doubleh

Nice work and a lot of it.

If you can't see irons anymore there isn't a thing wrong with it. I had one rigged up that way but after cataract removal the ability to use irons returned and I removed it. I just kill steel anymore and at fairly close range. If I hunted I would have left it in place. By the way, you do excellent work.

They look good to me I used to wear a pair of those riding my Harley. The cowboy type straight from the local bootshop. I liked them much better than those from motorcycle shops.

Another excellent from me. Seeing it's weight and being an old guy it would be quite a bit heavier than I would want to deal with. Even when a young guy I never used anything that heavy for leather work. I like to make tools too. Specialized knives, wood carving chisels, hammers, and so on. Some get wooden handles and some get knurled aluminum handles depending on size and use.

I agree with Chuck on this. Try it and find out. I learned quite a while ago that using a new technique or just making a change in one to do a scrap first to see just what happens.

Really nice work. I didn't even look for the missed cuts.

I believe "radius" would be a better description of what you are meaning and, yes, a hole punch is good for making them.

I am pretty sure it's out of print but The "Lucky Eight Belt Book" of old Had some nice oak leaf patterns. A copy might be found from one of the many internet used book dealers. I do as Chuck does with a lot of patterns. Make your own with no to little drawing.

Another nice.

Nice.

Great work. She looks real.

That looks pretty darn good to me. I started long ago when the written word and drawings was the only knowledge available. I found Al Stholman's leatherworking books and everything in them worked. Even today with the internet I would recommend obtaining any of them available as the are easy to understand and spot on with the information they contain. Leather working has never been a cheap hobby and it certainly isn't today. However they are still good tooling leathers available and tools to do it with. I let my hobby lapse for around 20 years and just got back to it last year. I was quite surprised at the increases in costs. I wanted a couple of great grand daughters to have a belt made by grandpa. Boy oh boy, was I rusty plus having developed essential tremors during the time away. I have most of the rust removed now and with enough medication my fingers go where they are supposed to and I am enjoying making some things again. Got a holster in the works at this time. I started it before Christmas but Santa Clause brought me two gifts, a case of flu and covid at the same time. I'm in pretty good shape again and will get back on it during the coming week. Keep on toolin'. I look at every project as more practice.

I can't remember about the finisher. Been too many long years since I was around one. I use my big drill press slowed down with different sized drums on holster edges with out burning. Should work on shoe soles just as well. Get the crepe rubber stick if you do this .

I am with chuck on this. Don't like the results, then quit using it. Pretty simple solution.

Nice.

Beautiful work. I made my wife a tooled purse long ago and she carried it for a time and then put it up. I asked why and was told it was too heavy. "No, Honey, it's all that stuff you put in that makes it heavy". To this day she continues to buy purses that become too heavy with all her junk and fall apart. I offer to make her one that will last every time the new purse hunt subject comes up and still get that "too heavy" answer.

Looks good so far. Really smooth, shiny edges make a project.

I have used both 3-M spray and Weldwood brush on contact cements. Although it is a little more trouble to apply I prefer the Weldwood. To be honest the results have been the same. They both do the job and do it well.

Chuck must have sent some of his weather down here to far southeastern New Mexico. 6 Degrees F here this morning which is unusually cold for us and I am hibernating in the house for a couple of days until the wind switches and blows the cold away. Over 100 F is normal here in the summer and I'll take it any day over the cold. It has been rather chilly since late September and my propane dealer should be loving it.

Another "looks great".

Rest assured that it is my hand making the shadow. I have no shadow until my hand with the stamp is in position on the leather. I added the overhead light trying to eliminate the shadow and did a lot of experimentation before going to the headlamp. The only other thing that worked was a light on a pole shining directly over my shoulder which I bumped out of place every time I moved to reach for something or knocked over when I forgot it was there and swiveled my chair to get up. I use a simple pair of 2x frameless reading glasses for close work now. I have an optivisor that has been unused since I had my cataracts removed. The glasses and LED light combined are so light weight I barely notice I have anything on. I also play around at being a machinest or woodworker when not fiddling with leathercraft and this combo is going to work well with both of those.

I do my work on an old oak desk I rescued from a junk shop and restored and it is in my garage. I have one of the swivel desk lamps mounted on one side and and a small reading light on other plus one of the super bright harbor Freight LED shop lights hung from the ceiling just behind me. With all that light I still have trouble with my stamp holding hand casting a shadow on what I am doing. I researched LED headlamp recently and finally decided on one by Energizer available at Walmart for 10 bucks. It is simple in that it only has two brightness levels to deal with and I have found the lower setting to provide the right amount of light to suit me. The higher setting is too bright. I just used it to border stamp a holster and it worked perfectly. It is light and comfortable to wear also. It was a cheap fix.

I am in the same boat. I have a holster in the works and I don't want it as dark as Fiebing's is going to make it. It should be named saddle brown as it certainly isn't tan. I am going to experiment with Min-Wax oil stains for wood to see if I can get what I want. I have several different colors and scrap leather to practice on so why not. I watched the video on dye reducers and wasn't impressed with the results. It is hard enough to get a uniform color as it is and reducers seems to just make things worse. Another option would be to buy dye powers and mix the color you want but I am not interested in getting that deep into it for just a piece now and then.

How is a watch strap supposed to feel? So comfortable you don't even notice it's there. That is why I quit wearing leather straps a looong time ago.

Absolutely beautiful work.