OnePivot

Ugh, this just reminds me how cobbled together my crappy setup is! Looks amazing! The background looks seamless.

Im in automotive and have a ton of tools. Literally everything I need. Years ago I sold off almost all my snapon stuff and used the money to buy qualify "off" brand. Its been 10 years since, and no regrets. Actually, a lot of benefit since I now have more tools. People really like the prestige of the brand name, without regard to how the item actually functions. I dont care about things like that. When it comes to actual function, the high end tools damn near never work better, they're just more expensive. Asian tools used to basically always use cheap pot metal. These days, the stuff coming out of china is nice fully hardened high carbon steel, or high grade stainless. Lots of S2 tool steel in use too. I got a really excellent head knife for $20 bucks a few months ago, the blade is excellent.

I got an ebay self healing mat, which feels and cuts identical to the dramatically more expensive fiskar mat at the hobby store. It think it was 15 bucks for the 24x36. I wish I got one years ago! Its nice to cut on, but more importantly it has rulers on both axis.

Maybe its just me. I intentionally don't use the all topics bar, I'm not too interested in all topics, honestly. Less ultra specialization seems to bring more participation in general, but it sounds like my opinion isn't shared. Carry on!

You dont have to neutralize vinegaroon. You can just rinse it significantly and let it dry. I like vinegaroon because it absolutely unconditionally will not rub off, ever.

Linen is definitely more historically accurate. But for overall quality, I think modern synthetics truly are better, in every way. They dont rot or fade, they're waterproof, and extremely strong. They're also cheaper and easier to find these days. They dont unravel either!

Ive always lined stuff with more veg tan, and that makes finishing the edges pretty easy. Glue, burnish, done! But what do you do about edges when using suede for a liner? My initial thought was to burnish the veg tan edge and just leave the suede as-is, but is there a more attractive option? Thanks in advance!

I just received my bottle of bag kote, and it sounds like its the finish im looking for. I have some leather projects I've finished, and have previously coated with my homebrew beeswax-olive oil blend. Are those pieces done and can no longer be coated with bag kote? My understanding is that the bag kote is not an acrylic or plastic type finish, but Im not finding any suggestions to or not to apply over wax! Im working with veg tanned leather. I have some chrome tanned ill use in the future as well, but this is mostly about bag kote'ing the veg tan. Thank you!

Lets see if that one works. I really like that style, but they're not strong and deform easily. Ill go for the buckle guy stuff, seems like you guys have had good luck with them.

I'm on some other forums for other hobbies, but internet wide even the biggest and strongest forums are noticing a huge dropoff in traffic in recent years. I love the forum format for clubs and information sharing, so this trend feels like a loss to me and some other people. Those trying to keep it going seem to be trimming down their forums, and it often seems to work. There is a LOT of subforums here. Like a crazy amount, with some stuff so niche that it seems to spread the place thin more than add value. I mean "Show off!", "member gallery" and "critique my work" are all basically the same thing, right? Many other subforums can be condensed. It can take a LOT of time to read through everything, so I just don't. I know im missing conversations that either I could learn from, or contribute to, but theres just so, so, so much to sort through. Many people post in the wrong place, so searching isnt intuitive. While some things, like saddlery and holster making are fairly specific, they still share techniques and tricks that can be widely applied across any leather project. I do a lot of wallets and occasional bags, but I learned edging and stitching from holster making first. I think the newer member whos into making wallets isnt going to find the resources he or she needs in our wallet subforum. Its too niche in focus, but the skills involved are pretty broad! Just an idea. It easily could increase participation from the existing traffic, which may over time drive in more traffic.

Im having trouble finding what I'm looking for. I need clasps with a low profile, sort of like this: But... not a piece of junk. Ive bought a bunch and they're all cast/powdered metal. They deform easily and break. I really don't need them to swivel either. Snap hooks like whats found on leashes are plenty strong, but I want something that looks nicer, for a higher end look for bags. Anyone have favorites or good sources? I feel like my stuff is pretty high quality, I want my hardware to match!

