wrz0170

I hear ya. I just got over a very expensive sharpening system. I just need one more pair of strops and some diamond emulsion and my set will be complete. I can turn my attention to other toys.

Just wanted to provide an update. I rewatched several Of Nigel’s videos and reread data sheets (over Buffalo Trace and a cigar) that helped with analysis paralysis. Decided on a set of Crimson Hides. It didn’t hurt that I had a nice eBay sale either Look forward to trying them out and having some fun. Thanks for the chime ins! I know there were less expensive sets out there and probably would’ve gotten along well with them. Sometimes you just have to go with the gut on what you want. Less regrets. William

Thank you for chiming in as well as the others who weighed in. Much appreciated and many good points made. I am zeroing in on the 3mm/4mm as my first project tutorial uses them and mentions that those sizes are just a good starting point. Since said project calls for around 1mm, punch through should not be an issue I figure the awl work will come soon enough. I just want to get the basics down. Cut, mark stitching line, punch and learn the stitch I’ve learned in most of my hobbies; elimate the variables that you can at first. Less frustration. As proficiency and skills come about, then reintroduce variables one by one to learn them. If I may ask. You said if you were starting out again, you would’ve gone the Crimson route. What was it about them that you saw made them stand out to what you currently own? Thanks again for the chime in. William

Interesting! I’ve read the data sheets and watched the videos from Nigel A. Even watched several other vids from others. Seems like the Chinese and Korean competitors are coming on very strong in the iron and leather tool markets in general. Doing a decent enough job at at it as the demand seems high for their products. William

Very true as well. A Yugo and a Porsche (your legs or a bike) will all get you to point B. A $150k vehicle doesn’t always guarantee reliability. For me, a tool should simply do its job without having to fight with it or heavily modify it out of the box to coax it into its job. Starting off in a new hobby is filled with frustrations enough due to inexperience and lack of skill.

Hey everyone. Very new yet so please forgive the basic questions. I want to make sure I get the right products, terminology and method(s) right. There apppears to be many ways to achieve the same goal. If I want to burnish an edge, would I use a product like Tokonole or other gum tragacanth and something like a cocobolo burnisher or a piece of denim? if I want to slick down the flat, fuzzy side, might one use the same gum Tragacanth product and a small glass plate or cloth? Thanks! William

Thank you both I will revisit the iron selections and see what I come up with.. I’m right there with ya. I love tools too. But, I like to only get tools I will need to get the job done and more importantly the right tool for the job. I also learned; Buy quality once or buy twice. Within reason of course. William

Hey everyone. Another new guy here. I am just starting to hunt and gather all the pieces parts I need to get going on my first project. Cutting mats, cutters, knives, dividers, mauls, hammers, threads, needles etc. List goes on which may be another subject matter on specific purchases altogether. My first goal is to assemble the basic items needed to practice saddle stitching. To that end, I built my first stitching pony which came out pretty nice. So that’s out of the way. Seems like one of the baseline tools is a good set of irons. No holes, no stitch. With that said, I appear to be zeroing in on a set of Crimsonhide’s set (5,2 @ 3mm and 4mm specifically ). On the outer stretch of the budget, maybe KSBlades (6,2 in 3-4mm). I’ve watched Nigel’s videos and read the data sheets and there certainly is no shortage to pick from. I think I know well enough that I’m not ready to use awls in conjunction. Real world use. Those who have these; do you still enjoy using them? Any regrets? If you switched to these from another set, did they make your life a bit easier? Am I missing another set to look at around the same price points and quality? Thank you! William

Thank you Sir,

Hello! I’m new and just getting into leather crafting. I’m looking for some scrap that you are willing to part from. 1. Just made my first stitching pony! Looking for some leather to finish off the jaws. I need two pieces (something suitable for a stitching pony) , 4”W x 8”L x 1.2-1.5mm. 2. .8mm -1.2mm veg-tan. That will be very close to my first project. I want to practice saddle stitching, skiving, edge burnishing, slicking and all the fun stuff. Train how we fight as they say. Absolutely willing to pay for shipping and we can negotiate if there will be further requirements. Thanks in advance for any consideration. William Reno, Nevada