mike02130

Seriously???

BTW, I've never seen a man carry a wallet with an ID window. The ID is always held or handed to the cop, pot shop, clerk or whomever. Get rid of it. But just because I've never seen it it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Anyone out there have one?

Make the center piece 1.25" wide or so and the length the same as your card pockets. Sew it in along the two inside verticals of the card holders. That method you wont have the hidden pockets In order to have the hidden pockets then just tack it in with a few stiches in each corner the width of the center piece and continue your stitching across. Understand?.

I'm only guessing but in the USA there seems to be a new found popularity in leatherwork these past few years and especially since the plague came to visit. They just used to be called pricking irons, such as Dixon, Osborne and the like. Japanese style diamond stitching chisels are very popular with beginners and the cosplay world. Many get their start at Tandy and shop cheaply on Amazon. More recently round dent and horizontal irons are on the market. Many not in the know refer to all styles as pricking irons rather than "stitching chisels" like Japanese/diamond chisels. And then there are round dent and flat dent punches and whatever else is out there. I see some makers marketing the pricking irons as "French style". Kevin Lee, Crimson Hides and cheap Chinese knock offs have all jumped on that band wagon. I suppose it is to differentiate between the real thing and the others(?) and to those not knowing better. In other words, a marketing term. Of course this is all conjecture.

The original poster was interested in French irons and Crimson Hides vs Sianbroks. It seems to be getting lost.

This is not my work. Just an example from Instagram.

Right needle goes in partially and then cock it over to expose more hole and stick in left needle pull right needle out and go all the way through with left. Many videos including Ian's demonstrate that method. The lining is loose in the middle. If you glue it it will stretch or wrinkle when it is opened or closed. Straddle the line, huh? You did it correctly. Burnish or edge paint the edges. T pockets are angled to create less overlap making it less bulky. Skive them. Suggestions-- Use thinner thread. Hammer down your stitches. Make the horizontals equal. There is quite a bit of space above that top T pocket. Study wallets on Instagram.

That may be true for experienced leather workers but may not be the case for the less experienced.

The issue I have with Nigel is his lack of criticism. Quite a bit of the tools he reviews are given to him. I'm not dissin the guy but I do question his reviews. I think a better and more objective source is Leathertoolz on You Tube.

3.0 or 3.38 if you want to go higher end. 3.0 makes it easier to make your own patterns; easier math. 4.0 mm is pretty chunky and is better suited for sheaths and the like. When you say round irons are you meaning round dent (dente=tooth in Latin) irons? If so, yes there is a difference. The angled irons are the hallmark for showing an angled saddle stitch and make for a more defined and better looking stitch. For those size irons I recommend .45-.6 mm thread. There is a big difference between Sinabroks and Crimson Hides' irons. The Sinabroks are excellent and have their pros and cons. I have KS Blades and had Sinabroks which I sold. I prefer the KS Blades. The Sinabroks pros are that they are shiny (if you like that?) and their teeth come highly polished. The cons are that their handles are round which takes more effort to hold and keep from twisting in the hand. The point end is flat and dull and need sharpening. Being flat takes more concentration and skill to center it in a scribed stitch-line. One's hand will smell of brass. KS, looks more industrial and has an oblongish tapered handle that is round on two sides and flat on the other two sides making it more comfortable in the hand and easier to maneuver. The end of the teeth have a round taper which is narrower than the SBs making easier to center in a stitch line. They most likely could use a bit of sharpening but not necessary. The teeth are not polished and need a bit of work. The polished teeth make it easier to pull the irons out of the hole. The Sinabroks can be owner repaired with a kit while the KS need to be shipped to Korea for repair. There are top tier and lower and bottom tier irons. The KS and Sinabroks are top tier. You're looking at $200 bucks for either set.

I use rope or vinyl tubing

Hmm, in America I've bought items from UK and Europe upwards of $600. and never had to pay any government fees. If the UK postage wasn't so ridiculously high I would purchase more. I guess your fees are necessary to pay the Queens 1200 person work staff at Buckingham palace.

