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Pit of despair. Sewing a zipper into the heel of a riding boot. First time installing a zipper. I welcome your tips and advice. My double stick tape didn't stick to the leather so I used a dab of Barge cement on the bottom and binder clips to hold the zipper for sewing. I hand sewed the zipper into the heel then used a machine for the rest.

I work as a seamstress for a handbag designer and I am having problems with wavy zippers. I use tape to affix the leather to the zipper and sew, careful to not push or pull the leather as I go. I have tried sewing on paper as an attempt to stabilize but am still having a problem. I sew on an old consew industrial that is serviced regularly. See pictures for an example of what I am talking about. Any help would be much appreciated

Making the Makers Leather Supply pistol cast from their excellent template. All done but final stitching... And I can't get the zipper to work. In the video, he has to fuss with the zipper a bit to get it to start, and I'm OK with that. But I can get it started, and the teeth just don't mesh. I can put a pull on a piece of normal, two part zipper and it works fine. I've tried putting the pull on upside down, same result. Tried to put a pull on a smaller loop of zipper (zipping it to itself) like the pattern, and get the same result... No mesh. Put a sample piece on one side of the zipper loop, and it worked fine. Really excited about how it's turned out, but if I can't zip it shut its not much good.

hello all.. i am not sure where to ask this, so i hope here is ok. i am sewing a leather zipper pouch and i am having a lot of difficult figuring out how it is suppose to be done. i have included some images. the first image is an example of what i am after. the following 2 images are what i have done and where i am getting stuck unable to figure out how to approach it. i have 2 main questions. 1. the side egge of the pouch runs vertically and was sewn inside out. however, there are stitches that are perpendicular to the side edge, but how was this sewn since the vertical edge creates a "wall" that prevents that area from laying flat. i have no idea how to get that kind of result. the image will show you what i mean. 2. how is the zipper tape terminated? again, the side edge has a "wall" inside the pouch and so there is no room for the zipper tape to terminate. this has been extremely frustrating trying to figure this out without tearing apart that pouch which was not an option. any suggestions would greatly be appreciated. thanks!

Hello everyone, I've been trying a number of leather glues recently and my favourite so far is Ecostick 1816B: it dries quickly, clear, and strong, without the odor of the solvent-based glues. I find it easier to use than Barge cement (and no fumes). That being said, I'm struggling to find a decent glue for gluing a zipper (fabric) to leather. What do you guys normally use? The catch is that the zipper is being as the closure for a zipper stationery case, so I need to be able to glue both sides of the zipper to two different leather pieces. For reference, the zipper stationery case is of this style: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/559862096/leather-zippered-5-slot-pen-case-leather Thanks in advance.

