Our suppliers may need help

[jcuk]

Our suppliers may need help from us during this challenging time, don't know about you but i am not doing much leather work at the moment,  so i don't need any new supplies but i am going to make a small order to couple of mine -  just so they have some turn over, things i know i will use when this is over. They may have rent to pay, staff to pay and feed their families -  so if their business fails and goes under during these times, once we get through this hopefully all in one piece they won't be there because once they are gone they are gone, here in the UK have very few places to get supplies so lets try and keep them here for when things can return to some kind of normality.    

 

Cheers 

JCUK

[fredk]

True. But they should be entitled to the grants available. For some it might be enough to keep them from closing up. I only order from Le Prevo and a couple of other places. I have orders from those odd places but they might be closed up as my orders are now 5 weeks overdue, one is outstanding from 16th February. 

[Hardrada]

If the grants are being handed out like they are here, your suppliers do need your support. The gov't is holding the grants for businesses for several weeks whilst rolling out the hand outs to the common people, even to those who don't even qualify. We could start speculating why (my take is that they want as many businesses to close as possible), but leaving that aside, businesses are right now in direr straits than the workers. Support your businesses to keep people employed.

[fredk]

My #1 son got his business support grant about 3 days after it was introduced. He's been told he'll get the wages grant at the end of this month. He has two workers on 'furlough' who will get 80% wages, which he pays then the wages grant pays him. afaik he has to prove their wages.

[Hardrada]

'Tis good that it's been handled differently over there!

[jcuk]

42 minutes ago, fredk said:

True. But they should be entitled to the grants available. For some it might be enough to keep them from closing up. I only order from Le Prevo and a couple of other places. I have orders from those odd places but they might be closed up as my orders are now 5 weeks overdue, one is outstanding from 16th February. 

Yes just worry how fragile some of companies maybe after Sedgwicks had to be saved and their leather is a world renowned.

I mainly use Abbey and Metropolitan leather.

JCUK

   

[zuludog]

I have just about all the tools & materials I need for the moment, except that the only edge paint i have is black Fiebings Edge Kote

I want to make a few belts, including some in light to medium tan, and I thought that black edges would be to much of a contrast, so I've ordered some own brand  tan and medium brown edge paint from Metropolitan Leather and Identity Leathercraft, to see what they're like. Every little helps.

[jcuk]

On 4/18/2020 at 7:06 AM, zuludog said:

I have just about all the tools & materials I need for the moment, except that the only edge paint i have is black Fiebings Edge Kote

I want to make a few belts, including some in light to medium tan, and I thought that black edges would be to much of a contrast, so I've ordered some own brand  tan and medium brown edge paint from Metropolitan Leather and Identity Leathercraft, to see what they're like. Every little helps.

I like the contrast of black edge stain on lighter tanned leather, and the leather will always darken over time.

Many moons ago my other half asked me if i could make a red leather bridle for her, it was the first time i used Metropolitan Leather i was living in the middle east so did the the deal by fax (remember them) and phone they asked me what shade of red would i like it, i was drinking a Budweiser beer at the time so that what i told them Budweiser red - we came back to the UK for a holiday and picked it up looked really good when i made the bridle i stained the edges black looked really good its still around now about 25 years later. So it has got me thinking during the lock down maybe make a black bridle but stain the edges red will get the red stain and maybe some more colours to play around from Metropolitan - don't think it will sell as a bit OTT for some but just do it to to see how it looks.  Not doing  much work during this hard time so it will give me something to do also may get a new thickness gauge from them. From Abbey i need to get some core spun poly thread to use on a great  machine i brought from a member here. As you say every little helps.

 

Stay safe

JCUK   

[zuludog]

1 hour ago, jcuk said:

I like the contrast of black edge stain on lighter tanned leather, and the leather will always darken over time. 

I wondered whether to stay with black and go for a contrast or to go for something more subdued. In the end I decided that there was only one way to find out, and that was to try it. If I don't like the brown on a belt I can always try it on a wallet 

I also wondered whether to get Metropolitan's sample pack of edge paint, but decided that there were some colours that I was fairly sure that wouldn't use, like yellow and blue, so I just got a couple of full size bottles.

So far I've received a bottle from Metropolitan, and tried it on scrap, and it works well enough; I've yet to receive the sample from Identity

[jcuk]

On 4/19/2020 at 1:42 PM, zuludog said:

I wondered whether to stay with black and go for a contrast or to go for something more subdued. In the end I decided that there was only one way to find out, and that was to try it. If I don't like the brown on a belt I can always try it on a wallet 

I also wondered whether to get Metropolitan's sample pack of edge paint, but decided that there were some colours that I was fairly sure that wouldn't use, like yellow and blue, so I just got a couple of full size bottles.

So far I've received a bottle from Metropolitan, and tried it on scrap, and it works well enough; I've yet to receive the sample from Identity

Have look at this site how they use coloured edge stain on their belts there is another one that i have seen that do the same but can't seem to find them at the moment.

 

https://www.thebeltmakers.com

[zuludog]

15 hours ago, jcuk said:

Have look at this site how they use coloured edge stain on their belts there is another one that i have seen that do the same but can't seem to find them at the moment.

 

https://www.thebeltmakers.com

I've had a look; their belts are excellent and impressive

However, to get away with those kind of colour schemes and contrasts I think the standard of workmanship must be absolutely top notch - which it is

For lesser mortals such as myself I think a more subdued combination would be more forgiving, so I'll stay with the brownish colours for the moment

But thankyou for the link, it shows what can be done, and gives me something to aim for. I may get Metropolitan's sample pack yet

[jcuk]

6 hours ago, zuludog said:

I've had a look; their belts are excellent and impressive

However, to get away with those kind of colour schemes and contrasts I think the standard of workmanship must be absolutely top notch - which it is

For lesser mortals such as myself I think a more subdued combination would be more forgiving, so I'll stay with the brownish colours for the moment

But thankyou for the link, it shows what can be done, and gives me something to aim for. I may get Metropolitan's sample pack yet

Some of the colour schemes are bit garish for my liking but why don't you make a small dog collar first and see how that turns out you are not wasting as much leather as you would if you started with a belt first you might surprise yourself.

Hope this helps

JCUK