esantoro

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Sandpaper-Sheets-Sil...7546&sr=8-9 ed

I went to the auto parts store to pick up some super fine grit sandpaper for honing knives and blades, but I didn't want to pay about $1.00 a sheet. I did some checking online. Amazon has 50-sheet packs of each grit for about $14 each plus a combined shipping of $10. I want only 20 sheets of each. If anyone is interested in buying some sheets off me at cost plus shipping, I'll put the order through. ed

Apologies for my unintended levity. I was just trying to justify my inability to afford what would be very nice to have. Aside: I'm actually growing quite fond of these $14.95 English paring knives from Talas, which recently moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn. http://apps.webcreate.com/ecom/catalog/pro...ProductID=18112 ed

I think Artisan has a French box attachment for the 441s. ed

$32 for an Osborne #70 or #71 or $195 for a very a unique custom knife. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

That is pricey, but it seems to be very well designed for skiving. Currently I'm using English and French paring knives to do my skiving but would like to get a round knife. ed

Thanks to this thread, I got the idea to glue some 8 oz veg tan to six inches of 2" x 4" as a strop for my pull-through six inch splitter. Very nice. I also decided to sharpen my splitter blade by dragging the sharpened bevel across 600 grit sand paper on top of a granite slab. I think I'll go to the auto parts store and get some finer-grain sandpaper. Prior to using the 2x4 as a stropping platform I had been using a fiber board clipboard. I now prefer the 2x4. ed

Bruce, It looks as if the flap has binding on the edges, but a separate binding leather hasn't been used. Instead, it looks as if you may have added extra width to the flap leather, skived about 1/2" all the way around, tucked in underneath the flap and stitched. Ed

Harvey did a great job tooling and Bruce did an awesome job with the construction. Bruce: Did you pare the edges of the flap, back panel, and front panel to create an integrated binding? Very nice. ed

Does anyone know if there is a difference between the black skife blades from Tandy and the silver skife blades from C.S. Osborne? All the dimensions are the same between the two. Does one hold an edge better than the other, or is there really no difference at all? Ed

Kevin referred me to The Engraver in PA. Call and ask to speak to Barbara--very nice and helpful. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...art=#entry99666 Ed

Thanks, Kevin. That looks like a great source. I'll call to see if they have smaller ovals. ed

Thanks, Rusty. Can I carry over losses for only my Schedule C leather business taxes: sales and expenses? Or must I show a loss for both my leather business and my W2 work? ed

Ohio Travel Bags in the U.S. has these solid brass double-capped rivets. They are made in Belgium and are called Jiffy Rivets, though I have seen others that look more like rapid rivets also called Jiffy Rivets. I don't know where you can get them in Australia. Depending on size, they run about $8 to $15 for a box of 100. You should be able to get a discount if you buy 1000 or more. ed

I know I have this information in my tax books, but I thought I'd ask, just in case some folks know this information as second nature. Are there particular tax forms I need to fill out in addition to, or to accompany, Schedule C for the following particulars? 1. Home office/workshop deduction. 2. Depreciation of machinery. 3. Startup expenses incurred prior to becoming an official Sole Proprietorship in 2008. Thanks for the help. Ed

I did some checking and calling around about the Kingsley and Kwikprint presses. The type for these are made out of zinc alloy and will not hold up well to embossing that requires some pressure. Take a good look at John's picture. The same can be made out of steel or brass. Imagine that you lay that holder with the type in place onto leather. Without being attached to something, it will topple to the right or left. Trying to hold the holder in place with fingers prior to applying pressure will likely result in the embossing being off center. Check out the branding iron section of Infinity Stamps. Ed

A set up of the sort John has posted is available and will cost around $500 and up. To be used with an arbor press, some type of attachment will be necessary to secure the plate to the square face of the arbor press so that the raised initials will be flush with the leather on initial contact. A square recess to fit the dimensions of the ram face with an allen-head bolt to hold everything in place should be enough. I've found that nothing smaller than a 2-ton arbor press should be used for this, as well as for an oval logo approx. 2" x 1.25". Ed

This can be done. The setup is around $500 and higher. There are also electric branding devices that will burn the characters into the leather. I like the idea of using brass plates and sending them out for engraving. The plates can then be riveted to the leather. ed

Does anyone know of a source for solid brass oval engraving plates with rivet holes on each end? I'd like to get some of these and send them out for engraving when the need arises. Ed

Grunt, When you talk to Steve, could you take notes and post what you find out here? The info would be a nice addition to the forum. Ed

Art's suggestions have made me think of some other issues: 1. Back off on the presser foot tension. 2. Check to make sure that the inner and outer feet are rising high enough but not too high for the thickness of the leather with which you are working. 3. There might be some variation among these 441 clones, but I like my stitch length setting for most work to be set right on the underscore beneath the "6". Just a few thoughts, ed

try tea tree oil on a cotton swab ed

nice work. I like notepads. ed

I'm making an educated guess here based on cross referenced descriptions between Weaver's catalog and Zack White's catalog. I think these two companies carry Midas Swivel knives, though perhaps not the one the brass and wood one you mention. ed

It appears that both Weaver and Zack White carry the Midas swivel knives. What's the reputation of these? I'm thinking of getting one. Ed