celticleather

This is a process I've never come across! Does it give the leather a 'shiny' appearance - what we in the UK call a 'plated' finish? It does sound rather similar to the process I use after dyeing leather, when I tighten down the grain using an antler burnisher. A picture of the tool would be really helpful (a picture of it in use would be invaluable!).

To find out more, see http://www.mastersgames.com/rules/shut-box-rules.htm

Looks like Ray may have met this guy's brother at Ludlow!

Just goes to show what a small world we live in!

Here's a little pic of a Conway buckle in use. Take a look on Google (images) where you'll find some more. They don't really attach to the leather - it's more a matter of letting the pin on the buckle pass through both straps.

Better not let him near a tool shop!

When you've cut off the ends of the thread, if you still have an annoying little 'tail' showing, gently poke it back into the hole using the eye end of the needle. A little tap with a flat (cobbler's) hammer (with a good flat surface beneath) will even out the stitches.

Pre-dampening leather will act as a resist with spirit-based dyes, but I've never had a problem with water-based dyes. I find that pre-dampening prevents the leather from taking up the dye too greedily, which can result in uneven colour.

Excellent work!

I cleaned out my fan a couple of weeks ago, and it's sooo quiet now that I can fall asleep at my desk z z z z

Mouse hide? You're going to need a lot of mice to make a pair of moccasins! What? Oh . . . MOOSE. Need to get my specs renewed!

I occasionally get mouldy tack brought into my shop for renovation. I use a good-quality saddle soap as follows: 1. Wipe the leather down with a soft, dry cloth to remove all dirt, dust and debris. The leather should be free of foreign particles before the soap is applied. 2. Dip a dampened sponge into the saddle soap and work into a good lather. 3. Rub the saddle soap into the leather. Apply using a tight circular motion until the entire surface is covered. 4. Allow the saddle soap to remain on the leather for just a few minutes. 5. Wipe off the soap using a damp washcloth. Be sure to wipe the leather down thoroughly and that no soap is left behind, as it can cause the leather to dry out and become cracked. 6. Follow the saddle soap wash immediately with a conditioner or leather oil. This works for me, but I know some people don't like saddle soap, so wait and what other answers are offered!

I have sometimes had to dye large expanses of leather for desktops, and I use a short-haired sheepskin pad (about 3" x 3"). Tip a generous amount of dye into a shallow tray. Dampen (not wet) the leather evenly all over. Dip the pad and wipe onto the leather boldly, in a broad, sweeping movement from one side of the piece to the other. Try to work fairly quickly. As soon as the pad shows any sign of drying out, dip again and continue. Then turn the leather through 90 degrees and repeat the process. If streaks are still visible, turn the leather through 45 degrees and repeat the process, and continue, turning as necessary, until the whole surface is covered and streak-free. I think the secret is not to be afraid of soaking the leather with dye, so long as it is evenly soaked. It will probably start to look a bit dark, but water-based dyes tend to dry back quite a lot. It may take a day or more to dry out completely, depending on the weight of the leather.

If all else fails, there's a washer cutter for sale here http://www.oldtools.co.uk/tools/edge_tools...r/other.pg2.php Whoops - bad link . . . try that one!

I've had a request to make a guitar pickguard in leather. I can see that the style of work is not my line of country, and would be more suited to someone who is accustomed to working with acrylic colours or something similar. If anyone out there is interested in taking this job on, please drop me a PM, and I'll let you have the client's email address to contact directly. There has been no discussion regarding price or delivery date . . . it's an open book! Here is a quote from the email that accompanied the picture links: ''I'd like a rich red leather with some form of the design found on these guitars: http://cachepe.samedaymusic.com/media/qual...6d3bfcb55d1.jpg http://cachepe.samedaymusic.com/media/qual...0bc37e1ba31.jpg I'd like the design to stand out in the way that it does on that first guitar link with the white form and yellow coloured centres and berries if possible - although I have no idea of what is possible in leather. My idea for orientation is as per the image attached - perhaps the addition of an extra flower in the lower left to balance the design across the scratch plate?'' The links refer to the pictures I've posted below. Anyone up for it?