I'm selling some of my leather working equipment and also some leather, to make room in our small apartment for my son's bedroom! Pickup in San Francisco please for large/heavy items including leather. I can ship the electric iron/edge creaser and zippers if you pay for shipping. VSB Burnishing Machine from Campbell Randall: Brand New (Unused) burnisher for sanding, polishing and finishing leather edges - to end all hours of manual sanding work. Includes leather felt wheel, wax stick, abrasive stone wheel, diamond wheel, and additional work table to rest your piece. New (unused) for $590 (Save $100 vs buying from Campbell Randall directly). Global Industrial Workbench - 60 X 30 inch Solid Maple Wood Square Edge Work Bench- Adjustable Height - 1 3/4" Top. Legs adjust so that table height can be from 27 ⅞ inches to 35 ⅜ inches. Like New for $235 (Save $200 vs buying new on website. Tax & Shipping only is $155 to San Francisco). Granite Hammering Stone: 12x18x3 inch solid granite tooling slab for leatherworking. Used for leather skiving, stamping, and tooling. Excellent condition. $100 (Save $52 including tax vs buying new). French Burnishing electric iron/ edge creaser: Regad M3000 6V Low voltage Power box with wood handle and Right-handed F2.5 Metal Burnish Head. This electric creasing & edging tool is a very popular product for Hermes, Louis Vuitton and other high-end craftsmen creating their iconic creased and polished edges. Regad is well known in the industry for their high quality edging tools and accessories that are made to last. This machine will substantially reduce the amount of time you spend on your edges and will give your projects a polished high-end look. Excellent condition. $400 (Save $230 including tax vs buying new). Wood Sewing Clamp: 51 inches (1.3 Meters) long wood sewing clamp for hand-stitching leather. Excellent condition. $125 (save $50 vs buying new). Hand setter for snap buttons: Hand tool for setting snap buttons on leather. Like New, barely used. $105 (save $100 including sales tax vs buying new). Italian Full-Grain Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto B. Adriacolors Italian high quality full-grain leather in black, red, and off-white. Half-drummed, soft hand and pebble grain finish. 1.2-1.4 mm thickness. Each skin is 43 to 50 sq ft. $129-150 per skin ($100 off vs buying direct and shipping). Italian Smooth Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto Nappacolors high quality, full-grain Italian smooth leather in brown, mustard yellow, burnt orange, and dark blue. Soft, high-quality touch. 1.1-1.3 mm thickness. Each half skin is 23 to 26 sq ft. $130-150 per half skin ($75 saving vs buying direct and shipping). 9. Zippers: Several high-quality zippers from Lampo and YKK. YKK Red zipper tape (11 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 3) - $55 for all or $5/meter YKK Black zipper tape (10 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $80 for all or $8/meter YKK Red zipper tape (6 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $48 for all or $8/meter YKK Beige/Off-white zipper tape (5 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5): $40 for all or $8/meter YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 5: $25 for all or $0.50 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (30 qty) in Size 5: $9 for all or $0.30 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 3:$20 for all or $0.40/each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T3 Light Gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 12 qty.: $18 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Magenta tape with T3 gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 4 qty: : $6 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Black tape with T5 Light gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Off-White/Light Beige tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zipper - 1 qty (120 cm long) and 1 qty (77 cm or ~30 inches long) with no pull or end stop plus 4 end stops & 6 top stops: $12 for all or $8 / finished zipper and $4 for 77cm tape Lampo Superlampo Mustard Yellow tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 6 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Copper Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Dark Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Blue tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Burnt Orange tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Light Gold T5 zipper pulls - 10 qty: $5 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Gold T5 zipper pulls - 16 qty: $8 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Light Gold End stops - 14 qty: or $0.04/each

So this is my first attempt at making a bag of any sort. I’m actually really pleased with how it turned out. I’m calling this a prototype because I plan on making more with nicer leathers. While this looks pretty decent there’s quite a few scars on the leather and while it worked for this bag that’s not really the look I’m going for. Also I need to tweak the pattern a bit. And I need to make a strap just waiting on some leather to come in. The bag is made of 2.5/3.0oz European veg tan from Tandy. Stitched with twist 0.45 cream linen thread and I used some cheap 5mm pricking irons from Amazon. The liner is some sort of suede from an old jacket liner I believe (my aunt gave it to me when I told her I was making leather goods) I got the gold hardware from sav-more leather in Downtown LA. I’d really like to hear what you think or maybe offer some insight. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to glue the seams before sewing ( I didn’t ) also I forgot to undo the zipper A little bit before closed it up so that was a total pain trying to get the zipper open so I could flip it. Here’s a lot of pics =) Thanks for looking !

It seems like you might have to stretch the leather to get that sort of curve. Is that something that could be done realistically by hand? Thank you!

Hi, I am trying to make a zip around wallet. I have figured out putting in the zip using a wooden mold, but I don't know how to do the edge stitching around the zip, so that I catch in both the outer leather case and the internal pieces and get it to look neat. In the photos you can see I have done the white stitching on the blue outer case (this is a practice piece) but I can't get the stitches to catch the inside pieces. Grateful for any ideas.

I am having trouble finding quality zippers with silver teeth and brown tape in a size small enough for wallets. I have googled ykk, and others. Any suggestions.

Hello all Does any one know where I can find a good zipper presser foot for a Durkopp 239? Seems hard to find for these old machines on the web. All the feet I find is for newer Durkopp/Adler machines. Are there any other durkopp numbers or brands (like Juki) fitting this machine? Thanks

Hey Looking for all the help I can get on this one. Never made a long wallet before so I took to instagram for some inspiration... @from_one_leather See below for some pictures. The last image is a similar wallet by the same person, but it is the zipper in the middle for coins that I am particularly interested in. Any idea how it is done? I've never worked with zippers before. also, with the first image, how do you think the insert for the strap is sewed into the piece? Any other insights would be great. Sam

