Handstitched

Yep, great minds think alike. I put a piece of gaffa tape over the end for now ( I think you call it duct tape) . I can be a bit clumsy at times HS

@garypl Your idea worked Anything to save a bit of money, even its a few bucks, a saving is a saving. HS

The dyes I use are also water based, but with a little bit of alcohol to aide drying. They soak in into the leather better. I have tried oil based dyes in the past, but I had no end of trouble with dyes rubbing off, hence the water based dye + top coat sealer. Good comment about the ' mop & glow . Since ' neat lac' is not available where I am, and it variants are costly to transport ( can't be transported by air) , I used a water based varnish from my local hardware shop , only on particular projects , so far so good, dries quick, flexible, no rub off. Like Castle Leather Work said, you may have to see what works, experiment a little on some scraps. HS

I'll try that, thanks . I have a spare injector blade on my thumb strander, (the most lethal leather tool I've ever bought ...and will never use again) HS

I was just about to order some odds & ends from one of my suppliers, and strap cutter blades were on my list.But I had a light bulb moment. They look exactly like fibreglass chopper blades. Fibreglass pools were my trade in years gone by. Anyone used chopper blades in a strap cutter? * They are only marginally cheaper than what leather suppliers sell them for . I can get x 100 , for about $65, free postage , against $4.40 pk 5 ( + P+P ) HS * I've seen a bloke lose the top of his thumb on a f/g chopper......eeewww !!!

There are many opinions regarding sealers. I'm in Australia, The one I use mostly is called Top Coat , a water based sealer. Another is ' Seal & Shine' , a chemical polyurethane sealer, leaves a nice shine and feel. I prefer to seal my projects as I don't wish for any dye to come off onto clothes, like on belts . Sealers give a nice finish too I use paints on carved patterns , makes flowers etc. really stand out . HS

I had to google that name we call them ' clip seal bags' , but thats a great idea . One other idea I had in mind was an archive box/file thingy, I might combine both ideas . I know it sounds over the top, but this is my fave book and I don't want anything to happen to it. I've had some old leather books damaged in the past, so you can understand my added caution . Thanks HS

Thank you. Perhaps I should have phrased that a bit better My workshop can get a bit messy and dusty, and a bit cluttered , despite my best efforts to keep it clean. HS

One thing I have used is the left over bits of boot polish that have gone a bit hard in the tin . I use them fill any marks etc. , ...or holes , on hard leathers , mostly black, , sort of like a ' body filler' , and being polish they finish up quite good . I guess a bit of hard bees wax might work too . Hope this helps a bit HS

I just have to chime in here . I used to do weight lifting/ power lifting in my younger days, I still have my old belt, ( I won't tell you the size) cost me a small fortune back then. . But the pic of the blue belt is just so striking, such a beautiful colour. Blue really is my absolute favorite colour, has been since I was a kid. The white stitching really makes it stand out. I was once told that the belts give stability, spine etc. and help prevent your guts from exploding, especially the ' man tubes' down stairs . Not sure if theres a market for WL belts here in Oz . I should do some research.Or, make one and put it on display on my stall and gauge the response . HS

@Northmount @fredk I saw that same vendor at my regular market at the weekend, I was soooo tempted to tell him the value of the Ed Bohlin book that he sold me, but I weakened , I didn't have the heart to tell him. Not sure if I should . I do have a bit if a grudge against him though , some years ago, he was next to us at a market, our stall got damaged during some wild weather one year, a table went over nearly injuring my Mother, and a lot of my stock ended up on the ground, but he never lifted a finger to help* . * Its good etiquette ( and good karma) to help each other at markets, especially newbies. I'm now looking at ways to best store the book, knowing its value, now. HS

@noobleather Packers Leather, but you have to be on their ' specials' mailing list You can't buy them online, you either walk in or order over the phone, like I did, but you have to be quick. HS

G'Day, Just recently received some white roo skins that I ordered from Queensland. They're imperfect, factory 2nd's , some with marks & scratches etc. all the usual marks you'd expect from 2nd's.Some will take a dye and get used for linings, some with a milled grain , and many are in near perfect condition, hard to spot the flaws . I also bought some lovely calf skin 2nd's , but you wouldn't know it, they're very dark brown. Price? They were $20 Au. per bundle, 10 in each bundle, I got 2 , 20 skins, in total, thats $2- per skin . The calf skin 2nd's were $15 Au. ea , I got 3 . , and some 3mm hanks of assorted coloured lacing. Freight works out to be less than $3 per skin. *the first pic is a bit dull, oops , the 2nd pic shows the colours better HS

