SilverForgeStudio

If you are going to do anything for patterns that will bee exported (make acrylic templates, laser cutting, ect...) you will need a program that does cost a bit... My suggestion: Fusion 360- FREE for hobbyists and small business applications, exportable file types, can render well (providing you built the model well) Yes- its a steep learning curve and it is NOT intuitive to some... BUT- here is the best part- its a skill that once learned can be VERY transformative in your planning and execution of projects. If you already have patterns you wish to capture into a program- look for a 2D CAD or plotting software. Whatever program you choose- please make sure it exports in the file format(s) you will need. Nothing more savage than to try and get something laser cut and they charge you a fee for converting a file... or worse they cut your file and ALL the patterns are wrong due to file/data inconsistencies. And seriously- all joking aside- its NOT out of your skill/time... if you need the tool or are serious about upping your game in leather (or in most shop projects)- then you will need to devote time to the things that will accelerate you. You can either 1- pay someone else to do it or 2- Learn to do it. (I hated Fusion 360... but needed it to collaborate on other projects in my shop... After spending dedicated 45-60 hours with it... Now I am able to do things I paid others to do in the past.)

Hey Vike! Love the bells- One thing of note in the picture above- I hope you ran a chainsaw/rat-tail file through those holes to clean up the flash from the hole punch! That gnarly little edge can chew slowly through things... Fit and finish of things is a fidgety thing! I definitely like the bell link as well- thanks for sharing! Great project!

Criticism? Seriously- you are joking... you have single-handedly achieved the trifecta of good stewardship to your craft here... 1- You went and used resource material with heritage, and like most good creators saw a potential in another object to re-purpose to your own needs and modified it. 2- You chose and executed embellishment in a style and manner of your own taste and liking (it was for your personal use- if you like it- nothing else matters) AND gave breath to the source of your artwork inspiration/theme (Bravo there!) 3- You not only acted in good craft, but you documented your journey and have contributed to a body of knowledge for others to enjoy/learn from or adapt. BRAVO! Now Ive gotta find that rabbit hole too... HA! Awesome work.

Love the center punch- Bravo on the jig!

I only have one machine- a Brother LS2 (Consew 206 clone) for leather- so please take this as advice from someone who has only seen other shops. If you have a run of items with differing threads it can pay to have a second machine set up and tuned to the heavier or lighter weight. Many shops have dedicated machines set up for one thread/weight combination. My experience is with a local to me fellow who mainly sews upholstery- but has a Brother industrial set up in the back just for sewing Kevlar/Nomex threads for fire/DoD/Mil-spec items. The Kevlar doesn't do well in his "everyday driver" he says and it saves time with his runs and repair work. Others with more experience Im sure will chime in but there are other threads here where folks speak of having a "specialty machine" for specific jobs. Hope this helps- be safe and enjoy the new year! Kerri

If you are near the Eastern Shore of VA/MD/DE there is a 211 Singer industrial with table and tuned up ready to sell- here is the original Marketplace link- I bet she is pretty motivated to sell it cheap now (its been over a month) SINGER 211 165 EASTERN SHORE VA/MD/DE

HA! Im in Norfolk- I get up to Salisbuy and Onancock some- beautiful area! Got family friends in Delaware so we are through your area a fair bit.

Where are you located in VA?

Sharp tooling- he should be proud!

the "SEND ME YOUR EMAIL" is suspicious- you can attach pictures here and as Latigo said- put info out on this forum. I will send you a PM here- but not my personal email.

I appreciate the rivets on the bolsters- with horn/antler it can get slick fast- those look to be just a bit proud and "knobby" which in this case look awesome with the style and the need for a grip. Great line- is that a false swedge on the spine or is it flat? Looks nice indeed- the sheath- is quite the match as well! Love the tooling and as others pointed out the thread choice! Kerri

Welcome! The Wife and I get down that way every so often- good to know another knifemaker as well! Stock removal or are you a forge out then grind fellow?

Bert- are you local to ANY machine shop? If you have access to a machine shop they may be able to put you on to someone who sharpens things with a "TOOL AND CUTTER GRINDER" used for finishing and re-fluting drills and helical mills- Reason I suggest a machine shop is they would have a Surface Grinder that may handle the 90 deg face well- Hope this helps- perhaps a bit of a barter would do you well there? Hope this helps- I know in my other hobbies I have found local guys to do odd work or one-offs as a favor for a casting or a bit of leather work. Be safe and let us know what you wind up doing! Kerri

Thanks Chrisash! I've already downloaded the parts chart- according to that my machine is the same as the base unit "997 E3" model. But same issue- no manual or dates... I am leaning towards 1990's era due to the font and color scheme but here again- I'm not knowledgeable in this arena. I certainly appreciate the help! I literally found the chart about 2 hours after posting my initial question - you beat me to it! Silver Forge

Like the title says- its not for sewing leather- but hoping this will add a bit more finish and up the look to my bag liners and canvas pieces- price was beyond fair as the fellow just wanted it out of his shop. Its quite a little beastie too! Weighs in pretty hefty and solid! (I would say 20+ pounds). But I am posting as I now have to learn this bad boy- and can not find a "Users manual" only a parts guide online. A lot of trial and error and a few yards of fabric to start on a Saturday in the garage may do the trick to start... Also I have no idea of the "age" or "worth" of this machine as any "Groogle" search comes up with everything BUT Singer machines... When I type in "Singer 997E10" or the model and "Overlock" I get nothing remotely looking like this machine... I doubt I found a unicorn... but Searches with "serger", "Overlocker", "997_E10" and various industrial/commercial word combinations bring up nothing for me... I AM looking at work through a firewall- but I hardly think sewing machines are a big red-flag item for being blocked. For those who use or used an Overlock/Serger- She has a 1/2hp clutch... are these little guys "better" with a servo like the "real" sewing machines where slow control is needed at times? Any help appreciated or direction to look. Thanks folks! -Silver Forge

