celticleather

When I've had this problem I've sometimes used a 11.5mm closed stem tubular rivet in place of the usual snap stem. Grind off about 1mm from the closed end of the rivet, which opens up the tube, and set in the usual way with the roll-over tool.

How about these people? http://www.music123.com/. (Put in a search for Brass Folio Corners) I'm not sure if they have a minimum order, but it's worth a try!

Ohio Travel Bag have these. http://www.ohiotrave...p210/index.html Page 46 of catalog.

Take a look at Renaissance Wax. It can be used on wood, metal and leather to give a protective coating that does not crack with age. There's more information about it at http://www.thepolish...issancewax.html, and small quantities can be bought on eBay. I use it on cast-brass and nickel buckles, and find that it prevents polished metal from tarnishing.

Take a look at the tutorials here: http://www.bowstock..../tutorials.html. They're pretty useful!

All of the above are ok, but Le Prevo are - in my experience - the cheapest on dyes. They have an excellent online catalogue. http://www.leprevo.co.uk/

Baker's bridle butts are the best leather I have used in 35 years of leatherworking. It's not the cheapest, but the quality is unbeatable (in my opinion)! They're at http://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/. Drop Andrew Parr (the Managing Director) an email, and I'm sure he'll send you some samples.

Another supplier that you might consider is J & F J Baker of Colyton in Devon (http://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/). They are the last tannery in the UK that uses the traditional 12-month oak-tanning process. Although their leather is not cheap it is, in my opinion, just about the best that money can buy! There's a little photo-essay at http://www.bbc.co.uk...ctures-14442109 which explains their tanning process.

I guess Tommy took it away with him!

Abbey Saddlery carry stock of various types and colours of canvas. Just enter 'canvas' in the search box on their website (http://www.abbeyengland.com/) .

I never work on waist size . . . I prefer to use 'fixing length', which is always bigger than waist or pants size. Some folk wear belts around their waists, and others wear them around the hips, and the difference in length can be surprising! I always send my customers a picture (see below) which shows how to measure the fixing length from an existing belt, and if they can't get that right, then I charge them for the remake . . . very politely, of course!

I think much of the cost of leather is linked to the production, rather than the cost of the raw skins. Most of the hides I use come from the UK's last oak-bark tannery, where the leather is pretty much 'handmade', and the process is extremely labour-intensive. This is reflected in the price, which is fairly high compared to products from other tanneries in the UK, but the quality is unsurpassed. There's a little photo-essay at http://www.bbc.co.uk...ctures-14442109, which outlines some of the processes that the hides go through in their 12-month progression from raw skin to top-quality leather.

I've never done anything to 'prepare' antler for burnishing, and 35 years on . . . I'm still here!

Chiropody felt (available at most pharmacies) works well. It's about 5mm thick, and you can get 144 ½"-square pads from a 6"-square sheet!

Looks familiar!

An excellent tool! I've been using the same one for thirty years, and never had a problem (and I regularly use 16oz oak-tanned hide)!

Is this any help? http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

Chris I used to use these dyes for all of my leatherwork, and I still use a few today. The powder is mixed with methylated spirit (denatured alcohol), and I use a 5ml teaspoonful of powder in 300ml of spirit. The colour can be made stronger or weaker by varying the proportions. Terry

Tom I wouldn't necessarily write the pin off as a fake without doing a bit more research! The cross is the Maltese Cross, symbolic of the Order of the Knights Hospitallers, and the tails look like Ermine, the fur of which was used to line British coronation robes. It was also used on the robes of Peers of the Realm (they now use a rabbit fur called miniver). Ermine has been described as 'the fur of royalty'. The picture below shows Edward VII in his ermine coronation robes. Who knows . . . there may be a connection between the sporran and the pin! Terry

These locks are still being made in solid brass by Liston Locks in the UK. They have now been taken over by Abbey Saddlery, and renamed Abbey Liston. Take a look at http://www.abbeyengl...Search=lock+615. The locks are available in three sizes.

This is exactly right. They are bookbinder's decorative tools, which would have been fitted into a wooden (or sometimes asbestos) handle. The glue that was used to make the foil adhere to the leather is called 'glaire', and is made from stale egg-white - very smelly!

Go to http://www.abbeyengland.com/Store/tabid/77/CategoryID/201/Category2ID/110/Level/2/Default.aspx Liston Locks were taken over by Abbey Saddlery, and are now known as Abbey Liston. As far as I know, they still produce the full range of locks and fittings.

There's a pretty neat way to strop the inside of the Dixon edgers at http://leatherworker...topic=7439&st=0

You could have a look at http://www.leprevo.co.uk/rivets.htm. I would guess that their F1/43 or F1/65 would serve the purpose. They're only single-capped rivets, but since the backside would not be seen, I don't think that would be a problem. Le Prevo are quite happy to supply overseas clients.

I think you will be wasting your time and money! I've seen a post from Tippmann somewhere in which they admitted that the French box stitching attachment was not a successful accessory, and for this reason it has been dropped from their range.