TomE

I use mostly HO bridle leather and it bleeds a little dye when I wet form buckle turns or rounded straps - not to the extent you describe. If I split the pasted back off bridle leather then I usually reseal it with this flexible water based adhesive. I use a glass slicker to work it into the flesh side. It leaves a matt finish similar to a pasted back from the tannery. I think this would stop the bleed from the flesh side. It doesn't accept dye well if it gets on an edge before dyeing.

Thanks for the article, @chuck123wapati. Lots of good information about the chemistry of tanning and currying leather. I understand @SUP's point about the difference between producing leather and maintaining it with a conditioner, but I find it helpful to know what the starting point is at the tannery. Wish we had a reference section of this forum for depositing and downloading useful articles, book chapters, etc. I maintain my own collection but it is obviously not all-inclusive and it's fun to see what others turn up. Linen thread most certainly can rot. When repairing tack, I see linen thread that has deteriorated after decades of use. I don't know if it's caused by mold, a chemical used to maintain the tack, or something else. Coating linen thread with beeswax is supposed to help protect it, but for how long? There was a recent post asking where to find linen thread and the OP noted that Barbour has gone out of business. Campbell-Randall Corp. has a limited selection of Barbour thread. For hand sewing tack I mostly use bonded nylon thread from my machine, and for heavier weights I use waxed polyester thread from Maine Thread Co.

One knock against vegetable oils and olive oil is they attract rodents at least for tack stored in a barn. I would also consider lanolin as a vehicle for fats/waxes in a conditioner. Aussie conditioner and Effax Leder Balsam cause very little discoloration in comparison to Bick 4 or Black Rock Leather-N-Rich in my experience.

I think mineral oil is chemically inert and unlikely to react with anything in the leather. My concern would be the solvent-like properties of any oil applied to leather and the potential for over lubricating the fibers (spongey leather) and/or the potential to displace waxes, tannins, etc. The ideal oil would be readily absorbed so as not to remain on the surface and it would not change the temper of the leather, or do so in a controlled manner with additional applications. For me, neatsfoot oil fills the bill.

The care of vegetable tanned leather has different requirements than skin care. The leather has been exposed to harsh extremes of pH and reactive chemicals that break down the collagen fibers then bind them together with tannins. Oils and waxes are infused in the currying process to seal the leather and add suppleness. Oiling and conditioning aims to add back moisture and fats/waxes without removing what was introduced during the tanning processs. Are petroleum products OK to use? Yes and no. The Stohlmans mention in their Encyclopedia of Saddle Making that they made generous use of neatsfoot compound to good effect. Neatsfoot compound is a mixture of neatsfoot oil and petroleum based oils. They also mention that pure neatsfoot oil is preferable. Silicon oils are found in lots of leather care products including Fiebings Saddle Oil and Mink Oil. Great for waterproofing and softening leather. There is also too much of a good thing. Soaking leather tack in neatsfoot oil causes the leather straps to become permanently spongey and sticky to the touch. In my view the best products have limited ability to penetrate the leather and displace tannins, waxes, and other stuff we paid for when buying quality leather.

Very nice, sturdy looking halter. I like the fancy design on the cheeks.

It's standard practice to dye the edges of leather that has been dyed at the tannery and your edge treatment can really enhance the look of a bag - worth your time and some experimentation. I've never used an edge paint but I'd be concerned about how flexible it is and if it would wear well. My vote would be to test whether the edge can be burnished with something like Tokonole or Martin's Edge Solution. If it can be burnished then I would dye and burnish the edges instead of painting.

My favorite edge dye is a 50:50 mixture of Pro Dye and Martin's Edge Solution. Dye and burnish in one step, similar to the traditional dye/glue mixes that @jcuk posted. The Martin's Edge Solution smells a bit like acrylic floor wax but the burnished edge remains permeable to additional coats of dye. I finish the edge with a waxy conditioner or hot beeswax. Don't know what's in Edge Solution, but in my experience it produces more consistent results for bridle leather edges than other methods I've tried.

You might enjoy Harry Rogers' book on shoe making. It is a detailed guide. (I haven't attempted making shoes) https://www.amazon.com/MAKING-HANDMADE-SHOES-STEP-STEP/dp/B0BM57TF35 His YouTube videos put a smile on my face.

