Billy P

A lady that is in the Leather Guild that I'm in uses an empty Dawn dish detergent bottle for her glue dispenser. She says that the glue doesn't stick and with the pop up top, she has pretty good control of how much comes out. I haven't used this personally, but have my wife saving me her last bottle as we speak. Cathy says that she doesn't know if other brand bottles work or not as she has only used the Dawn. I don't know, but there it is, hope it works and helps someone out. Like I said I'm gonna try it myself.

Hey Marlon, I agree with the craftsman, make sure that they get your order right, especially if ordering by phone. Since that's the only way for me to order, I'm used to it. I've ordered from them about 10 or 12 times over the last couple of years and have been satisfied everytime. I recommend them for price and service over a bunch of other places alot. I think that they carry the Koygen or Elle or some sort along the Crafttool line of carving stamps. and I've got a few of them and found them to be a good tool. They are also a lot cheaper than other places on their tools. I ordered a 1/4" angle ceramic blade from them for $14.95, when everywhere else was wanting $29.00 and up for the same thing. I also believe that the carving tools are just $3.79 each regular price. Anyway I like S-T Leather and if nothing happens I plan to order some stuff from them next week. Just my .02. Later Billy P

Hello All, I have a comment or two about Hidcrafters myself. I'm like a most of the rest of ya'll and pretty much always got good service and mostly pretty quick too. I don't know what happened with Mr. Hurst and Hidecrafters and it's none of my business either. However it seems to me that if the people/copanies that bought Hidecrafters are serious about opening and selling to get some of their money back. What has it been now, 6mo. or more? They still haven't even really said/announced anything about the store. I get most of my info from you people who are in the Forum, but most of what I hear ya'll say is I heard, I called the store and was told by so and so, or someone in another group said, still more rumor than fact. I know that buying the business and then having to sort through what is there, and then trying to decide what sold, what didn't, what to keep, what new and different stuff to order and keep in stock. Trying to figure out what to buy and how much to keep in stock. I know that all of it takes time, LOL. I just work with leather as a hobby and just sell/barter enough stuff to buy a few tools or some more leather sometimes and it's tough to try and figure out what I'll use first and what I can wait on until later, but it don't take 6 or 7 months. I'm not even going there, that bum em, I ain't gonna ever fool with em again, because if they have something I want or need I'll still order from them. I'm just saying that if they want a business and want all of us to remain customers it looks like they, the new owners, could have enough respect for us, their former and future customers to get things up and running in a timely manner or a least to let us know that they care about us as future buyers of their goods. I'm sure that the new owners know enough people in the various leather guilds, as well as other venues within the industry, that they could issue an official statement to the people like us. The way I see the whole thing is that we, as their future customers, are the people who will either make of break their business when and if they ever do open for business. I do hope that they will soon come around and let us know the real deal, but right now I really don't feel like they give a poot about us at all. I may be wrong, but I don't think that I'm too far off on how I feel about the way that thngs are being done by them. One other thing is I'm really pulling for them to make a go of it, and I don't want anyone to think that I'm bashing them, Hidecrafters, or the new owners, I just feel like we the customers could be treated a little better as to being kept informed about when to call an order in and when to reasonably be able to expect a catalog to come out either on the internet or a hard copy or both. Just the ramblings of an old fart but still my pennies worth, Kindest Regards to All Billy P

Tom you might want to check out S-T Leather co at stleather.com . dI just went to their web site and they have the qts. of barge listed and the page tells us that if yu order the qt. size that the HL fee doesn't apply that the HL fee is for gallons only, so that is at least a $20.00 saving already. The part# for the qt size is M0830, and the listed price is $11.95. I called them on the phone a week or so back and they told me that the current listing on their website is mostly correct, with very few changes. I'v ordered from them several times and have them to be pretty quick and good people to do business with. In fact after the 19th of this mo., when I get paid I am going to order a few things myself. Some time back I got a 1/4" angle ceramic swivel knife blade from them and they were at least $10 to $15 cheaper than anywhere else I checked. I don't know how many years that I've been doing a little business with them off and on, but I know it's been a lot of years. dI hope this helps you and possibly someone else too. Later Billy P

