Search the Community

Hi forum. I am brand new to leather working trying to finish up my four-month tool research. I have been trying to look into hot creasing quality I can possibly expect from a groover-creaser sets like that of Kyoshin Elle Pro stitching groover creaser. Obviously, I want to cut down costs a bit, but my main concern with a multi-purpose tool like the creaser-groover set of, say, Kyoshin Elle is whether or not the creaser is heatable on an alcohol lamp. Please note that every single comment/hint would be immensely helpful for me, as I am new to leathering and there is next to zero info on the net about this. Thank you

Hello all! Happy to have found this place! I have been watching a lot of videos and have ordered the basic tools that I need but am still not sure how to get good results cutting out a narrow strip for an inlay in a bracelet. Bit of backstory I should add, I have been making horse hair jewelry, mostly bracelets for almost 10 years and am expanding my business. I am already making wrap bracelets with horse hair, leather and beads. I have seen some beautiful inlay bracelets done with horse hair. I’m using a lightweight 3/4” leather straps, a sharp blade and I am using a groover to mark the lines before I cut my lines for my inlay. Maybe just more practice? Am I missing something? And advice would be helpful! I’m tired of wasting leather it’s too expensive to keep practicing on. Should add I live in Canada and order from Tandy, can order other supplies if I need to!

Okay, I've been poking around the site now for a while and have learned a ton, but I also have lots of questions. Like... Should I be using a stitching awl or stitching chisel? Until now, I've been using one of several chisels (6, 2 and 1 points) I got from Tandy on everything I do. I've been using my awl (I got from Tandy) just to widen holes as I stitch so I can pass two needles through at the same time. It pointed, but far from sharp like what I hear about Bob Douglas awls. What am I missing here? When should I be using an awl or the chisel. Getting Stitching Holes to Line Up? What's the trick here? I think I've experimented every which way and cant say I've found the "right" way yet. If I punch holes first, they're less likely to lineup perfectly. But If I glue first, then punch holes, I have to go back over it with the dye again. Using the groover make it even more complicated and difficult to get things lined up. Should I always use a groover? I understand the groovers are used to recess and protect stitching lines. I've been doing it on EVERYTHING regardless of how it will be used because I thought 'that's just how its done'. After reading through the forums, I'm not so sure. Should I stop using the groover? Why/when should I use an overstitch wheel? I've been using it to layout holes around corners and curves. Should I be using it for something else? If it helps... I primarily have been working with leather weights between 3oz and 9oz to make variety of large and small cases/bags, iPad sleeves, and wallets. I've been stitching everything hand using Tandy needles and what I think is 4oz waxed nylon thread. Any help and suggestions you can offer are appreciated. Thanks. - Odin

Hello, I am new to this forum and very happy to have this resource available to me. I am having problems using my Groover that I got at Tandys. I am making double loop western holsters. I have made 3 already and they have turned out better than I thought they would. The problem I am having is when I try to groove a decorative border around the pouch part of the holster. I can do the left and right and bottom borders ok, but when I try to groove the border at the top of where the trigger recurve is I never can seem to get it right. It is never a nice curved line and when I go over it again sometimes it grooves outside of the first groove line and then it really looks like hell. Other holsters I have looked at seem perfect. I have figured out that It is almost impossible to keep the tool exactly parallel to the edge as I did on the first pass. I must be twisting my hand or something. Anyway it is very frustrating. I am almost ready to give up and just wet the leather and use a pair of dividers to see if it comes out any better. Or draw a line and use a swivel cutter or something. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.

Hi all, just received my new Cobra 4 machine. I love Christmas in August and I love the Cobra! As I work through skill building and getting familiar with the machine, I noticed that the groover "fin" on the bottom of the center presser foot leaves a mark at the beginning of each stitch run. While I like the groover concept, I don't care for that groover mark. It seems like I would rather manually cut my own groove channel, just as I always have when and stitching. Has anybody else had the impulse to file the groover fin off of your presser feet? I've attached a pic of the groover marks at the beginning of each stitch line. Thanks in advance, Steve Seattle, WA