Handstitched

G'day, At the beginning of the year, I bought about 5 sides of 5mm drum dyed ( black) Buffalo hide for heavy belts & dog collars etc. I'm not sure which part of the globe that they actually came from, but they were a 'new year special offer ' from a regular supplier in Melbourne Aust. They certainly made some beautiful 1st grade belts, dog collars etc. , that was until a customer asked for a refund at one of my regular markets today. The dye came out on his white dog, he was not happy. I tried giving him a different ( cow hide) collar, which he didn't want, so in the end I had no choice but to give him a refund. ( under Aust. consumer law) . It was obvious that the hides were not sealed. So, I took off all the Buffalo hide belts & collars from my rack, went into my workshop tonight. I sealed them...BUT .... black residue kept on coming off on the polishing cloth. No matter how many coats of sealer I put on ( I tried chemical & water based ), black residue still came off. All was well when the sealer was dry, BUT....with just a tiny bit of moisture ( ie simulated sweat), black residue came out on the cloth. I tried oiling them ( just as I have with harness cowhide leather without any problems at all) , but still no joy. No matter what I try, I keep getting this black residue on the cloth. I can't have black dye coming out onto a customers clothing.....or their dogs. Any suggestions?? Thanks HS

G'day, I have an early USM GSB-2 20T cutting press just sitting in my workshop. Quite an old machine, but fully operational, but I haven't used it...yet. Its only been sitting there for about 5 years . Like the one in the pic, but nowhere near as nice looking. The original price was $7,250 aud. I bought it for $800 aud from a former leatherworker. And only $30 bucks to transport it. I also paid around $1000aud for a stack of assorted cutters of different shapes etc. Quite a bargain. BUT, It needs 3 phase power, and where live in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia ( the bush) theres no 3 ph. power or infrastructure, so I would need to get a hefty 9-11KVA 3ph generator to start it, due to the size/weight of the flywheel & oil pump attached to the motor.Once started, it would only need half that. Depending on what sort you buy, this particular machine would need 55ltrs of oil ( about 12 gal. in your measurement) for an oil change. When I bought it, the seller advised me to keep it serviced regularly ( depending on use). He also suggested that each and everytime I turn it on "put a few dollars into a tin" to go towards servicing ( or repairs) . Mine is an older machine, but a newer machine may not need as much attention. (?) Just do some number crunching, work out the economics, and benefits etc. before purchasing. HS

G'Day, I have finally found out when my machine was made. From the reply from Seiko. Quote: "Dear ***** Thank you for your contact to us. Model STW-28-B Serial number WS 6611007 It was produced in 1966. We do not have any more information because it is the too old machine. Best Regards Yuzo KURA Seiko Sewing Machines HA!!! I WAS right The '66' is the date of manufacture. I'm happy now HS

G'day again, I'm getting warmer. I did find that pic.(Number 002). I identified that machine as soon as I saw it. The other is the accompanying pic in the same article. Both are from 'The Craftsman' Vol. 12 # 5 dated 'July-August 1968. The last pic is my Seiko machine taken from a similar angle. Look familiar? The article is about a company called 'Cal-Leather' run by a gent Mr Archie Frischling, and making leather highway patrol jackets Unfortunately , theres nothing in the article that mentions the name of the machines used. They could also be Consew Machines But I'll try to contact Cal-Leather to get some more info. HS

G'day darren, and thank you for your reply. I think contacting Seiko will be the next 'port of call'. I always post any queries on here first. I do have a collection of Leather Craftsman magazines dating back to 60's, and in one of the magazines, theres a pic of someone making leather police jackets on one of these machines. The machine in the pic is pretty much identical to mine. Thats what made me think that these machines were made in or around the 60's . I'll try to find that pic, and put it up, thats if I can remember what volume it was, so it may take a while, as theres so many. thank you once again HS

G'day, I have already tried the search function on here for this info, and google, no luck. I would like to know how old my machine is. No doubt a common question for many early machine owners. The machine I use for horse rug repairs, and medium weight leathers, canvases etc. is a ' Seiko STW- 28B. Serial # is : WS-6611007. That number could also read as: 7/11/66?? ( 7th July 1966 ????) But I could be totally wrong It would be great to know how old it is , or approx when it , or approx when they were first was manufactured? It was originally a twin needle machine, but I only use one needle , serviced regularly, mainly a good clean & thorough oiling. Adjustments are rarely made. And, ( touchwood) it works perfectly. Although a tad fast at times, but thats easily remedied with a change of pulley ( a 'round to it ' job ) . But it really is a great and strong machine. Thanks for any help HS

