Nikos69

Google image search for royalty free, black & white vector designs or you can also buy various designs from places like Etsy for a good price.

My usual routine is to dye first (lighter colors to get more contrast), then engrave and finish last with bag kote or resolene. This is my routine for making patches. Haven’t tried antiquing a laser project, but I would try a test piece that is dyed and resisted first. Have the laser engrave, and burn away the resist which should hopefully create mask to allow the engraving to absorb the antique and wipe away from unwanted areas. For color filled projects, I apply masking tape (vinyl free) to my project, engrave, airbrush and then apply a finish.

Etsy brings in the most sales and that's because my Shopify site is only a couple months old. Shopify has brought in a handful of sales on its own but I've been using it more to sell custom requested items to people on Instagram and avoid the Etsy fees. Etsy has its good and bad points but I'm frustrated with their BS policies which hurts the true artisans and helps the vendors that sell mass produced items as "handmade".

IG: NikosLeather / site: NikosLeather.com

I make custom cigar cutter cases that get worn daily that are dyed black with Fiebing’s Pro and some are accented with Angelus acrylic paints. I used to get the streaks until I started applying multiple thin coats to build up the color and finish with resolene. I haven’t had a problem with chipping. I also airbrush various products with custom colors instead of the limited hues I get with dyes and doing multiple light coats definitely works better than a thicker coat. Same goes for painting the edges with Angelus paints…. multiple light coats with sanding in between and top off with an acrylic finish.

If you’re going to make large batches, you’re better off with a laser system that can crank out multiple units per session. An enclosed system that will vent out the fumes would be ideal. K40, as mentioned above, would be the entry level but you may also need to make various adjustments and/or upgrades to get it to work consistently.

300 C? Damn, I do most of my hot foil projects around 100 C. I use brass stamps and and accidentally had the foil flipped once. I put 1000 grit sandpaper on my marble slab and removed all sediments by rubbing the stamp in a circular motion.

I've been using 5mm and even 6mm chisels with 5oz (2mm) leather on a daily basis for years now. Not sure why everyone is knocking it. Spacing and thread size is the maker's decision for the look they want to achieve with a given product.

Nice carving and use of a stoic quote.

I got a decent deal which included freight. Timing sucked since Techsew sold out and it took almost a month to get delivered from Canada. Transaction was smooth and the company is legit. The owner might be a bit rough around the edges but he took care of me. Machine is well built and has lots of bells & whistles. I would definitely recommend getting a speed reducer as the minimum start up speed was a bit quick for my taste. I ended up ordering the pulley and belts and installed it myself. Chose a cylinder arm in case I start making bags in the near future but have been using it lately to sew leather patches on hats. Theres a learning curve for dialing in the correct tension and since I work mostly with veg tan leather, I also clipped the presser foot tension spring to decrease the track marks. That being said, it doesn’t get as much use at the moment as I thought since most of my orders are for hand sewn items.

On thin leather, 2 - 4 oz, Tokonole does a great job.

I was in the market for a steel rule die and searched online -- preferably for a local shop in NJ. After contacting 3 companies for quotes, 2 responded and one had the better price. I sent out my emails in the evening and by next morning, Eric from http://ruleonedies.com was the first to respond. He quoted me a good price, paid via paypal and was surprised to get an email the next day that it was shipped out. So, it took just 2 days from emailing a design to receiving my finished die. That's some insanely fast turn-around time. I ordered the steel rule in a clear base. I printed my Adobe Illustrator file onto paper and clicked over it with the die -- exact match! The die is sharp but I need two passes on my Weaver Might Wonder press to get the full knock-out due to the size. So, in summary: http://ruleonedies.com - good communication - good prices - very fast turn-around time

No problem. If the time comes and you need to upgrade to a machine, or if you're in the NJ area, you can come by my shop and I can show you how some tips and tricks for sewing fur. Nick

I have a few extra Bonis machines for sewing fur complete with table if you’re interested. They were the most popular models in the fur district in NY

I have a spare Bonis Never-Stop machine (complete with table) that I don't use. I may also have a few a spare heads as well. If you're willing to make a trip to NJ you'll save quite a bit of $$ Edit: just noticed that you're in Vancouver Island. Never shipped an item this big before so I don't have any clue about that. Nick