Handstitched

At $80, thats a bargain . Good luck with them , you've got us all intrigued now So the journey begins . HS

G'Day, Check this out: https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/75593-how-i-water-marbled-leather/ Its quite effective HS

Yep, buy them As we say in Oz, " bloody oath !!" At that price, they're worth messing around with . The Singer 211w155 looks a bit like the Seiko STW's . They may just need a bit of TLC .......and a few litres of oil It may also be a good opportunity for you to learn about these old Singers . Go on, be brave HS

Your work looks quite good Tim Although I can't see a ' blemish or a faux pas ' in your work ' , but thats what makes the item individual & unique . Love the blue & white lining on the shoulder/tablet bag . I thinks its quite stunning HS

Welcome to leather craft. And, btw, there are no remedies or ointments for ' leather bug bites ' . And theres no such thing as a ' stupid question' , we've all made a bit of a boo boo or a major stuff up at one point or another. But thats how we learn . HS

Welcome to the world of leather and welcome to the forum When I do plain black belts( and other dark colours) , I give the leather a good dose of oil grain side & flesh side....same goes with straps, knife cases etc. Let soak in. I then dye both grain side & flesh side. I have also learnt, from experience, that the leather burnishes quite well when still slightly damp . The dye I use may be different to what others use. I use Birdsall Dye from Birdsall Leather in NSW Australia, water based with a bit of alcohol for drying. No need to apologise about the questions, because the questions you ask may save you time $$ and frustration , and the answers may help someone else new to leather HS

Its not that bad here, its not ' Sue City' Anyone thats comes through our gate might....get bitten by an ant at best or step on a 'double gee' at worst ( google that) ' or ....break a nail on the gate latch My customers come here to make inquiries, or to pick up or drop off jobs to be done. I'm not permitted to have a 'shop front' , but thats a blessing . However, in saying that, I did feel discriminated against by a wholesaler in NSW , because I didn't have a 'shop front' , their loss though , because I found another wholesaler that doesn't discriminate . HS

When a customer asks me to make a phone case,( or knife case etc.) I draw the outline of the phones dimensions in my order book. 9 times out of 10 I have already made a wood template . If not, I'll make a new one using MDF . Easy to cut shape etc. I make any minor adjustments with pieces of leather . I can use them for wet molding or soft leathers . The pic is just a small sample of the templates I have. Phone sizes have changed a lot over the years.Have a look at the two bottom left corner, and then look at the ones in the top right corner. I do have bigger ones ...yikes ! Hope this helps....a bit HS

I think you're right, it could well be the wrong size. I'd get it sorted in case you do any damage to the machine . HS

Is this a hint ? : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392481182519 Its not the same, but it gives you a clue? HS

@machineage when I saw the pics, my immediate thought was, ' the one in the middle' , but when I scrolled down, I noticed that @Matt S had a similar view, great minds think alike I guess. I have a Seiko STW 28B, ( converted to a single needle) super reliable. It turns 54 in July this year If it was me, I'd keep all 3 . You could set them up for different applications, textiles etc.If you get rid of the other two, you may regret it later, just a thought ? HS

Theres two types of boot polish I have used, ' Nugget' & Kiwi' but currently using 'Kiwi Parade Gloss Prestige ' which is quite good . And when the tin is empty, I don't throw out the little hard bits in the corners of the tin, I use those as ' fillers' . The ' Johnson & Johnson ' liquid floor polish' ( sometimes traffic wax ) is what was applied to the mold before making a fibre glass pool, it was stored in a ' hot box' so it went through the spray guns...... but that was in a past life HS

One advantage I have is that my business / workshop is on my property ( approved by the local council ), I work from home, theres no rent and no mortgage .And its taken years to develop the goodwill from the locals , you can't buy that. No fancy advertising, just word-of-mouth, and its worked. My workshop isn't a 'shop shop', like a shop front .And like you, I wouldn't have time to just chat all day ( although my Mum would ha !! I've nick named her ' Pringles' because ' once she pops she can't stop' shhhh ) Anyway.... My market stall is my "shop front'" at regular venues where orders are placed, sell stock, and its a chance to show off my wares a bit . I have picked & chosen which ones are worth while and financially viable . HS

