Vikefan

Find yourself a nice stone. Using a 3/4 oz piece of softer leather cut stone inlay whole about 1/8 of inch smaller than actual stone. Make those cuts straight up and down, once that is done (you're happy with it) turn leather over and on the backside use a no. 4/5 beveler to cut about a 45 degree angle thinning the leather to make it easier to mold around your stone. Then wet your leather crown piece down and form it around your stone using an antler tip or boning tool until you're happy with the look and purchase of leather crown to stone (let dry). Cut another piece of thin leather to match your crown setting to be used as a backing for leather crown (holding the stone inside). Using contact cement glue pieces together (I also put glue on the backside of the stone), primarily I did not want to take a chance and loose a $33 stone. I don't think the glue on the stone is needed if you have cut you crown small enough to securely hold stone in place - that would be up to you. Once the glue dried, I used an applique stitch to attach stone setting to my flap holder on this project. Hope this helps some and isn't too confusing. Please contact me if you have more questions, I will try to explain better. I had done 4/5 practice pieces on the leather crown before I finally got it right. Good Luck!

Check out my lateste project. My first Purse I've ever made. Genuine Turqoise with leather crown laced to flap strap on front of purse. Tandy's purse doesn't have the flap holder. Enjoy!! Vikefan

The key is to cut the leather for the crown smaller than the stone straight down at first, then (I used a no. 4 tandy edge beveler on the back side to get about the correct angle (almost 45 degrees), then I wet the leather front and back, then formed / wet molded the leather to the stone, I like to use polished small antler tips for this. Good luck and thanks for your reply, Vikefan

I am looking for advice in stone inlaying to leather pieces. What is the best way to do this? I really don't want to wreck/damage the stone and have my own ideas in accomplishing this. I am thinking on using contact cement on the back of the stone and backing leather piece and gluing it to the leather crown I've made. Here's the crown I've made. This peice will then be laced to another piece to be part of a purse. Vikefan

Dave, I understand what you just said, and think you are correct. I will keep that in mind in the future. Thank you for your reply and advice. Vikefan

Here's my latest work. To me it looks fine, but I'm not satisfied with my work as some may see from my pics. I ate this project; "freebie" for person I made it for. I did learn a great deal though completing this project. See what you all think and let me know. Thank you in advance, Vikefan

Very nice tutorial on the Tri-weave... By the way; what brand stamp is utilized in the pictures you have posted? Doesn't look like a Tandy tool to me...I have a couple. Thanks, Vikefan

Boy that sure is pretty! I bought a replica ss canteen (civil war era) and have thought about doing something like that with it and will someday... KUDOS!! Very well done...

Please help!! I've been having an extremely hard time with this knife sheath I'm trying to build. I have an stingray inlayed into a portion, and with the way the dagger is I needed three thicknesses of 8 oz leather (for wedges to taper almost to the tip of the knife for the thing to sit right) and it has a metal tandy belt clip deal on it too. I've glued it up now and have now torn it apart twice. I am extremely frustrated! I cannot get the stitching holes straight from the from the front to the back. I am about ready to give up on the project.... I've now wrecked the inlayed front piece trying to drill from the back to be able to try to stitch it together.. I will most likely have to start over... too much time and money. Can anyone help?

Not a stupid question at all. I came across this recently (past week) and I think you should look it over. I have never done this type of tooling on a holster before, just did the vinegroon thing a couple times. Check this out and let me know what you think. From seeing this I would gather you could do all your tooling first. http://www.willghormley-maker.com/MakingHOGRig.html Vikefan

I am looking at upgrading to better stamps (Tandy's kinda suck). For everyone out there; what brands are the best for the money and please give some reasons why? All information I can get will be very helpful. Vikefan

I've been using the stitching groover TANDY sells, it has a cutting tool that you can adjust for spacing from the edge of the leather you're putting your groove into (tool has a tiny hole in it). I am not sure of the Martingdale groover you're talking about, but will look it up now. Thanks for your inputs. Vikefan

I've been getting advice on my projects and most of them are telling me to use a stitching grover. Problem is I am. Now my question is how deep does the grove have to be? Maybe I'm just not making it deep enough to be noticed? Please advise. Vikefan

Yes I agree; I have a Mahagony/Brown mix I like a lot and thought of using it on this. I have since tried to redden it up some - I put two coats of Red dye over the brown I had. I like the color better now. Thank you.

Thanks Aaron; Do you have any pointers to help me correct this, as to make my projects look better? Vikefan

Please feel free to critique my latest Knife sheath. This is not my first knife sheath, but is my first attempt at an in-layed knife sheath (this one is stingray). I have attached four pics. Please let me know what you think and what I could do better. Thank you Vikefan

Sorry I took so long to read your reply. I think I have one of those hand snap setters I bought and have never used (JoAnn Fabric). As for the glue thing.. Cannot really picture it in my head or using glue setting snaps. Sorry. As for skiving down your leather - have you thought about using a dremel tool to sand a flat area the size of your snap to recess it to work? Thanks, Vikefan Sorry I took so long to read your reply. I think I have one of those hand snap setters I bought and have never used (JoAnn Fabric). As for the glue thing.. Cannot really picture it in my head or using glue setting snaps. Sorry. As for skiving down your leather - have you thought about using a dremel tool to sand a flat area the size of your snap to recess it to work? Thanks, Vikefan

My wife's mother died not too long ago and she inherited her purse. It is a leather purse not sure of the maker, but it has a turquoise stone inlayed into a strap (laced) that helps hold the purse flap closed. I would like to get some pointers on how to do this without loosing our stone. I attached some pics to try to get my point across more effectively. Please help!! Vikefan