PastorBob

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.

Wow. Impressive. I don't see the bad mark either. No one else will either.

Thanks...I have the 3mm forks, but only have .8 and 1mm threads....gonna have to increase my thread inventory. Again, nice job!

Nice job on tooling. Love the red contrast on the inside. What thickness thread did you use and what size stitching forks did you use?

Good luck with the knee surgery. Make sure to do the PT. Huge plus. Nice work on the belt. Glad you were able to put to use the buckle. That is sharp.

Those inside curves are a beast to keep a clean edge on when cutting out with just a blade. Stitching looks pretty good. Thanks for sharing. Also love the backdrops.

Welcome from SW Missouri. Looks like someone may have access to a laser printer as well. You will find a wealth of knowledge here for sure.

That's a pretty cool design. As for stitching, if everything is aligned properly, and you keep your chisels perpendicular to the work, you should have no issues punching from the outside. For non-veg tanned leather, I use straight tokonole to burnish. On thinner pieces, I will either just apply with my finger and lightly rub on it so not to apply much pressure and that seems to work, or after applying it, lay it down on a flat surface and rub with a piece of cloth or burlap-type material. Keep the images coming...again, nice work.

interesting. I have not tried the vacuum approach yet. May in a few months. What type of bag were you using? What is your setup? Not sure I care for the patterning. Kind of takes away from the leather look.

Welcome, Doc! peak around...very knowledgeable group here. You will find more than you can digest. Welcome from SW Missouri

is that Kydex??

Love Sergey's new tool. Nice work. Love CZ's as well. Just replaced my EDC P-07 Duty with Sig 226 Legion. It was a hard choice.

Wow. Nice job of execution. Very functional. Welcome to the forum. Stick around. Lots of good info here.

Yep. got that same plastic tub. My recent addition was a left handed holster.

Glad you're here John. You will definitely find helpful folks from all over the world that can share their knowledge and experience with you. Welcome from SW Missouri!

thanks for that tidbit. What is the math behind determining the spacing of the slots? So I can make them for different calibers.

Thanks @Dwight. That looks lots easier than other ideas I have seen. I will give that a try.

Very nice work. Is is all carving or is there stamps involved. Either way, beautiful...and agree with @Frodo

Very nice. Practice is paying off.

Welcome to the forum from SW Missouri. I would go no more than 9oz and no less than 6-7 oz on the wrap. Maybe go 5-6oz on the loops for the ammo. A couple of thoughts...don't use grommets or rivets unless you have a protective layer between them and the stock.

pretty cool. Wish I had the room and equipment to do wood. Always fascinates me to watch wood turning. some cigars I buy have a thin cedar wrap around them. I could probably find some of that if necessary. Have had no complaints thus far.

In my uses, I either leave them in the cellophane wrapper, or they are not in their long enough to be affected by the leather "aroma" - lol. I mainly use them when heading to an event and don't want to risk crushing them in transit. When traveling for several days, I will take my herfidor (small, pelican style case), then transfer them to small leather humidor for an outing.

What size holes are you making with the laser cutter? Are you only using black thread? If not, how to you prevent the "char" from getting on lighter color thread? What is it you are making using the laser cutter for your patterns?