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Thank you for your reply. From close, it did not appear stamped. At least the sea did not. The ship, I wondered about that. But the sea is more interesting to me. How is surf like that tooled? I wonder whether one of those classes that Elk Track studios provides teaches something like that. I must check.

This is on an old album from WWII.

This is the cover of an old military album I saw in a store. That sea looks so realistic. Those waves, that foamy look. How was that tooled? It felt 3-D.

Each time I set up a new password or change one, I check what I was doing just prior, and use that activity in a phrase - in a different language, spelt in English - as my password e.g. 'tomato sandwich breakfast' in Hindi. I also add numbers and special characters and of course, different cases. Unbreakable! All stored safely, accessible only to me.

I feel for you! Maybe you could direct that anger into some more of your quirky designs that are always so beautiful. Hammering punches into a few thick pieces of leather is always so therapeutic! I know that your belt bag is one that I always want to make but never seem to have the appropriate belts for it. Still collecting though.

@Frodo, sorry about your truck. How did that happen? Those books all have such charming and cheerful designs. There are books with undersea and mountain sceneries as well, which are beautiful. The mandalas are very complicated though, the first one you have shown here @Frodo.

In the thread on preventing mold, a very recent thread, you will find, @Northmount and @Johanna have explained how to use vinegar or Listerine to clean and preserve leather. They are much more knowledgeable and experienced than I am.

Do you use it diluted? What about the smell?

I usually use dilute vinegar first and allow it to dry. That gets rid of mold and mildew. Then the cleanser and conditioner to replace the oils and normalize pH. Clorox is not meant for leather and might well damage it.

So increasingly finer sandpaper to smoothen and then burnish with Tokonole. Ah! Should have used my common sense about it. I've been smoothening with 400 grit and then burnishing. So it was evidently not smooth enough before burnishing, to give that shine. If I remember correctly, this was mentioned elsewhere earlier but I had forgotten. I've not used gum Trag but many who have used it say that they prefer Tokonole. I like it. Incidentally, I'm new at leatherwork too - just about 2 years. So I'm learning all the time as well.

Oh wow! Could you share the information? My edges, no matter what I use, are rarely glass-like; nearly glass-like but not perfect as I would like them to be. 🥹 I plan to go old school and work with an old piece of canvas again. Maybe that will work. On the thicker leather, of course.

It is well made and mine is light. I have no idea how the other woods are. But you should be able to make it if you have the tools and wood, and one that is comfortable for you to use. I have smaller hands so this is comfortable to use. I have no idea how people with larger hands will find it. If anyone with larger hands has tried this, maybe you could put in a word about how comfortable it is to use?

Very true. 😄 Also don't have the interest in making things that can be bought easily. Judicious use of whatever time I have remaining in this world. That is true too.

I used the edge glider on some thin chrome tanned leather and it is easy to work with. It is difficult to actually see the result on such thin leather but it looks more finished than the part still to be done. The edge glider is surprisingly easy to work with and the small size actually helps. A larger tool would have been unwieldy to use on thin leather. For anyone using thin leather frequently, this might be something to consider. In fact, I see that you get the same edge for thicker leathers as well. You can select which you need. So it is not just for thin leathers. I sound like I am advertising this but I am not.😄 I have nothing to do with this product.

That is beautiful!

I know. And its good. His site has some great information and excellent tools. And he guides you well on what you need.

😄 Most people don't. And what fun it is to try different things around the house and put them to new uses. Think of how one can use orange sticks - again a tool for nails that have a million non-nail uses. Just one thing - I do leatherwork as a hobby, so anything that I say is from that point of view. it will be different, many times, from the point of view of a leather professional. Please consider any information that I provide with that in mind!

The Weaver sharpening tool for edge bevelers, sharpening stones of different diameters and sizes, diamond stones, string with that green compound... seen them all, got them all, tried them all, AL Stohlman's book included. Still a pain. so prefer the cuticle trimmers. Sharpening knives is fine, bevelers, not so much. Besides, the cuticle trimmers? I can adjust the tips as I need - widen them, narrow them, bend them... as I need for the current project. I really like that. My regular edge bevelers, Bissonnette bevelers et all sit around looking beautiful. It's a personal thing, I guess. Whatever works, finally, is it not? 🙂 I know that many will think I am talking through my hat, but this works. Try it sometime. You might like them. Most women have disposable cuticle trimmers lying around. Need to be the unused, disposable ones though.

Hmm. I have many edge bevelers and the pain is always the 'sharpen them' part. I am never sure that I know exactly how to do it, no matter how many videos I watch. So, I followed @fredk's suggestion and now use plain old disposable cuticle trimmers. They are ridiculously cheap (think 30-50 for $7.99 on Amazon and probably cheaper still in Brick-and-mortar stores) and surprisingly effective. I have used them on thin and thick leathers with no trouble at all. When one goes dull, I discard it, no sweat.

Oh it happens though. Mold grows so fast, it is eerie. My spray bottles all look alike and once, I picked up the water spray instead of the vinegar one. As I watched, the mold increased over the surface of the leather that I was treating. It was unpleasant, to say the least. Threw away that leather.

Spray diluted white vinegar on the leather. Wait a minute or two, then wipe off the excess - do not allow it to soak in - and allow it to dry. Condition well, once completely dry, preferably t least 24 hours later. This has worked for me.

Your filigree work is gorgeous! How did you get such symmetry? Springfield leather had these filigree tools on sale a while ago. I don't know if they still sell them.

😅 Nah. My little darling is a mixed breed from the animal shelter. We pamper and spoil her quite a bit. Her current collar is a leather one I bought before I got into leatherwork. I guess you have a point about the weight not making much difference. She is a medium sized dog and should not really be affected by the weight of a leather collar that I can make. And she is an absolute angel - has never chewed any leather in her life.

That is a nice belt. How much does it weigh, if I might ask? I've been wanting to make one for my dog but don't want it to be too heavy.

Thanks for that correction, @bruce johnson.