Billy P

Wishing you a great Birthday Ken. A big Happy Birthday from South Carolina and many more. Billy P

Wishing you a very Happy Birhtday, Clay. Now get in there and whoop up a pretty leather picture to show us. Just because it's you 28th again don't mean to take a break. Billy P.

Congrats John, now the fun begins. You've never known love and worry before now, but it's all worth it. Best of luck to the baby, the missus, and you. Billy P

Hey Chester, don't feel bad. Most of the rest of us are light years away from being able to do what Billy and Peter and some of the other greats we could name are/can do. If you ask any of them how to get as good as they are, just about always the same answer PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, LOL do they all have to say the same thing? Regards Billy P

Very nice work Jim, you've made me smile too. As another said it's been a while and I'm glad to see you here. You must have been working because it all looks good. I do really like the walking stick though, I wish I could learn to braid like that, but it's kicking my tail. Anyway great to see you on here again, Billy P

Hey Russ, I looked at the price list for the swivel blades they ranged from 1.25 up to 1.95 for the hair blades. The 1/4 filigree blades were 1.75 and the 1/4 angle blade was 1.50 back then. They had a Harley wing buckel for 4.95 and it was the real Harley endorsed one at that. Just a few things from yesteryear, that I/we all wish could be found again. Later Billy P.

Since 9 years ago when I got my Chi-wennie I/we have all been dog people here at home. However we all love just about all animals, can't think of a single kind of animal that doesn't have at least one thing going for it, thus we like/love em all. My wife used to have some kittens/cats, the mama cat had kittens. If I could get some kittens that would stay about 6 to 8 weeks old I would be a dedicated kittens person too. I took a strip of some thin veg/tan leather and some lace and braided fishing line and an old 5 1/2 foot fishing rod and made a toy for the kittens. Well those kittens and I had more fun than a whole bunch of drunk monkeys in a banana plantation. I still laugh when I think of those kittens running, jumping, cutting flips, etc, after that piece of leather. Unfortuneatley(sp) for them and me they grow up. Anyway wishing all a good week and happy pounding on the bovine skin. When my Dr. asked me last week what I did for stress relief, I told him I took one of the little nerve pills he gives me and then go and beat the s**t out of a piece of dead cowhide, and seems to work most times anyway. Bye for now Billy P

You might want to check out leathercordusa.com I haven't ordered from them yet, but have gotten a sample card and it seems to be alright and reasonably priced too. Billy P.

I have a 1979-1980 Tandy catalog and the Ruby Blades are listed in it. 1/4 in. angle or straight $5.95 + shipping. Billy P

My best suggestion is to do what I did. Go to Wally World of some such place and get yourself a Optical Mouse, that uses the light instead of the rolling ball. I used a regular mouse and a track ball mouse until my wife got me the Optical Mouse, don't need anything else since. It will work on about any surface, so you can use whatever you want. You might want something tough to stand up to moving the mouse though. Just my .02 Billy P

Larry was a dear friend of mine and my mentor in leather working. Sometimes I feel lost without him to critque my work. I want to thank Phil for what he did for our friend and for the Twister for posting it here. Yes James you are right, we and the world could use a lot more people like Phil and Larry. I've found Larry and Phil, both to be really unselfish in their willingness to help others with leather work. I gotta go for now, but again thanks Phil and James for putting this on the forum. Billy P

Carr, hit that puppy on a peice of leather and send a picture. You know that we all love pictures. I hope to get one pretty soon myself. Billy P

Hello Newt, welcome to the leatherworker.net/forum. If you like leather work, you'll love it here. Almost always hot coffee and donuts ready. If the donuts look a little slick sometimes, Clay B's dogg likes to lick the icing when he gets a chance. They are still good though. Billy P

I started working on my Uncle's father-in-laws farm at 11 years old for .25 an hr. The old man farmed tobacco, corn, soybeans, etc. After I got out of school, I went to work in the textile plants for 1.60 hr. I got tired of working for just about nothing, after taxes take home pay $48.00 a week for 40 hrs. I started working construction shutdowns in the 70's in Nuclear Power Plants, best work I ever had, when working for someone else. I did mostly that until 1996 when I went to work for A.O. Smith Water Products Co., which was the 2nd best working for the other guy job. Diabetes messed up my arteries and lungs in the late 90's and in 99 had 2 heart attacks, then the lungs damage caused me to have to go on oxygen in 2002, so they made me retire. I draw SS Disability and work on leather as a hobby. I don't sell anything as they won't allow me to make any money, but sometimes I do something for a donation, just to keep me in leather and tools, but ya'll know what I mean. I got interested in leather working in the mid 70's and have done it off and on since. Working with leather has to be the best hobby on the planet, I have never found anything else that gives as much fun and satisfaction as a piece of cowhide. When things are going bad get a piece of skirting and beat the living crap out of it, or take a piece and make a beautiful belt, wallet, etc. I still miss going to work at the Plant's and miss most of the people, but leatherworking helps keep me sane. Just a few thought from me, Billy P

check out stleather.com and look at their online cat. I think they have them. Billy Pcheck out stleather.com and look at their online cat. I think they have them. Billy P

