems to be a smoother more even color. The Angelus dyes seem a bit "brighter" also. Maybe the the Angelus starts with a liquid pigment, & Fiebings start with a powdered pigment??? No Idea. When using the Angelus,,, just beware of one thing,,, the dyes are much stronger, especially the darker tones. For example,,, Purple,,, where I usually will dilute the Fiebings dye at about 20 to 1 (20 parts denatured alcohol to 1 part dye),,, with the Angelus I have to dilute it by about 40 or 50 to 1. Switching over to Angelus is a leaning experiance, because some of the things that work with Fiebings, is just not quite the same. Oxblood when diluted, makes a Very nice dark red. I know, this makes things about as clear as mud,,, hehehe Just get some, & see what you think. The bottles are only about $3.00 ea. at: http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/10144436-AA.shtml?lnav=dyes.html Take Care,,, I hope this helps...

Hi Everybody, Here is a Bible cover I just finished for a Preacher in Ga. Out of all the designs I showed him, he picked the design I've used several times already. The other Preacher that came with him picked one of my new designs. They brought another Bible cover with them, & they wanted the raised "welt" on the inside to hold the Bible in, instead of useing any retaining tabs. That way, they can lift the Bible out, anytime they want. Pretty cool idea,,, just kind of a pain to do. All of the colors on this one is done with Angelus spirit dyes. I just like them better than the Feibings dyes. I would have had more pictures,,, but the battery in my camera died. Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan' P.S.,,, I will have the next one done in a couple weeks,,, I hope!

Hi Sylvia, No, In my opinion, the Barry King mauls are a much better than the Stohlman. I've had the opportunity to replace the leather handles with some exotic woods. Between the 2, the quality seemed to be much better in the BK mauls.

Hi Everybody, There are some major differences between the Nylon head materials & the Brown/Black head materials. Nylon is a good durable product,,, but, it does have some drawbacks. First off, there are several grades of Nylon. Nylon is a very hard, Very Slippery plastic. That's one reason it's used as bearings in some industrial applications. That's one of the reasons that some people cut grooves in the surface, to help increase the friction, between the Nylon & the stamping tool. The hardness of the Nylon is transferred to the toolers wrists, elbows, & shoulders. Nylon is far better than the Rawhide head material. But,,, there is a much better head material. It's the exact same material that Bob Beard used to use in his mauls. If it wasn't for Bob Beard's approval, I wouldn't have started making these mauls. Bob & a several other top notch toolers say that these are the Best mauls made today. I of course have to agree. Bob, will tell you,,, that this material has lots of benifits, such as: It doesn't flake, it doesn't chip, it "grips" the tools a lot better, so that it doesn't slip off nearly as bad,,, but one of the main benifits as far as I'm concered, is that it reduces the shock load that your arm feels with each strike. I hear it all the time from people when they tell me that they can tool a lot longer, with less,,, or no pain compared to the other materials out there. Another benifits of this maul design, is the balance. Basically the balance just makes it a lot easier for most people to tool easier & longer. There are a few people that actually like a longer, or different shape handle,,, everybody is different. Not everybody likes Ford or Chevy either,,, hehehe If we are to believe the experts, like Bob Beard, Bob Park, Chan Geer, & many more,, they swear by these mauls. It took me several years to develop the "BearMauls", because I knew there had to be a better material than Nylon,,, & this is it. Please don't get me wrong,,, Barry King's mauls, & the Stohlman mauls are pretty good mauls,,, but when you need or want something that is truly better,,, just look us up. But,,,what it really boils down to is ,,,, what works best for you. There are still some people that are still using "striking" sticks to tool with. I just say use what works best for you. Thanks for listening,,, Ed

Hmmm a Plough Guage?? Interesting,,, The knife part,,, no problem,,, the framework,,,?? I'll deffinately have to sleep on that one. Yes, I keep a notebook next to the bed, as a lot of my designs & ideas happen in the middle of the night. I don't know,,, might have to do some redesigning. I've never actually used one before. I've alwasys wondered about the top cross bar, & how that was used. Is it used to hold the leather down so that it doesn't ride up & out? Hmmmm,,, got me thinking now. My initial thinking is, why not make it to where you can use your head knife in it, rather than having to have another cutting tool with only one use. I'll just have to let you know,,, Ed BTW,,, I contacted Bob Douglas tools,,, they are at Sheridan,,, Thier awl blades are $27.00,,, thats a great price for a blade of that quality, that comes Sharp!

Hi Everybody ,,I believe there was a thread on here a while ago about how to sharpen an Awl Blade. I'll look, but it's really not that hard,, & besides it's something that you will need to do from time to time anyway, as they do get dull. A good sharp awl will slide through a double thickness of 8-10oz leather with very little effort. A dull awl blade creates lots of problems. Just like a dull knife is the one that will cut you,,, a dull awl is the one you wind up stabbing your fingers with. Take Care,,, Thanks for looking,,, Ed

I believe the one I use most often is a #57 or 56 Osborne. The #56 stitching awl blade is 2 1/4" & the #57 is 2 1/2". But,,, the awls from Douglas are probably the best.

I was able to find the Pool Balls a lot quicker than expected. Mike, BluesMan, & Chris, I have your numbers set aside. Here are the numbers I have left: 1,2,4(x2),5(x2),6, 9(x2),10, 11(x2),12(x2),13,14(x2)15,,, & 1 cue ball. Thanks,,,

Hi Everybody, Well,,,, I guess I need to find my "stash" of pool balls,,, so I can figure out what numbers I have. If I have those numbers, I will put your names on them. Good thing I have today off,,, hehehe So far, the only numbers I'm sure of are: 6,12, & 14,,, but I know I have a bag of balls in a box somewhere. Thanks,,, BTW, the collet that actually holds the Awl blade, has 2 slightly different sizes, so pretty much any awl bade will fit. The Awl blade pictured with the "Stinger" is just for demo purposes. Thanks for looking,,, Ed the"BearMan"

Hi Everybody, We've been thinking about coming out with some more tools for a while now. So,,, here we go,,, we've come up with the "Stinger" Awl Handle. The "Stinger" is designed to fit very nicely in the shape of the hand. the "Stinger" in the picture is made with Rosewood, but there are several other woods that would work just fine. Also, another "Very Limited" release of some miniature "Pool Ball Awl Handles". We will only be able to make "about" 12-15 of these, as that's all pool balls we have. No 8 Balls or Cue Balls. Once we find all of them, I'll list what numbers that are available. Of course both of the Awl Handles can be made with a flat spot to help keep them from rolling off the bench. We now have a line of Petal Lifters, that are made with Hardened Tool Steel, in 3 sizes,,, 1/4",, 7/32",, & 5/32". I made the set in the picture over a year ago, & they have not needed sharpening even once. The handles are designed to fit in the palm of the hand, giving you a lot better control. Thanks for looking!! Ed the"BearMan" & Beary LeatherBurnishers@yahoo.com

My Goodness!! Thanks everybody!! Bill,,, No Airbrush on here at all. All the colors are done with spirit dyes. Thanks Again!!