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Brad, I hope he was a REALLY good friend because he stold it from you! Bobby

I might be wrong Tim....I use Chucks guide and love it, but it wouldn't work with Pauls blade which is flat shanked, so I got a Tandy and modified it per Pauls instructions and now I'm back in business. Bob

Dan, I am using a 797AB that I bought to sew chaps and organizer linings, etc. on. I sew belts on it with 92 or 138 thread and I feel that is the limit the machine should be used for. Some headstalls are too thick where the leather is doubled and lapped to sew on that machine. Like Steve said, 14 -16 oz max. It will sew heavier thread too, but that's not what it is designed for. Bob

Dustin, I don't think Chuck Smiths sharpening jig will help you because Barry's blades are flat shanked and not round shanked. (If that is incorrect will someone please jump in and update me?) Anyway, if you will go to Leather Wranglers site (listed on LW Main Page), I believe Paul has a tutorial on how to sharpen his blades which are flat shank also. He describes how to modify a Tandy sharpening jig (inexpensive) to accomodate flat shank blades. Hope this helps... Bob

I wouldn't make a guitar strap for any less than I'd make a belt. If there is no tooling that certainly helps keep costs down but.............................I don't think I'll make any guitar straps..... Bob

Good job on the tutorial Jim! Bob

Good looking stuff Tim! Sorry to hear you lost the photos. Bob

Troy, I would have to agree with Rick. I haven't used Infintey Stamps, but they have been around for a long time. You would have to assume that the longevity of the company must mean something positive. They are the only other steel stamp maker that I am aware of but I'm sure there are others. I have seen steel stamps that did not have the round knurled handles and I don't like them as well. Bob

Butchkitty, I'm really glad you found my article helpful! I use parafin which comes in a brick. I think I bought it at the grocery store. The parafin is good over the bees was and adds a little polish. Bees wax doesn't polish that well. I have been experimenting with using bees wax after I dye the edges, and then using parafin on top of that, just like you're talking about, but to be honest I haven't seen where the addition of bees wax has added anything. It certainly can't hurt, that's for sure! I don't know anything about seal oil soap...what can you tell me about it? Bob

Frank, A grooving tool is not essential, but it makes a huge difference in the way your stitching will look. If you're going to buy one, I would recommend the Versa Groover by Bob Douglas. It can be used freehand on with a guide to cut a line along a border. Pricey, but well worth the money! Bob

Darc, Sounds like we got the good ones. I have been supporting Harper's because of the great job they did....but it upsets me that I have been recommending someone who treated Ken the way they did. Bob

This is an interesting subject. It's been discussed here before and I still can't seem to find a place to land. I have mixed emotions about what is right, wrong, practical or impractical. These are just a few random thoughts which will probably result in no conclusions. I could be wrong about this, but I believe that the more accomplished toolers or pros have no interest in copying someone else's patterns. They may discover new elements in anothers work which they decide to incorporate into their own, but I think for the most part they would prefer to create their own designs. So, if the more accomplished toolers aren't copying.....who is, and does it matter? I guess the answer would be those who are just starting out and are trying to learn and maybe those who have graduated from the novice level to what I will call the amatuer level for lack of a better term. Maybe I should say intermediate level. Personally I encourage novice toolers to copy. I think it is one of the best ways to learn the art and develop a unique style. It is essential to be able to compare your work to that of a more advanced tooler in order to make the appropriate changes and improvements. So, should I be concerned about sharing a pattern with a novice tooler? Is he going to compromise me by tooling a pattern that I spent many hours developing? At the risk of sounding pompous or arogant, I think the answer is no. In my experience most novices are unable to reproduce a pattern and make it look much like the original. In addition, they don't have a market to sell to much outside their own support group of family and friends. What about the amatuer? Does an accomplished tooler run any risk by sharing a pattern with an amatuer? I think the answer is yes. While an amatuer does not have the ablity to reproduce the work as it was originally designed, he can come close enough to make it desirable for sale at some level. So does this mean I will lose potential sales because I shared a pattern or because a pattern was copied? Maybe. However it may be likely that individual purchasing amatuer level work might not be willing to pay for professional work. Okay, so where is the harm? The amatuer benefits by reproducing something that I created and sold it to someone who can't afford me, right? In my opinion, the problem is that I have developed a pattern and sold it to an individual who was willing to pay me a lot of money for original work. Lets say it's a belt. My customer, while sporting his new, expensive, original design belt runs into someone wearing a copy that sold for a lot less money. Will he be upset? Should he be? I mean, part of what I am selling is my original design, after all. And unfortunately, the reality of the matter is, that my customer's untrained eye is probably incapable of distinguishing many of the differences between my work and the copy....he's relying on my name for that. I think this is where the accomplished tooler or pro may be at risk in sharing patterns. And what should be done about those who copy for financial gain? Copyrights may help determine where the design originated but pursuing infringements legally is probably impractical. This is where I have difficulty deciding what is right or wrong. And what are the practical solutions? I don't know the answers. I do know that I want to say thanks to those with the integrity to ask for permission...you have my respect and support! Bob

