Spence

I'd be interested in the coconut oil test results. I have two 5-gallon tubs of it, left over from my wife's soap making days.

check out mainethread.com I've just started using their .40 and .45 linen thread and I'm liking it.

If you don't have a tax number, cdwplus.com is your next best choice.

So far, so good. This is my first crack at ostrich leg. Maybe I'm lucky, but when I prepped the leg to cover the roo leather, I manually "closed" the scales while joining the two surfaces. Essentially, by pushing the scales together, I think I might have delayed or even eliminated the scales from popping open. Time will tell. Don't know if it shows, but that is one piece doing a 180 deg bend. It's ostrich over kangaroo, w/pigskin suede liner. Lacing is Spanish Lace - one loop. I haven't added a sealer or finish (yet) And BTW, this ostrich leg also came from Springfield Leather.

I voted other also. I'm using CraftLaunch, an Etsy addon. Customer service is the best I've had and the price is very right.

I do the same as Big O. Enough so that I'm thinking of going dark on my useless website.

Ditto on the pigskin. Either side.

Try http://www.rjleahy.com That's where I get my solid brass flats from. If they don't advertise having burs for the particular rivet you want, ask for a flat washer that will fit. That's what they do for me. Very easy to work with and the price is right. You have to buy a pound though.

McJeep, Try the buckleguy.com A place I like is Beiler's Mfg in PA. They are Amish, so no website. You have to call them at 717-768-0174. The have double bar buckles in SS above 1". 1-1/2" SS $1.06, 1-3/4" SS $1.22, 2" SS $1.34. If you don't want to call them, send a letter requesting a catalog to: Beiler's Manufacturing & Supply 3025 Irishtown Rd. Ronks, PA 17572 Also, I get solid brass and solid stainless rivets from rjleahy.com Great people to work with. With the brass, you need to ask for matching washers because they don't come with burs.

Depends on the behavior of your GSD, somewhat. Well behaved, doesn't lunge or pull, not prone to go after other beings...then a 5/7 oz single ply with the buckle end turned under for 2" to keep the D-ring or square loop in place. I always glue, rivet and stitch for big dawgs. I'm picky about finishes and stuff like that. I use Olive Oil almost exclusively. I try to keep customers wanting black. That way I can do the vinegaroon and cut back on chemicals and ruboff. If your GSD is all of the above, and I have a couple, then I would recommend a 1-1/4 or 1-1/2" (I've gone up to 2") wide 2-ply collar. I usually go with a 5/7 oz doubled. The wider collars prevent or diminish the possibility of larynx damage. If your GSD is on it's last legs and has trouble keeping up with you, a 3/4" collar will work. Otherwise, a minimum of 1" wide. Most of my work now goes to competition dogs - Schutzhund, Personal Protection, K-9, etc. I do collars up to 3" wide for the Bully breeds, corsos, rotties,etc. Now, I'm not sure, but there may be some arguments about this but it's my way and I'm comfortable with it. I will NOT use chrome-tanned leather on a dog. I used to haul hazardous waste on the west coast for years and I hauled plenty of chromium salts from the old tanneries to a place in Idaho that keeps them buried in 55 gal. drums for future generations to figure out what to do with them. All one has to do is do a Google for the MSDS on chromium salts and it's double ugly. I spend a few minutes more with the leather and it's just as soft. Plus, the chrome-tanning process destroys the cell structure of the leather. That signifies significant weakening to me. It might work for awhile on a chihuahua, but it's an escape waiting to happen on a big dawg. g'luck and have fun.

My $0.03 worth: Find a "swivel" and you may be in business. It's an alternative that I've used with good results, on occasion. It is installed at the juncture of both 6' straps and allows 360 degree rotation of the lower section (the one that hooks to the collar). Agree that stitching across a strap weakens the leather. Surprised the owner doesn't want rivets. Brass, stainless steel and copper are available options. If you glue it, stitch it. If you glue and stitch it, rivet it. Works well with larger working, competition dogs. G'luck

It's just spam. Admin has to delete them or, from what I understand, an add-on can be purchased to eliminate it. Major problem. I had to shut comments off on my blog. I was getting 30-50 of those "comments" daily.

I have never tried this...yet. But it is on my list of things to try. Jax Patina. Available at craft stores like Hobby Lobby. OR http://www.jaxchemical.com/index.html If you use it, be sure to let us all know how it worked for you.

I get my solid brass and stainless steel rivets from www.rjleahy.com Good people to work with. Very helpful. Some of their rivets don't come with burs, but they match them up with flat washers that work just fine.

Standard Rivet in Boston, MA standardrivet.com

I have a sheet of 1/4" foam lying around gathering dust. I decided to cut some strips 3/8"x 1" and I put them into a coffee can beside the coffee can I have the wool strips I use for dye. I use a pair of long forceps and fold over the foam and clip it into the forceps. I can then dip the foam into the edge dye and I've not had any problems with the dye extending off the edge.

I just placed my first order for solid brass rivets from www.rjleahy.com I'm not a math genius so it was difficult to wrap my brain around the measurements they use. I emailed them and Karen Leahy got right back to me with a "translation" I could understand. I decided on the solid rivets because of the leashes and collars I make for our working dogs. I could never trust the tubular ones and I could only find the solid copper. Well Karen carries stainless steel also. The rivets don't come with burs, but they carry corresponding flat washers that will work just fine as burs. I'm a happy camper. Another ton of kudos goes out to Rhonda and Tim at Zack White leather. A phone call to them was handled with pure professionalism after I had screwed up an earlier order. I see no reason to not do my shopping with them from now on.

I found a resource for rivets of all persuasions. I was looking for solid brass and stainless steel and these folks carry them. They are very good to work with and answer questions quickly. No minimum sized order, although the rivets come in 1 lb boxes (smallest). The brass and stainless flat head rivets (my choice) do NOT come with burs but they sell brass and stainless washers to fit. http://www.rjleahy.com/store.htm

I came across two 5 gal pails of coconut oil that my wife used on her soap-making hobby. I thought about using it on leather, so I Googled it. Seems that quite a few folks swear by it for their tack, saying that it makes the leather so much softer. So now I'm about ready to open up the pails and see what it looks like. I'm sure it's not the "virgin" kind, but I will test it out on some scraps. Oh, and it's odorless. Now, my question: Does or has anyone ever used this as an alternative to commercial conditioners, mink or olive oil? If there's a market for it, I just may bottle it up and make enough for a few cans of beans to go with my rice.

Thanks, Ferg. 'preciate it.

How can I permanently darken or blacken a copper rivet ?? Thanks

I've worked the Mexican braid on a number of objects and you have a choice of one, two or three loops, depending on the object. I've worked a checkbook with one loop and a 10 oz dog collar with three loops. As far as the folds are concerned, I would experiment and maybe work the lace while the book is closed. A couple of looser loops maybe. The checkbook with a one loop braid worked fine. g'luck

I doubt you'll find solid brass in Herm Sprenger's line. The closest is Curogan and I don't think they offer scissor snaps in that. Stainless steel looks to be the only option. When I bought some a couple of years ago, the only US dealer was a falconer - Pineo Falconry. They're pricey though. As far as other suppliers for brass hardware, Ohio Travel Bag has the best collection. I still use CDW for the vast majority of my dog-related work.

Adding a drop or two of kerosene to the EVOO will keep the varmints away.