G'day Beautiful peeps, I had yet again had the honourable task of being a leatherwork Judge at a different show. Only this time slightly closer to home. Only 2 hours drive each way instead of 3+ And, pretty much the same as before. No whips. And..... what was also disappointing, and perhaps a bit frustrating, that apart from the exhibit numbers being way less than the previous show, they were also the same exhibits as the other show. I recognised them the very second I walked in. All but one. But by the same / regular exhibitor. I could tell by the style , pattern and braiding, beautifully made , but only the colours were different. My heart sank!!! Hardly a challenge for this newby Judge eh? I nearly disqualified the lot!!! ( but one) . I had to check with the Stewards regarding Judging the same exhibits twice, but at two different shows. It also lets the Stewards know I'm on the ball. The rules should really be almost 'universal', and the exhibits should not have been shown IMO , but on this occasion the Stewards allowed it. Apart from the fact, there'd be nothing left to exhibit. So I took a deep breath, pretended I was Sergeant Schultz ( " I know no-thing" ) and continued on. O'h well, I just pretty much gave the same placings and comments as before. While I was more than happy to Judge, I did go home feeling quite dissapointed. But I do hope there are more and / or new exhibitors next time, it was also a great learning experience for me. All the best, HS

PS. You can just see my stitching ponies, 3 different sizes, hanging under my bench in the back ground. I made those. HS

G'Day again, I did give the saddle clamp a good clean and oil up, and now you can see the grain of the wood. WOW, what a difference. I just simply started with a light sanding with light/med grade sanding block, and pretty soon many years of dust, grease & garage grime started to come off to reveal a nice grain underneath. And just a wipe over with some turps, and a coat or two of oil and a few off cuts of splits on the jaws. I'm not a woodworker, but is the wood Beech? There a few 'before & after' pics. I'm quite happy with that. Thanks HS

On a coffee mug: " Never try to teach a pig to sing, it wastes your time and annoys the pig" @JFDavis58. I could confuse the matter ever more by telling him to identify a male & female Cane Toad HS

G'day Pete, Yep its the biggie, the Royal. All judging is done a few weeks prior across all catagories. Craft, cakes & bikkies beer,wine and so on. For more info, I would get in touch with RAS ( Royal Ag Society). I hope you do enter some exhibits in the future, especially whips. I would really like see entry numbers increase. I was going to send you a private message, but if you enter an exhibit in the future, it would be best if I didn't, from a Judges point of view. Hope that makes sense?. Rules are rules In the meantime, You could also try entering your leather work, and those of your students in some of the smaller country shows, unless you've already done so. But chances are they may not have a specific 'leatherwork / leathercraft Judge, the smaller shows may have a 'General Judge' that Judges everything, knitting, handicrafts, painting , leather work etc. Its nice to hear from a fellow West Aussie. Keep up the leatherwork and your tutoring. HS

G'Day , Thanks peeps There was a lot of other things I love to have a bought, but like I said, the prices were just going crazy. People were buying on impulse & without thinking. I'll give the clamp a clean up and an oil up and some TLC, put some pieces of leather on the jaws ready to use. The shoe stretcher, although quite old, is still useable. But the leather soles & heels, were mainly collectables. Although saying that, its a bit of a pipe dream, I do fancy myself being a cobbler....one day Thanks HS

G'day, My big day was on Friday Sept. 19th. Once again, the entries were very good. I think the number of entries was down slightly. And again, no whips, which was disappointing. I practiced my cracking for 2-3 weeks prior. I've really got the hang of it now . I was a bit more generous this time around. Last year , there were a few entries that I couldn't put a place on. This year , there were a couple of entries that I nearly didn't put a place on as I didn't think they were good enough. I still feel the same now. But, I had a change of heart, I decided to give them a 3rd place , or 'Highly Commended', mainly to give the exhibitor encouragement, which is preferable to discouragement, as I'd really like them to enter again next year, and to hopefully maintain their interest in leather craft. I nearly had to disqualify an entry as the exhibitor didn't read the conditions of entry properly, geez I felt rotten , but after a chat with the steward & Chief steward, they decided to be kind, but I made a note in the Judges comments....phew! It seems that leather craft is more prevalent in the eastern states than here in the west. But anyway, apart from the long drive to the show grounds, its was a great day. HS