It would be handy if you knew someone with a saddle machine, like a 441 clone.They can sew through the thick leather you are using . I have used my machine to punch the holes through thick leather prior to hand stitching on rare occasions. HS

I have the roll of thread in one hand, the end of the thread in the other and just spread my arms out...and thats it, simple Any large-ish off cuts can be used for any small projects, minor repairs etc. so nothing goes to waste. HS

To perforate the leather all the way through would weaken the leather, and perhaps tear along the perforations , just a thought . HS

G'Day, I do have a small business and I work from home ( I do markets as well) , both leather & horse rug repairs .The only down side is that I don't always have enough time to make stuff for myself, I'm mostly filling orders. I'm just a short drive from the town and even without any advertising, my customers still find me quite easily, word of mouth works best for me that and the markets . I had thought about having a shop in the town but all the shops in our town are over 100 years old and not worth the rent they are asking. And besides, even when no business is coming through the doors you still have to pay the rent and all other expenses . So many '"businesses" have come & gone over the years . They may last a year at best. ( except the bakery that does lovely hot meat pies) HS

Thank you so much << see what I did there ? We're having another ' bout ' of extremes again as I type, but we're supposed have some cooler temps towards the end of the week , hopefully But I do still keep all my threads, machine, h/s, & waxed etc. in a wood desk drawer away from heat. HS

G'Day from a fellow Aussie, and welcome to the world of leathercraft I know you're new to leather, but I have achieved a ' two-tone ' effects with an air brush, so two contrasting colours are ' graduated ' (?) Another technique I have learnt, is the base colour is say, yellow or saddle tan or something light,( let dry) with a coating of whisky or brandy antique dye on the top. That has resulted in a similar effect. Just doodle and experiment on some scraps first. HS

I agree. I have also learnt from experience never take a measurement from an old belt. Using a tape measure around waist is best and most accurate . If trophy buckles are to be used, that alters the measurement too. Theres 2 - 3" between the bar & the pin, depending on the size of the buckle. HS

Also, once I have cut the thread off ( machine or hand) , I get a cigarette lighter and ever so carefully burn the ' tail ' thats left behind, just close enough to shrink the ' tail' being careful not to burn the work . Just a thought HS

G'Day, I have an old-ish USM Hytronic 20 T press. I cant use it ...yet*. Its been sitting in my workshop for many years . It does work, I've seen it work at the sellers house, but he had 3ph.. But while its sitting there collecting dust, although I do dust it occasionally, I have been giving the seal on the hydraulic ram at the back an occasional squirt with some WD-40 to hopefully stop the seal from drying out as its get pretty warm during summer. Is this a good idea? or is it necessary at all ? I have much to learn about these machines . *Theres no 3ph in my street. So when I win lotto, I'll buy a serious kick-a**se 3 ph generator to run it Thanks, HS

HaloJones nailed it. Bevel the outline . Thats something I often do , its a bit fiddly, but effective .Dying or painting them in a prominent and contrasting colour will help too . HS

Ok , on the one hand I would use 5-6mm harness, thats what I use on stirrup straps etc. , something that takes the weight of an adult, however, I'd be very worried about the liability . So why did they go out of business? hope it wasn't a liability issue? HS

@HondoMan I had a similar issue with some buffalo hides, 5- 6mm , dyed black . I got them cheap , ' on special' . I had a such a difficult time sealing the leather when making belts, dog collars etc. The black kept coming through. Every sealer I used didn't work . So, I ordered some lacquer from NSW ( Australia) , an equivalent to ' Neat-Lac' . But, because of ' Dangerous Goods' laws it couldn't be transported by air , road transport was too costly, more than the product was worth. So , much experimenting later, I now use a water based varnish I got from my local hardware shop . Its mainly used for wood etc. Its not the ' be all & end all' , but it works, and it flexible . And as its water based, it dries quick . I just had to think outside the square . HS