Spence

Happy to help. Can't wait to see pics of the finished product.

If they're not happy with it they're blind !!! Beautiful it is.

Thank you, Barra. Just what I needed to know. I'll have enough leather dust to supply generations.

I sent you a PM before I got to this post. http://www.thecraftshoponline.com It's a place in Brooklyn, NY. Cheaper than the manufacturer (for now)

Okay, I've done the search thing and haven't been able to find what I really need to know. I'm getting ready to clean up this hovel I call a shop and that means I'll be tossing a huge amount of scrap leather, mostly skived and beveled lace remnants and slivers of leather. Before I toss it, is this what I need to make up some leather putty? If so, is there anything I need to do to chop it up into dust? What is "Leather Dust" ? Thanks

That's a shame. Haven't run across that on this forum before.

Funny you should ask. I'm making up some collars for my German Shepherds - no bling for them !! Rather than use two straps, I've 'folded' one long one in the center, where I but a D-ring. An inch from that I added a keeper. Another couple of inches, on goes the buckle. Then a couple of inches another keeper. I've handstitched all the way around. One I did for a customer had a brass nameplate and I just riveted it to the top piece before sewing - you might want to do that with the bling before you sew it up. The collars I'm making are 1" veg-tanned straps from Wicket & Craig. Doubled like they are, I plan to use them for tracking and I plan to make wider ones as 'agitation' collars for protection training. I plan to make one up incorporating a 6" handle strap. I'll rivet that to the top layer also. Here's a couple of pics - taken before the edges were finished. I know, should've done that first. Still learning.

Definitely go for the hide. I too haven't kept track of how much I get out of a hide, but it's way more than I could afford to buy already spooled. You're assured of NO splices and you can cut whatever width your heart desires.

Ohhh, that is sweet !! Outstanding workmanship and so functional.

Mine are large enough that they have an easy time getting at stuff on the on the bench. If I'm working at the bench or at any of a number of surfaces, the dogs have to stay out. If I'm just sitting around, they tend to be well behaved. Would I leave them alone? Not a chance !! I gave up on cats long before I started leatherwork. I went through many years of cats and fancy ropework. Some question my sanity to this day.

As a long-time dog breeder and a new leatherworker, I have a special place for PETA and Humane Society of the U.S. (H$U$). Look out !! I'm flushing !!

Tina We are better for your visit. You are a great Ambassador. Safe trip.

You're gettin' it !! They look good. I learned on my fingers. Inside of the fingers is "1 & 2" and the backside is "3 & 4". My only problem is those damned pins. Seriously, don't get overwhelmed by the many varieties. You can only learn one at a time. Pick one you want to use and make it over and over. Then try something different. Once you're comfortable, expand your knots and experiment. Don't worry about memorizing them all. Just keep a book handy. If you want to use your fingers, it might be easier to learn by using a hank of sash cord. All of the leather braiding books are great but Ashley's Book of Knots (Amazon) is "the bible." Practice, Patience & Perserverance

Like Texas, I got here as soon as I could. Whatever our questions, guaranteed someone has the answer. Enjoy

Barra, it's all good now. He's home, at last. Spence SBU USN RVN 64-69

I guess you could call mine hunting dogs - of a sort. German Shepherds, trained to hunt humans - good, bad and missing. I've even got a couple that do quite well against coyotes. One hunts drugs and explosives.

That PVC Braiding Pony sounds interesting. Any chance of getting a picture, diagram and/or measurements? Tks

First click, every time. Using Google Chrome fyi

If my back is bothering me, I'll sit in a straight-back wooden chair. I've stretched out on the floor, with the work tied to a doorknob. Most times now, it's all done in the Lazy Boy while watching TV.

Top of the page, just under the 4 ad banners on the right hand side. "View New Content"

You can bevel (skive) lace in a couple or three different ways, depending on the project. As stated before, the most common way is done on the flesh side. You can also bevel on one grain edge and the other edge could be done on the flesh side. Also, beveling both edges on the grain side is done infrequently. Another really tough method is skiving both edges on the grain side and then doing the same on the flesh side. Laying up an inch or two of braid should give you a pretty good idea which method would work best on a particular project. Skiving is essential for a clean, smooth round braid. There are 3 very good books on braiding: Leather Braiding by Bruce Grant How to make Whips by Ron Edwards Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding by Bruce Grant I believe all of these books are available from Amazon.com Good luck, have fun and let the callouses grow slowly

This 'upgrade' is very smart. It knows that I'm not overjoyed with it and when I try to discuss why, it "looses" the post and gives me the following: [#20310] Your secure key, used to verify you are posting the topic, did not match the one submitted. Please go back, reload the form, and try again.

Someday, I'm going to learn to look at the date that something is posted. It was only after I sent my email in and read down to "Kustom's" post that I learned it was almost a year old. That they are still going to honor the offer is a feather in their cap, for sure.

I kept away from this thread because I'm relatively new to leather, although I've got 50+ years of fancy ropework in my back pocket. My early years as a "Ropeworker" were spent in the Navy, where I was considered a "Marlingspike Sailor." I eventually, after 10 or so years, admitted to being an "Artisan" - not an artist (???). After getting comfortable with a particular method of doing a particular project, I would find myself adding variations to what I was doing and covering the juncture with a knot of some sort. After about 20 years, I was contracted to restore some 17th century ropework that had been stored in a damp basement. My introduction to leatherwork was quite by accident. I was at a dog show with a friend, helping her with her 'crew' of German Shepherds. She was bragging on a very expensive, tiny show lead that was braided with kangaroo lace. She reached inside a crate to clip the lead on one of her very calm dogs and before dog cleared the crate, the lead had come apart at both ends. That's when I decided to explore this very addictive craft. I'm starting to get bored with the U1, O1, etc. and wondering how I can incorporate a Matthew Walker knot into the middle of a 5', 12 str dog lead. I will do it, someday. I'm also branching out into what I affectionately call 'flatwork' now and my head hurts from the myriad of ideas that are crashing around inside that vacuum. All this, while attempting to soak up as much knowledge as I can from others on this board. While I am learning to 'tool' the leather, my partner, the true Artist, is doing the design work. Our brainstorming sessions are almost frantic and quite funny actually. We finally started taking notes and the stack is growing. We are more into the abstract than the photo-type artwork. I can look at one of her abstract designs every day for 7 days and visualize 7 subtly different designs. All I have to do now is get my hands to catch up with her designs. So, after all is said and done, I would have to say a particular project would have to start life in the artistic part of the brain, move to the mechanical side and end up back in the artistic part, where it will flourish - one hopes. It works for me.

IMO the lace would be significantly weakened by the chromium salts used in tanning. I don't have a clue why anyone would bother chrome tanning roo, but hey...... The chromium salts tend to destroy the cells, thus breaking down the compostition of the leather. This is readily evident in cow leather. It's so soft, but you can't hardly smooth out an edge. As a personal thing, I used to work in hazardous chemical cleanup and the chromium salts used in the tanning process and elsewhere are considered a contact hazard. I've refused to braid leashes, collars and reins with it. That's just me and it's my favorite soapbox rant.