Spence

Has anyone used this on their leather projects? I am interested in making a dog collar with a fillagree, of sorts, and the bottom layer would be dyed an opposing color - black with a pink bottom layer, for example. Once I've got the bottom layer dyed pink and finished it, I'm thinking of spraying on this Reflect-A-Lite. Any comments? ...a clear coating that directly reflects flashlight, headlights, and other direct light sources. ...

Thanks !! My guess is she will be happy. She said she bought it for $5 lol

This handbag was purchased at a thrift shop. The label says is was Hand Made in Mexico. There are no makers marks anywhere. The bottom is stamped in a semi-basketweave pattern. Very nicely done too. Two questions: 1. Does this appear to be hand-stitched or machine stitched ? 2. What would be the estimated value of something like this ? It may be for sale. I think she plans to put it on eBay if it's worth anything. Thanks

Sandwich aluminum foil between layers of leather and that will do it. Some use a copper mesh that is available at Hobby Lobby. I haven't found any yet.

www.sxindustries.com Can't go wrong.

http://www.amazon.com/Lacing-Stitching-Leathercraft-Different-Techniques/dp/B000X16YLK

Thanks guys. Appreciate your insight and it's all going into the folder for frequent study as I move forward.

You've both made great points and I will change my plan in accordance with those recommendations. I do take pride in what I do and have tried the show and fair route briefly. That's not for me. I don't have the patience or whatever it takes to listen to the window shoppers. I had enough of that when I was doing ropework. My new website should be finished in a few days or so and I'm going to just go for the premium and above customers. Thanks, to both of you. Spence

That, my friend, is exactly what I was looking for in feedback. Thanks for your time in putting that out there for me, and others. Have a happy and prosperous 2015 !

DavidL...I don't see where I compared my product to Walmart. I used Walmart as a tongue-in-cheek context. VBP is not meant to put my value on a product but to put a customer's value of my product on it. If a potential customer tries to knock my price down as part of an ego trip, then I will likely double the price and send them packing - really. If a potential customer plainly cannot afford the product I'm selling, then I will try to bring my price down to a level closer to what they can afford. This is how I rank or rate the people that are wanting quotes for my product. I have a bare minimum set for my product, that I won't go below. Bdaz...Maybe the above will answer some of your questions. I "specialize" in dog accessories. More specifically, larger working dogs. My customers range from folks that buy a Cane Corso puppy for $5,000 to folks that pick up a German Shepherd at a pound and want to train the dog for Search and Rescue. I've donated collars to people that foster a dog, so that the dog will have a new collar to take to their new forever home. I've donated "meet & greet" collars to K9 units. I believe I lose that market that can only afford to pick up a dog at a pound but should they train that dog for work, then my brand goes along with that well-trained dog. My margins are all over the page. I typically double material costs for starters. My overhead is minimal and I don't keep a large inventory. I don't do this for a living, but as a supplement to my retirement check. I started doing fancy ropework about 60 years ago and branched out to leather about 20 years ago. In all that time, I have determined that a craftsman can never put a proper hourly wage on their work and hope to make a living. Yes, there are those that have broken into the upper echelons of our crafts, but most of us are not charging anywhere near what we should be charging. Our stuff will be worth more, maybe, after we die. So, I guess I might call it a labor of love that puts a can of beans on the table. And yes, sometimes charging more and selling less is better. That requires research to find that particular market, which I have done on at times. Thank you both for your feedback.

Would like to see some feedback on this. I've used Product/Cost-based pricing for years and I feel I have lost a valuable section of the market and also have not received fair value on most of my products. I've started looking into the VBP method because I feel I can open up my market reach and increase revenue at the same time. Most, if not all, of my business is custom work. Therefore, I'm in contact with the customer and learning quite a bit about them, their likes and dislikes and many other items that I can use to place a value on the product they are buying. When I say "value on the product" I mean the value to the customer, not me. How valuable is my product to the customer? As long as I set a minimum in my head, I can increase proportionally according to these values. Of course, prices set on a website will no longer be viable. This is sticky and I admit that it has turned me away when I'm looking at something and there are no prices listed. But with the quality of our work on display, the potential customer should be able to decide whether to proceed or "go to Walmart."

