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Have you ever noticed that every now and then when you’re more observant to the world around you, you see more of what people are doing? You see how they look, the style of their clothes, the amount of cleavage their clothes show, what kind of bag they have and what it’s made of. You see the style of shoes they are wearing and the condition they’re in, the colors of their clothes can tell you about the mood they might be in and so on. These things give us a clearer notion or feeling of their current state of mind, attitude and possibly their deeper character. Some of these things will change and vary from day to day and time to time. Like a t-shirt with a message on it won’t be worn the next day, or a hair style today might change in the next coming weeks, shoes change on a daily basis. But some things won’t change for a very long period of time, like a genuine distressed leather bag. And it’s these things that could be considered an extension of a person’s character. These things are usually of sentimental value, mostly because they have endured throughout the years and have been with you on many adventures. In many ways the style, fashion, material and color of a bag can give others a sense and feel of the kind of person you might be. Many of us have different intentions when we buy a new bag. Many times we want to impress our friends or co-workers, or we simply need a bag that is most suitable for our line of work or lifestyle. Some of us want to feel like we are more than we actually feel we are, so we buy a bag that reflects a romantic or ideal vision of ourselves. Some of us buy a bag because it simply looks good or goes well with the tone of our skin. Some of us are drawn to a bag because it gives us a sense of security or makes us feel more confident. And then there are those of us that are genuinely completely ecstatic about a particular bag. In the end, we buy the bag that we like, not just to look at, but to use, to carry and to show the world who we are. They personify who we are and who we hope to be, almost as if they are a piece of the puzzle to our characters. Just as every genuine leather bag is unique, so is every person who chooses one. They are an extension of our unique characters. By Noah Nichols Grittyrustic

I bought a "finished double shoulder 5oz" [Tandy #9048-60] to make my wife a tote bag, and am trying not to mess up. I have two questions: 1) Should I glue the seams? I have Barge that I've used for wallets, but I'm afraid I won't be able to line it all up correctly. If I'm going to hand stitch it, will the glue make it considerably stronger? Thoughts? 2) If the product says finished, should I add some finish to protect it further? I just made some homemade dubbin with olive oil, almond oil, vitamin e oil and beeswax. If I do add the dubbin, how long do I have to wait? How much should I apply? Thank you so much for the assistance. I just started working with leather less than a week ago, and there are SO many choices/questions.