What size needles would you use with the Osborne, Bob's, Peter's? Also thread sizes? Thanks Billy P

Peter Main's newest book, "The Main Technique for Coloring Leather" has a section on how to do the marbling effect with dyes. One of the best books on coloring leather in a lot of ways that I've seen. Billy P

Hey everyone, first I want to wish everybody on here a Very Happy New Year. Down here, here in the south where I live, we'll be having fried Hog Jowls, Black Eyed Peas with sausage and such cooked together, Collards and Craklin Cornbread, both baked and fried. I'm looking forward to that already. Now a question of my own about the Gum Trag how do you thin it down? I've got some and I use it a lot on edges, but mine is getting thick and needs some thinning down. Bye for now and thanks for any replies on this. Billy P

I live in South Carolina, but I get just about everything that I get from Tandy from the Charllotte N.C. store. I went up there right after it opened up, and met the then assistant manager, Billy Brown. He made manager pretty quick and we had become friends too, so I stick with him. Always great to do bussiness with, always helpful, friendly, and offering encourageing words. He's close enough that I go every month or so, my wife's orthapedic Dr., is only about 18 mi. from the store, so when she goes for a Dr. appt. we ride on up to Tandy. Anyway Billy Brown is always a pleasure to work with and visit. I will say that I believe if Tandy happens to get one of those "BUTT HOLE" managers and Jim Linnell is informed of it. Jim will check it out, and if the manager is not doing like he should, that he won't be working for Tandy or Jim very long. If someone is driving customers away then Tandy is losing money, and I really believe that the co., wants to stay in business. Just my .02 for today. Merry Christmas and Happy New Years to all connected to the Leatherworker.net Billy P

We were wanting to not go anywhere this Christmas. For all the 30 yrs. my wife and I have been together, we always have been away from our home Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Last year we decided that this year 2008, that we weren't going anywhere for the holidays. Well you know the best laid plans of mice and men are doomed to fail. Some really bad personal stuff went on at my mother-in-laws and my wife's sisters place. My sister-in-law hasen't worked since late summer, so naturally things are pretty tight money wise for them. The only income is Mom's SS, so we decided that we are gonna cook Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, load up the food and try and get to her mom's house bye 12 noon or so and provide dinner for them. My wife does most of the cooking, but I'll be frying a turkey and she makes me make the dressing. I didn't tell her, but I bought 8 cornish hens and I'm gonna deep fry them after I cook the turkey. If you've never had the fried cornish hen, that might be something to try sometime. Just cook the same way as the turkey and the same amount of time per lb. of meat. Another thing we do is get a standing rib roast, I'll season it, wrap it tight in alum. foil and let it sit and marinate for at least a day, but 2 days are better. Then deep fry it at about 375 F for 3 and1/2 min per lb. You will have well done, medium rare, and rare all in the one cut and it's good too, at least we like it. Anyway wishing everone a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year from us to all of you. Billy P

HEY ROO, LET ME HELP YOU CELEBRATE AND BRING YOU LOT'S OF CHEER, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. Wishing you all the best on this day Billy P

Harley-Davidson Motor Co., has a well earned reputation as being one of the toughest co's at protecting their copyrights and products. Some years ago 2 old guys, brothers, had a leather business around here where I live. They had about a 12x12 building in one's front yard, and did the work there and sold some things out of it. They would go to the Harley dealers and buy the Harley patches and then make wallets and sew the patches on them. One bro., did most of the work in the shop and the other did the foot work selling. He cut a deal with a guy that has an indoor flea market type deal and ended up putting in some peg board and a display case and they sold stuff on a commission deal. Anyway long story short, one Sunday morning Sarge, and the owner of the flea market were there and in comes a fellow, he browes's around for a while and then ask's about the wallets and such with the harley patches. He also ask Sarge if he had anymore already made. Ole Sarge figures he's gonna make a big sale, so he tells the guy how many they have in the shop. After Sarge tells him the deal, the guy pulls out his credentials and he is a Harley rep, well he tells Sarge and the owner, that they can sell what they have in the sort and what Sarge and his bro have already made up. He also tells them that he's gonna be back sometime and if they are still makeing and selling that they will be sued. Most of the stuff I make is one of, but I've done a bunch of Harley, Nascar, NFL, NBA, and school logo's. I don't try and put stuff on the net with any logo's of anybodies. I am planning on contacting the local school admin's and see about being able to make some keyring type stuff with the local high schools logos on them. I have 3-D stamps for all the high schools in my county and some for the surrounding counties, but am not gonna use them until I have permission. All the schools, now sell T-shirts, mugs, banners, etc., to raise money to support the atheletic depts in their school, so if I give them a small percentage to use the logo, I don't mind as it will help them and me. In fact if they want to I'll make them and sell them to the school and they can resell them at games and fund raisers as they want to. They will just have to order enough to make it worth while to me, as I'll probably have to get someone to help a bit to get them out faster. I've said a lot, probably too much to get to the point, but I really don't think that doing one item ie notebook, purse, wallet, etc., is gonna get some big school so upset that they will sue a hobby crafter over it. The most they would probably do is ask not to do it again. We have to remember that while they are sueing someone like us that there is a limited amount that they could possibly get and they hae to pay lawyers just like anybody else, and mostly more per hour than a regular person pays at that. Just some of my thoughts on the subject, Billy P

