Busse for Charlie Mike

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Omega Leather Works

Joined
Jun 13, 2007
Messages
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Looks good on me. Yeah, after messing with this thing I'm pretty sure I'm gonna need a Busse. :D
 
Very nice Strig buddy. That is a beast for sure. Got to say I like the red highlights. How come ya didn't do all the edges red? Think it might of been too much? I especial like how the red peeps through on the Sam Brown stud. Are you slicking your leather? Might consider it, it sometimes helps with those little wrinkles. Not always though. I'm gonna say two things I've said before. You need a creaser and you've come a very long ways REAL dang quick. Got to get some Tony Lamas or Justins on them feet too!
 
Nice.

I learned how to make leather sheaths because I started buying Busse's!

It has been a handy skill to have.
 
Thanks guys. :) I got my start because I needed sheaths too. Figured if I made a few it would cover the expense of the tools and materials. Haha still trying to break even. May never happen. :o

Dave, I didn't want to push my luck. I'm on this red and black kick. We'd agreed on all black but CM let me do the red accents. I didn't want to stray too far from the original plan. Thank you very much for the kind words. They mean a lot coming from you.

I might could be talked into the right hat, but I like me Pumas. ;)
 
Gotta be a flat hat, no taco hat. See ya could get a back felt one with a red brim binding, very svelte.
 
The sheath itself is a weapon. Fitting build for a wicked blade, can't wait to see what CM's scale has to say about this combo, well done.
 
You will break even Strig. No worries. Took me some time too. I would make a few bucks - and go buy more leather! Make a few more - go buy a new tool!

You have it going in the right direction - and you have the love. That is what will make the difference.

TF
 
Thanks Guest. The sheath itself isn't actually that heavy. I wouldn't notice it on my hip... well, at least without the knife in it. ;)

Thanks Jason. That's exactly it. I've made a little, but it all goes back into the business, but I was expecting that. Can't remember who said it first (probably Skyler), but I figure it'll be a good while before I get rich & famous. ;) The interest from the website and facebook has been positive though. Keep pluggin along...

Edit- Forgot to answer your question Dave. I have not tried sticking, no. Well, that's not totally accurate. I sometimes slick a fold over belt loop with a little gum trag, but I haven't done it on the back of a front panel. Is this what you are referring to? Also, about the creaser, I know the tool, but what would it achieve on a sheath like this one? Would it crease a line on the outside of the stitch line (between the edge and stitching)? I know what the tool looks like, but I'm not sure about its function.
 
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Just putting this up again, I don't think you saw it Dave.

Edit- Forgot to answer your question Dave. I have not tried slicking, no. Well, that's not totally accurate. I sometimes slick a fold over belt loop with a little gum trag, but I haven't done it on the back of a front panel. Is this what you are referring to? Also, about the creaser, I know the tool, but what would it achieve on a sheath like this one? Would it crease a line on the outside of the stitch line (between the edge and stitching)? I know what the tool looks like, but I'm not sure about its function.
 
Tandy and BK both make glass slickers. I use a chunk of ligum vitae. Got it at Sheffield for about $7 or so . It was a knife handle block. Sand the edges round and smooth it up good and its a great slicker. When your leather is just starting to come back to color again from dampening it, rub it hard grain side up with your slicker on the stone. This will smooth out little surface imperfections and help with wrinkles etc. Also it compresses the fibers of the leather and makes the piece more consistent. Therefore your tooling is crisper and more even throughout your project. Its just another one of those little steps that makes a difference after a while. The creaser on this project I would of done the strap, the throat and the dangler. basicaly any edge that was not sewn. Check this pic, its creased around the throat of this holster.

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In my opinion it just adds that extra bit of finish that sets it apart, makes it more professional.
 
Anthony, I hesitate to speak for Dave, but I think he was referring to the minor wrinkles in the first photo about 1 1/2 inches down on the right side there are four little wrinkles, and another over on the left. The slicking he is talking about is sometimes referred to as glassing. In fact the tool used most is made of heavy glass with a rounded polished very straight edge. It is used to stroke the VERY SLIGHTLY dampened and cased leather which tends to smooth out the wrinkles by compression. Use caution as it will also burnish if you go at it too hard.

A number 5 creaser will lay down a line about 1/8 inch from the edge, so yes if your stitch line is at about 1/4 inch from the edge the crease line would line up between the stitch and the edge. It gives a nice finished look to any project.

Edit to add: Dave I guess we were both posting at the same time. My apologies for stepping on your tongue:p
 
Great stuff as usual guys. Any of you happen to catch the artisan brief case segment on "How it's Made"? He uses (among other goodies) a glass slicker. It looks like the Tandy/SLC slicker, only it's quite large. Really nice tools in that shop, although I was surprised to see that they hand cut the leather with a clicker knife, but use a clicker press for cardboard (or felt, or whatever that was). Might find the clip on YouTube.