I'd imagine the quality is less than stellar at 85 cents a piece. Have you gotten a sample piece or anything? A lot of the cheap Chinese hardware is strictly decorative.

I don't think I suggested what strap should cost... Or how much i need, but moving on! Best way to compare items is with comparable units. Strap isn't sold by the square foot, but if you calculate it out, its a monster premium. I wasn't sure if I was a bad shopper or if that's strap price in general, so I asked. Better to ask than guess I think. I found what I need for $9/sq ft. There's no source for affordable strap. I need lots of strap, and it looks like double shoulders get me there, at about 10 square feet.

Pre cut strap is great because I get so little waste and less cuts... But at $20 per sq ft premium Its ridiculous! I sent a few messages back and forth with weaver, I'm going to end up buying sides. No one sells affordable strap. Even considering waste, its way cheaper to cut my own strap.

Im looking for 5/6 or 7/8 strap, at least 2 inches wide, in veg tan. I've been getting 3 inch 5/6oz strap off ebay, but my price is about $35 shipped per square foot. Seems high! Any suggestions for a better supplier?

I'm working with 5/6 oz, and 9 oz. At most I'm attaching 18oz total, but more commonly its just 12oz. Cosmetic appearance is important, but so is strength. Which rivet and burr size do I need? 9? 14?

I'll give it another shot. I was letting it dry for 20 seconds.

Be careful with special superglues! The additives can be toxic, or just plain burn like hell. The gel superglue is especially bad. The best one for cuts is the cheapest most basic dollar store superglue. There's a medical grade one too, but it's basically the same stuff.

I use bulk scrap pieces for practice and trying new things. Its great for making work shop tool pouches too. Maybe not the best, but I used a strip of cheap scrap to make a strop, which does make razor sharp edges. All in all, its better to screw up a bulk by the pound split than to experiment on nice full grain!

Besides the coloring, how is the quality of the leather? My understanding is that aniline is a process reserved for better leather, and its the quality of leather that makes it desirable, not so much the coloring. I could be mistaken, but I think semi aniline leather is fully dyed and more uniform. It might be what you're after?

Im curious how your trag'd edges compare to regular watered edges, or saddle soaped edges. What is the advantage you're seeing? Is it an edge longevity thing? I have some nice edges, but my pieces are days to weeks old at best, Im not sure how any of this will hold up.

Im no knifemaker, or even an expert by any means... but Im closing in on my mechanical engineering degree, and Ive spent a lot of time in the metal lab hardening, stretching/stress testing a bunch of different alloys. We'd do it under pretty controlled conditions with lab grade equipment. Basically, good steel is junk if its not treated properly. I cant think of a great way to really test a piece of steel without the lab and pretty destructive testing. Gotta know what to look for, and trust your source. Different alloys respond very differently, but thats more up to the guy making and treating the steels to do properly. In short, I think the alloy of the steel itself isnt that important. 1080 can be great steel, or it can be brittle and pretty useless. In my opinion, what makes a great knife would be a bit on the poor side for a leather working tool. I dont mind a quick strop while working. I dont expect to keep an edge for even 30 minutes, but I do want that edge back in a few swipes on my strop! A knife that goes dull after a few cuts would be pretty useless, but that might be a quality of an excellent leather tool. I dont want to pause from my leather projects to really buff the living hell out of a super hard steel tool.

I use a broad flat faced vice for stitching. Its drastically more ergonomic. It was $10 at harbor freight and wood blocks can easily be attached. Edit: more ergonomic than using nothing. I'm sure a real horse is better, but I had the vice already. Its nice to have something. The initial investment is pretty large, so it can be helpful to repurpose what you can!

My edges are far from perfect (some of you guys post some beautiful work!), but they're looking pretty good. I couldn't actually get a better or different result with the gum trag. The edge still looks good, the leather just doesn't feel nice against skin. Maybe I'm just being sloppy, but a tiny dab seems to get somewhere I don't want it and ruins a dye job.