Who got the stuff V2.0

[JLSleather]

Got asked to recreate a belt.  Anyway, got me on to a couple of things -- 

1.)  TURQUOISE embellished buckles.  "western" set in this case, but not always.  Not turquoise buckles, but steel buckles inlaid or with stones added., and

2)  Snake.  I'm gonna guess that's BOA.  Could be python, depending on the part of the skin it's cut from. 2-tone  brown.

 

[YinTx]

sooooo.... are you needing parts?  or just a topic of conversation here?

YinTx

[mikesc]

I'm wondering the same thing.."who got ?" implies "who received ?"..Was "the stuff" sent ?..By who ? To whom ?

[JLSleather]

Yup that's a question. Query.  Interrogatory. Guess I should have said "What are the most reliable places to source these materials?"

Yeah... WHO STOCKS quality snake skins?  And IS THERE ANYBODY with turquoise-embellished belt buckles... including buckle sets?

Guess it's hard these days.. no half hour long video to go with the question

 

[mikesc]

An apostrophe with an s ..like so, "who's" ( contraction of "who has" ) would have done..
as in
"Who's got the stuff?" = understandable, non cornfusing.. :)
No video required..just grammatically correct English..which you can ( and often do ) use.. :)
"Folksy" is sometimes "cute"..but frequently leaves folks ( those who ain't on your porch, 'longside o' yuh ) scratchin' their noggins, wundrin' jest whut y'all mean.. :)

As to who stocks those items on your side of the Atlantic ?..I don't know..
Here, I know about 4 places..
I'm also thinking that anyone who has genuine turquoise inlaid buckles etc, and snake skins, is probably importing them from the far east, depending on what kind of snake you are looking for..If you are in no hurry, and not looking for just one of each, you might try Alibaba* ( not the Express part ) or Weibo ? Buying from the people that I know here in Europe, the shipping and duties would hurt you..China et al , tend to send postage free, or at least very low ( highly subsidized ) postal ( or DHL etc ) rates to worldwide..Europe ( particularly France, postal rates or DHL etc to worldwide are high ) .. That gives Chinese sellers a huge advantage, one of the reasons for the rise of Amazon, especially the rise of Chinese suppliers of anything on Amazon.

*I can never remember how that is spelled / spelt in English..

Edited July 20, 2019 by mikesc

[billybopp]

1 hour ago, JLSleather said:

Yup that's a question. Query.  Interrogatory. Guess I should have said "What are the most reliable places to source these materials?"

Yeah... WHO STOCKS quality snake skins?  And IS THERE ANYBODY with turquoise-embellished belt buckles... including buckle sets?

Guess it's hard these days.. no half hour long video to go with the question

 

You're SUCH a DICK.

[JLSleather]

Yup, I think time constraints gonna require something in the States, or at least N.A.

I'm gonna guess the original belt was made in the 70s-early 80's... so just how much color has changed is a toss-up.  The type of snake isn't critical, but I want to keep the basic look of the original.  I'm gonna guess the original belt was made in the 70s-early 80's... so just how much color has changed is a toss-up. 

Don't do much snake these days due to it not being very durable, but this is set in to a filigree belt, so I'm good with that.

5 minutes ago, billybopp said:

You're SUCH a DICK.

I'll put you down as [yet another] "I don't know" (though I admit, i find it confusing when people reply just to say they don't know).

Where was I? Oh, yeah... snakes on a belt.  Probably no telling what type of snake anyway.. these days they "print" python onto cobra... so who knows?  Think if it's snake and not brittle is fine.

But I checked with all of the 'exotic' suppliers I have in the 'rolodex' (I'm speakin' 80's for the belt).. and haven't found anything durable and at least 40" long and similar color.

[mikesc]

Some one on here had rattler skins for sale a couple of months ago..and I think that chief filipino may have had some of various snake species, maybe still does ,
try searching for.

site: leatherworker.net chief filipino snakeskin

He was in most of the snakeskin threads that I remember having happened over the last couple of years, maybe some of those threads will lead you to some snake skins ?

Inlaid ( genuine turquoise ) Buckles in the USA ? The people who supply the craft shops on tribal lands maybe ? Who those might be on the other hand, I don't know.
I did buy Buckles ( some with turquoise inlays ) from someone in the USA about 20 years ago, but was buying 500 to 1000 at a time..minimums were about 10 per style..if their name comes back to me ( unlikely, age has taken it's toll on my memory, that and being alive and partying in the late 60s early seventies :)..I'll post it..don't hold your breath though, many rolodexen have been left behind in my past over the many decades :) Last time I was buying those buckles was pre-PC..Computers are so much easier to search than one's memory.

Edited July 20, 2019 by mikesc

[billybopp]

I do know.   Springfield leather has python and several other skins... Both print and "real".   

And you are still first rate dick.    