What type of machine, thread size, leather? Campbell Randall has a limited selection of Barbour linen thread.

Reminds me of a grownup version of the tennis ball cannons we built as kids, powered by lighter fluid. One idea for the case is to incorporate 1/4" plywood in the bottom to prevent sag. A number of the larger cases in Stohlman's book have wooden reinforcements, usually sandwiched between leather layers. Is this an AGM type battery?

That's a smart looking bag and my wife would approve of the flap closure. Nice Work.

Might ask Springfield Leather. They do a lot of custom work and have a band splitter.

Saw a hay barn fire a few years ago while traveling along I-70 in Missouri. No one was on site and I think the fire was just starting. Next time I traveled that way the barn was gone. That's caused by microbial growth in the wet hay. My main hay supplier has a moisture tester on his baler that reads out % moisture content as the bales are produced. His hay doesn't sweat in the barn. Another reason round bales are popular is the whole process is mechanized and one person can produce and store the hay. It's getting hard to find kids who want to earn money bucking hay bales on a summer day.

That's an odd diameter for a sanding sleeve. https://www.mcmaster.com/products/sanding-sleeves/ Perhaps you could switch to a standard size sanding drum on your arbor. I buy sleeves for my Cobra sander/burnisher from McMaster-Carr. They sell sanding drums as well.

Fun to try out different tools and learn new skills. That’s what it’s all about.

I just received a Gomph #12 and Osborne #10 overstitch wheels. Thinking about switching from pricking irons to these for bridlework. Faster and easier on the pocketbook.

I’ve been pleased with the Rocky Mountain European style pricking irons. I rarely use the 2-tooth iron and just tip and tap lightly. I assume you’re marking holes and sewing with an awl.

Received my spring punch from CSO today. Yes, they sent a new #0 punch tube with taller threads, and didn't do anything to the frame. I will sharpen the tube and be in business. It is a good size for Weaver's stamped bridle buckles.

Looks like a beast of a machine. Should be fun to work with.

That's beautiful and unique! Lots to take in regarding its construction and finish. The copper "peak" reminds me of my father who worked with copper and silver as a hobby. I use his polished hammer and few other tools in my leatherwork. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful work, @Mulesaw! Your machine (and its operator) do a nice job sewing. Maybe you'll be supplying halters for the German sport horse market? Mary and our trainer are headed to Wisconsin this morning with 2 mares and their foals for a foal inspection. This is a "keuring" for the North American Dutch Warmblood (KWPN-NA) breed registry. These are jumper colts who will be weaned in a month or two. I think they're taking one bridle I made and everything else is ordinary purchased tack. It's like the cobbler's children going barefoot.

Thanks, Bruce. The tubes that screw easily into my frame appear to have the taller thread. In the picture below, the tube that fits is on the bottom and the tube that doesn't screw in is on the top. The frame was purchased about 4? years ago with a set of tubes that fit the frame. In 2022 I purchased a size #0 and #00 tube from Springfield Leather. The #00 fits my frame, and the #0 shown here does not fit. Perhaps the size #0 tube is the older style and everything else I have is the newer style? Here is a picture of the frame. The threads appear rough and flat, like they're not cut in fully. CSO didn't respond to my question about what size tap I should use to chase the threads. I sent them my frame and punch tubes as requested. I'll report back on what they return to me. I will try the steel wool polishing tip. Not sure if I can make an effective Q-tip small enough for the #0 and #00 tubes. Turns out that the #0 is my favorite size for stamped steel bridle buckles.

Do you recall when I was trying to rethread a hardened Osborne punch tube and you advised me about annealing, heat treating, and tempering? Worked great, except the inside of the tube developed scale(?) and tends to clog. I've tried polishing inside using a thread coated with compound but maybe haven't tried enough. Bruce Johnson recommended tapping out the punch frame to fix this mismatch of old and new Osborne punch tubes. This is a spring punch that holds a single tube. Finally got back to this project and called CSO to ask what size tap I should use. Their "technician" replied that I should just send in the frame and tubes. So I'm waiting to see what they come up with.

When you make a made-to-measure item based on the client's measurements then the client decides that the original item they took the measurements from wasn't a good fit after all.