Mablung

Yeah, that’s your issue. I think Nigel’s channel is called Armitage Saddlery, something like that. If you look around in the Stitching forum on here, you’ll find some of his posts and tutorials. Pure gold for anyone looking for stitching chisels, pricking irons, proper stitching technique, the whole enchilada.

How did you make the holes? Looks like the second stitch went a little awry, either because you used an awl at the wrong angle (really easy to do), or you reversed which thread went through first. Overall quite clean, though, that one stitch notwithstanding. Have you watched Nigel Armitage’s video on saddle stitching? No better resource on the subject.

No, this is me trying to do my own pattern from my foot tracing. When I used Tony's pattern, I think I screwed it up by trying to be fancy/cut some time by using my stitching chisels, instead of punching along his hole punch marks. Shoulda taken the extra time, lol. (That and some of the lines didn't align because I think that piece of leather wasn't properly flattened on my cutting surface.) I think you may be right about the pattern slipping on this pair. My feet are slightly different, but not by much, at least in length. I need to compare the overall shape, dimensions, and proportions to really be sure, but I think they're close enough to use the same pattern. I trimmed the left vamp a bit but didn't trim the right as much (adjusting for lopsided patterning---actually worked pretty well on the left one), which, I think, is why the right one twisted more.

Is using a small-blade awl an option? More difficult than using stitching chisels but probably the method to use to do this repair by hand. Most awl blades are a good bit larger than that thread size, though, so it may be difficult, I grant.

Love them all. The revolver looks like the one Clint Eastwood carried in The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (phenomenal film).

Yeah, I looked at the Earthing Moccasins patterns—really expensive for nothing so unique I couldn’t eventually make it myself. I used the “wide” plugs in the Dieselpunk.ro pattern; I guess I just like “really really wide,” lol.

Well, they do look rather ridiculous, lol. They’re starting to take a little shape after wearing them for a few hours earlier. I’m going to experiment with a few different leathers I’ve got to see what works best, after I dial in the pattern.

Thanks! I found a good video on YouTube showing wooden last making; I’m planning to try my hand at making some plaster cast ones and eventually carving some wooden ones. My dad got me a jigsaw at an estate sale for an absolute steal, so I’ll be able to do at least some rough cutting. I’ve got that pattern pack as well, actually. I find them too narrow for my preference (I don’t have über-wide feet, but I wear minimalist shoes with wide toe boxes and try to make my moccasins similarly). It’s a good pattern pack, though, especially for getting the hang of making them. I made some for my ex-wife with those patterns that turned out quite nicely.

For whatever reason, I’ve had a terrible time making moccasins correctly. Theoretically, they should be easy. Practically, I have had a difficult time developing a pattern that works properly. I have Tony See’s pattern and need to make another go at using it, as I tried to get cute and cut a few corners the first time I used it (don’t do that). Anyway, I finally made a rather ugly, imperfectly-fitting pair out of some utility pull-up buffalo I bought for a steal at Tandy. Planning to revamp (no pun intended) the pattern a bit and make a second pair here soon. I put enough work into these that I wore them to church today even though they’re not especially attractive. (I don’t know how I managed to put that 90-degree kink in the left one—something to do with my stitching hole spacing, which left much to be desired.)

Sadly, OP hasn't visited since exactly a week after posting this---but @Fonzarellis, if you happen to see this notification, I, too, would love to see the finished piece. This is beautiful, beautiful work.

@cotymorris, is that an old Bible case? How thick is it? It looks pretty thin and supple. Tastech has a good guess re: buffalo, given the wrinkle pattern, but it also looks like it could be a really thin garment chrome tan cow hide.

That's even more impressive. My hat is off to you for your creative abilities. Very well-done.

Very nice. How do you determine the dimensions of the raised portions of the mold? I think of that because the pear shading on the flower center looks like it goes almost as deep as the backgrounded areas, which is a bit deep as far as tooling goes, but then I wonder to myself how one would determine those dimensions/tolerances to start with---it would not be easy! So kudos for making a very good-looking stamp mold.

It reads a lot like an advertisement—you know, the saying about a duck. If you want it to be evident you’re just showcasing a tool, you really gotta write your posts differently.

Any of the thicker braided polyester or braided nylon threads should suffice. There are a lot of quality options. Plenty of good twisted threads as well, if you prefer twisted. Ritza, Maine Thread Co., various Asian twisted brands.

Beyond tanning the leather, sunshine will also dry it out, which is why applying oil is necessary. I learned that the hard way with a coaster I accidentally left on a windowsill in the sun. Turned it a nice tan, but now it’s stiff. If you’re interested in learning about effects of different oils on leather, look at the sticky thread @fredk and @SUP created in I think the Dyes thread about an experiment they’re conducting using different oils on leather placed in different environments to observe the effects. I think olive oil is one of the oils, though I’m not sure off the top of my head. Regardless, it’s an interesting experiment.

Given the means to get a new knife, “Because I don’t have [insert option] and want one” is good enough, lol.

Huh, I thought he made his stuff with 154CM. Apparently he switched.

Drifting the thread just slightly: Is there a particular reason you want MagnaCut steel specifically? The stuff is good, but there are other steels that will work for leatherwork just as well, especially the older tool steels. This sort of cutting requires a lot of regular stropping, and for edge retention, the biggest thing is heat treatment. A lot of other steels, stainless and “high carbon” tool alike, will do the job just as well, for less money (and with an easier time finding the tools).

The pre-curve bit is a lot more about creating a shortcut around the break-in process for a standard gun belt going through one’s belt loops. I doubt strongly that it makes a considerable difference for a separate cartridge gun belt, though I could be wrong. I’d not worry about it, personally. Now to fit the loops along the belt, if you go ahead and pre-curve it, I’d be more inclined to simply leave off the loops along the middle couple inches of the belt. That’s where the curve will be, so just leave those out, unless it’s critical that the loops cover the whole surface.

You can use it for the long lines like you’re talking about, although it is a figure carving tool, more than anything, but that’ll get tedious.

The Tandy double beveler is a walking tool, or so they say. It’s technically possible to get a clean bevel with it (I’ve seen the manager of my local store do it in a class I took), but how anyone gets good enough with it short of asylum-worthy obsession with it, I couldn’t tell you.

Almost assuredly.

You, sir, are a rotten egg.

I like it. That insert is a neat idea, too.