You COULD have approached people's confusion by saying something like. "I could have been more clear with my question" .    But you did not.   Instead you decided to insult anybody that asked.   Your disdain for video or anybody (other than Hank) who tries to make one.... Or for that matter anybody that looks at one is very well known by anybody that has been here for any length of time.    So you decided to express that,once again, and use that as an insult. 

I have seen you repeatedly shut down anybody else's opinion, whether right or not because it does not fit within your incredibly narrow mindset.    Not cool.

If anybody else finds my language or opinion here insulting, I apologize to you but I had to speak my mind.  It has been brewing for a while now.   If any mod feels my commentary inappropriate, feel free to remove it.

JLS.    You are a dick.

[JLSleather]

I'll hit that search - thanks! (now THAT is an answer).

Stone not actually an inlay - or is it?  This thing screams southwest US and 1974 pretty loudly   If it was me, and belonged to a family member who 'passed it down', UNLESS it's so valuable it should be in a safe then I'd REUSE IT on the  new belt.  

Still, if there's somebody north of Tijuana still doing this, i wouldn't mind knowing that.  Well, actually Mexico would be fine as well.

 

 

[mikesc]

That looks like stone..with settings made to match each stone.
Are you sure that the settings are steel ?..a lot were done in silver ( easier , softer to work ) , are the settings open , even partially ( on the back ) or closed ?
The straight edges ( not really straight ) say "home made" or "semi skilled", as do the serrated edge settings.. ( are they soldered on to the support? I can't tell from the photo )..A jeweller would have used something more like an "open claw" setting even for stones. They look more "craftsy" than "artisan", but, as the other concurrent thread re "craftsmen" shows. "Craftsman" and "artisan" , nowadays, can cover a multitude of skill levels, things, and sins.

Edited July 20, 2019 by mikesc

[JLSleather]

 

34 minutes ago, billybopp said:

   If any mod feels my commentary inappropriate, feel free to remove it.

So you reply twice about snake skins because you don't like that i don't promote your buddy's video?  OH NO .. PUH LEEZE don't remove any of this on MY account.. I LIKE to see people being themselves.

Hey, I got a minute to take a break from searches anyway.  You know, I saw parts of a video yesterday about makin a holster.  Not my fault, actually -- I was searching something about gym equipment, and Google apparently got the idea I sometimes come up in a search about leather holsters

ANYway ... chubby fella from TX took down the music and actually TALKED about what it was doing.  While that alone was a step in the right direction, I still couldn't bring myself to sit through 30-something minutes (according to the counter under the screen) of the SAME THING 100 other videos already say -- probably 5 or 10 of those are THE SAME GUY.  FORTUNATELY, Google has both a fast forward function (I DID skip along giving the guy a chance - in case he actually had SOMETHING to add) and a BACK button  

Honestly, HOW MANY videos do you want to see?  Google "make leather holster" or "holster pattern"... and you'll get PAGES of results -- and it's THE SAME info over and over. Now, if ya didn't know somebody already made that video, fair enough.  But when YOU made that same video half a dozen times already.. c'mon fellas   You're "needy" is showing.  DOES ANYBODY really need to be shown AGAIN how to trace around a gun?  Didn't we all do that in pre-school.. makin' turkeys by tracing around our little hands .... 

12 minutes ago, mikesc said:

That looks like stone..with settings made to match each stone.
Are you sure that the settings are steel ?..a lot were done in silver ( easier , softer to work ) , are the settings open , even partially ( on the back ) or closed ?
The straight edges ( not really straight ) say "home made" or "semi skilled", as do the serrated edge settings.. ( are they soldered on to the support? I can't tell from the photo )..A jeweller would have used something more like an "open claw" setting even for stones. it looks more "craftsy" than "artisan", but, as the other concurrent thread re "craftsmen" shows, Craftsman" and artisan" can cover a multitude of things, and sins.

I'm NOT sure, and I get the thing about silver easier to work with.  And the date would have made it far less money back then too.

But I don't have the buckle - that's a pic the girl sent me.  I can see that being produced by somebody pretending to be Navajo at a table at the fair in 70-something.  When approached, I recommended replacing the belt (which can't be rehabbed) but reusing the buckle set.  It's seen some use, clearly, but it belonged to somebody's Dad... and I'm all for keeping that.

And my question wasn't really so much "what to do about THIS belt" so much as finding out where to get these things in the future.  I haven't done a lot of snake past few years, as it's not as abundant, not as in demand as back then.  And durability... not much on snake on a holster or belt due to the constant brushing of clothing and hands against the scales. But I agreed to this because it's "set in".

Edited July 20, 2019 by JLSleather

[mikesc]

Even now..Silver ( Ag ) costs less than many people who are not jewellers or sculptors think..Similar to how much non leather workers think leather costs.
Btw..further to my mentioning China and Amazon above..This link might make interesting reading for some people.

https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/40-of-merchants-on-amazon-based-in-china

Ps..IME most ( not all, but 99.9999999% ) of the people that make all those videos of any subject on youtube or facebook, do so because they think that Google / facebook will pay them money for each time someone sees the video ( and the advertising, unless people are blocking the ads ) ..What they do not know is that unless they have a certain number of followers , they won't get paid at all for the ads which are shown, only Google / facebook will get paid..

