PastorBob

Absolutely stunning. Need to make one of those. I have drawn out a couple of patterns, just haven't pulled the trigger. How did you dye that large a piece?

nice belt. Definitely a fun hobby / business (if lucky). Where in MO are you located. I am in Carthage.

found this for tandy... https://tandyleather.com/pages/sale

Nice indeed.

May want to go through your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC). They are a National group that helps entrepreneurs start new businesses and see if they have any folks with interest.

I like that mottling on the leather. Pretty sharp, I am sure she will be pleased.

Does the revised one allow for a smoother draw when on your leg? Nothing like making an improvement to a design you weren't happy with. Very rewarding. Did you put the ammo loops on this one too?

Welcome to the group!

Thanks. Carsterone, reach out through my FB page or drop your email here (make sure to leave spaces, etc. so spam bots don't pick it up).

nicely done. Best of luck to you.

Welcome to the forum. Shoot me a PM and we can discuss.

I would like to air brush. Just don't have the setup for it now. I dip dye what I can. For me, it has given me the most consistent results. I use Feibing's Pro dye. It does use a lot more dye that way, and clean up can be a burger. But the results are good for me. Prior to that, I was using the wool dauber approach. For small pieces, that works fine, but the larger the leather, the more splotchy it became.

The answer is "sometimes". If they are real wrinkles, not just folds created in the rolling process, it was probably created during the tanning process. I have bought several rolls of leather where there were wrinkles. I have never tried to flatten them for carving / stamping purposes. My thought is that it may not be fully tanned. I normally look for imperfections in the leather when I select it at the store. This, to me, is considered an imperfection. When they are small enough, I will buy the roll, then the wrinkled part ends up in my scrap bin. I have noticed it more on the imports than after I started buying Hermann Oak. Although it can still occur on HO.

Welcome from SW Missouri USA

When I run into that problem, I have skived the area down to allow for more post to show.

It would be helpful to know your location, the States, Canada, Australia...lots of countries represented on the forum. If stateside, I have had great luck with Springfield Leather Company. They are super easy to talk with and will be more than helpful if you call them up and explain what you are wanting to create. Or, if there is a Tandy nearby, you could speak with them in person. Most of the folks working in these shops will be more than willing to guide you to your solution.

Thanks. How do you dye your project after wet molding? dauber? dip?

Great job. Love the double row of stitching. I have not tried doing that yet. Looks really nice.

Thanks for the quick reply. Now I have another question. I normally dye all my pieces before gluing / stitching. Do you dip dye yours? Why do you elect to dye after assembly?

Welcome to the forum! Sounds like a fun project! Are you planning on doing any tooling to the leather? Are you planning on stitching on it? One thought would be to get a 5/6oz vegetable tan leather piece from the local leather store. You can buy a good size piece for $45-$75 depending on sales of import leather. These will have a much slicker top surface due to the process in which they tan the leather. Or you can use Hermann Oak (a tannery) or Wickett-Craig (also a tannery) tanned in the US. The US made will be more pricey. The 5/6 oz is a good weight for the other projects you listed as well. If you decide to do tooling, make sure to tape the back with painter's tape or clear packing tape to keep it from becoming larger. As you make impressions with tooling, it will expand the size of your piece. If you decide you want to do some stitching, you could still use 5/6 oz. leather, or use two pieces of 3/4 oz. leather back to back. Hope this helps.

I haven't done any shows to sell my leather goods, but my normal rates are double material cost and $15 / hour labor. When I did shows for unrelated products, I bought sterilite containers with the attached lids. With the bins empty and lids open, they would nest. When full, they stacked neatly.

Interesting. What is the purpose of the "claw"?

It also depends on how much you are willing to shell out for a sewing machine. I was pricing electric machines, used, for around $900 and up. A really nice machine can run you several thousand. For that kind of money ($1000), at $10 an hour for labor, would equate to 100 hours of hand sewing. I have been hand sewing for 4 years and have not come close to 100 hours. But I am just a hobbyist, hoping to sell some to pay for my next leather / dye / tool purchase. I am mostly going into the hole though. The main thing is, I enjoy developing new patterns, watching other artisans via YT or in person, and of course, creating something new, whether for myself or a friend or loved one and seeing their smiles and appreciation.

No, but less belly up front helps. LOL. I don't use any stiffeners. I know some have used thin metal, especially on gun belts.

Great idea, @chuck123wapati. I like the rivets at the top corners as well.