Danne

It have been slow with crafting lately, still haven't bought a skiving machine, looking at different alternatives when it comes to motors, I only need to buy a head, because I will mount it to my desk (you have maybe seen the pictures of my crafting area) I guess it will either be a Sieck (Chinese clone) and if needed replace feed wheel and bell knife, or a Fortuna SM-50 head.

Thank you, it's Tärnsjö 9368 https://tarnsjogarveri.com/leather/our-selection-of-leather/#tooling-sides

No, the color name is oranger if I remember correctly. Another leather that could be a good choice as strap lining is "swift calf" Not possible to order from the tannery (RMG Pomari) in low quantity, but when making straps at least I don't see any problems with spending a little bit more/sq.ft and buy from a reseller, because of the small amount needed.

Thank you. It's goat leather, Alran sully.

Now this isn't pure chrome tanned (exterior: Vegetable tanned, interior combination tanned) but this is how I do my edges. And the second link a wallet that have been used for six years and edges still look nice.

I thought I share this. The only thing really expensive here is the electric creaser and Ksblade irons, but the same result is possible with cheaper alternatives as mentioned.

Yes this is a better choice than Renia, I didn't think about the fact that it doesn't have to flex

Renia Ortec seems to work fine with polypropylene plastics. I can't try it right now since I'm not home. http://www.renia.com/englisch/material.html

That sounds awesome, It would be amazing to visit a tannery. I guess I should visit Tärnsjö tannery in Sweden someday.

I try to share when I can. When it comes to some parts of leathercraft, fine leathergoods in particular, there is so much that are kept secret. I’m in no way an expert, but I have learned a lot of techniques over the years, and if I can help someone I will.

I don't think you will be disappointed, I have the V1 and they are awesome. The holes from Kevinlee premium is as good as Ksblade, but the advantage of Ksblade is their ergonomy, and also very easy to align against a scribed line, since the prongs are slightly rounded at the end. Edit: I saw you wrote diamond, I have the French irons, but from what I've seen on Instagram their diamond stitching irons are also awesome.

Sorry for late answer. Bees wax give a little bit more gloss to the edge compared to paraffin. Both work fine to seal the edge though.

I agree completely here. Ritza25 might be one of the most durable thread for a leathergood like a holster, but it doesn’t mean it’s the most suitable for a slim wallet or watch strap. It would be like saying ”A SDS rotary hammer drill is the best drill” Sure it can be true if you drill a lot in hard concrete, but it would certainly not be the best drill for someone who put up some shelves in their apartment with drywall.

And if I'm not completely wrong, the producer of Yue Fung's thread is Meisi. Meisi also have a nice sample pack so you can try their different threads. My favorite is Meisi Xiange twist, it looks very similar to linen thread, but it's a synthetic thread so durable over time when used for wallets and other things where friction cause the thread to tear when linen is used.

Thank you

I remember when I made my first watch strap, and before I started I planned on spending a couple 100 euros on tools also, and thought "how hard can it be" And to my surprise it was way harder than I thought. 1. All small details are very important, things you can get away with on larger items will stick out on a watch strap. 2. A strap need to be comfortable so not too stiff, but at the same time it should be reinforced so it doesn't loose it's shape, and depending on the style of strap you might have to use a different reinforcement method. 3. Thin leather is hard to stitch with a consistent result. 4. Watch straps require a very consistent dimension, so let's say you plan to make a strap for a watch with 20mm between the watch lugs, then you might have to cut it to slightly under 20mm to make room for edge paint. I have spent way more time trying to figure out different construction methods than I have actually made straps, and I have done quite a lot of straps for a hobbyist crafter that doesn't sell anything. Sadly I often see crafters on both Instagram and Youtube that make slimmer straps with insufficient reinforcement, or reinforced in a way that will not hold up over time. I hope my last statement doesn't come off as me being a wiseacre, I'm just a hobbyist and I of course understand that there are a lot of really good strap crafters out there, but I also feel confident in my construction methods, because I have done a lot of prototypes and tests. With that said, making watch straps is fun, and it doesn't have to be expensive, I mean the cost of leather is low, and you can choose to work with a lower budget and still make nice straps. Some examples of expensive tools that can be replaced with cheaper ones. Expensive: Fileteuse. Cheap: Handheld creaser you heat over alcohol lamp like Wutas creasers. Expensive: Quick release plier. Cheap: Notch the corner at the lugs of the strap Expensive: Multi punch for buckle pin holes. Cheap: Single punch and use a template Expensive: High end stitching irons. Cheap: Cheap pricking irons and learn to shape and use an awl

I agree, I like it more every time I see this wallet.

