mike02130

Save up your leather scraps for testing. Those machines get pretty damn hungry.

You, or the holster?

I've never heard that one before except from the young kids that just started out, recently. It has its purposes such as for sheaths, holsters and the like. It's a bit thick for more refined work. Vinymo and Meisi Xiange are pretty much the standard for higher-end work.

It's called a "filleteuse". It will put a decorative crease and is also used for smoothing edge paint. It will not burnish chrome tan leather, you'll need to use edge paint to finish the edge.It will not make a creased fold in leather. Some popular tips are, FN2 for creasing and SO5 for smoothing edge paint. I recommend Uniter's edge paint.

Check out https://campbell-randall.com/product/fav-av1-av2-skiving-machines What did you pay for it? It's a good Italian machine, just looks like it needs cleaning, oiling and greasing. All the brands are basically the same. Have fun.

Patina.

I don't think you need to go so fancy for the work you want to do. You'll be using softer leather which is turnable and "round dent" irons are what are generally used. I suggest Wuta irons. They're inexpensive, sharp, and the teeth are replaceable. The smaller the size, the tighter the seam. https://www.amazon.com/WUTA-Removable-Stitching-Professional-Generation/dp/B0B4C35HWD/ref=sr_1_2?crid=2NZ629BROW6HC&keywords=wuta%2Bstitching%2Bchisel&qid=1703644653&sprefix=wuta%2B%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-2&th=1

Your stitch-line holes look wavy and the thread looks rather large. Look at the next two holes from the left of the stitching--they're higher then they go back down. I stitch zippers the same way.

Do not buy a knife from Aliexpress!!!! Look at the Nippy site and they will show you the counterfeits compared to the real deal. I bought a rubber feed wheel from Amazon for 8 bucks and a German knife from Campbell Hausfeld in the USA. The knife is a harder steel and keeps an edge longer. I use machine mainly for thinner leathers for wallet making.

Xylene is the stuff--so I've heard. I've tried paint thinner and acetone and they don't work. Everytime I go to a paint or hardware store, I forget to look for it.

How about just making one or two by hand with the tools you have and see how that goes, then you'll be better able to figure out a price. If the guy's in no hurry then perhaps they can be spread out over time? Keep in mind that if each one is different then you'll spend a lot of time making patterns.

People say, use sharp tools and resharpen when you're done. It dulls the hell out of blades, awls and stitching irons.

I don't know. You could just use a single punch. Use a wing divider set at half the width of the strap and mark your holes. Better yet, make a template out of some card stock.

https://www.artisanleathersupply.com/collections/all-tools-1/products/watch-strap-punch Veg tan leather for padding. You can shape it how you want.

As far as hole size, I've never experimented so I won't bet big money on it but I believe they're the same. But that may be the case with thicker leathers(?). The newer irons are hybrids and thin. No bigger than the awl you would use with the Blanchard's. Keep in mind, the Blanchard's are for pricking only, the euros may be used for pricking and going all the way through. Yes, the 3.85s will be good for that size. If you had 4mm ones, it makes it easier to draw patterns by dividing or multiplying distances by a whole number rather than 3.85.

I'd say that you're putting the cart before the horse--especially if you've never made anything yet. Blanchard's are a bit old fashioned and they are "pricking irons" and not as good as they used to be. They are used to prick, or mark the stitching holes which need to be followed up with an awl to complete the hole. Now days, irons are a hybrid design where as they mark and punch the holes all in one shot. With thicker leather you may also need an awl to finish the hole. I don't know if there's any agreed upon nomenclature regarding irons/chisels but here's my short take on them. "Stitching chisels" or better known as Japanese diamond chisels are diamond shape and make a larger diamond shaped hole than the typical "French stitching irons", which are thinner with flat teeth set at a 45 degree angle. The latter are most commonly used for finer leather goods and thinner threads. Both of these types are used to make the holes through the leather. I like and own KS Blades' irons. Sinabroks, Crimson Hides and Kevin Lee are some good brands to look at. I've heard good things about the Rocky Mountain ones. I use 2.7s for watch straps, 3.0 for wallets and card holders and 3.38s for purses. For the occasional large bag I'll use 3.85s. You say you want to make "medium sized goods" so the 3.85s may be right for you. If you're going to make wallets, too, then maybe the 3.38s would be a better choice for both goods(?). Personally I dig nice tools and have a hole in my wallet to prove it. I wasted money in the beginning buying crap I thought I needed but never used. Pull back on the reins and figure things out before you go broke. Palosanto makes fine edge bevelers but so does Barry King and Ron's tools. For medium goods you most likely only need one--maybe 2 rather than a set of 4. A Barry King 24oz tapered maul is an excellent choice. Match the awl size to the irons. I use a Palosanto flat awl. Alvin makes a damn good cutting mat. You could go with Weldwood contact cement rather than Barge, it's cheaper and sold at any hardware store. John James 004 needles work well. For a few bucks you can make your own stitching pony. My recommendation first-off is to buy an inexpensive set of diamond chisels, a wing divider and cheap mallet, a utility knife and glue and needles and thread. Get some leather and make something first before investing in fancy tools. The Amazon kits are tempting but I think there's just too much filler crap in them that you may never use. The first thing you need to learn is how to saddle stitch using your new pony that you made yourself. Good luck, have fun and spend wisely.

Zermatt is the best.

"Poly Stripe" is just a piece of polyester material with a stripe. It is thin material. You could use that, nylon, Tyvek or silk or any other material. It's used on the T-pockets to keep the wallet thin. You could just eliminate the material and make the T-pockets out of leather.

https://www.rmleathersupply.com/products/prym-premium-italian-segma-snaps-solid-base?variant=32408603590765

In my wallets I add a card that says; "Thank you for your purchase. My mother always told that it's bad luck to give someone an empty wallet. May this lucky dollar bill bring you good fortune." I add a dollar bill and write Lucky Dollar on the back.

https://www.rmleathersupply.com/collections/dyes-stains-finishes/products/uniters-edge-paint-semi-gloss-finish

A lot of people who have used Fil au Chinois thread have complained about the quality going down and a large number of them have switched to Meisi Superfine for it's better quality control. And then there's Meisi Xiange which is a polyester thread that's gaining in popularity because the colors look like those of linen thread. I've used Meisi Xiange but I prefer Vinymo MBT.

What do you want to make, what's your budget and how serious are you? Like Danne said, tools for a holster would be different than for making a watch strap.

I'm looking forward to your YouTube channel.

Do you use Velodon or some sort of non stretch material between the layers?