Hey Luke, those are some nice knife sheaths. I hope to be able to do some as nice someday. I also noticed that with you in Memphis and me down here in South Carolina we're almost next door neighbors. I really enjoy and appreciate your pictures of the work that you do. I hope to get to feeling better and start doing more myself, soon. I gotta get the Diabetes under better control, LOL, that disease can and will make you sick and feel bad. Anyway thanks for sharing with us. Until Later Billy Perdue

You might try Zack White Leather Co. zackwhite.com Billy P

Hey all you saddlemaker types out there, does anyone of ya'll know where a person might could get some small pieces of felt. I need something that is fairly soft. If I can find some I want to cut them into about 1"x1" squares and make me some of the old daubers like Tandy and Zack White used to sell. They were great for dyeing edges, a lot less slop over the edges plus good for a few other things too. For what I want them for it would not make sense to try and buy a sheet. Again if anyone knows a source for the wool felt daubers I would appreciate it if you'd share it with me. Many Many thanks Billy P

Hey Duane, welcome to the forum. I know that you'll like this group. There are people on here who does almost anything with leather that you can imagine. You know me Billy P your friend from South Carolina. I'll be in touch later. Again welcome and enjoy. Billy P

Hey Beav, you might try www.stleather.com They are good and have good prices too, at least to me. When you go to their website scroll down the index page to purse frames and I think they have just what you showed. About 5.95 or so I think. Regards and I hope this helps Billy P

Hey everyone, just getting in on this thread. I live in beautiful downtown Patrick, S.C. pop. 350, I live 2 blocks off of the main street and have to drive a 30mi. round trip to go to the grocery store. If any of you watch Nascar I'm 30mi. from Darlington S.C. home of the old Southern 500, I'm about 45 mi. from Rockingham N.C. home of the Rock, and I'm about 75 mi. from Lowe's Motor Speedway home of the World 600. Mrytle Beach is about 95 mi SE of me, and that is where Jeff Mosby and Grey Ghost Graphics are located. The nearest Tandy is about 1 and 1/2 hour away in Charlotte N.C. I worked construction for years, mostly as a millwright in Nuclear Power Plants. I worked from north Fla. up to Penn. and as far west as Neb. I always seemed to come back here where I was born and raised. I don't know anyone else around here who does leatherwork, at least carving and tooling and stuff like we talk about doing. Northstar Leather Co. does a wholesale business to Disneyland and places like that plus they get stuff from some prison systems that have set up like a leather factory, to make small book covers, pocketbooks, ie. The owner's son comes in once in awhile and machine embosses some belts and then they will put a name or one of a few more stamps on it. Cheap leather and cheap belts, but they sell some right along. I'm not knocking their work, just saying that they don't do what a lot of us do. Steve, the owner has been doing this for about 30+ years, has raised a family and has kept about 8 to 10 people working steady all that time so I guess he's doing something right. I don't have a clicker so when I need key fobs and some other shapes I just call him and order a hundred or so and then I'll ride up and pick them up and Steve and I will shoot the breeze for an hour or so. I actually send him some customers along, mostly people who want a better belt than Wal-Mart, but who don't want to pay for a custom made one. Anyway I wish there were more people around here who worked with leather, as a bunch of you all know it gets lonesome sometimes, but I can't quit, I'm addicted. Working with leather is as addictive as Crack, just in a good way. I gotta go for now, so I'll catch ya'll later, Regards Billy P