I'm selling some leather and zippers, to make room in our small apartment for my son's bedroom! Pickup in San Francisco please for leather. I can ship the zippers if you pay for shipping. Italian Full-Grain Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto B. Adriacolors Italian high quality full-grain leather in red and off-white. Half-drummed, soft hand and pebble grain finish. 1.2-1.4 mm thickness. Each skin is 43 to 50 sq ft. $129-150 per skin ($100 off vs buying direct and shipping). Italian Smooth Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto Nappacolors high quality, full-grain Italian smooth leather in brown, burnt orange, and dark blue. Soft, high-quality touch. 1.1-1.3 mm thickness. Each half skin is 23 to 26 sq ft. $130-150 per half skin ($75 saving vs buying direct and shipping). Zippers: Several high-quality zippers from Lampo and YKK. YKK Red zipper tape (11 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 3) - $50 for all or $5/meter YKK Black zipper tape (9 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $65 for all or $8/meter YKK Red zipper tape (5 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $35 for all or $8/meter YKK Beige/Off-white zipper tape (4 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5): $28 for all or $8/meter YKK Gold zipper pulls (48 qty) in Size 5: $20 for all or $0.50 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (30 qty) in Size 5: $6 for all or $0.30 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 3:$15 for all or $0.40/each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T3 Light Gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 12 qty.: $15 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Magenta tape with T3 gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 4 qty: : $5 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Black tape with T5 Light gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Off-White/Light Beige tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zipper - 1 qty (120 cm long) and 1 qty (77 cm or ~30 inches long) with no pull or end stop plus 4 end stops & 6 top stops: $10 for all or $8 / finished zipper and $4 for 77cm tape Lampo Superlampo Mustard Yellow tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 6 top stops: $8 Lampo Superlampo Copper Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Dark Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Blue tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $8 Lampo Superlampo Burnt Orange tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Light Gold T5 zipper pulls - 10 qty: $4 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Gold T5 zipper pulls - 13 qty: $5 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Light Gold End stops - 14 qty: $0.50 for all or $0.04/each

I'm selling some of my leather working equipment and also some leather, to make room in our small apartment for my son's bedroom! Pickup in San Francisco please for large/heavy items including leather. I can ship the electric iron/edge creaser and zippers if you pay for shipping. VSB Burnishing Machine from Campbell Randall: Brand New (Unused) burnisher for sanding, polishing and finishing leather edges - to end all hours of manual sanding work. Includes leather felt wheel, wax stick, abrasive stone wheel, diamond wheel, and additional work table to rest your piece. New (unused) for $575 (Save $250 vs buying from Campbell Randall directly). Global Industrial Workbench - 60 X 30 inch Solid Maple Wood Square Edge Work Bench- Adjustable Height - 1 3/4" Top. Legs adjust so that table height can be from 27 ⅞ inches to 35 ⅜ inches. Like New for $235 (Save $200 vs buying new on website. Tax & Shipping only is $155 to San Francisco). Hand setter for snap buttons: Hand tool for setting snap buttons on leather. Like New, barely used. $105 (save $100 including sales tax vs buying new). Italian Full-Grain Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto B. Adriacolors Italian high quality full-grain leather in red and off-white. Half-drummed, soft hand and pebble grain finish. 1.2-1.4 mm thickness. Each skin is 43 to 50 sq ft. $129-150 per skin ($100 off vs buying direct and shipping). Italian Smooth Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto Nappacolors high quality, full-grain Italian smooth leather in brown, burnt orange, and dark blue. Soft, high-quality touch. 1.1-1.3 mm thickness. Each half skin is 23 to 26 sq ft. $130-150 per half skin ($75 saving vs buying direct and shipping). 9. Zippers: Several high-quality zippers from Lampo and YKK. YKK Red zipper tape (11 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 3) - $50 for all or $5/meter YKK Black zipper tape (9 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $65 for all or $8/meter YKK Red zipper tape (5 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $35 for all or $8/meter YKK Beige/Off-white zipper tape (4 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5): $28 for all or $8/meter YKK Gold zipper pulls (48 qty) in Size 5: $20 for all or $0.50 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (30 qty) in Size 5: $6 for all or $0.30 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 3:$15 for all or $0.40/each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T3 Light Gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 12 qty.: $15 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Magenta tape with T3 gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 4 qty: : $5 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Black tape with T5 Light gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Off-White/Light Beige tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zipper - 1 qty (120 cm long) and 1 qty (77 cm or ~30 inches long) with no pull or end stop plus 4 end stops & 6 top stops: $10 for all or $8 / finished zipper and $4 for 77cm tape Lampo Superlampo Mustard Yellow tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 6 top stops: $8 Lampo Superlampo Copper Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Dark Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Blue tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $8 Lampo Superlampo Burnt Orange tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $15 for all or $8 / each Lampo Light Gold T5 zipper pulls - 10 qty: $4 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Gold T5 zipper pulls - 13 qty: $5 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Light Gold End stops - 14 qty: $0.50 for all or $0.04/each

