Leather Bum

I wonder where you can buy that type of ring. . . Perhaps it employs a spring gate. Do you have any other views of the ring? EDIT: I should have known it was a Japanese wallet by the clean design and overall fine execution. . . I certainly wish I could read Japanese.

I only happened to remember the name was more than just "Duncan's". . . so I ran a search for "Duncan's Outdoor", and yes, Duncan's Outdoor Shop appears to still be around. . . with an updated webpage (since I last checked): Duncan Customs.

Actually, I haven't even found how to get my hand stitching to look how I would like it to all the time, so I'm not exactly qualified to advise on what's best to use or anything. However, from looking around here, it seems a lot of people like to hand-stitch with linen thread, as Al Stohlman's book The Art of Hand Sewing Leather mentions. Campbell Bosworth sells linen thread, as does Royalwood Ltd.. I haven't ever used linen thread, but other people definitely seem to prefer it to synthetics. Maine Thread Company sells a good selection both in size and color of waxed polyester cord. It works well, but it has a rough look to it (it's called "cord," after all). I actually prefer the appearance of the twisted strands of machine thread stitching, and since polyester thread is said to be as strong as nylon with superior sunlight resistance, I've been experimenting hand stitching with polyester machine thread. . . This thread is usually bonded (lubricated), so it does not act the same as when hand stitching with regular waxed thread (and when I've tried to apply wax to it, the wax does not stick very well.) Check this topic for information on hand stitching (scroll down for links to some cutting and stitching articles by The Capgun Kid): Hand Stitching Guide.

Has anyone used the new Hydroma "professional" cutting boards being sold by Tandy? They say they're used in clicker cutting applications, but they seem so hard that I'm afraid of them damaging punches. . . Are they meant to be used only for punching on or for knife-cutting as well? Also, does anyone know where they could be purchased other than TLF? Micah

That's a cool-looking holster, gun belt, and badge holder, BanjoMan. I believe Randy is referring to #277 sewing machine thread; #207 is smaller than #277, and #346 is larger. Check The Thread Exchange for some size comparisons and other information about thread. I was slightly surprised to learn that size #346 (considered a rather heavy thread) is actually smaller than the regular hand-sewing thread I normally use(d) -- which was smaller than what I had been previously using! From what I've gathered, many holster makers, like Randy, do not even always use size #346 for stitching a holster.

Here are a couple pictures of a piece of leather that was exposed to fluorescent light. I'm not sure how useful this could be, as it took a very long time (months) for this to occur. . . Edit: After reading bentley's post above, I can see why it took so long. Micah

Thanks for posting such fine work. What size and type of thread do you use on those? Micah

Those are very nicely-made -- the clever flap tooling adds an interesting, custom touch. I especially like the neat stitching and overall clean look, though . . . Is it hand stitched or machine stitched? If you don't mind my asking, what size and type of thread did you use? EDIT: I'm going to guess they're stitched by hand just by how the thread lies and the way the stitch spacing appears to vary just slightly. I would actually like my stitching to look this good. . . Thanks for posting. Micah

Exactly. . . what I was referring to was the fact that your stitch line itself parallels the edge very nicely, especially on the front. Thank you for the advice. Micah

Yeah, I end up using a pair of pliers stitching together two layers of 8/9 oz and one layer 4/5 oz. I'm figuring I need to use a smaller needle. . . Thanks for the comments, Savage. I just see work like yours, Rocky's, Handwerker's, and others' and end up wondering how you get such beautifully clean and straight stitch lines. . . I don't have a stitch groover, but I usually try to put a crease along the edge for the thread to ride in. Does the use of a groover make it easier to keep the holes so straight and parallel to the edge? Again, thank you for posting. I appreciate the sharing of such fine craftsmanship. Micah

+1 As usual, Savage, your stitching stands out beautifully. . . very professional and straight. Can you share any special tricks you use to achieve this? Thank you. Micah

Once again, I missed your reply (maybe the topic subscription feature isn't quite working?). . . Thanks again for the help. I ended up using a brush kind of like this one to really scuff up the grain side before applying the cement. That's great advice, and it makes a whole lot of sense. I remember seeing a post or two on The Crispin Colloquy regarding using several coats of cement. I used DAP Weldwood -- which, as far as I know, isn't listed as a footwear-construction cement -- so I wanted to be sure it would hold well. . . ( I'm crazy, really ) The first coat was heavily thinned with lacquer thinner, the second was not so thin, and the final coat was full strength cement. Here are a couple pictures that may help illustrate the three-layer construction: A third and final layer of leather (4-5 oz.) was cemented to the second layer, so the EVA sole would be cemented to the sandal across it's entire surface (in hopes of the best adhesion. . .?) Then all three layers were saddle-stitched together (yeah, it was a little difficult.) Finally, the sole was cemented in place, trimmed, and sanded; and the leather edges were dyed and finished. I guess I'm pleased with how the sandals look. I wish I could say they work perfectly and are comfortable. . . but they definitely are not. The strap by the toe and the heel piece are quite uncomfortable. The straps are 3/4" wide, 8-9 oz leather with smoothed/finished backs and edges (to some degree anyway), but even after oiling them and wearing for a day, I would have to seriously consider the project. . . unsuccessful. Anyway, many thanks to Jordan (topic 1, topic 2) and Serendipitydesigns (Roman Sandals) for inspiration, ideas, and material sourcing. And thank you again, Paul, for all your great advice as well! Micah

