Hardrada

For edging, a lot depends on the temper. Hard temper edges well, medium is a crapshoot, and soft, forget it.

I have these two: https://www.goodsjapan.com/craft-sha-36mm-japanese-traditional-lethercraft-skiver-utility-leather-knife/a-19138 https://www.goodsjapan.com/kyoshin-elle-leathercraft-utility-leather-knife-rounded-french-curved-blade/a-20198 No modifications. And I learned to skive with the bevel up: probably not the best practice, but ah well. I use the curved one more for trimming than for skiving.

Yeah, I was gonna say thumbnail logo would be OK. Either that or a label that can be removed. Another way to promote the maker could be a printed, small piece of paper with "Care for your Pouch" instructions with the maker's logo and info on the back, inside the pouch. The seller can choose to throw it out, but if it's got care instructions it's likely he'll leave it in.

Thinner leather.

Yes, it is. It's great to work with, skives very nice, and burnishes very well. Just make sure your nails are well-clipped because it marks easily. Excellent for small projects: Chromexcel is a bit more—well, I'll just say 'different'. I'd 'practice' on the Badalassi first.

Is it removable? I've always wondered how you're s'posed to wash a leather-covered flask.

I use closed-cell foam for my slings. https://www.grainger.com/product/GRAINGER-APPROVED-Water-Resistant-Closed-Cell-5GCF1?opr=APPD&analytics=altItems_5GCF2

I glue the panels in place and then punch: no problem lining holes up that way. Care should be taken, though, if you have too many layers or if they are too thick (which they shouldn't, but in case they are), because when punching through hamburgers the chisel has a tendency to get a slant, and then you end up with this: With thick layers it's best to make a test run on scraps, and then tilt the chisel ever so slightly in the opposite direction of which you've seen it tends to go. Or, easier, cleaner, but more time consuming: hit the chisel gently so that the hole is made only on the first layer, and once you've finished half-punching all your holes, finish them with a diamond awl: put the project on a cork board and make sure the awl is perfectly perpendicular to the board. It helps if you mark a line on the other side with your dividers, and check periodically to make sure the awl is coming right on the line. [BTW: all this is predicated on gluing the panels in place: don't try this with loose panels or on individual panels.]

It happens. That's one reason I always use thread that is the same or close to the same colour as the leather: easier to conceal stitches that are off. Of course, this might not help you if your artistic vision for a project demands contrasting colours. Then again, dark on dark makes the sheath less conspicuous, more... ooo tactical! Also, I've found that when using two-prong chisels along a curved line, if you follow the standard practice of using the last punched hole (last two punched holes, actually, but with a two-prong you can only use one hole) as a guide to avoid a crooked line, the required slant can make you end up making the last hole(s) larger and rounder when you punch. My approach to prevent that is to just mark the next hole on the curve or corner with the two-prong, and then use the mark and the line made with the dividers to place the second hole, then punch; then repeat. Thus, I'm punching the two holes at a time without touching the previous ones. If worse comes to worst, and the curve is too steep or I'm reaching the starting point and the prong is gonna leave too long a space between the last and the first hole, I make the last hole manually midways with a diamond awl.

Lost me at the photo of the label which shews the provenance. Thanks for posting that, though. So many manufacturers and even reviewers nowadays gloss over or go to extents to hide where things are made, which pretty much tells you where indeed.

I'd try attaching the strap more towards the edge, way away from the journal area: few things more vexing than a trying to write over a lump. I think you nailed it in the first one of your series.

W&C is what I've used. I'm thinking of ordering some latigo and using that instead/too. IMHO, the ideal leather for belts is something that has firm temper, and that has been imbued with oils and waxes (such as English bridle) so that it resist water and the elements better, even before you apply a finish. I hear latigo is just the thing for outdoorsy gear and wear. I don't stamp and I don't dye, so natural veg tan is not a requirement for me.

English bridle.

https://www.goodsjapan.com/seiwa-diamond-leather-stitching-chisel-leathercraft-pricking-iron-tool-2x3mm/a-19396 https://www.goodsjapan.com/seiwa-diamond-leather-stitching-chisel-leathercraft-pricking-iron-tool-4x3mm/a-20773 https://www.goodsjapan.com/leathercraft-items/pricking-irons-stitch-punches/seiwa-diamond-leather-stitching-chisel-leathercraft-pricking-iron-tool-10x3mm/a-20974 They also have them in 4 mm for thicker thread, and in 2.5 mm for small leather goods. Seiwa are inexpensive, yet top notch, durable chisels. Don't be put off by their unappealing, almost raw looks: they're VERY good quality. That's what I use for 4 mm spacings. I started out with 3 mm Tandy ones, but replaced them with 3.38 mm KS Blade last summer. Goodsjapan.com has tons of excellent leathercraft tools, Japan-made, and very good quality at very good prices. What else can one ask for? I've gotten my skiving knives, leather stamps, Kyoshin Elle edgers and diamond awl, plus other tools from them. Never disappointed.

PDF has to be saved as 'editable' by the program used to create it in order to be editable in other programs. Not all PDFs meet this criteria. For those that are not editable, you can import them ('place' them in Adobe's terminology) into a new file and then trace over them, same as you do when digitising logos or raster images.

Corel Draw is still available as perpetual licence, i.e. a copy. Does the same things as Illustrator. If you've never used Illustrator you won't have a problem 're-adapting' to a new/different interface. I'm still using CS4—for what I do, it's enough. If you want perpetual licences you'll have to scour ewwBay for used media.

I tend not to comment on stamped pieces because it's just mostly boring floral designs, but this... Just capital!

Folded-over edge or French binding. Burnishing chrome tan is just a waste of time and an exercise in frustration. The only thing it's helpful for is to increase your lexicon so that you'll baffle a sailor.

Gotcha. Yeah, it looked too nifty to be Edge Kote, lol. I got Uniters paint from RML; should produce similar results, methinks. Did you use a machine to burnish such as a Regad, or was it all slicker and elbow grease?

What did you use for the superb edges?

Capital! Now, for the cutlass baldric!

Licked it? No. Spit into my anatomical snuff box and then dip my finger in the saliva therein and apply it onto an edge? Yes. Not my standard practice, though. For the important things in life, there's saliva; for anything else there's Tokonole.

Not a zipper expert myself, but I reckon you need the stops: https://www.buckleguy.com/riri-zipper-stops/ Of course, you need to buy the stops that fit your zipper (YYK, or whichever brand it is).

Another item would be cut-resistant gloves.