I'm selling some of my leather working equipment and also some leather, to make room in our small apartment for my son's bedroom! Pickup in San Francisco please for large/heavy items including leather. I can ship the electric iron/edge creaser and zippers if you pay for shipping. VSB Burnishing Machine from Campbell Randall: Brand New (Unused) burnisher for sanding, polishing and finishing leather edges - to end all hours of manual sanding work. Includes leather felt wheel, wax stick, abrasive stone wheel, diamond wheel, and additional work table to rest your piece. New (unused) for $590 (Save $100 vs buying from Campbell Randall directly). Global Industrial Workbench - 60 X 30 inch Solid Maple Wood Square Edge Work Bench- Adjustable Height - 1 3/4" Top. Legs adjust so that table height can be from 27 ⅞ inches to 35 ⅜ inches. Like New for $235 (Save $200 vs buying new on website. Tax & Shipping only is $155 to San Francisco). Granite Hammering Stone: 12x18x3 inch solid granite tooling slab for leatherworking. Used for leather skiving, stamping, and tooling. Excellent condition. $100 (Save $52 including tax vs buying new). French Burnishing electric iron/ edge creaser: Regad M3000 6V Low voltage Power box with wood handle and Right-handed F2.5 Metal Burnish Head. This electric creasing & edging tool is a very popular product for Hermes, Louis Vuitton and other high-end craftsmen creating their iconic creased and polished edges. Regad is well known in the industry for their high quality edging tools and accessories that are made to last. This machine will substantially reduce the amount of time you spend on your edges and will give your projects a polished high-end look. Excellent condition. $400 (Save $230 including tax vs buying new). Wood Sewing Clamp: 51 inches (1.3 Meters) long wood sewing clamp for hand-stitching leather. Excellent condition. $125 (save $50 vs buying new). Hand setter for snap buttons: Hand tool for setting snap buttons on leather. Like New, barely used. $105 (save $100 including sales tax vs buying new). Italian Full-Grain Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto B. Adriacolors Italian high quality full-grain leather in black, red, and off-white. Half-drummed, soft hand and pebble grain finish. 1.2-1.4 mm thickness. Each skin is 43 to 50 sq ft. $129-150 per skin ($100 off vs buying direct and shipping). Italian Smooth Leather: Gruppo Mastrotto Nappacolors high quality, full-grain Italian smooth leather in brown, mustard yellow, burnt orange, and dark blue. Soft, high-quality touch. 1.1-1.3 mm thickness. Each half skin is 23 to 26 sq ft. $130-150 per half skin ($75 saving vs buying direct and shipping). 9. Zippers: Several high-quality zippers from Lampo and YKK. YKK Red zipper tape (11 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 3) - $55 for all or $5/meter YKK Black zipper tape (10 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $80 for all or $8/meter YKK Red zipper tape (6 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5) - $48 for all or $8/meter YKK Beige/Off-white zipper tape (5 meters) with ELITE gold metal teeth (size 5): $40 for all or $8/meter YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 5: $25 for all or $0.50 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (30 qty) in Size 5: $9 for all or $0.30 / each YKK Gold zipper pulls (~50 qty) in Size 3:$20 for all or $0.40/each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T3 Light Gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 12 qty.: $18 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Magenta tape with T3 gold teeth and pulls, finished zippers (18.5 cm long) - 4 qty: : $6 for all or $1.50 / each Lampo Superlampo Black tape with T5 Light gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Red tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty plus 5 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Off-White/Light Beige tape with T5 Light Gold teeth and pulls finished zipper - 1 qty (120 cm long) and 1 qty (77 cm or ~30 inches long) with no pull or end stop plus 4 end stops & 6 top stops: $12 for all or $8 / finished zipper and $4 for 77cm tape Lampo Superlampo Mustard Yellow tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 6 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Copper Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 3 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Dark Brown tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 1 qty plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Blue tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Superlampo Burnt Orange tape with T5 gold teeth and pulls finished zippers (120 cm long) - 2 qty. Plus 4 end stops & 7 top stops: $16 for all or $8 / each Lampo Light Gold T5 zipper pulls - 10 qty: $5 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Gold T5 zipper pulls - 16 qty: $8 for all or $0.50 / each Lampo Light Gold End stops - 14 qty: or $0.04/each

