Handstitched

Well said. Might have a beer for that too with my lunch My ye 'olde Seiko does just that.... and quite frankly, I don't care . The machine works just fine , but the moment I start fiddling with it, I'm bound to stuff it up, I'm happy to leave it the way it is. I have yet to find a customer say to me " your stitches don't line up " . HS

Seems to work OK for me ....and I'm using XP ....don't laugh HS

You may wish to try a rotary cutter . I have the same issue when cutting soft leathers. Unless the knife is super sharp, you can end up ' dragging ' the leather rather than cutting it, so a rotary cutter may help. Get a good one , not a cheapy . I tried that, it fell to bits. But some of the more experienced on here may be able to choose a quality one with out breaking the bank. HS

Anyone near you that makes or sharpens knives, you local hardware perhaps? Perhaps they can help you sharpen the one you have? I've had my groover for quite some years, never had to sharpen it . HS

I've had this bag for many years now, but never really found out where it came from. Its been hanging in my workshop all these years and I just can't stop staring at it . I can only guess its from perhaps North Africa ? I did do bit of research on sort of similar looking bags and it looked similar to a ' Taurareg' bag ( African tribe ??) I saw during my research . Value wise going by the one I saw , is anywhere around $300- $500 . I only paid $10 at a local market. The bag is a one piece leather draw string/strap bag , made from the rear end of a goat (?) turned inside out, and where the twisted leather strap is attached,,it does feel like bones ( from the goat?) I can feel the knuckle ends. The tassels are all hand cut. Its well used and well made, it is quite functional. Nice wide opening. The grain side is on the inside. The straps are not too long or short, I put it over my shoulder . Probably ideal for a traveler . Any ideas ? HS

I'd be doing all sorts of historical research on those, maybe get a metal detector search the area , if permitted. . What type of trains ran on them, any surviving locals or families of the sawmill ? etc. .So much history in old stuff, and history should be preserved for future generations IMO, no offence to Frodos' nephew. HS

I have seen a anvil made from a piece of RR at a leather shop in Perth WA ( closed down now) . It was shaped, down to an ' anvil' point at one end. That must taken some cutting/ grinding . That's a great idea, so I thought. It might be cheaper and less work just to buy one. We do have a bit of a railroad history in my town. I have a few pieces in my workshop " museum" , as I call it. A few pieces of clinker from the steam trains that went through once upon a time, some spikes, and a track joiner . They're all welded these days not bolted. That removed the ' click clack' sound that puts people to sleep when traveling. I miss that. HS

I was thinking the same thing. However, if its machine sewing sheep skin..... good luck . I try to part the fleece as I'm sewing. Sometimes the fleece gets caught around the feet or needle . Have some bubble wrap on stand-by to ' relieve the tension'....in your head. HS P.S. I'm glad its not just me that uses pliers when hand stitching , phew !

For plain belts, no lining. Tooled belts, occasionally some lining, but if concho's, studs or any embellishments are to be used, then I might line them . I have made belts with either Croc or Cane toad. The lining helps to cover up any untidy bits on the back . Well said I'm still proud to put on my old grotty , rough looking frequently repaired stained leather apron to carry on a century's old craft HS

It depends how lazy I'm feeling at the time, and sometimes on the size of the job. If I'm lazy, I just give the thread a little twist on itself , the wax seems to hold it together, or on a small job, I twist it. On a large job, the full length of both arms, thread the needles, & put back through the thread once. So there HS

Here ya go. I'm sure I've posted these before somewhere on here, but anyway. A Seiko STW 28B ,set up as a single needle, not twin, mostly #40 thread Juki clone with 180 #24, needle, I use mostly 277M10 thread standard feet & dog, I use other threads too , and a Singer 29K patcher on stand-by. The rubber mat is to stop it moving. And in the far background covered up, is a Pfaff 60 for thin leather , wallet liners, fiddly jobs etc , and a drawer full of assorted threads, some more in the drawer above it. Tools etc in the top drawer . Ignore the mess...please HS

Its been years since I've used a chocolate antique, or seen it anywhere. Look out for a mahogany antique. No good to you there in AZ , but I get my mahogany antiques from Mac-Lace Leather Queensland , Australia . Its a bit ' chocolaty ' . You could also try experimenting by mixing a few other colours . HS