But, they live in hope, many of them think they'll become rich by copying what they see in other people's videos..a tiny percentage do.
Most of the really rich youtubers are either cute girls pushing make-up..or guys doing dumb things like banging their heads against a wall to music.

There are an awful lot of dumb people, they spend an awful lot of time on youtube and facebook, they do an awful lot of ad watching, keeps them distracted.."bread and circuses"..makes the really rich, richer..and like rock stars , movie stars, sports stars etc, sometimes via youtube/ facebook, the "plebs" get a chance to compete with each other for the chance at some crumbs from the top table..Very clever business model, making money from other people's content, with ads around it , watched by people , each thinking " I could do that"..

There is interesting stuff on Youtube..and then there are a gazzillion people who copy it.

Of course the original video makers could just host their videos themselves, but Google make it so easy..and no risks at all to those who post copies of what others have done before them.Some even post compendiums of other peoples videos, and they have millions of views, and get rich, by using without permission , other people's videos, Google does not care, they are too busy counting the money from the ads around it all.

Edited July 20, 2019 by mikesc

[billybopp]

25 minutes ago, JLSleather said:

 

So you reply twice about snake skins because you don't like that i don't promote your buddy's video?  OH NO .. PUH LEEZE don't remove any of this on MY account.. I LIKE to see people being themselves.

Hey, I got a minute to take a break from searches anyway.  You know, I saw parts of a video yesterday about makin a holster.  Not my fault, actually -- I was searching something about gym equipment, and Google apparently got the idea I sometimes come up in a search about leather holsters

ANYway ... chubby fella from TX took down the music and actually TALKED about what it was doing.  While that alone was a step in the right direction, I still couldn't bring myself to sit through 30-something minutes (according to the counter under the screen) of the SAME THING 100 other videos already say -- probably 5 or 10 of those are THE SAME GUY.  FORTUNATELY, Google has both a fast forward function (I DID skip along giving the guy a chance - in case he actually had SOMETHING to add) and a BACK button  

Honestly, HOW MANY videos do you want to see?  Google "make leather holster" or "holster pattern"... and you'll get PAGES of results -- and it's THE SAME info over and over. Now, if ya didn't know somebody already made that video, fair enough.  But when YOU made that same video half a dozen times already.. c'mon fellas   You're "needy" is showing.  DOES ANYBODY really need to be shown AGAIN how to trace around a gun?  Didn't we all do that in pre-school.. makin' turkeys by tracing around our little hands .... 

 

Let me begin with stating that I do not have ANY buddies that produce videos on the internet.  I've never met anybody that does videos online, as far as I know anyway.  So do NOT put words into my mouth (or should that be on my screen).  

I won't disagree that there is a lot of information out there that is repeated, but that information can be presented in many different ways.  I'm glad of that.  Not everybody learns in the same way.  The way that one person presents it may not click with one viewer, and yet with another presenter it totally makes sense.  Some people need a step by step presentation, others can easily make the leap from one point to another without everything in between being shown.  What is obvious to one person may not be to another.

For that matter, video isn't a great way to learn for some people, and books may work better for them.  For the same reason that one video might work for one learner and not another, the same is true with books.  But at least the videos are mostly free, whereas libraries are sadly lacking in leather working books - so they are generally not free.

And yes!  Somebody that has never made a holster before MIGHT need to be shown that they need to trace around the gun, and how to do that.  For example, do you do a direct trace around the gun with the pen straight up and down?  Or do you need to add in a seam allowance and make that trace line 1/4" out from the actual gun itself.   If you had never made a pattern, you would not know.  

[JLSleather]

On 7/20/2019 at 7:45 AM, JLSleather said:

 WHO STOCKS quality snake skins?  And IS THERE ANYBODY with turquoise-embellished belt buckles... including buckle sets?

Just, you know - 'case somebody has information.  I DID search that search on Chief FIlipino, though it seems he wasn't selling the skins so much as inquiring about stuff ('preciated the suggestion, though).

[wayner]

For the love of  God why would someone comment to to call someone a Dick. You know this site is about Leather Craft not being a child. You don't have to comment on every post. 

[mikesc]

You could try a pm to Rolandranch ( I think he is Ryan ? ) in this thread
https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/82855-snake-skin-tanning/?page=2
he mentioned that he had some rattler skins..maybe he can spare one ?
Btw..I know that you said it could be python, or maybe Boa..( probably not rattler, but with the turquoise stones and settings, maybe ) but if you have a picture of it?

Edited July 21, 2019 by mikesc

[Northmount]

On 7/20/2019 at 8:17 AM, billybopp said:

You're SUCH a DICK.

Any more name calling and you may get blocked.  It is not good etiquette anywhere.  Consider yourself warned.

Tom

[Northmount]

@JLSleather check this post

Tom

[Northmount]

@JLSleather and here is another

Tom