Just finished up this long wallet prototype on the weekend - this was my first attempt at a zipper and it worked out ok. I've made many wallets and field tested them all, I'm finding that with wallets, something might look good, but it ends up being not practical or functional enough for me IRL. I don't want to be standing at the cash register and shoving folded bills into my minimalist wallet, or fighting with three cards stacked on top of each other. This zippered pocket pleases my, aesthetically, but I can't imagine what I would carry in it. And the fact that it floats does not appeal to my girlfriend, but it makes sense from a design standpoint since it may get bulky. I'm working on version 2.0 and will incorporate a fold-over snap closure of some sort. And probably go for the obligatory grommet/chain attachment "biker" look, just to give it a go. I'd appreciate comments about or experiences with form over function, that to me is the real challenge with this craft. Once you get the skills to be able to craft these things, then it comes down to making it better. (stronger, faster ). Feedback is most welcomed. Have a great day folks!

Hello, I am finally learning to sew a zipper into a case, a small dopp kit. I was wondering if there is any big difference between the aluminum zippers vs. brass? I like the aluminum color better, but are there any downsides in using them? To me aluminum seems like a soft metal so possibly it could fail much faster. Thanks!

Hi folks! I am looking for original #5 YKK zippers (chain or 30 inch and more) made in Japan. YKK zippers that recently ordered from US (made in US) is real crap. So now suppliers as pacific trimming, zipupzipper, zipperstop are not considered at all. Riri zippers with their prices comparable with Jaguar car price as well. Your advice would be highly appreciated.

I finished my new bag today.

I have been having a really hard time with using glue with leather. Mostly on zippers. I'm using them for a small toiletry type bag, and the pattern I'm using says to use rubber cement to glue the zipper in place before stitching. So far I haven't had much success with using rubber cement. It keeps pulling off as I stitch the zipper in. So I'm curious what others use for glue. I'd like to get this figured out because other projects I want to attempt all call for glueing the edges before stitching. Thanks in advance for an advice you may have.

Hey guys, I have a customer who is used to cloth purses with plastic zipper. The ease of zip is very important for her. I have only used YKK zippers so far, and they can be a little rough. Using Riri zippers is a bit of an investment (buy the tools, by the tape), and I've never used one before, so I don't know if the experience would be up to her expectations. Alternately, I'm considering a delrin zipper, but I don't want to put in a zipper that won't last as long as the bag. Any help or experience would be appreciated.

I'm kind of stumped and would like some input. I'm making my first large back quiver based off a Tandy pattern I bought, and it calls for a pouch that gets folded at the corners with a zipper going up the center, something like this: The thing is, I don't particularly care for a zipper, it just doesn't suit my recurve bow and wooden arrows all that much. So what options do I have? I like the fact that it can be opened from the center, so I can grab whatever little things are in there. Should I make buttons and loops to hold the flap shut? Grommets and lace it? Something else I haven't thought of?

Since last week, I have to make a leather case.

Hello, I am looking for someone who can repair zippers on a pool stick case that is made of alligator skin. It is my husband's and he has tried to get it repaired before, but with no luck. He has not found anyone with the skill to be able to take on the project. Please contact me if you are, or if you know of someone who is, a leatherworker who can work with exotic skins like alligator. I don't have a picture of the case currently, but can provide one if needed. Thanks!

I'm ready to start using zippers in some of my work. Where do you buy yours? What brand do you use? Special tools needed? I plan on buying Riri from Buckle Guy. But I'm not sure what I should buy. http://www.buckleguy.com/riri-finished-zippers/ Post some pics of your zipper work! Thanks.