people who think they know everything!

[Suze]

I always say that I know a little bit about a LOT of things - and a lot about a FEW things

but heaven help me I NEVER say that I know EVERYTHING there is to know about something.

and there are times I can look at something and just "know" how it is made (which freaks some people out) even if it is something I have never done before.....

Ask Jo about that one....

[cem]

Can't argue with that, Clair.

Of course there are people who have been doing something for years who you believe get it wrong, and often they won't listen to 'the truth as you see it' because they are perfectly happy with what they are doing. YOU may think they are wrong but it probably works okay for them. Who is 'right' then?

From an ascetic point of view I agree there is no right or wrong way it's what pleases the maker or the makers customer but I'm writing from a purely safety aspect which has probably wandered off topic a bit compared to what Leatheroo originally posted. You can do what you want in your own shop but if you work in mine you will be asked to follow my safety rules.

Some examples I used to make stop motion animation puppets and I used to get people to come and help at times I had one particuliar person who thought it was perfectly fine to smoke and light up cigarettes while doing the fibreglass backing molds for the puppets, I don't like smoke around me anyway due to being asmatic but to have a lit cigarette around polyester resin is stupid the stuff is nasty as it is. Their excuse you guessed it I've been doing it for years.

Another one to make the internal skeletons so the puppets could move you would drill into ball bearings and then solder in rods for the joints these were then seated into plates of the bearing size and screwed together. I had made up a jig so the ball bearings couldn't move while you drilled into them this also allowed you to flatten the top of the ball with a file so the drill bit wouldn't dance on top(before milling machines were cheap enough for the average person). This person decided nope I don't need no silly jig normal vice jaws will do when I asked them what they were doing I got I'm a machinist I know how to drill stuff except these weren't metal but hard plastic bearings. Want to guess what happened next I left them to it and came back to a bearing size dent in the wall (not a surface dent either). Thankfully no one else was in the room and the windows were on the other side.

I got out of it soon after this tired of having to deal with with so called experts.

.

I feel you can learn from everyone you meet. If not how to do something, then how NOT to do it.

Yep have to agree with that.

[Ian]

Here's a story that happened this Saturday. One with a very happy ending though.

I was out raking leaves, when a car stopped at the curb and the lady says "are you the guy that does leatherwork". Turns out, her dad was the supervisor for the leather department at Smith and Wesson for many years, but now has a bunch of leather tools for sale (when S&W closed their leather dept, he got the stuff). So, of course I headed straight over there.

Well, his cellar is jam packed with stuff - tables full of tools, thread, cases of snaps, etc, etc, etc. He also had a home business making awnings, so there was all that stuff too.

The old dude was obviously kind of senile, and the first thing he says to me is (handing me a holster) "you can't do this!" Actually, though a pretty nice holster, it was manufactured - die cut, with a simple floral tooling which was not the best anyway. I said "I could make that". OMG, fire works "No you can't" and then a steady stream of put down comments, but I wisely held my tounge as I rumaged through the treasure - all the while getting blasted by the codger.

It became obvious that the old guy was very familiar with the manufacture of what S&W made, but for 30+ years had supervised other folks stitching together die cut pieces and that was the extent of his knowledge. But, he wasn't about to have some whipper-snapper dismiss his experience. Anyway, to make a long story short, when I ran home to get cash, I brought back some of my showcase stuff to show him. The tone changed, and he became very helpfull and pleasant.

The off shoot was that I went away with several single tube punches, some strap end punches, a couple of round knives, 2 dividers, a whole bundle of very nice basketweave stamps and camoflage tools and bevelers (made by Craftool, but a lot nicer than the ones I have), 5 edgers, 4 sides of leather - for $165.00. All the tools are in near perfect condition. I'll be going back next weekend to get a bunch more stuff. He has some nice mauls and I'll be stocking up on 'Lift the Dot' snaps (he has thousands of them) plus eyelets thread and other goodies. Who knows what olther stuff is buried down there?

So, the moral of the story is - boy am I ever glad I was patient with that ole' know-it-all.

[Suze]

Oh man - what a luck out....

You know you could probably make a nice deal with him and post all the tools and such on "this leather forum" I keep hearing about......>grin<

It would get all that lovely stuff in "the right hands" (and you could have first pick)

[jimsaddler]

I was at the local market this morning and to my surprise there was a leathercraft stall! I have never seen a stall here in geelong in 25 years, so i thought i would have a chat. The gent and his wife make belts, wallets, hats etc... We started chatting and eventually got to the subject of the internet and i was praising the members on this site and the wealth of information here.....He relied " I have been in the business for over 35 years and there is nothing anyone could teach me!!!!!" I nearly fell over...i have never come across any crafts person that didnt think they could improve!!

I had a closer look at his stock and yes, you guessed it, his work was pretty average..not the worst i have seen, but there was LOTS of room for improvement.

I still cant believe he said that!!!!

Hi Leatheroo

I know exactly how you felt. There are a few of these people runningstalls around Aus. They're not Tradespeople or Craftspeople. Butthey're making money out of "ordinary" Leathergoods, that are knockedup with rivets and no love for anything but $'s. I like you, havespoken to several and got similar answers. Or statements like "it's themoney in the Bag at the end of the Day not the quality of the Leatheror Skill that counts".

Nowadays I just get a big laugh when I see them bashing out what I'dcall Pako Padi type stuff for sale as "Genuine Handcrafted Leather".Never to progress to better Quality. My Daughter made better Belts whenshe was 8 yrs old and even Hand Stitched them. That's why I laugh, "it'snot as good as Kids Stuff".

Like so many others who visit LW I'm still learning and hope that I can continue to do so for the rest of my life. There's only one thing better than learning though, that's passing on what you've learned for others to use. That's what is so good about LW.

Kindest Regards.

Jim Saddler.

[Johanna]

Like so many others who visit LW I'm still learning and hope that I can continue to do so for the rest of my life. There's only one thing better than learning though, that's passing on what you've learned for others to use. That's what is so good about LW.

Kindest Regards.

Jim Saddler

You made my day, Jim!

[wildrose]

Ian, you are one lucky dude! Shows the power of polite words or outright silence when you'd rather be saying something else!

[swinewerx]

I for one will never turn away from advice, whether good or bad, I take it both ways, don't do that, or do that and try it and get it! one thing though, I still have an ocean of useless knowledge!

[RockSolid]

Yeah; He is right. He is unteachable!