G'Day, Recently I attended a massive auction in the Central Wheatbelt , Western Australia. It was a deceased estate, with a lifetime of collectables on offer. Old tools , old cars & parts etc., kitchenalia & old appliances.... too numerous to list. And the prices people were paying were way OTT , way above their real value and just plain silly, they just didn't know when to stop. But, I was able to get myself an old saddlers clamp. ( or , saddlers clam) It's 47" high, 3 1/2" wide at the top down to 1 3/4" at the bottom. Theres no names or brands. Not sure of what type of wood. But its in very good useable condition, which is the reason I wanted it. With that were a couple of hames, rusty, mismatched, one good, one not so good. I paid $100 (Australian) . Not sure if thats a good price(?) mainly for the clamp, but thats as high I was prepared to go anyway. The other item/s I was able to get, was a shoe stretcher. I think it was originally from the 'Magic Polish Co. in Leicester UK . The patent number is 3155 ,3133 or 31 88? Its a bit hard to see.Although theres a lot of surface rust, its in good working condition. With that, was also a box full of old leather soles & heels. ( a bit off topic, but the box is from the 'Kraft-Walker' Cheese factory) I also paid $100 Aust. I also wanted a collection of old shoe lasts, many of which I could use as anvils, but they went way too high. There was also a cobblers leather shaping machine, a bit like a mangle, two rollers, , but I didn't really have a use for that, nor do I have the space in my workshop. But that went way above $500+ Anyway, have a look at the pics, and tell me what you think. Thanks All the best HS

@Monica Jacobson. G'day, The front part of the bag in the pic, is a 'take two'. My first attempt DID go out of line,( even after I made a centre line) I tried to "re-aline" the tri-weave on my first attempt , but I just made a mess of it. DOH !!! On some occasions, it can sort of be rectified if you start to go a bit off course and not be too noticable , but not this time. The piece I made the boo boo on , will get used, and the mistake will be very creatively covered up. Too much leather to waste. Thanks to everyone for the kind words & encouragement. All the best, HS

G'Day, It was our local country show yesterday, Saturday 23rd, and as always, I enter some of my wares in the 'Handicrafts' section in the exhibition shed. I'm the only leather exhibitor. ( I'm the only leather worker in my town and the next). I normally only enter 2 exhibits, I entered 3 this year. This year, I entered a carved Ladies fashion belt, with a Rose design on a black background, , and machine stitched with white thread. The second entry, is a handbag, modified to the clients requirements,a tri-weave tooled design with Oak leaves & acorns with simple lacing, and a gilt clasp. The third entry , was a re-creation of a custom cartridge belt that I made earlier this year. The owner was kind enough to let me borrow it and enter it in the show. To my surprise, the cartridge belt came 1st, and with a blue 'Most Outstanding Exhibit' ribbon. draped over it. The handbag came 2nd, and the Rose belt came 3rd (it. actually called "Highly Commended", same diff) . My only...,'gripe' , was later next day with a comment from one of the stewards, in regards to the cartridge belt. "O'h what such lovely machine stitching" "It was all handstitched !!!!" " It was also clearly stated in bold lettering on the entry form!!" They only need to look at the back to see where I've gone a bit off course a few times with my awl, .....and the odd blood stain. ( 'Humanity stitches' I call them) I was a tad insulted. geez...some (uneducated) people eh ??... Anyway, apart from that I came away a very happy man, and the owners of the bag & the cartridge belt are VERY pleased. All the best ,HS

G'day fellow creatives, , Anyone remember that custom cartridge belt I made?? Well well well, at my local country show , that was only just yesterday (23-8) , that belt won me a 1st and a blue ribbon !! "Most Outstanding Exhibit" Woo Hoo !! And indeed, the owner is VERY pleased. He probably won't want to use it now . Perhaps I should have charged him double eh?........now. All the best, HS