Hey you people, while I have always liked and been interested in leather, plus always have loved horses. When I was a young chap my uncle used too have horses and ponies all the time, so in exchange for helping feed, water, curry, wash, etc., I could ride them all I wanted. Since joining Leatherworker.net, Bruce, Keith S. and the rest of you saddle and other things horse makers, have really corrupted me into really paying attention to the details and such on saddles and headstalls. Well to the point last night I was up at 2.30 a.m. until after 5 a.m. watching the NFR, and like Bruce said they had some bad to the bone headstalls on the cow horses. headers, Heelers, and bulldoggers. Makes me mad to think about all the good stuff I missed until lately. Anyway wishing everyone a good evening and any that can will enjoy watching the rodeo. Billy P

I'm so sorry to add another reply, but I forgot one important thing I meant to mention. Clay Miller, Froghunter, and I am sure a lot more no the forum are Tandy managers. If you're not getting satisfaction from the Tandy you're using now give one of our friends and members a call. I'll bet if you tell them what you do and what you want and what you expect when you order tools, leather, etc., that they will make every effort to see that you get what you want. Billy P

Tina and Dale, while I am no where near as good at leatherwork as alot, probably most of the people that are members of the forum, I think you are both right, but Dale is partially wrong on some things. I have had the same problems with Crafttools that you both have. A while back I bought 2 3-D stamps, the rt. and Left facing eagles. The left facing one gave a pretty good impression, but the right facing one was crap. I called the store where I ordered them and told the manager, who happens to be a good friend of mine. He told me to send it back, however as I was going up that way I took it with me. We stamped every left facing tool in the store and every one of them was crap, nowhere near a match to the other one. He ordered more and we went through probably 15 more later and still had problems getting an acceptable stamp. Now as far as the S630 seeder Tina you are right that one needs to be sent back and a better one sent to you. Dale, you are partly right about some rules have changed, but you/we have to remember that when most of the crafttools were designed, they were designed for drawings and sketches bye the old Masters. They used them differently than some do today. Actually they are perfect for the pictures/designs that they were made for. When we, today try to use them for something different, it's up to us to change and maybe use a different tool. I agree also that the Crafttools, Craft Japan, Ivan, etc., are a good value for people starting out in our passion. I got started in leather working back in 1974. I learned from Al Stolhman, Al Shelton, Ken Griffen, Paul Burnett, etc. I knew about Robb Barr, and a bunch of other from the old MIWL magazines. I went a while and didn't do much leather work and when I started back in 2005 I found the IILG and joined them. One of the first things I read on emails was that I had to have Bob Beard tools, or Barry King, or Ellis Barnes, or some other tool makers tools or my carving wouldn't be right, just not good enough without some high dollar tools. That is a bunch of crap. Those makers make a first class quality product, and I'm sure that they will help with a lot of things, and make some of your/my work better. If you think about it how many out there, if you're just starting out, will/would pull out $80/ $90 or more per tool, just to get a basic set from set Bob Beard. That would work out to about $630 for a basic 7 starter set. I hope to upgrade some of my basic tools soon and I will be getting better basketweave stamps and border tools too, but I don't need every tool that is made. Sorry about rambling on so, and I feel the pain too. There has got to be something done about the quality of the entry level tools. Maybe if we all write/email say Tandy Management about it they might do something. JoHan says that they want to get all the old tools and use them to make new castings, why can't they use what they have and go ahead and get some decent tools out now. What would be wrong with doing it in phases. In the long run it would probably be an encourgement to beginning leather workers, allowing them to do decent work right out of the chute. Any way enough from and old fart for now, but remember like my old buddy Dave Howell always tells me: if you can't drive a nail with a $5.00 hammer, you can't drive one with a $50.00 one either, so everybodies got to practice and learn. Bye and may God bless each and every one here on the Leatherworker.net/forum. Billy P