I use a green cutting mat made by Alvin for basic cutting with utility type knives. That brand is better than most. For more serious knives like my round knife and Japanese knives I use 1/2" HDPE which I bought from Grainger. I think if Bruce Johnson recommends HDPE then HDPE it is. You asked about cutting but for punching I highly recommend an end grain piece of wood. I have a round cut off from a log that is about two inches thick. Solid surface with no bounce. The best chefs' cutting boards are end grain.

It looks good. That is quite the contraption you got there to hold it up. You ought to hammer the stitches down. They and the leather look lumpy.

I bought a burnisher and drum sander for use on my battery drill. It works great on belts and handbags. I also have a 1725 RPM motor with a wood burnisher I turned on a lathe and drilled a hole into the end and attached it directly to the shaft. I've never used a Dremel but I believe they spin at a very high speed; I don't know if that is good or bad.

Thanks Retswerb. The handbags are like "Kelly" sized handbags. I'm looking to make a one size strap fits all. At least single shoulder. If I were to make it for single shoulder and crossbody would that be too much variance?

How long should a shoulder strap be for a woman's handbag? I figured on making it two piece with a buckle. I figured on making the buckle strap shorter so as it won't sit on the shoulder. Am I on the right track? Thanks

So, you're not looking for pricking irons? Maybe you mean "round dent punch"? I doubt you'll find anything less than 2.7 mm. Not possible to have them any closer due to the tops being wider than the points.

As a fat American, my first reaction is, what a dumb sh*t. .

You want hard rolled. Less deflection and less rounding the apex.

I have four of his English point punches and a rounder with the interchangeable blades. I wouldn't hesitate buying from him again.

I see a lot of knives that are D2 steel. Japanese blacksmith made knives are made with Hitatchi blue or white steel.

I don't keep it in anything. I just set it down or hang it on a hook.

I was afraid someone would ask me that question. I like playing with them all. The Japanese knives are new to me and I think I like them the most. I wanted a Japanese knife but it was difficult to find a good one from Japan that could be shipped to the USA. Covid closed down Japan airmail and DHL and FedEx was $100 bucks. So I decided to get the Palosanto from South Korea (6th one bottom row). It is Japanese "style", that is, it doesn't have the concave/hollow back. I don't like D2 but it is a comfortable knife with good weight. The more I couldn't get a real Japanese knife the more I wanted one. Finally Rocky Mountain leather--after being out for months--got some in stock. It is the fifth one bottom row. It is the standard 36mm wide blade and white steel. I began using that one for a project or two then I discovered Mr. Okada. He has a DHL account and it was only $20 to ship. I bought the first four, bottom row from him. The first two are 20 mm across. The third is 30 mm and the fourth 36 mm (sent to me by mistake). I think the first one is my favorite, maybe, I don't know yet. I'm right handed and I use it with the bevel on the left to cut out patterns and the like. I also use it bevel down for small skives and to trim leather handbag edges free hand in my lap after being sewn. The two skiving knives in the middle row are Doldoki made with D2 steel. I make handbags and use them on the bag body and gusset edges. They are 2" wide and are great for long skives. I use the one bevel down for skiving and thinning swaths of leather. They both have thin handles which allow for a low attack for the skive. The two round knives I picked up at a flea market. I reshaped them and put an edge on them. I use them primarily for belts and straps. Other than straps, I don't have much confidence using them. I will need to practice if I wanna be one of the cool cats. I am not impressed with the L'indispensible and D2 blade. It's a good knife and all, but I seem to pick up and use a retractable blade more often. The screws stick out and are rough and I don't like the brass smell left behind on my fingers. It is designed to be held like a pencil. The blade needed a bit of stropping. The E.A. Berg clicker knives are just plain cool. The curved ones are good for skiving large leather pieces. The others have their uses but I don't use them that often. If I were to only have three knives they would be #1 and 3 bottom row and the Doldoki #1 middle row. I'm not a fan of the D2 steel. I prefer carbon steel. I maintain the D2 with aluminum oxide (white) and the carbon with chromium oxide (green) compound on a piece of MDF. I then sometimes--for fun--take it to the bare smooth side of a horse butt strop.