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piperdally
Mar 21, 2020
In Leather Tools
Phil's video on the machine skiver blew my mind. I never thought to use it as a splitter. That was just one of the things I learned in that video that blew my mind. The extremely helpful video is well worth the sign up fee by itself, given my expensive machine came with no directions or even a manual. I'm not putting the shine on Phil, just saying it really taught me a lot I didn't know. I am happy with my Landis 30 splitter, which is great for splitting soles, but not anything wider than that. I am now thinking of buying a Cobra class 14 leather splitter. Does anyone have experience with it? How does it handle splitting down to 1 oz, for example? Thanks for your help!
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piperdally
Mar 17, 2020
In Leather Tools
I have a Landis 30 splitter and I was wondering if the Master Tools Leather Splitter blade and gauge would fit it? They look the same design. Also, in an attempt to set the blade up so that it would cut evenly I ran into a problem that perhaps one of you fine craftspeople can help me with. Success in getting the blade to sit parallel to the roller created a new problem, not cutting correctly at all. Perhaps the depth of the blade is incorrect now. My search of the internet has turned up one source that wasn't much help (https://www.bootmaker.com/Landis_Model_30_splitter.pdf).
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piperdally
Mar 13, 2020
In Leather Tools
I recently bought a clicker press and now need to order dies for my patterns. I've asked several YouTubers where and how they order clicker dies, but haven't received a response. Does the die maker need a CAD generated design, or can I send a paper pattern? I know Weaver in this country will make dies, and there's a company in Texas, but I've also been told people order them from China for a lot less money. I would prefer to use someone local, in Washington or Oregon, even it costs more. Thanks in advance for your advice and help.
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piperdally
Feb 29, 2020
In Leathergoods Business
On your recommendation I read OUTLIERS, and enjoyed it. Gladwell doesn't mention that many of his success stories are sociopaths, but to do so would challenge the dominant paradigm and he never does that. The thing I really appreciated about the book was the insight into how much "success" depends on chance. Like BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY, which I just started so my response to it isn't fully fledged, it applies to much bigger operations than my small business. But these books help me to "think outside the box" and that's good. A book I've found very useful is COMPANY OF ONE by Paul Jarvis. Full disclosure, I work for the publisher of this book, but the fact I found it useful for my leather business is a happy accident. Now is a very good time to have a small, simple business structure, because we just can't compete with cheap foreign imports and predatory retailing. We can fly under the radar cast by these enormous market forces. How we do that is the key question.
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piperdally
Feb 23, 2020
In Leathercraft Techniques
Is Saphir mirror gloss the same as Saphir Amiral gloss? After watching "Edge" part 1 I went looking for SAG, because it is listed in the supplies section of that video tutorial, but I couldn't find it except on Ebay from the UK or Ukraine. SMG gives a hard glossy finish but I have not used it on edges yet. The other product mentioned in the video is Giradoni's (?)...apparently this product is no longer available? Can anyone recommend a good substitute?
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piperdally
Feb 17, 2020
In Say Hello Before Posting
I started working in leather about 25 years ago making bags for my Scottish and Northumberland bagpipes out of necessity. The bags I ordered from the UK dripped neats foot oil, and the leather was poor and leaky. So I learned to saddle stitch using Stohlman's book, eventually finding the perfect leather for the job. I wish Philip's Masterclass had been around then. It would have saved me a lot of frustration and grief. After years of making gifts and pipe bags I started a business three years ago, selling wallets, satchels, belts and cases locally. European traditional styles are my interest. I've made a couple of pairs of shoes, and would like to do more of that some day. I've lived on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound, near Seattle, most of my life.
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piperdally
Feb 14, 2020
In Leather Tools
The maker of the 4Z irons emailed to let me know he would refund my order because he doesn't know when he will be able to fill it. His factory workers are being ordered to stay home because of the corona virus. I told him to keep my order in place and ship whenever it's ready, no worries, and to take care of himself. This explains why his ebay store has a two month waiting time. This is incredibly sad and I wish him and his company the very best.
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piperdally
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