Monticore

mainethread also has some waxed cord not sure which of the 2 is better. if somebody tha has used both comment on eithers quality . or any other suppliers cory

sorry i meant overstitch wheel for spacing and awl for making holes. vs the thonging chisels cory

i tried another strap with overstich awl same distance from the edge but a different sections of hide and i think it might be the area of leather i was using , no crinkling in this piece , it als felt less stretchy than my other strap. learn new stuff everyday . cory

i tried my ozbourne awl once again and wtih a few peices of of leather as stoppers to control my depth the holes actually were not bad. so i may try that for my next strap, i hope it fixes the wrinkle problem. cory

i am using 0.35 3 ply waxed cord from mainethread and the strap is 22mm not sure how much in inches. i was also using the 1/16th thonging chisels. would using the 3/32 sized reduce or increase the problem? i should try using an awl but i would need to get a better one and not sure i want to pay close to 100$ for one once i factor exchange/shipping/duties/taxes to get one to canada. cory

here are some pics of my test strap , might be hard to tell but there is a bit of a wavyness to the edge. after the pics i also noticed i probably need to dye my groove before stitching cory

it is 5-5.5 oz oil tanned , folded over to make a 5mm strap, it might be from the belly area , i will try another area for my next work. cory

i did use a groover before stitching but i did not cut very deep. i will try a little deeper next time see if it helps . i am going to try a awl next strap but my tandy awl tends to make too big a hole for my stitch . cory

i recently got some leather and i find not matter how light i do my saddle stich i get crinkling/crimping of the edges. which then gives my a undulating edge. i manage to sand it down a bit but i can still feel it when i run my fingers on the edge. i am using a stitching pony. with thonging chisels to punch my holes . would i guess less crinkling with overstitch wheel/awl combo? any tips much appreciated. cory

i just need a better awl i guess using the tandy one( . cory

i was thinking of using a speedsticher/stiching awl without thread to punch my holes and then hand stitch . would that work or do you need the angled/diamond shape to avoid tearing etc.. also when using an awl do you use the groover or mark the backside to keep your lines straight? i am still finding better results using thinging chisel(the smallest size) are giving me the best results for my watch straps. cory

will do thanks. cory

cool bree do they have a smoth or pebbled finish? cory

thanks arts unfortunately i live about 4 hours drive from the nearest Tandy so it would cost me 80$ in gas just to go visit ,it would cheaper for me to buy it online and return it if i don't like it. i am fairly new to leather so i did not want to start ordering hides from all over . i have been living of e bay scrap while i get better but i think it was time to get some decent stuff. i have been contacting online suppliers to see if they offer samples . p.s. can you claify who wickett and craig are? thanks again cory

hi i am still trying to find some decent leather for making leather bands. does anybody have experience with tandy's heavy chap sides (9107-01) the website doesn't descride the temper of these. and are tandy's weight's pretty accurate i am looking for something about 2.5mm thick thanks

some buckle come with springbar.screws that can be mounted after the strap is done and not sewn in. which makes it easier to work with the strap . panatime.com has some decntly priced buckles.

try here ,http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=tree&goto=2532389&rid=2003 but the buckle part is the same way with two folds and a skived joint underneath . depending on leather thickness and watch/springbar distance you may need to skive/thin out the area at the lugs to get it to fit. i am still a rookie so the pros might some more info.

thanks

i have some leather i probly won't be using up very fast is jsut keeping them ina cool/dry dark place enough or do i need to do anything special to keep them in good shape. and what long lets 1 eyar ins torage would do to a hide thanks cory

if anybody is interested is selling their 5oz leather scraps, i am looking at making watch straps so looking for something medium stiffness, with at least 1 12 inch edge. more of a classic style no tooling etc.. here are some examples of the look i am going for so if you have anything i might be interested let me know. coryp@vianet.ca

i believe it is full grain , at the moment i am jsut using scrap so i migh just chance it. thanks for the info.

i have been using a saddle stitch on most of my watch bands but i was wondering if any of you had an idea of different types of stitching i could use. i have heard the term 'small stitch' but not sure what that is and here is a poor attempt and baseball/football type stitch any suggestions are welcome. an i am still new at leather so i still need to work on my finishing .

i have some decent leather but it would probly look better with a rustic vintage look , i am not sure how it was treated before. it full grain cow i think . cory

does this method work on any leather i have some top grain cow i would like to woften not sure what tanning process was used on it. and where do i find lexol?

anybody have a site that has decent price branding iron kits with lettres or custom made irons that have lettering that fits on stuff the width of a watch strap 20-26mm wide. cory