Roll Top Version 2

[Hi Im Joe]

Your first bag was really nice, but this one blows it out of the water. The copper adds to the overall warmth of it, and the white stitching (love the thickness of it, by the way, well worth it being a pain) makes it really pop.

Thank you very much!

Just read your post about the frayed thread. I went through that when I switched to 138.

What I found is that indexing the needle properly was key with the larger thread. When I used #92 thread, it really wasn't that big of an issue. However, when I switched to 138, I found that the slot on the needle has to be aligned perfectly, or it causes fraying problems. The needles I use don't have a flat spot to index them, so I have to watch very carefully to keep the grooved side of the needle on the left and not twisted any to the back or front. Another thing I noticed that would cause problems is if the bobbin was almost empty, or the needle is dull/nicked.

I just read another post of the Leather Sewing Machine forum that said you can easily index the needle by using a toothpick.

I'll definitely double check and make sure I have the thing indexed correctly. Could you explain how to use the toothpick to index it? Thank you for the suggestion. I hope it solves my problem!

What a difference the experience of having made a project for the first time makes! That second time it always seems to work out so much better than the first.

So it is with your bags, Joe. This second one is really a statement of your personal tastes as well as a testament to your ever-increasing leatherwork skills. My hat is off to ya!

As to a zipper versus your roll-top, I see lots of zipper-top bags of varying quality of design and build, but few rolls-tops. Roll tops harken back to a previous era before YKK existed. The roll-top design, with properly treated leather makes a good water and dust-tight seal, probably better than anything but a water-resistant zipper of today's design and manufacture. In fact, it is how those water-proof bags that are made for boating and rafting today are constructed.

You are talking about your next bag. Have you ever seen a Portmanteau bag, circa 1700-1900? I think one would be a natural extension of the direction you're taking. It too would be a unique period piece rather than just another modern-looking bag. Retro is good these days.

https://img0.etsystatic.com/028/0/5147816/il_340x270.621944846_r7ha.jpg

Keep it up, Joe. I can't wait to see what you come up with next. You are the Joe Namath of leatherworker.net in the sense that I can't wait 'till tomorrow because your leatherwork gets better every day.

Michelle

Thank you so much for the kind words Michelle! Having made the thing once before really does help to iron out the kinks. That Portmanteau bag definitely looks interesting and maybe I'll take a stab at it sometime in the near future. It is very nice and reassuring to hear people tell you you are getting better. Especially people that have no vested interest in making you feel good about yourself (i.e. friends, family). It confirms that I'm headed in the right direction. So once again thank you for taking the time to stop by and comment!

[Frederiek]

A huge improvement on an already beautiful bag!

[Hi Im Joe]

A huge improvement on an already beautiful bag!

Thanks Frederiek!

[jqtoms]

I like the copper rivets as well! They look timeless.

[Hi Im Joe]

I like the copper rivets as well! They look timeless.

Thanks! The copper rivets are a vast improvement on the crappy rapid ones.

[Macca]

Machine stitched ?

You are dead to me joe

[Hi Im Joe]

Machine stitched ?

You are dead to me joe

LOL. The other one was machine stitched as well...

I am sorry to have let you down Macca. Now say if you were will to part with that sweet set of NOS Dixon pricking irons and one of the 59872383 vergez draw gauges you have I'd gladly devote hours and hours to the wonder of hand stitching?

[MonicaJacobson]

Joe, this one is so much better! In fact, I really don't see anything wrong with it. Awesome! I'll be interested to see your new design you talked about.

I think machine sewing is perfectly legitimate. In fact, as far as I can tell, it's harder than hand sewing. Faster, maybe, but finicky. My husband uses a CNC machine to automatize parts of his instrument building, and there are some people who think it's cheating, but machines cause as many problems as they solve. Or rather, people who sew with machines have to become skilled at it, just as you have to with handsewing. It's not really taking the easy way out.

[Hi Im Joe]

Thank you Monica! I've found that machine sewing has a fairly steep learning curve as well.

I think Macca likes messing with me. I'm just jealous I don't have all those sweet vintage top of the line hand tools he has collected over the years.

[MonicaJacobson]

I figured he was joking, but I've been thinking that about machine sewing this week, so I thought why not.