Would like to see some feedback on this. I've used Product/Cost-based pricing for years and I feel I have lost a valuable section of the market and also have not received fair value on most of my products. I've started looking into the VBP method because I feel I can open up my market reach and increase revenue at the same time. Most, if not all, of my business is custom work. Therefore, I'm in contact with the customer and learning quite a bit about them, their likes and dislikes and many other items that I can use to place a value on the product they are buying. When I say "value on the product" I mean the value to the customer, not me. How valuable is my product to the customer? As long as I set a minimum in my head, I can increase proportionally according to these values. Of course, prices set on a website will no longer be viable. This is sticky and I admit that it has turned me away when I'm looking at something and there are no prices listed. But with the quality of our work on display, the potential customer should be able to decide whether to proceed or "go to Walmart."

I use punches with 4 or 8 punches. Overlap 1 or 2 slits and go from there.

Beiler's Manufacturing & Supply, 717-768-0174 They don't have an online store. They are an Amish outfit in PA. I've been buying from them for years and have never had a problem. Tell them what you want and they'll get it to you fast. Ask for a catelog too.

Try jcrivetsonline.com I get my solid brass and stainless steel rivets from them. Never a problem.

Lemons, I usually tell folks that these are "meet & greet" collars just in case the price didn't clue them in. If the dog gets a case of fleas, then no collar is gonna look good. Hobbihorse, you might try rolling it up (loosely) and put it in a jar of 50/50 glycerin (Walmart or Walgreen, etc) and denatured alcohol for a few days. The pull it out and tack it to a board to dry for a few more days. Once it's try, cement it down to it's leather strap and roll it flat. I use a hard rubber roller from Hobby Lobby, but have used a rolling pin in the past. G'luck.

Thanks! The "applique" is out of Bruce Grant's book, Leather Braiding. I just substituted the thread for the lacing.

Here's one I just finished (almost). Edges need to be dressed. It's 1.5" wide, tapered to 1" at each end. The inlay is self-tanned diamondback rattler. The concho comes from SX Industries. Stainless steel hardware. The snake skin is cemented on the back strap, given 3 coats of polyurethane varnish, then attached to the collar strap. Before that was done, I did the decorative stitching, a 3 strand applique. Once both straps were cemented together, I hand-stitched the entire collar with the same thread as the applique. Next time: I'll use a larger diamond awl than I have, not a drill.

I've got some old photos on Photobucket but haven't accessed them in years. Found it too inconvenient (but that's just me). I tried the shrinkpictures.com thing and it worked just fine. Thanks!

Thanks all. Camano Ridge, I'll try that program.

It's been awhile. Last time I posted photos of my work, I got chewed up and spit out. So, after a few years, I've decided to try it again. I hate lurking. Anyway. The photos of my current project are too large for this forum. They are about 3+ megs. I wanted to post 6 of them but they all got rejected. I've never had trouble with facebook. Not sure I know how to shrink them, but if I can, what is the size that I can upload? If I can't get it figured out, it's back to lurking. lol

This sleeve has been in continuous use for about 3 years now. It has been subjected to typical abuse...left out in the rain, dropped from heights of 10 ft, in and out of jeans pockets. The only finishing I did on it was to apply 2 coats of Resolene. The only aging that it's showing is the lacing had worn to a darker color. Absolutely no plate separation either - and that includes the 180 deg turn at the bottom. I applied contact cement to the inside of the skin, let it dry for a day or two and added roo skin as a liner.

I made a cellphone sleeve for myself and just used resolene. I put two coats on it and it's held up just great for 3 years now. FWIW - If you're going to put a bend in it, be sure you glue the plates on the underside of the skin. I did that and added a roo skin lining. It has never separated at the plates.

I've been a happy customer for years now. Definitely not their biggest, but I've never had a problem that wasn't looked into and solved right away. Keep in mind that SLC is somewhat like a Job Lot company. You get what they have and hopefully it's what you want. There are no surprises, if you look at the descriptions on the leather. Customer service is handled by humans and as such there are going to be mistakes. I've never, ever had a problem with their attitude toward me as a customer. But then again, I treat them with respect from the moment they answer the phone. If my order was backordered, backlogged or just plain late, they called me, left a message and sometimes followed it up with an email. If I was anxious about my order, all I had to do was call them and I got the answer. In a nutshell, I treat them as I like to be treated. FWIW, I am just a customer and receive nothing extra for my opinion.

If you've got time, call Beiler's Mfg, in PA. (717) 768-0174. Ask for a catelog to be mailed to you. They are not on the internet. They are an Amish outfit. I've been doing business with them for a few years now and I've never had a problem with them. I only use solid brass and stainless steel, but I know they have NP.