Hey everyone, first let me say that I am probably the last one to give advice on pricing. However I have changed my way of doing that in the last year. Our own Bruce Johnson says that he likes to get at least per hour what the UPS driver gets for delivering what he orders, LOL, wouldn't we all. I don't sell anything at all, but If someone wants me to make something for them I do suggest a certain donation to replace my leather and to pay for other materials, plus by a new tool when it comes out. I can't do leatherwork and charge for it because I'm disabled and on SS Disability. The Gov. won't even let me volunteer to feed the dogs at the local Pet Facility, LOL, disabled folks, not dead yet. Lately I have hardly been doing anything at all Diabetes, tearing me up, big time. However I got to where I'm worth at least what the people that change tires at Wal-Mart is worth per hour. If the Dentist around here can charge $75 on up to spend 20min. pulling a tooth then I am for sure worth more that the $1 or 2 an hour they want to pay someone like up to make them nice belts, wallets, purses, etc. After reading some of the post by Bruce, David G, Frank Z., and a bunch of other knowledgeable Professional and Semi-Professional leather crafters I changed the way I charge for my work. I want to be fair to them, but I also want to be fair to me and my wife too. When I'm working on there stuff 1) taking time from my family, 2)using up leather and other material, 3)cost of the space and power for lights, water, etc., all have to be paid for from somwhere. I've got a shop building out back, not big, but enough for my use, however it was running my power bill up $75 to $100 a month and I wasn't getting it back either. Paying for it out of my little SS check. Now if they ask I'll tell them how much donation and if they want it fine a deposit and we'll get-er-done if not get the hell on out of here, cause I am going to watch T.V. with my wife for awhile. Since I've had to retire, my job where I used to work was cut out, but a comparable job there would be paying me about $17 to $18.50 an hour, so shouldn't I get that if I am paying all the over head expense and doing all the work. If I went back to the construction work that I did for years in Nuclear Power Plants I could expect to get $28 to $35 an hour plus another $75 to $125 a day tax free per deim. So to get to the point if they don't want to pay at least a good part of what it's worth tell them to go to Wal-Mart and let them make it for them. Some years back I made a good friend a belt for himself and another for his son. Sometime later he came up an brought his wife, who I didn't hardly know anyway. She liked their belts and wanted me to make her a pocketbook, she picked out one like the MarketPlace bags that Tandy, Hidecrafters, etc., sold. Then she looked through some things and picked out what she wanted tooled on it along with her name. She finally asked me how much for that and because Troy and I were friends I told her $165.00, LOL, I thought she was gonna choke to death or something. Not no, but Hell no that's too much, so I asked her how much did you pay for the bag that you've got with you and she said I got a good deal on this bag it was on sale at such and such for $239.95. Then I liked to have choked or something, but the end result was I told her to get the hell out of my house and told Troy to come see me when he could, but I would not do any thing for her. Later she asked me several times about doing some things always same answer she gave me not no but Hell no. Just a few times and she has left me along about it. Anyway enough rambling for now, but remember this if you're gonna make like you're proud of it then price it and sell it like you're proud of it. Different areas will have a different amount that the market will stand, but find it and go for the top especially if you're the only one around that can do what you do. Billy P

Hey everyone, I just wanted to add another .02 worth to this thread. My local Tandy, Charlotte N.C. store is great to work with, the manager Billy Browne, is always helpful. Sometimes I'll call him and say hey bro I'm wanting to do so and so, I've got this on hand to work with how can I do it, and between us we'll come up with something. I like most other people call in my order and pay with my bank card. Wed. I called in a order, and we got to talking and when we hung up I had forgotten to give him my card no., he has my home ph#, but he didn't call me or anything. So Yesterday, Fri. when I got my package I found out that he had not gottenmy card# so I called him to give it to him. I asked wy didn't he call me back and he said well I knew that you'd be calling again to I'd just get it then. Yep they do lack some things, but I'd rather have them there than for it to be like it was a few years back when they were gone. I for one wish that I lived close enough to Charlotte to work there at least parttime. I don't know many Tandy managers, but the few I do know are great people, Billy Browne, Dave Howell, Clay Miller, etc, with a group like that working for them they can't be all bad. Enough rambling for now with Regards Billy P

Wow, I thought as my mouth dropped open and my chin hit the shelf that holds the keyboard !! I have seen some other places try and make the Roy Rogers sets not as nice as yours Larry and they were asking $1000 or more for the custom work ie. fit, lining, etc. Now off to get my chin stitched up, Really nice work. Billy P

