Mablung

Conceivably one could tie a few tight knots in the last hole and hide them between the two layers and the tension of the stitches would keep them tight, as would any edge treatment done (especially if one finished veg tan edges using beeswax, as I generally do). But that's not quite as tight or sure as backstitching. Personally, I kinda like the look of the backstitching, but that's me.

I've just used a soft cotton rag torn from an old t-shirt. That seems to work pretty well. I have only used lambswool daubers to apply dye and haven't had any trouble with those, so I'd think they'd work well for oil as well. That said, nearly anything will have fibers removed and held by the flesh side, especially on something like shoulders (which I've been using a lot lately), so I try to do as much from the grain side as I can.

From what I have read on here, the general consensus seems to be that you're not going to lose appreciable strength by cutting a thin strip of grain out of the top of a 6/7 oz. piece of leather. Groover vs. creaser seems more important, as a matter of protecting leather integrity, only with thin pieces. That said, some prefer the aesthetics of a crease over a groove, and/or just don't want to remove any material at all. Judging by others' pictures, I think the stitches tend to settle into the leather a little bit differently. I use a groover because that's what I started with and thus what I have, but creases look nice, too. I don't do much in thinner leather so far, working mostly with 6/7 oz. for holsters and knife sheaths and pieces needing similarly thick leather, but I'll probably get a creaser at some point anyway.

I think you may have missed the point.

I like it. The irregularities in the hide piece give it character. I like the contrast stitching as well, but I'm a sucker for a nice brown hue like that with well-done white stitching.

Conceivably, this is the kind of thing that could be 3D printed. I'm interested in finding a form as well, though, as I plan to upgrade to the Plus soon and would like to make a good leather case.

Roger that, and thanks. I have read before that oval holes resist wear from sling frogs better than round ones do, but that may also be a matter of preference rather than actual need. What hole size did you use on this one? At first glance, I would think a 1/8" round drive punch would do the trick, but I haven't looked up the frog dimensions.

That's fantastic. Where did you get the frog hook for the working end? I've got this wild hair to make myself a 1903 sling for my .308 bolt gun but don't know where to get good hardware. I found an oval punch on Weaver Leathercraft's site, so that part would be covered; just don't know where to get the hardware itself.

Use scissors to cut the thread (extra points if you use snippers with finely-edged blades to create a clean cut to prevent fraying---I just use regular old scissors, though), down to about 1/8" length. Then use the lighter to melt the end and press the melted bit down into the other stitches. With a little practice, it's pretty easy to do very cleanly.

Far better than a Ziploc bag. Now I've got the itch to make myself a better bag. Might require I learn how to install zippers and fashion something like a hanging hook for a hanging toiletry bag. Or just a dopp bag.

That is gorgeous. Both the leather and the piece.

Looks much better than my attempt at antiquing last night. I forgot to put down the beeswax I meant to use as a resist, so I got more of a mottled/splotched dark brown staining across the whole notebook cover rather than just lightly staining the surface and settling into the grooves of the tooling.

I like it. I always admire those who can draw and mix colors like that. I love good art but can't make it myself, so thanks for sharing what you can do.

Thank you.

What weight/thickness of leather do you usually use for these? Thinking of making one for my watch but have mostly 4/5 oz. oil tan and was thinking 2/3 would be more like it. I may get some skiving practice, if it needs to be thinner.

That's really slick and clean-looking. What are the dimensions? That gave me an idea for integrating an ammunition pouch into a rifle stock pouch I need to make but have put off researching while dealing with some other things.

That is a really sharp design. Do you mind if I riff off it for a pocket sheath I'm probably going to redo? I did this one for a small fixed blade I pocket carry but need to make a few adjustments. I'd love to lift some of your design choices.

Hello, all fellow occupants of this forum. I'm new here and new to leatherwork. I've done small projects for a couple of years, but I only have small blocks of time, generally, to do anything, and life has been hectic since I started the hobby. So, while I've made a few things and started dabbling in very basic tooling, I consider myself a thorough greenhorn in the art. Mostly I've read threads as a guest, having found the forum while looking for advice on how to sharpen my head knife (the concept of which I like very much but cannot get the D2 steel of the Tandy knife I bought to polish quite cleanly enough to skive consistently). Having gleaned helpful information just by reading, I thought I would join and seek more targeted advice over and above basic construction techniques. The folks at the Tandy store where I buy my supplies are quite helpful, but sometimes there's nothing like being able to post a few pictures for feedback.