Nice job on the belt.....looks good! Bob

Ken, You mentioned that the company used to be Harpers.....did Tim sell the company? Bob

Thanks Crystal, I found that very informative. Bob

Eric, Slicking does stretch the leather and that is part of the purpose. I slick when the leather is wet, before it goes into the sack. I then slick again when it is cased and I am ready to glue it to the backerboard...in my case 1/4" acrylic. It stretches again when I slick the second time. By pre-stretching, the leather stretches less during tooling. You're probably wondering what about the piece stretching out of shape, right? Well I haven't cut it to shape yet. It is at this point that I cut the piece to the it's final shape. Up to this point it is just roughed out because I know I am going to stretch it a little before I glue it down. On some small pieces, especially when they are scalloped, I will glue the roughed out piece down to the acrylic and then use my swivel knife to cut the final shape into the leather so that I have a guide to use my dividers on to establish my borders. When I'm finished tooling, I will remove the piece from the acrylic and then finish cutting to shape thru my swivel knife cuts. When I'm slicking, I push and pull and go in all directions, but generally I push out to the edges. Besides taking some of the stretch out I am also compacting the surface of the leather. I would say I use firm pressure. Too much pressure will damage the leather and if you stretch too much, the leather will shrink back some when removed from the backer board. I tool mostly on leather ranging from 5 ozs to 9 ozs, but I slick everything from skirting leather to 2 oz lining (if I'm going to tool it). Hope this helps.... Bob

Denise, I really like that approach....I think it makes good sense! Bob

I really like the glass slicker that Barry makes. I have a beautiful wood slicker (cocobolo or something like that) that I spent a lot of money on but it cracked here in our dry climate. Also, the glass is harder to nick or scratch which leaves marks on the leather. Bob

Corey, With the tooling patterns I am mostly doing now, they cannot be completed in a single tooling session. So I divide the leather into sections, leaving what I am currently working on exposed while the rest of the leather is covered with plastic wrap, preserving the initial casing. When I finish one area, I exposed the next "stage"....tool it....then expose the next "stage" and so on until I have completed the tooling. I do re-wet the leather when necessary, but I try to divide the tooling into stages where I don't have to. Bob

I'm not sure what your early instructor was cautioning you about....maybe something that I haven't ever run into. But I can tell you that I've been casing with plastic bags for many years and have encountered no staining problems. When I first started working for Bill Porters Saddle Shop, they had a wooden box lined with galvinized steel sheeting. We put our wet leather in the box and let it set overnight. The humidity in the box cased the leather nicely. Another shop I was at used a large ice chest. There is nothing wrong with casing with water only....but don't be afraid to try some of the casing solutions that have been in use for years....they may help with some of the difficult leather. I've been putting a few drops of Joy dish soap in my water for a long time now. I just recently tried the casing solution that Bruce Johnson shared with us here on LW and I like that too. I for sure agree with you that there is no substitute for quality leather...inexpensive leather will most certainly present problems not found with the major tanneries and casing may not help at all with that leather. I have used Tandy leather every now and then and have not had any real problems.....I just happen to be a HO fan and like how it tools. I've never used W & C because it always felt very soft to me, but I know that it is premium stuff. I NEVER buy sale leather from unknown sources and sometimes you end up with a side of leather that is just sticky to cut...even from the big boys! Bob Bob

I think beveling probably is a nuisance..... I can tell you that the difference in the look is significant...I'm just not the right person to tell you how. Beveled lace used to be available on the spool.....it appears to me that everybody is now beveling their own. Jim Downey sells a little beveler made just for lace which I'm going to buy because I'm not satisfied with the results I'm getting with my Lace Master. If you look at Peter Main's laced projects or Keith Siedel's, you will be able to see the difference. Like everything else, tools make the difference. Saddle makers used to make their own little jigs on the sides of their bench, pulling the lace through a slot that they held a knife against to create the bevel. Maybe someone with some experience can jump in here and elaborate.... Boib

Josh, I don't know if this is an acceptable alternative or not, but I would line the strap with 2 oz veg tanned and wrap the edges over the top, sew and trim. Make the turned edges long...sew them close to the edge with maybe #69 thread, then take an edger and trim the excess back to the stitch line. Then use a modeler to burnish the exposed edge. Now dye the turned binding to match the chrome tanned and take the dye around back to the stitch line. Very professional looking and probably a lot more time than you had planned on......:0) Bob

Allen, I think everything looks great! I have a couple of thoughts.....I think the holes for your lacing are punched a little too far from the edge and I think if you beveled your lace it would lay down a lot smoother. Just a couple of thoughts...... Bob

Ian, They all look great! Finishes are beautiful and everything is neat and clean and well stitched. I really like the holsters sporting the exotic leather overlays. Bob

Great job as always, David! I like the colors you achieved. Bob