JustinPierce

Those are some great resources too! Now the creative juices are starting to flow, I feel some half baked ideas beginning to form already!

This one is not mine, and not a straight stitch, but it's one I keep running across as I've been searching. It's interesting nonetheless. I have never tracked it back to it's original source, but I find it splashed around Pintrest. It might spark some more ideas though.

Thanks for the links Bill, those are both very interesting. I had seen that thread here about two colors of thread, but I had forgotten about it.

I was fooling around this morning making a sheath of sorts for my X-acto knife. I decided to experiment a bit, the green is .8mm, normal saddle stitch, the 1mm ivory thread is basically just cast over with the green thread, a thread inlay, I guess. Unfortunately I didn't think to take any photos as I was doing it. The start and finish is definitely clunky, but I only have 2" of experience doing this. It seems mildly interesting, but I haven't really thought of an application where I would use it. So, have any of you used a modified saddle stitch, or some other decorative type stitch in your work? Either as an accent, or as a primary stitch? I keep thinking it has potential, I'm just not sure for what?

I would think that liners would be a good use for it.

I used to order a lot of upholstery leather for a company I worked for, if it arrived folded I would reject it and send it back. We just couldn't get the fold lines completely out, to my satisfaction anyway. They were still visible even after stretching and pulling the leather into place. I know that doesn't help you much, but that's been my experience. Someone else may have a better suggestion for you.

Thanks guys. Hope I didn't derail your thread OneRedBear.

So the Black Antique gel will give that look look in the center? I like that, and have been thinking about experimenting with some Fiebing's Antique Finish.

I don't use a swivel blade fixture. I pinch the blades between my fingers and use my finger tips as a sort of guide against the stone. But yes, I believe the BK blade shank is different than say a Tandy for example, I'm not sure what some of the other custom or cottage industry makers use for a shank diameter. My blade was dull enough to easily see the light reflecting off the apex or the edge. I started on a 600 grit stone, but quickly dropped down to a 220 when I realized it was going to take forever on the 600. I then progressed up to 8000, and stropped it, I made a couple quick cuts on a scrap of leather, and went to bed. I haven't had a chance to use it since then. I think I will be very happy with the knife now, I just mentioned it because not everyone will be willing or able to touch up a new knife. And it could very well be that I got a blade that slipped through the cracks, and all the other ones are much sharper out of the box. I'm not complaining, or unhappy, at this point I would say that I would order one again. Like I said, I haven't had a chance to really use it long term, but from sharpening it I can tell that the steel is good enough to last awhile between stropping sessions. I have hand sharpened a lot of other knives and tools, so in comparison I'm confident that the blade steel is decent enough.

I just received a BK knife a couple days ago. It's nice and feels good, but I was surprised at how dull it was when I received it. I sharpened and honed it. But I haven't used it enough to comment on how the blade holds up.

I'm not a yooper, but close. I'm south of the border,...... northern Wisconsin. Check out Springfield Leather. I have never made belts, but everyone at Springfield Leather has been super nice and helpful, and they have a huge selection. Everything from economical leather to premium stuff.

Looks great to me, way better than the masks that Gransfors Bruk supplies with their expensive tools.