I had my strap cutter set to the flat side and it was catching just like you said. Just fixed it and it works like a charm. I never would have known on my own. THANKS!!!!
When i first got mine, I'd get a slight curve at the end of my strap. The tip you gave of slightly pushing the handle towards the strap cured my error. My straps are perfectly straight now.
I'm so thankful that I'm, as a German, able to understand English perfectly, otherwise I wouldn't be able to advance as smoothly as it's currently the case. All thanks to this Channel. Thank you Chuck and team! Just wanted to get this off my chest :,-)
Wow - I'm beginning to explore leatherworking as a new hobby after attending my first Renaissance Fair in over 20 years and drooling over all the customized costume accessories. After watching a few videos here (actually nearly all of them...) and learning that Chuck is also a big Ren Fair fan and has made several of his own accessories (including a FULL set of armor - drool, drool, drool) I'm now seriously considering dipping my toes in. Chuck's enthusiasm for the craft (decaf, Chuck? lol) and easy to understand hints and tips make one WANT to come back and learn - especially a complete novice such as myself. I can't believe how fortunate I was to find this channel. Keep those vids coming and give Chuck a raise!
Leather Element Idea (more of a question). Main topic of Edge Burnishing. Sub topics - types of leather that will burnish (veg vs. chrome, tempers, oiled, etc.); treatments (Gum Trag, Tokinole, water, beeswax ..... pros and cons of each, which leathers they work best on, etc.); edge dyeing or painting (when is each better, paint/dye before burnish or after, do you top coat over the burnished edge, etc.). Thank you
SOLD! Off to purchase now! Thank you for the helpful information. I also appreciate that this blade is NOT exposed like all of the other cheaper models out there.
I just purchased one of these from weaver Xmas '23 and it's the old style. Without the safety plates and with the plug that falls out. It works very well and feels much better quality than one from Amazon that cost almost the same price. The one received does match the picture on the website and I came to watch this video to make sure I use it properly. Just wanted to give people the heads up about the features shown in this video
great video. i have had the strap cutter for a year and haven't tried it because i was not sure how it went together. now i can finally start using it. thank you.
This looks great, I just got a belt online that I didn't realize was two inches wide until it arrived. I got it to wear as a trouser belt but clearly it's too wide to fit the 1 3/4" belt loops. I'm going to get one of these so I can trim about 3/8" off either side of the belt to fit and still have the buckle and holes completely centered.
I just got mine from Weaver and I gotta say, went through my leather like butter and was very easy to use. I can definitely foresee it being very useful for me and opening up possibilities that would have been a pain otherwise. great product! Figured I'd post a comment here since this video is why I went for the purchase
I made my first belt following your tutorial, i live in mainland Europe the wooden strap cutter is elusive creature here, I copied the weaver strap cutter , nice diy project.
OLD LEATHER SMITH here, great job Chuck! I have had mine 4 over 35 years it still cuts true. I have the metal one weaver sold 2, but 2 B honest I prefer the wooden 1, GOD'S BLESSINGS ✝️⚾️🙃
One of the most helpful tips was holding the strap against your hip. I’ve been cutting 3” straps in half and in half again, and I kept getting uneven widths. Thanks!
While doing so repair work, had an Leather Element idea, removing snaps and revits. As a machinist I can accomplish this, but many people do not have the training.
The best strap cutter i've seen so far is that, that have a groove for the leather not only on the handle but also have a special part with groove at the inside.(the moment when the leather stuck that shown in video, will never happen due to the groove)
Great video, Chuck! This is a great tool, and I have cut miles of straps with mine. The metal guards on these are a nice addition. I have an older one without them, and I sliced my thumb really badly once.
This video is much appreciated! I'd interested in seeing your suggestions for accurately cutting soft/floppy leather. Especial things like liners for bracelets or watch bands. Thank you!
Only way to do real supple leather is with a straight edge and clamp it down. Now on cutting it with a razor knife is a problem because it stretches so you must use a roller knife. Only way to do it and I've used a roller on 8 oz thick leather or 1/8th inch. I bought a 72 inch ruler at Home Depot for $8, probably a bit more now. So I have 12", 24" and 36" rulers plus the 72" for belts and cutting a straight edge on a new side or double shoulders. Always clamp your ruler down on the ends so it doesn't move and for soft leather you might want to clamp the middle too. Practice Practice and Practice.
Rotary cutter where you can. You could temporarily attach the leather to a stiffer piece of waste leather or even card-stock to give it some body for support.
Chuck, I’m laughing at the tricks because when I started to use this cutter, I had all those things happen to me. The round steel lock down kept falling out of my cutter. It got so annoying that I epoxied it in place with the bolt. Well, there’s another trick for you. Now the steel stays in place.
Good afternoon Chuck! Love watching all of these videos, as they have a wealth of information for my crafting! I'm fairly new to leather craft, and I was wondering, what can/should I do to finish the flesh side of my leather? Are there different methods for finishing the flesh side if you dye? I'm planning on making some leather armor pieces, and I'm not sure if I should dye the flesh side or not, and if I do, how I can prevent rub off. I guess the main question is, what are the rules, tips, and tricks for finishing the flesh side of leather? Thanks again for making all of these videos, they help a ton!
First if you dye the flesh side use Fiebings Pro Dye, it's oil based and colorfast. Second use a good acrylic sealer like Satin Shene from Tandy or Fiebings Sealer or Resolene. If you used water based dye better seal the heck out of it.
Hi, how can I have the one side of leather straight, as you have it 3:39 before cutting the belt strip of leather ? Can I do it with this cutter or I need a different tool ?
great video as always, say, do you have to start with a straight edge on the leather to use this tool? or just by using it you will get a straight edge?
Yes, it is recommended that you have a straight edge to begin with. Otherwise it will follow the lines of the hide so if there are curves you'll get a curvy strap .
I enjoy watching your videos. I try to watch them as soon as I get a notice. Do you sell any of the things you make on RU-vid? Like the gun sling Muzzle loader bag
Oh, the wooden strap cutter isn't used to cut wooden straps? To be honest, I'm sorta surprised that person named "Boss" was ok with you showing the second way to replace the blade.
What is the difference between the wooden strap cutter and a draw gauge? Are there advantages to using a draw gauge over the wooden strap cutter? Thanks!
Really, the only way is with a long straight edge ruler and a knife. Clamping the ruler down will help keep the edge straight. I've had a ruler shift on me in the middle of a long cut. It sucks rather a lot.
I saw a RU-vid video that demonstrated “a trick” way or called it an “advanced technique “ where he used the strap cutter tool and a table edge in order to make the original straight edge on a new side of leather. Does anyone have any better way than the clamping method?
Rather than using a long straightedge and clamps, does anyone have a simpler/faster method of cutting the initial straight cut to use this tool? A few years ago I found a RU-vid video for the leather strap cutter in which a guy actually used the strap cutter and the edge of a table to cut the original straight edge on a long side. I can’t find it that video again. Does anyone here know how to do this?
@@khornethegrim8258 Not being able to tool chrome tan is something I know. I am just surprised by the dye-part. From my understanding up to now one can't do that, because the dye sinks into the fibres, which in turn can not be compressed anymore. Am I wrong here?