This is my very first attempt at air brushing, this bag was just a test. Nowhere near as nice as the card case you've made, that looks really nice. . All I used was ' whisky antique ' as the base colour, and black air brushing around the edge. I sprayed the sealer on using a ' touch up gun'. Looks more black/ brown than 'sunburst. ' I have used a few coats of yellow as my base colour, as well as thinned out saddle tan, and black air brushing before. I'm still learning HS

@Klara Thats exactly what I did, made my own, 2 different jaw sizes . I bought my first one,a bit ex$y I thought, but then soon realised how simple they are to make out of a few off cuts of wood in my shed and a few screws with wing nuts. I put some pieces of leather on the tips to protect the projects. For larger items, I use a saddlers clamp....that I got S/H from a clearing sale. @mike02130 Good quality S/H leather tools etc. can be found , markets, antique shops etc. on-line , if people are prepared too put in some effort...and are patient It also helps to keep costs down if budget is tight . HS

G'Day, You could also consider second hand, books, tools etc. For tooling & stamping, I started with a ' basic 7piece set' , that helped me learn. I then looked out for good S/H tools. I ended up with some quality S/H ' Craftool USA ' brand tools without blowing my budget , and it went from there, the more I learnt, the more engaged I became...and the better I got , only then, I decided to invest in some new quality tools.....16 years later....... You could spend a small fortune on quality tools but then later decide that leather work is not your preferred vocation, just a thought HS

G'Day, I'd be going with a Cowboy 4500 or Techsew 5100 , or other 441 variant. 277 M10 is what I and many others on here use for the heavy stuff . Have a chat with 'Wizcrafts' . HS

@Northmount I had a look, thats incredible . $460 US would equate to around $600- Australian . Perhaps I should tell the vendor how much the book that he sold for $10 is actually worth....now .....mmmmnah !!! I would never sell it anyway . I'm just in awe of the beauty of the saddles Ed Bohlin created. But they must be so heavy on the poor ol' horses back . I've had a few experiences like that in the past, sellers not actually knowing what items are really worth. HS

@fredk What ??? Holy boot patcher Batman !!!!! Are you serious?? I only paid $10 for mine at a local market. It 's also signed by the author James Nottage on the inside. I wonder what thats worth now?? Edit: Holy Moly , you're right, I just checked, I wonder if mine is considered ' collectable'? HS

@fredk I found a book you might like , if you can find it on Amazon: https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/86967-edward-h-bohlin/?tab=comments#comment-592783 ' Saddle Maker to the Stars' Ed Bohlin , by James Nottage. I have a great appreciation for all of the books I have collected over the years, they have taught me so much, patterns, ' how to ' etc. but this book blew my mind , one of my prized books. HS

@tsunkasapa I think its in reference to ' not shiny' , dull. HS

A'h yes, red dye....yikes !! Mine is water based. Thats the one particular colour I have issues with too. It bleeds in all the wrong places, and like you said, no matter how much sealer I put on, it still bleeds, other colours are fine. It must be the way red is made I guess. So I decided to think outside the square. HS

Never had to do that before, except on swimming pool molds , I had arms like Arnie . Have you tried using a hand held buffer like you would use on a car? You may wish to experiment first . Perhaps make a buffing pad using a piece of canvas? Just a thought. Some of the more experienced leather workers on here may have a better idea. HS

Thanks Theres no 3ph power in my street . Just waiting for my lottery numbers to come up, and I'll buy a beefy generator, that could run the whole workshop , including the clicker. Good luck with yours HS

I have tried oil based dyes in the past, but I had no end of issues with dye rubbing off, that why I now use water based dyes. @fredk I might try that. We have slate tiles in our house and they need sealing periodically, might try that sealer in place of Neatlac . The Neatlac variants can't be shipped from the east by air here in Oz and freight by road is ex$$$y . So instead, I've been using a water based varnish on some specific jobs, works fine . We learn something new every day on here eh? HS