Chris623

I use the "four points of the compass" method, much as you recommend. Just didn't think of it as the same as 20 seconds under constant pressure.

I had no idea the Gray Tandy press had that much compression power. Still, it's about 7 times what I can afford right now. I've decided to just use my 20 Ton hydraulic press. I'll need to "accurize" it some so the beam that travels up and down doesn't have any slop. Other than that, I think it will do quite nicely. I do find your comment about having to "hold it there for about 20 seconds" interesting. When we use a stamp on leather............any of the hand-held impression stamps...........it is only pressed into the leather the amount of time the hammer is hitting it. Why would a maker's mark have to be held under pressure for 20 seconds?

The only material I plan (at this stage) to be using is Veg tan. My primary focus is knife sheaths for my custom knives.

In talking with some leather workers, they are saying a typical maker's mark would need at least a 1 1/2 Ton arbor press. I don't know anything about Tandy's presses.

Thanks, toxo.

Yes, I could, Chuck............but it would be hard to maintain precision/repeatability. Fred, I'd love to have that Tandy press, but can't afford it. If I could afford that, I could buy several of the Arbor Presses that are on the used market in my area.

I asked this question on another forum, but have received no answers. You guys seem willing to answer questions, so here goes. How do you press your maker's mark in sheaths? I know I can take a 5# hammer and "whack" the mark in cased leather. How professional the results are will depend on how much rest I got the night before. (now that I don't drink, a hangover wouldn't be an issue) Then there is the Arbor Press. Nice, neat, clean, proper registration and uniform depth. Very professional. (don't own one and don't have any idea what tonnage it would take) Then, of course, there is the old standby H-frame hydraulic press. Mine is a 20 ton press from Harbor Freight. Needless to say 20 tons is far too much pressure for a delicate material like leather.............but it WILL work and I already own it. With no gauges there's no way to really reliably figure out when enough is enough. So what do you use to get consistently professional indentions in your sheaths and other leather working projects?

Use Blue Guns for your holster making. Lots less expensive than the real thing. Every holster maker I know uses them. http://www.bluegunstore.com/

Looks like the 3mm Pro series produces a "hair" more than 7 stitches per inch, measured point to point. I bought 0.8mm Tiger thread and have a #1/0 James Johns needles. Guess I'm just going to have to cut a piece of scrap leather, put it in my stitching pony and sew some stitches and see if I like it or not.

Sorry I'm just now seeing this. Thanks for showing the band.

Thank ya kindly, Sir.

Thank you for the picture for comparison. Very helpful.

Thanks, zuludog. Okay, the 3mm chisels will be put out to pasture until I decide to make something with thinner leather. Not wasted money spent, just money I didn't need to spend at this time. Yup, I understand the reason for the smaller vs larger number of prongs on the chisels. I watch a ton of Youtube videos and those you mentioned are always on my list. Thanks for the link JCUK, that was one I'd not watched from Weaver.

5 stitches/in on the holster in the picture, McCarthy. Thanks for the link and suggestion Thanks for all the info, zuludog. It helps a lot when someone takes the time to explain to me "why" they made the choices in tools and materials. You say the 3mm chisels are too close for sheaths? What would they be better used for? So based on what both you and McCarthy are saying, I probably need to be looking at 5mm. Hmmmmm.! When I first got started in my quest to learn to make sheaths, a good friend who makes both knives and sheaths sent me the 9-prong 3mm Craftool Pro chisel from Tandy's as an incentive to get started. When I went to get the 1, 2 and 4 prong chisels, I had to spend almost $75 for them! That hurt, but I like to have good matched sets when I'm putting together tools. I figured there might be some differences in spacing if I bought other brands. (it happens in all tools) Loads to learn............and lots of mistakes to make.

I don't have any examples..............because I've not started stitching yet. Edit: I have to correct myself. Didn't stop to think I'm carrying my EDC in a holster with the stitch I want to duplicate.

Right now the only thread I have is that big bulky waxed thread that came in the flea-bay "kit"...............which is why I asked the question in the first place. My primary goal in leather working is to make sheaths for my knives. I think I need 1 size needle and the thread that fits it. I've got 3mm slanted diamond pricking irons. I've spent (what to me is a lot) lot of money buying Tandy's Pro series and have a 1, 2, 4 and 9 prong irons. I don't really care to have to buy more. I haven't even looked at my James Johns harness needles that closely, so don't know if they are blunt or not. Brother, what a mess!

This is a good example of a newbie asking questions of folks who have experience with all this stuff. Everyone I ask has a different answer. Thanks for responding. I'm doing my best to learn about all of this, but it's not been easy.

I'm using Tandy's 3mm 88056 chisels. But forgive a newbie.................what does that have to do with finding a thread size to go through the eye of the needle???

I purchased a box of waxed thread, some needles and a few other items from flea-bay recently. I'm a newbie, so had no idea the majority of the contents were useless for my purposes. Later I was told to purchase James Johns #1/0 Harness needles for my sheath making. Tried the waxed thread that came in the box of (mostly) junk only to find I'd probably have more luck pushing an Elephant through the eye in my needles! So what size thread will go through the eye of my #1/0 needles? I'm using Tandy Leathers Veg Tanned Shoulders for material at present.

Well, I see an interesting watch and "part" of a watch band. If you wanted to show us your watch band, I'd think you'd lay it out on a table and show it.

WOW! That's nice.

Sorry 'bout dat! I figured pictures of a granite slab would be pretty "old hat" to a bunch of leather workers. But here goes.

Nope.............that's not me getting electrocuted ! It's my wife "thinking" I'm going to be electrocuted ! Cut my 12" x 24" piece of granite today............with water. Came out a whole lot smoother than the installers did with my cooktop opening. No chips to speak of. Took a piece of 180 wet/dry carbide sandpaper and gently eased the edges and corners and I've got myself a great work surface to stamp leather for my knife sheaths. It may be a little large, but who knows, I may have to make a pair of tooled chaps someday.

Looks as if these might be some options. https://duckduckgo.com/?q=bronze+or+stainless+steel+frames+%2F+Trees+and+boards+for+trooper+saddles&atb=v225-1&ia=web

Okay, thanks. Didn't know that.