Handstitched

Thats pretty much how I do a lot of my wallets. All cards or a variation of a pocket or two at the back for cash, and plenty of room for cards. I don't do the ' everything including the kitchen sink' type wallets that turn into a small paving brick by the time they're filled up. Simple and very practical. So love the colour too Nice rich deep colour. Looks like a nice mahogany? And you like fishing in Canterbury too Is that fly fishing? I like it Well done. HS

That had me in stitches I have a friend I might send that to. She drinks wine like I drink beer, she doesn't cook too much either. Mostly ' ding food' . You know, microwave...bzzzzz....ding !!! Hear hear !! A totally different flavour, love cooking outside . I'll have to try and fix Dads lawn mower, ( now the weeds have grown back) he's fiddled about with it so much over the years its pretty messed up , it only sorta goes. I'm trying to avoid having to buy a new one. Not good news about your truck . Uni joints & diffs can be a PITA ( pain in the ar***) to fix. Been there done that...( Landy's ) ....not fun . HS

And why not show them off ? You do great work, love the baseballs Thats one stitch I haven't done much of . HS

Theres someone on here that may be able to help with some info: https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/105697-wilhelm-pedersen-8-splitter/?tab=comments#comment-703716 HS

I have also used skiver blades, and like with all blades, they can be lethal , take care HS

A lot of the time I just use water and paper towel . Rinse well in water, and clean/dry brushes with paper towel . The paper towel removes pretty much all of the dye, both water based and alcohol based. Simple. HS

Too true I won't go off topic too much , but its been a while since I made holsters. I may even just do a few carved ones for display , like the hats. HS

The colour of the wine looks awesome Sounds delish too , and yes, marinades do come to mind . Nice to see you incorporate it with your work, along with a flint lock pistol . The one thing you wont see over here is corks in bottles of wine, its all screw tops . I'm half way making a few insulated wine bottle carriers . I have a bit of spare time now, so I may be able to get them finished. Won't be long before the Christmas leftovers come out of the freezer for soups. Its cooled right down here now, everything is nice a green , cool damp nights, totally different to a few months ago , we were frying our a**ses off. HS

This is a discussion that we've all had before, but you're absolutely right . I won't go any further as it will very quickly go off topic @Spicytacoman good luck finding your ideal machine . Its not an easy choice . HS

@hsherrill The hat looks awesome I've only done a few hats like that. Not much demand here. But they do make good display pieces on my stall. Might make a few more . What is the second item with the blue lace? Looks good tho.The saddle bags and the rifle case look great as well. Same again, theres a gun club in my town, I can hear it from my place, but no demand for rifle cases, holsters etc. Perhaps they're just happy to buy whatever they see at the gun shops....I dunno can never tell. Well done HS

A'h aaaah!! Now I see it . Looks great too . The colours really show up the texture quite well . Look forward to the next part. I'm guessing ' snapping turtles' are not easy to catch? ...and dangerous ? hence the cost? I hear ya We all love what we do, but not how much it costs . HS

I guess we're all waiting to see what happens next . Good luck .

This is a long shot, you don't have an off cut to practice on? Not knowing too much about this type of leather, I have this image of the dye ' bleeding' in all the wrong places and completely screwing it up. Perhaps try the dye you intend using in an inconspicuous spot?

How about a (clean) compost tumbler , they can be quite large, would that be big enough for a hobbyist? t Just a thought . HS

You're a bloody legend I'm of the " restore , rebuild , fix up & re-use, make the old work again " ilk . I quite like the red , it really is quite good ( even when blue is my fave colour) Hope you have so much joy from it !!! HS

Yeh...I noticed that too You can even hit the foot pedal after its turned off and it will keep going for about a doz turns. Love these machines HS

The issue I have with mine is the screw at the front of feed dog plate is so old and worn that it just comes loose with vibration, so I just use a bit of' Loctite '. Hard to find another amongst my junk as its a ' counter sink' type scew. The plate to the left should come off, it may need a bit of ' gentle persuasion ' . The other thing I noticed is the exterior of your belt. Looks like is been rubbing against something? Or is it a bit of paint over spray? I find the reverse very helpful , can't work without it While its origins may be a mystery, I think $150 is a good investment. I so envy the piping foot, not available for mine. Have fun HS

I agree. I rely on reverse to do the stuff that I do.. Just give it a good service, if it needs it , and enjoy it . Parts and needles etc are easy to get. Although, I can never find an instruction manual specific for the STW- 28B's ( twin needle) , so I use a 226 manual instead. HS

They are excellent The texture in the first pic is identical to Cane Toad. They can also come in different colours too. But they ain't cheap . The tanning process is different to other leathers apparently, to remove all of the toxins . I have to admit, you're giving me inspiration and motivation Well done HS

It took me ages to find it in my list of old emails, but by my serial # is : STW28-B serial number ' WS-6611007 '. It was produced in 1966. . I contacted Seiko in Japan back in 2015. Not sure if this is of any use at all, but just thought I'd share in case anyone else needs info. Thats all the info Seiko could find " because it is the too old machine." Their words. HS

Great minds thinks alike. My (early) Seiko STW 28B looks the same, except a twin needle (used as a single) with reverse. But looking at the flywheel , more like a 226 . The drive belt may also reveal a brand name like mine does. HS

You've done a great job on the tooling I have this pattern pack . Its been sitting in my filing cabinet.....for ...too long Haven't made it ...yet. I also have the old original movie on DVD . Well done. HS

I really should give them a try . The are available here in Oz. I guess I just haven't given them much thought . I do have some fish skins that someone gave me , but nowhere near as nice as snake. I've only used Cane Toad. A Cane Toad skin sheath perhaps. They do have a nice texture. HS

What an excellent job Love the wood grain . HS

If you ever see them in your travels, ....grab em' !!! Very hard to find. I can have so much fun with these . HS