I find this thread enormously reassuring! I've been accumulating tools since the 70s, to the point where I now have four plough gauges (3 Dixon, 1 Blanchard), four round knives, two splitters, innumerable edge shaves, dividers . . . and so it goes on. It's now clear that tool hoarding is a disease (maybe spread by some kind of leather mite?) that afflicts leatherworkers, and not some kind of personal compulsive obsession. I still scan salerooms and auction houses for tools - preferably old tools - that I am compelled to buy, whether or not they're repeats of what I already have. I keep thinking that one day I'll have a Grand Sale and use the proceeds to sail off into the sunset. . . . dream on!

Hey - what's this guy up to . . . taking my photograph when I wasn't looking?!

Here's a gadget I made to avoid nipping off my fingertips when I make the parallel cuts in 3-strand and 5-strand wristbands. I'm not sure if the pics give a totally clear idea of how it works. The leather strip is placed under the yellow plate, against an adjustable stop (hidden beneath the plate). When the steel rod is pushed forward (pic 2), the edge of the yellow plate nips the leather evenly along its edge and forms a straight-edge for cutting. The leather is then turned around and the second cut is made (pic 3). A small hole at the end of each cut makes the leather easier to plait. Pic 5 is the finished result - dyed and plaited. I haven't patented it yet, but there's still time . . .

I sometimes come across references to 'possibles bags', usually on US websites. If one assumes that a possibles bag is for carrying possibles, what is a 'possible'? Has anyone got a picture of a possible, or is that impossible?

I crease just about everything I make; I think it gives a more 'classic' look to the finished product. I have three adjustable creasers (all Dixon) that I use regularly. One has a fairly broad squared-off creasing edge that I use hot, but only on bridle leathers. Another has a narrower squared-off edge that I use cold on cased tooling leathers, and the third has a rounded V-shaped edge, which I also use cold on cased tooling leathers. I guess it's one of those questions where ten people would give fifteen different methods of working!

LOL . . . I think Ray has an uncanny knack for rattling my cage!

They're pens . . . the bag's about 8 inches tall!

I sell men's bags (English made, but not by me!) in the shop, and they are surprisingly popular, but I wouldn't dare to sell anything that resembled a concealed holster! Just imagine trying to get through security at an airport wearing one of these . . . we already have to strip almost to our underwear! Back in the 70s I bought a number of replica guns to use as dummies for holsters that I made for Western enthusiasts, and I would hang a holster, with gun inside, on my stall at craft fairs. They were a talking point, and kids (and parents) loved to handle them and wear the holsters. However, in 1996 a massacre of schoolchildren occurred in Scotland (http://century.guardian.co.uk/1990-1999/St...,112749,00.html). The government's typical knee-jerk reaction to this was to ban virtually any type of gun from public view, and restrictions on ownership which have resulted in our Olympic shooting teams having to leave the country to practice their sport! Over the years the laws and paranoia have escalated to the point where it is now possible to be shot for carrying a concealed table-leg (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/jun/03/ukcrime.ukguns)! I still have the replica guns and one of the holsters, but I daren't show them to anyone for fear of being jumped on by armed police. The government are somewhat embarrassed that the restrictions have not had the desired effect. Gun crime is actually increasing, and guns (albeit illegal guns) are easier to obtain now than at any time in the past! Ho hum . . . here endeth the rant! A pic of one of the men's bags and one of my illicit holsters!

Karl I'm a great fan of Dixon tools, and over the years I've accumulated quite a collection - everything from splitters to pricking irons - including three plough gauges (sshh . . . don't tell Ray!). Having said that, I'm also very keen on some of the Osborne tools, particularly their hand-punches - solid forged steel - and their head knives. My best recent purchase has been an Osborne chase splitter that I bought from our friend Bruce Johnson. It's a beautifully engineered tool that produces a completely controllable split. What a pity the design is no longer in production! Ray's advice about looking on eBay is very sound, but be careful not to get lulled into paying over the odds (I wonder how often Ray and I have been bidding against each other!). You'd be surprised how many people think that head knives are herb choppers! Small local auctions and boot sales can also be productive. I once bought a boxful of saddler's tools from a house clearance for £15.00; when I priced them up at current-day prices they were worth about £750.00! Once again I would repeat Ray's advice . . . if it's made by Dixon - buy it! Terry

The shape of the bow suggests that it may perhaps be connected with shaping or stretching horse collars. I have no evidence to support this . . . just a theory!