MtlBiker

I've been using a hardware store awl in my (beginner) leather work. I've never seen a "scratch awl" and wonder if it's any different or somehow better. I'm not sure if it's worth ordering one, especially since I've never seen one. Thanks.

I guess I have to buy some black Tokonole. I can't remember where I bought my clear Tokonole... probably Amazon, because Tandy Canada doesn't even seem to carry Tokonole at all, only their "TandyPro Burnishing Solution"... Just found it on Amazon (Canada) and it's quite a bit more expensive than the clear. I don't have much choice but to order it online. Probably still cheaper than buying from a US supplier and paying exorbitant shipping. In terms of just plain edge finishing, is there a difference between using Gum Tragacanth or Tokonole? It may be my imagination but I felt the GT buffed to a nicer hard shine.

Thank you. So after your Edge Kote you just burnish and don't apply anything on top? I did some tests yesterday with Tragacanth first, burnish, Edge Kote, burnish and then Tokolone and maybe the Edge Kote wasn't dry enough (more than an hour) and a lot of the Edge Kote came off onto my burnisher and then onto the canvas I used to really shine it up. The edge did finish up looking quite good though.

Not sure if this would work for you or not, but I've bought a fair bit of bag hardware from Emmalinebags and it's very good quality. They have only one size of screw together oblong grommets so you should take a look. You might also consider adding your location to your profile so that folks may be able to suggest suppliers closer to you. Good luck!

Are you saying that the second TWO products are Tokonle? Just one black and the other clear? What would be the point of that? If you're right, then why not just use black Tokonole, omitting the final clear one? And you are calling that final milky-looking white product the clear Tokonole? When folks put out videos like that, most likely aimed at people learning the craft, it would be so nice if they identified the products they use in the video. Hmm... maybe that's in the Russian description... I'll see if Google Translate can help with that.

I just watched a YouTube video of making a Lighter Case and there's no voice or text in the video and the description is all in Russian. As a relative newcomer to leather work, I'm curious about what products he uses to finish the edges of the leather. He first applies something that looks like a clear gel, buffs it, then applies his edge paint and finishes up with a milky product and buffs again. Any idea what the clear product and final milky products might be? And would you agree that's the right way of finishing edges... first one product, buffing, then edge paint, and finishing with another product and buffing? I do have some edge paint but haven't had the chance to use it yet.

@suzelle - Wow! Most impressive! It looks so professional and well done! And congrats on the new machine! I'm envious. I dream of one day getting a nice new Juki. Do you know about the Upholstery Forum? I'm sure they'd love to see photos of the finished job.

@toxo - Great! Thank you! And your "in progress" bag looks like it'll be real nice. Thanks for the photos and the video... very helpful. (I bought the 1-ton arbor press.)

Welcome! I'm sure you'll find lots of helpful information here, as well as terrific members. I'm quite a beginner with leather myself and the folks here have been absolutely outstanding in giving helpful advice about everything leather related.

Thanks for the suggestion. The strap anchors I'm making will sandwich around the interior and exterior of the bag (clamping it so to speak) and will be riveted. The sandwich construction is meant to cover the side seam stitching at the top, where I did a bit of back stitching. And it's also what the video that I got these ideas from did. I'll show my finished product in a couple of days when it's finished. This will be the first bag of this design, of what I hope will be many. At least to my eye, it's the most gorgeous bag I've made yet.

@NeilMott - I stand corrected! Those ARE the Olfa blades that I was sure wouldn't work. But I guess they do in fact work. I would have expected them not to split the leather evenly (due to the snap off grooves) and that it might be hard to hold the blade in the correct position. But I just looked at that video and you're right. I does seem to work. Go for it! (Is that the same as the one in your eBay link? You're sure that one and the one in the video would take the same blades?)

Neil, I would be VERY surprised if that device uses those Olfa blades. Those are the 18mm utility knife blades that snap off in sections. We are very familiar with those blades and use them all the time in our (non-leather related) workshop. You mention seeing something about the blades on a YouTube video... I didn't see any mention of a video on the eBay product page. Like @fredk suggested, be very sure that replacement blades are easily available and at a reasonable cost.

Very good advice, Matt. Thank you. Other factors I would take into consideration would be repeat accuracy of the cut pieces and if it's a piece/component that would be used over and over in different projects. Meaning it doesn't have to be 100 pieces for the same style bag, but maybe 100 pieces spread out through multiple different projects. But I do agree that practicing skills is extremely important and that's what I will certainly be doing. I'm just working to finalize my template design and once I have that to my liking, I'll be cutting a bunch by hand just as you suggest. I also have to figure out if veg tan would be better for these strap anchors than the chrome tan used in the rest of the bag. And even though I'd have to dye and finish the veg tan, I think that by being able to nicely finish the edges would add to the appeal. But first to finalize the template and then practice practice practice. Cheers!