Here's a good topic about finishing edges: Hidepounder's Edge-Finishing Tutorial

Thank you so much, Paul, for all this great advice! And that relates to my next question. There are three layers of veg-tanned leather cemented together, so at some point the grain sides of two pieces will need to be roughened enough to adhere to the next layer. The way I'm constructing it, two of the pieces will be cemented grain side to grain side. I figure it would have been better to layer them flesh side to grain side, but either way, it seems the surface needs to be roughened enough to produce a good nap and open the tighter grain-side fiber structure to provide that more porous surface for the cement, as you mentioned. What can I use to scratch up the grain sides so the cement will provide a strong hold? I tried using 60-grit sandpaper and even a coarse wood rasp, but they do not seem to cut deep enough. . . Thanks again, Micah

I'm making some sandals and plan to use Birkenstock EVA soles. What is the best way to attach the EVA soles to the veg-tanned footbed? Should they be glued and stitched, or is glue by itself sufficient? If only gluing, what do you all recommend as the best glue for this application? Micah

I did not see it listed as ballistic nylon, but McMaster-Carr has closed-cell foam with an abrasion-resistant nylon backing.

What is the correct way to attach this type of turn lock? Here are some pictures of how mine looks after attaching: As you can see in the last two pictures, the plate for the turn knob does not seem to be clinched down tight enough, as it can be shifted somewhat; and the knob can lift a little from the leather. By the way, the plate attachment for the knob is on the inside of a pocket, so I don't think I can really use a hammer. . . Any advice would be appreciated.

Can anyone recommend where to purchase good quality line 20, Segma, and parallel spring snap setting tools? I have the "Deluxe" Snap-All/Rivet Setter set from TLF, but the line 20 setter does not flare the eyelets as I think it should (I use my Press-N-Snap for the line 24 snaps, and it works very nicely). I have some line 18 snaps purchased from Montana Leather Company, (the sockets have DOT stamped on them, so I assume they are actually DOT Segma Snaps -- not the "segma-style" from TLF), but my stud setter is too small to fit over these line 18 studs. . . Fasnap sells line 20 and parallel spring snaps, but neither they nor DOT list the appropriate hand setting tools for them. . . Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Micah

That looks very cool, Dwight; thanks for sharing. I like that idea better than buying one from Harbor Freight. For what is that material under the bottom rubber pad? terrahyd, you can buy the gum rubber from McMaster-Carr. L'Bum

It looks to me like a Pull The Dot snap with the stud attached using a tee nut, as Luke said. McMaster-Carr sells a variety of tee nuts in bulk quantities.

I appreciate the help. Luke, could it be any of the Renia products, or perhaps a cyanoacrylate glue called Fast Fix? I think the sole is rubber, but apparently there are several different materials used for shoe soles, so I'm not entirely certain. . . Would something like Shoe Goo or E6000 work? Some suggestions for gluing gum rubber soles (here) recommended applying super glue to the rubber, and then regular contact cement after that had dried. . . and also heating the contact cement before adhering. . . Thanks again.

Thanks, Luke. Are you maybe thinking of the Renia Colle De Cologne. . . or perhaps Shoe Goo? I tried the Barge cement (new TF formula) before I saw your post and was a little surprised at how thick it was. I'm not sure if it's an old tube of glue or if that's just how it normally is -- or perhaps I didn't use it properly -- but it did not seem to work well at all. Now I have to clean off the glue and try something else. . . Does anyone know where to get the Renia glue, or should I just try Master's?

I believe he's referring to the Bick 4 conditioner which you would use to mix with the dye color of your choice. . . I still don't think that will give the deep penetration that is needed on a gun holster, though. In fact, what has just been described reminded me of a very frustrating problem I encountered with a first-aid kit cover. After the leather had dried from wet molding, I first tried soaking it with dye (Fiebing's Pro Oil) by pouring the dye all over it, but because that did not produce as deep penetration as I wanted, I actually dipped (more literally soaked) the molded piece in a tub of dye (it took a long time to penetrate deeper into the leather, and it still was not fully struck through from what I could tell). When dry, while the dye coverage was acceptable (see first picture), now I wanted to re-shape the piece somewhat. . . So I wet it with water again, and that's when it turned terribly blotchy (second picture). It seemed like no matter how much more dye or denatured alcohol I applied (I even soaked it in water again), the color would not even out to what it originally had been. I think I ended up over-oiling the piece attempting to restore it after so much dye and alcohol, but eventually the coverage did seem to improve. . . I'm wondering if only dampening the leather with the water-- rather than entirely soaking it -- is what caused/causes the splotching. . .? I concluded that it would have been better to pre-dye the leather (getting deeper penetration from the start) and mold it using the moisture from the dye, or to completely re-saturate it in water when I had wanted to shape it again. Anyway, I would be interested to hear others' experiences and advice on how this can be avoided. Micah

OK, so now I need to repair the toe area of that same boot (believe it or not). The upper (is that what it's called?) has come apart from the sole a few inches, but it seems simple enough to apply contact cement (new formula Barge) and press into place. Will that work all right? I just thought I'd ask first in case there is something else I should/could do in addition to or instead of this. . .