G'day Tallbald, Over ten years ago,I started off as a beginner, not knowing a single thing about leather. But thanks has to go to the only library book on leather' Leatherwork For Australians, by John Vader & Michael Redwood, ( in my small country town in the Central Wheatbelt in Western Australia ) , then the yellow pages, later the internet, and indeed, this website. This forum is very community minded & very helpful for a beginner or the advanced, and theres no such thing as a 'silly question' on here. The questions you ask could save you time money ....and headaches. Ten years on , my hobby has now turned into a 7 day per week small business, and I am now also a Judge for the leatherwork section at a major show in WA. I will always turn to this website, for ideas, inspiration, have a chat or if I get stuck on something. All the very best. HS

G'Day I've just found another good use for my KC knife. Scoring the skin on my roast Pork for the crackling. My Mothers carving knives couldn't quite penetrate the tough skin,( they obviously need sharpening professionally) so I used my KC knife. I put new clean blade in first. It was 'super duper' sharp and worked perfect. (My apologies for being off topic) HS

G'Day, This is something I admit that I don't always get right. I have often heard the remark " you don't charge enough" or "you're too cheap" . If I charge too much, I won't sell anything. But, I have been doing this for 10 years now, and I've learnt to 'read' the customer, and I also know the areas that I operate in. But I have learnt to come up with a simple method to ensure that I at least cover my costs, and make a profit. I don't charge for labour. I do multiply materials x 2, or depending on what it is , materials x 3 , mainly on my 'bread & butter' products, like plain belts etc. A plain belt using 4mm D/S ( up to 44") $30 . 44" & over $40. A carved belt, around $60-$70 A plain belt using 5 - 5.5 mm harness, $60-$70 . Tooling/carving extra. Any fancy custom made stuff is ' price on application' . Hope this sort of helps. HS .

G'day, I have just got myself another air brush. Airbrush #1. As I knew very little about airbrushing , and didn't want to spend a lot of $$$, I got myself an airbrush from a hardware shop. It was rubbish !! It didn't do very much , apart from make me swear & curse !! It was a siphon feed, with changable pots, and the flimsy hose perished quickly and no accessories etc. and little instruction. Money wasted. Lesson learnt !!!! Airbrush #2. So,almost a year later, I got myself another one, but MUCH better. Double action ,gravity feed, with assorted needle sizes , various other accessories etc. and the instructions were much better. Its not a known brand, I got it from an auto accessory shop . I also got a good quality braided hose to go with it. I paid around $70 ( Aust.) in total. I hooked it up to a household / handyman compressor, with regs,and a moisture trap. I set the pressure, and after playing around with it, it wasn't long before I finally got the result I wanted....yey !! A 'faded' or 'graduated' effect. (see pics) It works well, and I'm happy with it. The bag was just something I knocked up quickly to experiment. I use the other spray gun for the sealer. To apply sealer by hand could risk smudging the dye....and making a mess. Another door has opened All the best. HS

G'day, I'm not sure where to put this, but I have just heard in the news that one of my favourite western actors Eli Wallach has sadly passed away at 98. Ever since I started working with leather, I have spent a lot of time looking at western movies, closely looking at the holsters & gun belts , the saddles, harnesses and so on. And in particular' The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' ( that I watched just yesterday ) , and indeed many other westerns, and including the Clint Eastwood westerns. A sad day indeed. RIP 'Tuco' HS.

G'Day, I guess every leather worker has their own personal preference of tools , but the knife that I prefer is a Kingchrome folding knife. (see pic) God gave me small hands, so this knife suits me just fine. I can get into all the 'nooks & crannies' of cutting a pattern. Its sturdy & can take a lot of pressure cutting heavy leathers The blades are safely & easily changed, and, I have also noticed that the KC brand of blades seem to last longer than some others. I do sometimes use a stone to extend their life. I have tried using a round knife, but I just found it a bit too big. HS

G'day, I know this is just a silly little thing, but every time I use the 'Ecoflo Super Shene ' it smells exactly like a bottle of 30+ sunscreen that I have in my cupboard. I wonder why that is? Just don't get the two mixed up I guess? At least your leatherwork won't get sunburnt All the best, HS

G'day , I have an old Pfaff 60, and although it was originally a domestic machine, I have sewn up to 2.5 mm veg tan ( albeit slowly) . I use a Guterman upholstery thread, that goes through the machine quite nicely, with a leather point needle. I mainly use it for wallets, thin leathers and anything requiring a soft leather, or upholstery type leather etc. Not sure if I'd put my faith in one of those plastic machines though . HS