Riem

Looks like a very comfortable bag to shoulder! And very durable leather. Even though I'm from the land of the kudu, I've never worked with kudu. I've got a full, tanned, hair on gemsbok hide waiting for me that I've not yet decided what to do with. Maybe something like this, but it will be a challenge to tackle it as a hair on build.

With that stack of wallet blanks, it looks like you've found one essential component of attaining proficiency - doing a bunch of similar things in short succession helps one develop the routine and muscle memory before tackling more advanced projects. Well done on the finished stuff - looking good so far!

Carefully what you write in there - somebody's going to swipe it! Very practical. Carving looks great.

Incredible! What perfection - I've been staring at this for the past five minutes, transfixed by those hypnotic eyes. It looks at peace with itself, calmly at rest yet with a potency and magnetism that oozes from it. I'm sure your wife will be pleased and proud to have such a perfect guardian of her belongings.

Looks very good for a first one. Machine or hand stitched, if I may ask?

Mighty fine stitching, great carving, excellent burnishing on the visible edges and nice colouring. What's not to like? Great job that!

I'm Johnny-ccome-late on this post. Like your stitching - very consistent and neatly laid. About the hammering - although some people swear by their hammers, I prefer using a wallpaper edge roller to flatten stitches. That said, it's a case of each to his own.

Absolutely eye-catching work. Beautiful, functional - lovely!

I really, really like this discussion. The self-critical look at the community is great, refreshing and self-renewing. Good stuff. What has been implied but not overtly said is that the type of person who joins the group and starts posting has also changed. When I joined - think roughly two years ago - I took time, a couple of months in fact, to read a ton of the older posts. Particularly the "How do I do that" and "Leatherwork conversation" forums contain an absolute treasure trove of information for the novice with the patience and inclination to read and ponder. And the depth of contribution in the older threads is stunning. I got the impression (I still have it) of people who wanted to help while at the same time conveying wider, more contextual knowledge. in the more recent posts I get the impression that the questions are far narrower - and without trying to sound like a know-it-all - and lacking in depth than those I read in the earlier posts. So isn't part of the issue that the way we nowadays approach asking questions has been changed? Look at how many newcomers state in their profiles that Google led them here - they are in the first place already far more informed (sometimes wrongly informed) when they arrive here, and are joining to confirm a preconceived idea or to help shape it. I've seen threads where the questions from someone who says they're a novice were so well defined that it's clear that LW.net was clearly not their first point of call. So I think the forum is also faced with a different type of new joiner, who asks questions differently. Again, I'm a novice. I have not been part of the community for long. I have seen some replies where I thought "that can't be right" or "no way Jose". And I've seen quite a lot of threads where a question have gone unanswered - more so lately than in earlier threads. Still, I don't have the overwhelming impression that the forum is in drastic decline. More likely it's settling down, growing some ivy on the walls, perhaps needing a shingle to be replaced here and there. If anything, it needs each one of us who benefit from the sharing here to act as guardians of the whole forum. It needs contributors with experience and patience and well developed BS filters and a clear voice who can call out the fallacies without igniting the flames. A huge task and ask. My 0.02c on a rainy night, with with the soft, soothing sound of the heavens bestowing grace upon the earth in my ears. Off to sleep for me.

I completely agree with the sentiment that one should accept proffered advice with caution - "caveat emptor", after all - but isn't the logical conclusion of such a 'rule of thumb' that only the true masters would be able to answer us novices' questions? I see LW.net as a campfire in cyberspace, where ideas are shared, and even the novice has a voice. And as around a campfire, sound judgement is required from the person seeking the advice. It does make for perhaps a slightly more robust discussion, because there is bound to be contrary ideas that will compete, with temperament and discussion styles playing as much of a role as sound advice... Hope I'm making sense?

The case looks fabulous. I really like the sturdy appearance. About the strap: what about a leather (or even a webbing strap, like yours) with a shoulder pad? One could make the bottom part of the pad with a suede lining or something that's not going to become shiny from use. Here's a strap with a pad I've made some time ago. The underside of the pad is lined with suede.

Great craftsmanship - I admire your stitching! You say you're going to study with your leathercraft teacher? Looks like the teacher might pick up a tip or two...

Wow, I like this system! One of my coworkers just dropped a deposit into my account a few minutes ago for a belt - I think I'm going to refund her. My yard needs mowing...

I've recently seen one of these, but for the life of me, I can't recall how it was constructed. I'll see if I can find it again - think it was a marketing handout my daughter brought home, so she may not object too much to dad deconstructing it... ;-) Will post if I find out.

Nothing like a successful first project to spur the creative juices! That sheath is going to last a long time.

I'm so, so... NOT going to show this to my wife... Very nice bag! The stitch length compliments the sturdy build look.

Large or small, this one looks fabulous! But if you do model it, you would have to post a picture of you sitting in that chair, wearing the hat...

Lots of fun detail on the messenger bag! Really nice - I bet you'll get lots of interest when carrying that about. Nice!

New hat, eh? Picture, or it didn't happen... Seriously though, would love to see it. I sense there's a hat of sorts in my future.

Very apt! I would have carved a picture of a round knife with a severed finger and a pool of blood... Of course, the pool would have been dyed with authentic pigments...

Without a question! Exceptional work. Excellent idea, those straps. I've used a similar strap - stitched to the top of the gusset leather - as a fix for an older bag where the leather and original stitching started failing

What an eye catching piece! Very nice way to give old leather a new purpose...

It looks like your first post, so welcome to leatherworker.net. The sheath indeed looks serviceable and it certainly should last a long time. While many people may point to this and that as areas you can target for improvement, the more important question is - what would you target for changing / improving on your next project? Knowing what you want to improve on is the best way to work towards a concrete goal. And as @bikermutt07 normally advises: make a couple of the same item. That way, you'll be able to track the improvement over successive items. BTW, it's 'protocol' on LW to show the blade if you show the sheath...

Wow, wow wow! Fifteen pages of incredible information about the craft and tools. Incredible... I suffer from serious tool envy...

Those knots look very good! I like the way you shaped the hidden end of the strap into a point.