Right there with you , Amen Peace HS

@RockyAussie & @fredk Thank you to you both. It was nice. A nice roast dinner, pavlova & cake...and champers, and a few Tassie beers Now time for a jog around the block...maybe later Thanks , HS

Now you're asking... ...um.. The fabric I used wasn't a velvet, but 'velvet like ' from ' Spotlight' . The proper stuff is too ex$y . This was used for hand bags, not wallets . I sprayed some sealer on the reverse, let dry. Its goes a bit stiff-ish once dried , but still very flexible. Hope that helps, sorta HS

' Happy-birthday-to me, Happy-birthday- TO - me, I -don't - have - a - so-cial - life That- rea-ll-y does- suck !! Hip Hip Hooray !!! ' Yep, its my 21st birthday....again today . Doing a roast goose, with vegies, birthday cake & pavlova ( thats an Aussie delicacy....not NZ ) and champers Never had roast goose before ( or roast politician....boom tish ) Best wishes to those that are celebrating something special on the same day HS

G'Day, I can't say I've used the combo you're using on a wallet, , but the CA I have used in the past is Selleys Kwik Grip. I find that quite flexible. Or Parfix Fast Grip CA, thats what I'm currently using atm on repairing a brief case. ( its also 5 bucks cheaper ) , that seems to be flexible. . The gel versions are good if you don't want the ' stringy bits' going everywhere every time you dip your brush in the tin. This may not be important, when I've used fabric for a lining on a hand bag, and CA is required, I have used a ( Boyles) spray sealer on the reverse side to stop the adhesive working its way through the fabric. HS

Thats quite a sad sight to see. May you win 'Lotto' soon with enough to buy you a new car , or restore your old friend . HS

I think I might sit it out from here on , and carry on eating my popcorn , buttered. HS

I second .... triple that Thats what happened with me, luckily . It sewed exactly as I expected, and as advertised in the horsey magazine . I can see this thread continuing for a little while yet . HS

I consider myself quite lucky after reading the posts on here. I got my 441 clone ( new) from 'Q Stitch' , Queensland. Once set up ( I was like a kid on Christmas Day) it sewed perfect. Just a few minor adjustments to the tensions, and foot pressure,that was in 2005 . And, to this day still works great...in both directions ( touchwood) . I've bent and broke the odd needle over the years, thats about it. HS

Forgive me for chiming in, but theres a huge lack of industrial sewing machine/ parts dealers here in West Oz. Theres one over 2 hours from me, that isn't all that helpful and ex$y , and mostly domestics, and just one towards the northern burb's in Perth , also 2hr's + from me. That one doesn't even have a web site. Geez !! I know it can't happen these days, but I'm a bit 'olde fashioned', I like go into a shop, see what I'm buying and get good help & advice.....pffft ....none of that here in the west. All my parts etc. come from 'Sewing Machines Australia' Queensland . They know their stuff and are helpful, even if it is over the phone My 2 cents worth + tax @kgg Quite an interesting observation and comparison . HS

By the job. Some are just small holes on the top layer, but some have gone all the way through to the lining. Small holes ( on top) take merely 5 - 10 mins to repair . Through the lining may take only 20-30 mins at best. But, quite often theres a number of holes to repair, and maybe a belly strap... and a leg strap etc. If new hardware, and new webbing is required, thats added to the invoice . It soon adds up. Some rugs I've done have been completely destroyed, some just a few days old, they do take a while, , but I re-build them and cheaper than buying a newie for the client . I've done enough rugs in a week to earn me a weeks wage ( pre-covid) . Never a seen a bald horse before . Rugs do come with hair on them . After doing rugs for over 10 + years, never had any issues . I've also been wormed ..ha!! ...... so true As for seat belts, no scrap yards anywhere near here, much heavier to sew . Webbing is reasonably cheap anyway. HS

Thats where things are different here. Thats not required. I charge differently, but not by the hour, I wouldn't get any repeat business if I did that ( here in Oz) . Theres someone that I know that charges just for a quote , hmm ? needless to say the customers come to me. We're all going to have differences in the way we do things, depends on your market. At the end of the day, so as you, and the client is happy with the work........ and they make recommendations to others......and they come back, reputation is everything in a small town like mine. Thats exactly whats happened to me However, COVID slowed things down a bit. HS