Hi everyone, I've been following this for a bit and just want to add a couple of thoughts. I am far from being very good at leatherwork. I go started about 1974 because of an old fart at Mrytle Beach S.C. He was doing Mystrey Braided bracelets and wouldn't show me how to braid them. I went and learned on my own, and have loved it ever since then. He and I did become friends that lasted until he passed away about 1981. I have some Crafttools from Tandy from 1974, some that arre earlier than that, plus I buy all the new ones I can affford on my Disability checks. The quality has changed some over the years, but a lot of other things has had the quality go down too. If anyone knows where a person can get the stamping tools, that Tandy sells, that are of equal or better quality, for the price that Tandy sells the their stamps for, then where are they at. I can't find them on the interenet. The closet Tandy to me is about 65 mi., which makes it about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours away from me. shoot If I live close enough I'd work there for free just to meet other people who have the interest in leather that we/I do. As tough as it is sometimes maybe we need to be really thankful for all that Tandy Leather Co. has done for out craft over the years. I know that some of their quality is down, I also know that some of the prices are up, but with out them a lot of us can hang up doing leather work. I can't get a wholesale/resale # because of being on SS Disability and they tell me I can't even volunteer to feed a dog at the dog pound, they say if I can do that then I can do productive paying work, LOL, ain't they smart people. anyway got to go eyes are crossing, I'm gonna hug my Chihauhau and fuss at the wife. She making me eat a piece of homemade Pinapple cake with no sugar, just nutra sweet, because of my diabetes. Love her to death, she's my babe for ever. Bye for now Billy P

Mr Hatley, that is a beautiful piece of work. You are absolutley the best that I've seen on making a coat like that. Great work, I'm astounded at the quality. I wish we lived closer so I could pick your brain. Again great work, Billy P

Hello All, does anyone out there have any hair on cow/calf hopefully black/white, brindle, or brown/white, that they would be willing to get rid of about 5 or 6 pieces about hand size or a little bigger? If not are there any sources that you know of that would be willing to get rid of a small amount. I've never worked with any before and would like to make my wife, my Mom, and my mother-in-law, something with the hair on inlay. Any and all replies will be appreciated much. Kindest Regards Billy P

Hey Mike, yep you are right, back in the early 70's when I first started trying to work with leather, Tandy sold the Leather Secrets and Design Artistry book both with a hard cover. Later it had a soft cover and then they discontinued it. My wife bought me the Leather Secrets book for Christmas of 81. She called my old buddy at Tandy in Columbia and got it as a supprise for me. if I can be of any help let me know. Kindest Regards Billy P

I read all these post and me and my wife both were almost in tears. Our little Mittens is what they tell me now is called a Chi-Weenie. Part Chihauhau and part Miniature Daushaund (sp). We got her when she was about 6wks old. I could put her in my Tee-Shirt pocket. The people that had her, the husband was a certified low life mf ing SOB, no other way to put it. He was making his wife keep this puppy in the back of his old tore up pick-up. Now what's really messed up is that they would often leave on Thursday morning and not come back until Monday evening. We didn't even know that she was there or she would have been in the house with us a lot sooner, even if I had to beat his sorry ass. Anyway his wife came over one evening when he was gone and asked us if we wanted her, I said no that I didn't want a dog right then, but when she started telling us about having to leave her in that truck we told her we would give Mittens a try. About 1 minute after we took her in the house she had a good home for as long as we and she lives. I really believe in God and I also really believe that things often happen for a reason. I think God put her there for us and us there for her. Before March of 2000 if someone had told me that a dog would mean so much to me and my family I would have told them that they were stupid, now as broke as I usually stay and as little SS Disability as I draw I would not sell her for all the money in the great state of South Carolina. We love that little dog like she is our child. She has helped us all to be more appreciative of animals and each other. We all feel that we are better people for having Mittens, and we are looking for her a puppy now, so that when we have to be gone and can't take her with us she is not there by herself. Anyway enough misty eyed rambling from an old fart, so long until later and keep looking after the animals. Kindest Regards Billy P P.S. Mittens is equal opportunity about sharing her love, she likes cats too.

