TomE

That's a handsome bag with a nice finish. I like the stitching, the handle, and how you attached the shoulder strap.

Smooth operator. Looks like a success story.

No offense taken. This job requires a sense of humor and I love working outdoors, except during a heat dome or polar vortex.

Beiler's Manufacturing sells line 24 snaps in 1/4" and 5/16" lengths. Can cheat a little and bevel/skive around the hole to recess the base of the snap.

Might be tricky to get good results with aluminum rivets using a manual rivet setter(?). I have replaced solid aluminum rivets that secure the billets to the tree of a dressage saddle using a domed rivet setter like the one shown below. It fits in an air hammer and is handy for directing the peening blows straight on the axis of the rivet. I set 3/16" solid aluminum rivets with a washer/burr using this setup and it was fairly foolproof. Need to support the back face of the rivet with a bucking bar or small anvil/dolly. McMaster-Carr sells a variety of aluminum rivets and setters. PS For halter buckles, I would sew them on. Rivets can pull out.

Boss says I might get a promotion before they put me in the old folks home. I trained for years at a desk job shoveling horse sh*t, never dreaming that I'd make the big show shoveling the real thing. This is better. Thanks, Jonas. The harness leather burnishes more easily than the HO bridle. I guess the waxes in the leather help the process. I can only blame myself for my previous stretchy belt. It was not heavy enough to stand up to the heat and humidity - was always damp. Thank you. I am all about sewing fixed loops and buckles on bridles, but I did manage to get some uneven stitches on this belt.

Thank you all for your kind remarks. I've learned a lot from the members of this forum. Sewing is almost as much fun as learning.

I got tired of my stretchy work belt and phone clips that break, so I made a couple of accessories for my day job as assistant mucker at Maefield Farm. The belt is made from 10 oz Hermann Oak chocolate harness leather with a liner. The phone case is made from 5-6 oz "oil tanned" leather from the SB Foot Tanning Co. The case was constructed around a block of closed cell foam, glued and sewn at 10 stitches per inch. The edges of the belt and case are sealed with beeswax.

I think you could adapt the method for laced reins to make this pattern. Would decrease the spacing between holes and perhaps use a lacing chisel (or a sharpened screwdriver), instead of a round hole punch, on the outer holes of the pattern. This would help to keep the lace lying flat. I'd make lace out of the leather of your choice, about 1/8" wide of 5 oz thickness. I would use bridle leather for some stiffness and tap it with a polished hammer to set the shape. Here's how laced reins are laced:

Very pretty! I Iike the colors and the craftsmanship is first rate.

I regularly sew padded straps as shown in your picture using TSC-441 clone (Cobra Class 4). I typically sew 1-2 layers of 9-10 oz bridle leather over a pad of 1/8" neoprene wrapped with 4-5 oz chrome tanned leather. The pad turns out fine with a #25 needle and #277 thread. I make English tack as well, and prefer to hand sew bridles, reins, and most repairs. I use the 441 machine mainly for halters, and it did a good job sewing new shearling on a surcingle (8-9 oz strap).

Beiler's lists the lengths and widths of their bag punches in their catalog. Probably standard widths. Beveling the edge of the slot with a fine edger on the flesh side can help fit the tongue in the slot.

Hide house has a 4 oz FOC (free of chrome) leather in pistachio, a slightly darker green. https://www.hidehouse.com/Leather/Aspen-Cow-Full-Grain-Semi-Aniline-Finish-AS15-P.asp As best I can tell, this is similar to a chrome tanned hide but using other minerals in place of chromium.

That's a neat job of installing zippers. Looks very professional.

If you can't find a local sharpening service, you might check with Leather Machine Co. They offer sharpening of the hollow ground blade for their Class 14 splitter. @bruce johnson sharpens blades for Osborne manual splitters and might be able to help you out.