I would guess medium temper. Firm enough to make wallet interiors with single layers (not fully lined) very suitable for slimmer wallets because of the strength of goat leather.

Thank you. Not sure if you asked about the exterior or interior leather. Interior leather is Alran Sully. Exterior leather was a sample piece from a Spanish reseller, unfortunately I can't find it now. But if it's something you really like, then let me know and I can ask another crafter who might remember since he bought from the same place years ago.

I thought I share some photos I took after cleaning a wallet I made six years ago, and have have been daily used. Edge paint is not touched up, but thread is replaced from linen to synthetic (Meisi Xiange twist) Used: When it was new:

Fiebings edge kote? if that's the case, I would recommend you to use another product, that product is garbage (For those who don't agree show me a clean nice result, and also a durable edge with that edge paint) A couple of alternatives (In no particular order) Uniters, Fenice, Giardini, Stahl, Vernis600, If you make a lot of belts, then it's a lot of surfaces to paint so Giardini with their primer is probably a good choice, you can get a decent result with two coats (one coat of primer and one coat of edge paint)

Yes, I would say that the older French irons (Like Blanchard) is pricking irons, and you are supposed to use them in combination with an awl. And new models like the ones you mentioned can be used as either pricking irons or stitching irons where you punch all the way through, because of their slimmer prongs without a taper. When you used Blanchard to punch all the way through 4mm, the temper of the leather will determine how it will looks. A softer leather like goat leather will close up the holes better than for example a firm bridle leather. As you know, I like to make watch straps, and here these new irons really shine, because without using an awl it's possible to punch all the way through and get slim clean holes. And in my opinion it's not just the fact that the holes are less visible, with a slim hole the thread position itself better, which can be hard on thin leather when you cast the thread, but it's certainly easier if the hole isn't that wide at the front side.

1. I have it clamed on my stitching clamp when I open the holes with my awl, it wouldn't work on a flat surface since the edges of the wallets interior are skived, so it wouldn't lay flat, and if it did I could instead punch all the way through with stitching irons. 2. I find that I get a more consistent result if I open up like the whole row of holes before I stitch, then I reposition the wallet to stitch another part, and first open those holes with an awl also. That way I feel more certain that I have the same angle all the time. 3. I first cut of the sharp tip, then I flatten it to an oval shape. A lot of people don't want to spend the time doing this and then Palosanto have awls that people seem happy with, and they are already sharp and have a good profile.

Most of my wallets have their exteriors punched before glued to lining, and after fully assembled holes are opened with an awl. And it's not as hard as many people believe. I did struggle a lot at first, but when I finally learned how to sharpen my awl correctly, it didn't take that much practice to get straight holes. A wine cork on the back side can be very helpful to avoid distorting the leather. And if someone wonder why I use an awl for wallets, the reason is because i prefer stitching from the exterior side, and interior leather will have skived edges so punching all the way through is not possible (not with good results)

I agree that their "French style" irons make a diagonal cut and not a diamond cut. But I wouldn't really call them French style irons either, the holes are wider and seems to be quite short. I believe that the look of the stitching will be similar to what their diamond irons produce than a French style iron. But the important thing here is what style we prefer. But in my opinion these irons (Diamond or flat diagonal style) No matter if it's from OKA, Kyoshin Elle, CraftSha or LcDiamond, I would say that it would look better on projects with a little bit thicker thread. For fine leathergoods stitched with 0.3-0.5mm round thread my personal opinion is that these holes will be too large. Of course depending a little bit on the temper of leather and how well it close up. I mean let's say you make a slim card holder in Cordovan leather and use a thread around 0.4mm, these holes will stand out.