I figured it was the wrinkles that appear in the photo. I'll not let that happen again. :)

Between when I first wrote that and now I noticed that my friend Rick Lowe has sheaths with a crease line between the edge and stitch line. It really does add a subtle, but valuable difference in looks. I actually do have a creaser, although it's not like the ones you are both referring to. If you remember the Japanese stitch groover that I bought, it has a creaser tip that fits in the end when you ease off the set screw and remove the blade. I doubt it would give you the same quality finish (Dave, I seem to remember you recommending a creaser with a curve between the tip and guide?). I'll try mine and see how it looks.
 
Por nada Paul. Does look like we were typing at the same time. Strig, just missed that deal on the briefcases. Tuned in a little late and they had already finished that segment. I've never used a glass slicker just my ligum vitae or a non descript piece of hardwood prior. Like you mentioned about the creasing, slicking just gives a subtle difference to it that your average consumer probablly could not describe. But I bet many would prefer it without being able to verbalize what it is. Creasing is the same. I don't crese sewn edges very often. But almost all non sewn edges. To me, often a creased and sewn edge is almost too busy. Now this doesn't make it wrong, just a personal taste deal probably more than anything. I see it on belts a lot. That pic of my creaser I sent you is an Osborne #5. Nichole stole it and I've been regulated to the adjustable Tandy one she bought some months back and didn't like. I like it, so it worked out ok. But that Osborne does help to round it a little bit whereas the Tandy does not. I couldn't find the pic that I was looking for to show you but this one will have to do: This is one of my flapped saddle scabbards for a scoped rifle. Notice the creasing on the strap to the Sam Brown stud and also on the straps for saddle attachment. They are all creased and it just dresses it up just a little. The scabbard itself is completely lined so no creasing on it.

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Yeah, okay, that looks good. For those lines I've always used the groover, but I do think a creaser is a better idea. I know the Tandy creaser you are talking about. I think my groover (with creaser tip) would make a similar impression. We're camping at Pismo for a few days right now, but as soon as we get back I'll look forward to trying it. Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what that tip was really for until now. I thought maybe people used it for stitch lines on thin leather where you couldn't groove or something similar, but now it makes sense. In fact, I think the tip may even be called a creaser tip.

Dave, whenever you get a chance, could you shoot me a pic of your meander stamp? I've had my finger over the buy it button a few times, but I'm not positive that I'm looking at the right tool. They describe it as a geometric boarder stamp, which sounds right, but yeah, I don't want to order the wrong tool.

Take a look at that video segment if you get a chance. The shop looks like it might be in GB, but the tools are almost certainly not Tandy. I'm not aware of other vendors in Europe so I'm guessing that the tools are either imported or vintage. Maybe you'll recognize them since you are well versed in high quality tools. Love the edger that they show and I'd love to find a slicker like that. I know BK sells one (maybe it's all BK stuff?) but I think the BK slicker is smaller. I'd be willing to pony up the dough if it was that large, otherwise I'll just make one. I need a big piece of Cocobolo to make a power burnisher anyway, maybe I can get enough to make a slicker with too. Any ideas on where to get some? Actually, as I type that I remembered that there is that fellow in Visalia that sells a large selection of burl wood. Maybe he can score me some Cocobolo.
 
That stamp is an hourglass shape. It's a Crafttool # 0443S. I have several others but this is the one I use all the time as it is the right size for sheaths, holsters and smaller projects. Most of the others out there are really saddle stamps...need room to deploy. I've bought a lot of Cocobolo from Gilmer Wood Supply in Portland. They have a great selection and shoot a pic of each individual piece so you can see what you are getting. They have a $100 mim order though. Try Woodcrafters they sell it and don't have the min order. That local guy might work good for you. Lot of woodturners there in Visalia and cocobolo is very popular for that. Honestly I don't see the need for a large one. Mine is maybe 6" long. I'll try and shoot a pic of that and that stamp so you can see. It is the tool that besides the head knife is on the work bench all the time.
 
Forgot to mention Pismo? Cooldeal! best clam chowder is that place just to the right of the head of the pier. Have fun
 
Splash Cafe, or Brads? We hit both. ;) I prefer Splash for the chowder, but Brads has good fish 'n chips.

Camped for a few days. This enormous vulture let me get within about 3 feet.

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Grabbed a cool Mako shark tooth at Morrow Bay to use on a shark skin sheath, although I'm not sure how I'm gonna incorporate it yet.

Lookin forward to the pics. I don't really care if the slicker is big, just seems like it should be for the price. :D
 
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