Thanks for the lead. I've already found a couple of places in the Montreal region that make these dies also, and it works better for me to order locally and then go and pick up. Cheers!

Yes, I saw that, and also thought it would work for my purpose. I've been checking Ebay Canada as well as Etsy, and haven't yet found one that I like enough to order. And I'd really prefer one that doesn't punch stitching holes. I know, I know... I'm hard to please. Thanks again!

Thanks. I'm certainly going to try cutting these, but I'd like to keep the curves because I think the thing would lay flatter with less chance of the corners catching on something and looks bad with use. The more I look at this, the simpler it looks to me. And gee, if the left side one doesn't exactly match the right side one, who'd ever notice?

Thanks Chuck, but I'm really going to either find someone local (or at least in Canada) that I can get clicker dies from, or find a supplier who already has something similar to what I"m looking for. Doesn't have to be identical but has to be nice. I'm sure that you (and most of the experienced members here) would have no trouble cutting out something like what I'm looking for, but that's a little beyond my present skills and tools. Plus I need to be able to make a bunch, with them all identical. Cheers!

Great info Fred... Thanks! As you'll see from this thread, I've ordered a 1-ton arbor press. I do have a rivet press, and I'm happy with it but don't think it's as good as the Tandy one you have. Mine is the DK93 from Kamsnaps. I hadn't realized that you could actually buy some pre-made dies... thanks for pointing that out. All I need right now is to make some rectangular ring holders that I'll rivet on my bag. Up until this one bag, I've just made a simple strap which I've enclosed within the outer and inner bag, or sewn something right on the gusset. But this design is going to look much better with a leather piece that is sewn and riveted wrapping around the inner and outer edges of the bag. And I'm really planning to make several like this so it's worthwhile to get some kind of die for quality and consistency.

@TomG - Great! So it's not that far-fetched an idea. I'm going to give it a try. I'm sure I'll be able to use the press for other things too, but I'm really hoping that I'll be able to get some dies made and use the press for that. Now I need to find a local source for dies and find out what I need to give them for the design. I don't have a CAD program but do have lots of graphics programs. @Dwight - Super! Thanks very much for pointing me to that video. Exactly what I needed. I've ordered the 1-ton arbor press. Cheers!

As a hobbyist and relative newcomer to leather working, I'm not ready to invest in a clicker press, nor can I afford one. But it would be nice to have some dies to cut repeating leather pieces. (And I have no idea how much it costs to have a die made.) And I'll certainly not ever be a high production maker. Is it at all feasible to use an arbor press with a die to punch out some small shapes? I can get a 1-ton press here in Canada for about $90, and 2-ton for $220. (Canadian) If I ever decide on a company name and logo, maybe I could also use that to press it into my leather. I'm not talking big dies... maybe 4" x 6" max? Or is it maybe possible to just put a die on top of the leather and use a mallet to push down and cut the leather? Am I dreaming? Is there a practical step between cutting entirely by hand and using a clicker press?

I'm working on a bag that is on the way to being the nicest I've ever made, but I'm a little stuck on one wee thing... I need to make or buy some small leather pieces to attach d-rings to my bag. I'd like to use something similar to the screen capture I'm posting and the problem is that my skill set isn't yet up to making these and/or maybe I just don't have the right tools to make them. And the bag I'm making uses 4oz chrome tan leather and I'd like for these to match. Do you know of any company that sells similar pre-cut little pieces? Probably veg tan that I could dye and finish to match the bag. It seems to me that such small things could be made and sold in bulk. In a perfect world I'd have a clicker press and a die exactly as I need. But alas, I have neither.

The Tandy leather pen recommended above sounds like what I'm looking for. In this particular case (where I got frustrated at not being able to mark as I wanted) it's a bag with drop in lining. The leather is chrome tan with the edges skived and then folded in. So the mark will not get stitched over nor burnished off. But I've got to tell you, I'm real excited about this latest bag I'm making. It's the most gorgeous bag I've made so far. I've still got to add grommets and make a shoulder strap but other than that It's finished. I'm stoked! Cheers!

Thank you... I hadn't seen that Tandy pen before. I'll get a couple on my next order. If it really wipes off easily as they say, it sounds like exactly what I need.

Is that really 100 pieces? Says there are only 2 left... it's a bit misleading as it could be 2 packs of 100 or just 2 units. Just call me skeptical. I'm going to visit an art supply store with a sample piece of leather to see if they have something that works.

Sometimes I need to mark where the alignment centers are and if I use an awl (either scratching or putting a dot) my fear was that it would be visible to the buyer of the bag. I haven't had any luck with pencils so far, but maybe I haven't used the right softeness of pencil. I might bring a sample piece of leather to an art supply store and try out a few different ones. Thank you.