GatoGordo

@Leathershark what glue do you use to attach the lizard? With the curved surface it seems that contact glue may be a bit risky and leave some wrinkles if not done properly.

I am curious how you did that. I assume the lizard is glued to a vegetable tanned backing. For the two that are wet-formed, did you do the wet-forming with the lizard attached?

Here is a link that shows using the braid in a dog leash. You will need to do it multiple times to simulate the continuous look. https://leathersmithdesigns.com/blogs/braided-leather-dog-leash-diy-/

Join the two pieces together with rubber cement or double sided tape. Then sand or cut the edges to the size and shape you want. While glued together, the edges will be more rigid and easier to shape. Finally, separate the two pieces. At this point, the two pieces will be mirror images. Finally, mark the stitch line with dividers.

I went the easy route and printed a set on my 3d printer.

Which pattern is it? I looked at various hat videos by Dieselpunk.ro and yours looks better than anything I saw from Tony.

In 2018 I ordered a custom made maul from Clay Miller. Over the years of use the head started to wear and needed replacing. I was not sure how the maul came apart to replace the head so I sent an email to Mr. Miller and asked him. In his reply explaining how to replace the head, he offered to do it free of charge. All I had to do was to send him the maul. I quickly decided to take him up on his offer. One hour after he received the maul (I checked the tracking information), I received an email from him saying that the maul was repaired and would be shipping out that evening. I received the repaired maul today, one week after I mailed it out, and it looks better than new since it has years of patina on the handle from use. Clay Miller is a great vendor who stands behind his products. Just wanted everyone to know.

As fredk stated, it takes only a few seconds to heat up. Others have mentioned having to replace the tip, but I have had mine for four years now and am still using the same tip. Here is a link to another thread discussing the battery to use. It seems the type of battery used has a significant impact on longevity.

I do not know what postal servers charge and certainly not for a business. I can only compare Zack White's shipping fees to other vendors for comparable items and I consider them high. This is why I wait until I have several items before ordering so I can spread the shipping fee over multiple items. I was upset when they shipped a partial order without contacting me first about the out of stock items. By the way, the items that I am waiting for are still listed on their website as available.

Back in March I placed an order with Zach White. When it arrived several items were missing, mostly dyes. When I contacted them, they said that the dyes were out of stock, but I could reorder when they were back in stock and they would wave the shipping/handling fee. Since then, I have checked in with them periodically to see if the dyes were back in stock. First, they said it would be within two weeks which would still be in March. Then they said that the dyes would be in after Easter. Their last email said they would be in by 1st of May. That last email was a month ago and since then I have not heard anything from them. They stopped responding to my emails. Their web site is still active so I assume they are still in business. Since they charge such a hefty shipping fee I do not want to just drop it and order elsewhere, but I would really like to get those dyes. Has anyone had any dealings with them lately to know that they are still active?

No.

Bend the tabs in their middles and stitch the outside of the tabs to your leather case so they are the same width as the insert body. This will create an extra slot at each end of the insert the same width as the other slots that also expand.

I use white glue. I use a precision tip applicator bottle to place a small drop precisely in the stitch hole, then cut the thread as close to the leather as possible.

Just a reminder. If you do use neatsfoot oil, check at your local feed store. They also sell Fiebing's 100% Pure Neatsfoot Oil, but often at a lower price than the leather supply store.

Nigel Armitage dropped a new three hour series on saddle stitching last week. It was really interesting so I gave it a try and it does work. To get a good bump on both front and back he suggests a cast on the front and a tug on the back. Here is my first try. For the front, the thread is driven high by the cast. While for the back, the thread is pulled low by a simple tug. I suggest you view the new videos. They are listed as saddle stitch - modern style by Nigel Armitage. I know someone posted on this forum that everything about hand stitching can be learned in 10 minutes, but that is not true.