Mike, the big hard type covered book was Leather Secrets. I have it and another smaller paperback type book by Mr Baird, called Leather Art. The book you are asking about I don't have, but if I ever catch it on ebay or somewhere and the price is right and I have the money to spare I'm gonna get it too. If you think the Eagle scene is in the Leather Secrets book let me know and I'll go out to the shop and get it, and maybe I can scan it for you. If I can't scan it I'll take it out and when I go to town I'll have the girl at the office supply to print it on the Blue-Print copier and mail it to you. Let me know Billy P

Just a quick question about the new revamped Hidecrafters, does anyone know if they will still be carrying the Pro-Series line of tools? I have a few and am pretty happy with the impressions they make and the price was goo too. Anyway just wondering, and thanks to any and all that know and will reply. Regards to All, Billy P

I think it is The ART OF HANDSEWING LEATHER By Al Stolhman that has the dimensions and sketches on how to make a stitching horse. In fact I believe that the plans for a regular horse and for one that is like a sit and stitch are both in there. Also the Randy Steffen article and prints are in one of the old Make with Leather magazines. If you want it I'll try and dig it out of the shop and scan it for you. Free is cheaper and take the $3.95 and put it towards a tool or something. Just let me know. Regards to everyone Billy P

I wanted to offer my MANY, MANY, MANY, Thanks to Johanna and all the rest who worked so hard to get the site back up. Ya'll know who you are. I didn't realize how much I love this site until it wasn't there anymore, LOL, I liked to have started crying. Nerves shot to hell anyway and then that happening was almost too much. Social Security and Progress Energy, my local power co. see to it that I don't have much money anymore, but the hell with em. When I get paid next week I'll try and send what I can to help. A little now and a little later maybe that will help some. I really appreciate all the help to help me get back on the site, I guess that sometimes we don't really appreciate what we have until it ain't there anymore. Again thanks to all who helped get things back up and running. If I knew how I'd try and thank you all in a more eloquet way, but this is the best that I can do for now. With Sincerest Thanks and Regards to all Billy P

I too usually use the Pro-Carve from Tandy, but haven't tried any of the new stuff. I think that you can still get the original from Bee Carve or something like that, anyway the company that makes the Pro-Carve. Sometimes I'll do like some of the rest of ya'll and just put a couple of drops of Dawn or Pure Ivory dish detergent in my little bowl of water. I have even quick cased the leather with a sponge and my casing solution and then wetting it really well in the sink with hot water, then bag and tag until I can get to it. That seems to work the best as far as ease of Carving/Tooling goes. I guess it is just what ever works best for us at any given time. Sometimes we don't have the time to case the leather the best way and just have to do what we have to do, LOL. Rawhide I haven't tried the lemons like that, but I'm going too. Most of the time lemons around my place are lemonade, or with tokillya, lick it, slamit, suckit, pretty much my favorite way, LOL, .Anyway my pennies worth, and I am not near as experienced as most of the others are at this. Billy P

Hey everybody, while talking to one of my old friends we got to talking about the modeling spoons and we both seem to remember that the Deerfoot modelers were used as a lifter kind of like the Pro Petals are used now. He said that back in the 70's and early 80's he doesn't remember the Pro Petals being available. He also said that to the best of his memory that the Pro Petals came about as a result of needing a better tool than the Deerfoot modelers to work the Oak Leaves and such. I really don't know as my memory sure ain't what it used to be, LOL, sometimes I cain't remember what I had for breakfast. Which reminds me I haven't had any yet. So catch ya'll later, and with kindest regards Billy P P.S. If anyone else remembers anything about the Deerfeet and the Pro Petals and how they came about fall in and let us know, again inquiring minds would like to know. BP

Many, Many, thanks to you all for your replys. Between the pics that Clay posted and the tutorial from the SCLG, I have a better understanding of how the modeling spoons should be used. Another thing I see now is that I'm going to have to get up the money to get me a couple of the Pro Petal tools. Tandy has quit carrying them and my SS payments just don't go far enough, LOL. I know Jeff Mosby sells some good ones, but I think they are out of the question for now anyway. I have some modeling tools and I think that I can use them, at least for the time being and maybe by the time I learn t use what I have I can get some better modeling spoons somewhere else. I wish that I had bought a lot more of things like that years ago, when I was able to work and they were cheaper to buy also. I did'nt have any idea that I would ever want or really need them back then. As little as I knew back then I still knew more that anybody else that I knew who was trying to work with leather. The rest of the people were doing it because I was, and when I moved to where I live now, they all quit. Between those guys they have some stuff, but won't ever use it and wouldn't part with anything for love or money, LOL, go figure. Anyway thanks again to you guys for the help it is Greatly Appreciated and is a big help, With Kindest Regards Billy P