Big Papa Leather

I went as well. King's X and I roamed the place for 2 days! Most of the vendors were awesome and helpful. I too bought a machine from Cobra Steve. I got it home and am itching to get to stitchin! Overall I had a great time and will be back next year. Allen

Good job Rusty... I like it. Allen

Hey Bro Rubo, No disrespect intended. The items and articles including patent searches are new... in the last 3 years so yes, so the processes I am referring to in the leather world (thousands of years) still an infant. The information is readily available on the internet with a few search terms. I am glad you have a process that works for you. Good luck with it. Be advised if you come to a place like Leatherworker.net and post a process like you did, you will have curious people ask questions. Proprietary or not, as a whole, LW is a sharing community. So don't get your gander up cause someone is curious about the process. We're all friends here... you included. We all try to advance leather working as a trade and as a hobby. I will still have my buddy do the sublimation printing as I said I would if for no other reason to bang my own head up against the wall. Just curiosity mainly. Allen

After doing some research, I found out that there are many processes already out there for transferring a digital image to leather. The sublimation process is possible and being done currently with a few different twists in outcomes. As Rubo said there are some who apply a film to the leather, which is like a decal over the top. One of the most promising one I saw for a home crafter or small business was a process in which using common readily available sublimation inks, a t-shirt heat press and an after treatment to seal the ink (which provides a little protection from scratching and scuffing the art.) According to the write-up, the penetration of the ink is dependant on the leather. A sealed, gloss leather is tougher to protect the image than say a porrus leather. I have a request into a guy that does this type of work and maybe I can see if I can get him to print up a few things to see if it works. Allen PS As far as patenting the process, unless Rubo has come up with a radically different way to do this process, I would seriously think about making sure I am not duplicating someone elses work. I found several different patents and processes that are (although still in thier "infantcy") already doing this very thing. I'd hate to see someone spend tons of money to try and patent a process that is already estabilished.

Johanna, I thought the same thing, then also wondered if involved sublimation printing or a combination of the two? I have wondered if the inks used in sublimation t-shirt printing would lend itself to transfer easily using the "picture this" and 2shews process. Maybe I'll add that to my list of I have to try's and need to do's list. Allen

Can anyone identify this machine in the photo? It appears to be very ornate and decorated with stuff. Sorry the photo is so small but that's what I got to work with. Thanks for the help. Allen

Rick, I sharpen using a graver's jig. I bought mine from ebay. It allows an infinite angle setting and you can sharpen on a stone or from the side of the stone with the jig on your worktable and the blade on the stone. Meaning you can go vertically along the blade and horizontal if you wish. I got mine on eBay for like 10 bucks. It can be used for your awl blades, touching up exacto blades... you name it. I generally mark the existing angle using a sharpie. Then I find that angle and duplicate it. If the blade angle is hosed up, I set the angle and get to work. Allen

If anyone is interested. I have one of these and it is an excellent knife. Action is extremely smooth. Get one! Allen

Thanks Steve.

Wow! I have read for nearly 3 hours the last couple days on who does what where and my machine can kick your dad's machines butt. blah blah blah.... LOL I'm not upset but the back and forth defiantly creates a "who to trust" type situation. I am not a Wal-Mart mentality shopper, but I want the best product for the price. I do not shop name brands simply for the name. Too many times a brand is developed and it goes to poop because they build a following and then start skimping to make a few extra bucks. The older products are better and those customers still tout the name and the new customers just think that they got a deal and live with the new inferior product. I am not looking to create a flame thread or a who's best but I would like some real world advise. I know NOTHING about sewing machines. However I'd like to learn and I do want to purchase a machine. I do know there is not a "do everything" machine out there. But I'd like a machine that can do many different things. Here is the meat of all this... Is there a machine that can sew up to a 6-7 oz tooling leather that can also: sew a couple layers of chrome tan to the 6-7 oz? sew lining pig leathers to 6-7 oz allow the user to sew inlays and overlays in 6-7oz and lower? I would like to do some decrative stitching in 6-7 oz and lower (like in boot tops, but not boot tops) Maybe the occasional handbag made from chap and/or tooling leather and be useable for a novice machine user? Am I asking too much? Any help is appreciated!

You can get it from Springfield leather as well.

That is the only photo I have. It is without a doubt a snap. It appears to be a round outer receiver and a dot/post that fits in the middle of the reciever. I assume it has some sort of spring that hold it in place just as a line snap would. Allen

Anyone? Come on someone knows. Is it a secret?

Is it a Jiffy snap? If not what is it called? Thanks

Those look great in person as well! Hey I forgot to get a copy of a tap off of the skull stuff last week when we were doing the King's X floral 101 class. I still want it! Allen

Hellcat.... I cheated. LOL I read in a post where a leather worker carved, and then block dyed the project. Then he painstakenly went back and brushed the color back in the recessed areas. I'm too lazy for that, so I carved and beveled the koi. Then I added the colors (using Eco-Flo water based dyes) to the areas I wanted them to show through. I washed the entire area that was beveled and about 1/16th of an inch beyond, because I wanted to make sure I got the entire area colored. I then used a t-shirt with cotton balls tightly wrapped to make my block and then lightly block dyed using Fiebings black oil dye in several light coats. Once I was happy with the coloring, I let it dry and put on a coat of Neatlac and laced her up. Easy, sweet effects and it made me look like a genius! LOL Allen

Thanks for the comments! Even the snot rag comment King's X. I have no idea the time nor the proceedure to bevel lace... I used regular ol kangaroo straight off the roll. Beveling it sounds like a whole bunch more work? Allen

Here is a wallet I finished lacing last night. The Koi looks like neon. LOL I used a bandanna I saw in a truckstop gas station with Japanese style writing for the liner. Comments, questions or critiques are welcome! Allen

Nice! Where can I get some Sea Lion? Allen

I am constantly in awe of some of the stuff I see you guys put out. I have attached the front of a wallet I just completed. I have only ever done one other animal and it was an eagle head in a George Hurst instructed class a few months back. So I pretty much had the Stohlman book open and went to work. I used Oil dyes for the first time. Most of what I have done was Eco-Flo water based dyes. Kangaroo lace on it as well. The back is a tri-weave basket panel the same size as the front, but my scanner is for some reason not wanting to depect it cleanly. Let me know what you think… Allen

Not a shill for Springfield, but I do buy stuff from him. I could have bought my Lace from Kevin and got twice as much for the same $$$. The coupon was for 50% full price. I paid $32.00 for 25 yds. I wanted to see what all the hub-bub was about with the kango lace. Next time I'm calling Kevin. Allen

Very nice looking journals. I too like the closure. It is very classy. Allen

The Delrin that Brenda sells is durable, but just like the steel it needs alittle TLC. At $35.00 each you can get two from Brenda, you spend as much as a steel one and can have different sizes. Unless you abuse them, they'll last for a long, long time. Allen

That looks awesome. You have a knack for striking colorings.

Very cool looking bag/purse. Would make a great loot bag for Halloween as well!