Just an tidbit about our industrial suppliers... I'm not a policy or political guy... But I think environmental concerns are a big part of our products and our impact. https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/10/crews-ready-polluted-wolverine-tannery-for-excavations.html?outputType=amp

Fred- I have made a couple of items and I do not think it is necessarily the "Ancients " metallurgy- one item I can attribute to being in a salty environment as the cause of the green ring around the rivets. The other- I am at a puzzle about. Probably sweat- but nonetheless I am suspect the "Quality" of metals items today is more suspect than the leather. And why not last 2k years! That would be awesome! I too have items out there for a bit with no visible green ringing- but I am trying to improve and my process in order to move items from a hobby into a craft- potentially Bronze may be the answer I am seeking- Aluminum Bronze is fairly easy to cobble-up in the shop and has a high resistance to corrosion. On my daily wear the brass is not showing any sign of verdigris- but as I said previous- only 2 or three items have been notably stained. And they are used in marine environments or in a physical environment with sweat. Understood- and I appreciate the reply! I am working with a lacquer UNDER the rivet to see how they fare (will not know until after hunting season is over) and I am as well looking into Bronze as it is a bit higher in the corrosive resistance alloys (Aluminum bronze or "Red" bronze). I appreciate all the thoughts and replys! And Fred- I respect your opinion- not trying to anger the ancients... bad ju-ju there! HA! Seriously- thanks!

@Solarius318 One of the best places Iis IN your service- go visit a few stations and ask about the gear- If the departments have a "Standard" or any sort of uniform policy look into that as well... I have 2 counties near me that do NOT allow anything but black or dark brown, but the Fire and EMS services in another few places allow anything for "self/custom" use. There are so many varieties and styles and makers you need to know what is "hot" in your area. That way you dont waste money time and resources making something that looks great but can not be used. Hope this helps!

One thing you may be able to do is visit any manufacturing houses in your area- I know I was introduced to the "Serger" technique at an auto upholstery shop where they did high end restorations. Hope this helps!

And from the world of "Corporate Non-chalant-ness" Ebay of course told you to behave... I was kicked off a similar "arts" selling site for telling a customer no refund- she bought an item, wore it (posted pics to her FaceBok page wearing the damn thing out to a party) then tried to return it after 20 days... You sir- deserve a beer (OR a good stiff glass of Glenlivet if you were here!) Bravo and cheers to you!

A lot of good suggestions here! My personal vote is for looking into a piece of backsplash material- these are 4-5 inches tall, and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and usually square edged. broken pieces are easily available. Most projects are small in the BSA and dont require large/wide surfaces- these can be made inset into plywood and easily stacked for transport. Where you strike ON THE BENCH may as well be a factor- near a leg, or over a stringer or joint has more mass UNDER the strike- the table does not flex/absorb as much of the energy. I have seen folks just move closer to the edge of the surface over the side stringer and it improve their stamping. Sink cutouts are what Rockoboy are referring to and these are free to me in this area- as the countertop guys have to pay by weight for their trash haul out. Another option is Headstone makers for the funeral homes. they often have broken pieces or mispelled items that are waste. Your plight is not in the WIDTH of the face front to back- its the THICKNESS (top to bottom) of the plate that provides the solid "rebound" to effectively stamp the leather. Same concept in anvils for blacksmithing...

@pitersek I would like to know about the handle- I have seen aluminum honeycomb used before- but your handle material is it epoxy? How did you get the red fade to black- did you just mix pour or did you mold pour then insert the frame? looks incredible and very sleek! Great lines and love the sheath as well- they match like a glove for an assassins' hand- those two just GO together. Bravo mate!

Death by fashion ... Your choice...

Death by fashion ... Your choice...

Just a consideration- chromic and chromate salts and the chemicals used for chrome tanning should not be in contact with anything that will be put in the mouth. Heavy metals are cumulative dosing- if you want to ingest it yourself- thats cool... its your life, liver, and body. Death by fashion- we see it every day. BUT the moment you make a product for someone else from chrome tan leather and its not lined, insulated or sleeved it can be a bad thing. Especially if you are selling or profiting from them. Chrome tan is to be avoided for any skin contact for extended periods. Especially sweaty areas. Contact dermatitis is the biggest issue from long term exposure or absorbtion of metalic salts (and the first sign something is wrong as well) Here is one quote from the Wisconsin dept of health that is found mirrored in the CDC/NCBI and WHO databases I plucked a while back: "Trivalent chromium, the form most commonly used in tanning, is naturally occurring and essential for good health. Under certain conditions, however, trivalent chromium will oxidize and turn into hexavalent chromium. Hexavalent chromium is carcinogenic and can pose severe health concerns for humans, animals, and the environment " I had to do some research for my "real job" for a continuing education lecture... and I chose slow poisons- specifically heavy metals and the prevalance of toxins in our everyday environment. Look at several industries where continued uses of heavy metals have altered our physiologic responses. In jewelry- Nickel was the most common alloying agent for turning gold into "white gold"... Now its practically banned or you have to have disclosure statements to sell it due to the prevalence of dermatitis and nickel allergies. The manufacture of "pressure treated" lumber was initially with "CCA" salts Copper+Chromium+Arsenic... although the Arsenic has been removed from that formula today... many playgrounds were built with these treated lumbers- and raised garden beds as well due to their fungal, insect and mold resistant treatment. Groundwater levels and plants directly absorb these... kids play on the swings and gymsets and wipe their faces...You get the idea. No- Im not an enviromental crusader- but I do work in healthcare. I think the chromate leathers have a place- just not near anyone's mouth or skin. Your mileage may vary- this is just an opinion.