ChasCS

"Stick" with the maul and mallet and you will be much better off. ;-) Those tools you shared, might be best for splitting fire wood. Chas

That's not a popular subject for carving. I did a web search and couldn't find much at all, relating to carving an armadillo. About the closest I could come, was finding this lovely buckle. ;-) Chas

That looks like it will protect you well, working around your forge. Very nice. Thanks. Chas

Please post pics of these sticks. So what you want for tapping the leather carving tools, are a nice maul or rawhide mallet. Chas

Seems like for some, posting pics on these threads is a rarity... @480volt, Please share are a pic of your design. Thanks I am a visual person, and like to see what you are describing. Chas

Those are some delightful tools... https://inkphy.com/user/millercustomleatherandtoolco/2290961973?hl=en Chas

The whole idea of using the wax, particularly in saddle stitching, was to lock the individual stitches. So if any stitches got cut, the saddle wouldn't become unraveled, & fall apart. After stitching, a piece of canvas was rubbed briskly upon the stitch line, to melt that wax, into the stitches. Chas

Lucky Bo. Happy dog... ;-) Chas

You could always buy one, copy the dimensions and return it. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=70774&cat=1,43413,45989&ap=1 Chas

Brother from a different mother? Ha Chas

I love it. The knife is awesome too. ;-) & you have done a fine job, on the sheath... Chas

I just think I would feel better, about tapping my leather on my recycled bank stone than a throwaway tombstone. I want my hobby to remain lively and active... Haha Chas

Yes, in the second presentation, we can see the crude rough beveling. In the first example that surrounding beveling is much more refined and quite smooth. More attractive to the eye Chas

Hopefully, these new mallet and maul will serve you well, and you'll be happy if very productive using them. Looking over the Tandy flyer for the recent craftools sale, some of those newer Craftool Pro stamps are quite nice. I saw this pic the other night, and it made me think of your "twelve" threads on mauls, mallets, hammers and slammers... Ha I realized, that "Nothing good lasts forever" also holds true with most of our leather tools. ;-) Chas

Congrats on the pro edge beveler. Tandy have always been good to me. I have no complaints. I only wish they still had a convenient location on the South side of the river... Chas

A Manmade phony marble, of powder mixed with water, poured, hardened. Sometimes poured into molds for vanity & countertops. Chas

You aren't telling, because, perhaps the better half reads this forum? Haha probably their splitter or Tippman Stitcher.... ;-) Really surprised yesterday, to find a $20.00 Gift Card from Tandy in my mail box. That was timely, and appreciated. So I went out there today and picked up an awesome new book, and a Glass Burnisher, that was on clearance for $16.19.. Happy that I finally bought Al Stohlman's How To Carve Leather. I had a copy here that was given to me, but it was too water stained and smelled bad, to appreciate using it. PM me about your new Tandy prize, you piqued my interest... ;-) Chas

I might have to try a small batch and see how I like it. Chas

I love learning how products we already use, can be turned up a notch. That's an interesting mix you have going. Mink oil has a few interesting properties. One being it doesn't go rancid like many food grade oil 's eventually will. Does your blend darken a light colored leather very much? Is it applied by hand or cloth? Chas

It was only introduced to me by the local Tandy store manager... Haven't actually purchased any of it. Thanks for the heads up. I still have both of my wonderful Lexol products and am very happy with its quality. ;-) All Natural Montana Pitch-Blend? "Water Repellent Leather Dressing" A unique blend of pine pitch, mink oil and beeswax created by a Montana wilderness guide to provide maximum protection. For best results: Apply liberally with hand or soft cloth. Melt in with hairdryer. Repeat with second coat. Re-apply as necessary. Not for use on sued or fine leather. May cause darkening. I never thought I would ever see that product name again. Is it readily available today? I already have a full 4 OZ. tub of that great product as well. Never finished my first one yet... But that stuff was probably purchased 25 years ago, to water proof hunting boots, or my outdoor leather archery gear. How are you using it to renorish replentish your leather? A little goes a long way... There's something about mink oil, that has always appealed to me. Same goes for Pine Pitch. And bees knees... Is anything produced by those busy little drones. I just bought my fifth 15 kg pail of Bee Maid Canada #1 unpasteurized creamed honey... Love that delicious taste. ;-) Chas

I understand those sentiments, being an amateur wood worker myself, I know how you are thinking... But I must say, good job. You are not only making custom handles, but enjoying the hobby to the fullest. Looking forward to seeing some of your other personalized projects. Thanks. ;-) Chas

Tandy has done some marvelous price reductions with their seasonal sales recently. As much as some here don't prefer Tandy products, I would suggest getting yourself on their mailing list, to be alerted about any great savings... ;-) Chas

Perhaps I wrote too soon, about the original handle, looking comfortable.? Eh, nice job you are doing on your custom handles. Thanks for sharing. Good design too. ;-) Chas

It's nice to hear they are already well sharpened, right from the distributor, or manufacturer. That suggestion, sounds about right, for keeping them ultra sharp. Thanks for the info, your time, and this post. Chas

What are you doing with all those basket weave samples? Are they dining table place mats? Those combined, must have taken you many hours to complete, so I wonder about their ultimate use. Ah, perhaps you are practicing for a super western saddle build. Here's a short video that explains a few things about finishing your basket weave stamping. Chas