tsunkasapa

Look into veg tan goat.

Beautiful. He should be very happy with it.

Just my take, but here it is. I have 7 swivel knives, ranging from really cheap up to a Barry King. I use them all for different things. But except for the one really cheap one I use for the nylon beveling blade, there really isn't enough difference to justify the prices on some of them. Others are going to chime in otherwise, but I've done this for going on 40 years, and if I were to start over again, I'd just get a nice mid-priced one like the old brass one I got at Tandy about 20 years ago. As for the Al Stohlman round knife, I found I had to thin the angle of the bevel. After that I've had no problems with mine. As with anything, others will tell you 'this', 'that', but it comes down to what works for you. A good craftsman can do good work with cheap tools, but expensive tools do not guarantee good work. That can only come from you.

Yoga mats from Goodwill. I use them to pad all sorts of things.

Great! It looks like it's coming back together for you.

Very nice, she will love it.

Oxalicacid is another cleaner/bleach. 1tsp to a pint of water

It certainly looks like something got spattered on the surface, with a couple of the spots looking smeared/wiped. But something is definitely resisting the dye. I'm surprised the acetone didn't take care of it.

Patience my friend. I lost a very good friend the first of the year, and it took me some time before I could fully get my head back into my projects. It is not something that can be forced. It will come in it's time.

Very nice. The colors are great.

Nice work all around. I just removed a rattler from my son's back yard. I use one of those 'extended reach' grabbers and a pillowcase. Then I transport them out away from the house and send them on their way.

It also helps to rinse the steel wool (again, for WOODWORKING) with alcohol to remove any oil.

It is probably metric.

Gray is all I've ever seen. It is THE #1 leather for hay chaps in my area, and I've dozens of them. If there was another color I would have found it.

I think fredk nailed it. Seal the leather WELL, apply the decal, seal over it.

Since almost everything I make is for heavy/outdoor use, I won't waste my time spraying dye. That is a surface treatment only. I mostly swab dye for deeper penetration. Dipping is good, but not everything can be done that way.

The bluish color indicates chrome tan. And most of these are meant for rugs, hence the thickness/stiffness. You could try skiving down the back, but it seems like a lot of work.

If it was new (not recycled) leather, I would ask why you used deglazer. In all my years of working with leather, I have never found a use for the stuff.

Congrats!

I have one I bought from Bob Douglas at the Pendleton leather show some years ago. I'd say that the odds of finding one are better out here in the West, but they are out there. Right place at the right time.

It may also have been run through a roller to help remove excess dye. I have a couple sides that have that 'fabric' look on the back.

I have not noticed that with any that I upload.

I'm almost 69, and when I was in Jr. High (55 years ago) the neighbor lady still used a team of mules around the farm, as did another person further up the canyon. And there were still a few horse logging operations around in those days.

Stoopid teknology!

It has been my experience that very little, other than ammo, is ready to use without some sort of tinkering.