Duke Mantee

Fairly straightforward for a good tailor - go for it

A second belt for @art.directorofdogs on IG He always pushes the boundaries - this time we’ve got a silver plated western buckle set, actually a headstall set, with silver plate and brass cowboy conchos, antique brass spots and jewel rings, 1930s glass and Alran goatskin overlays (top end stuff) all built on J&FJ Baker oak tan leather which I worked extra slow so the tallow is more or less undisturbed I’ve also made him a tote bag from mud cloth with Sedgwick’s 1800 oiled leather handles secured by solid copper saddlers rivets

This one is off to Hawaii Tumbled buffalo and Japanese hardware

Totally forgot about these Doc - they’re looking good

I don’t care so much now either - too rugged for my liking

Japanese brands aren’t better - we just inhabit a place where we choose to believe that. We choose because it allows us to be part of a group. Some Japanese products are very very good, some less so. Some American products are very good, and some American businesses are desperate to service this market sector so use Japanese materials. The same might be said of businesses in other countries including Japan, where they often use materials from other countries. It’s interesting to hear what folk think, and every opinion has some validity, but what I have grown to dislike about the debate is the clichéd language and the narrow range of comparisons. I think it needs to be asked what is really meant by ‘Made in Japan’; I think the debate needs to take a broader view; I think if anyone is genuinely interested, the research should be more meaningful … and from a personal point of view, “rugged”, “raw”, “teacore” and every other related word used in that context should be subject to a word filter by the forum - cliché control if you like.

more interwar years inspiration https://blurred-clothing.com/collections/all

A clutch of skinny (¾”) bridle leather belts, 2 of which have full western hardware sets, for Jake and Alee

Yeah - just creases It’s finessing - not difficult to do but these days I’ve found most folk (around these parts) don’t want it. It’s very commonly seen on small leather goods where the edge is heated and creased to give a fine finish near the stitching line

@Broark - Neal question answered (made me sad they had to change the label though) @indigoeagle - The catalogue is too big and too varied to say that every thread is cotton. I would suggest it’s not the case - simply because cotton isn’t always the best solution (where does this obsession come from?) but who knows? I definitely not going to go through my database to check that detail - sorry.

Bridle leather, lizard, goldstone gems, solid copper saddlers rivets and copper patina hardware

All the stores would be committed to a balance of stock, then depending on interest would add further n/w or o/w as they would judge worthwhile. As @broark mentions you can only buy what’s available. I’ve noticed a strange approach during this upsurge of interest in FW denim in that folk believe they can simply buy any model they might have seen. That might work for 47 or 51 model jeans since FW see them as permanent designs, but most of the rest will only be offered in the season of the year of production … and FW production runs are not on the same scale as most of the other manufacturers (Warehouse etc). Basically you are relying on luck a lot of the time if it’s something from more than a season or two back.

He’s talking - I’m grateful

This

You’re done - congratulations A very very good friend of yours …

Hopefully this is the best thread although it’s far from nonsense … I think we should all be upstanding for @julian-wolf who has graduated in his PhD in Quantum Physics Well done mate!

Well as you say it’s cost you next to nothing - it’s good leather, be the last belt you’ll ever need given how little you wear them

You bought an English bridle leather belt from Japan?

I made this for Greg at Field Leathers - he’s just down the road from me and makes some lovely leather jackets. Have a look https://fieldleathers.com excuse the quality of the middle pic - camera battery died so I took a quick iPhone snap

Looks a fair match to the denim - thank you for that mate!

Must’ve been a lot of beers if you thought you were seeing ‘Mayns’

@bobbo … it was fun - I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. That’s due to your personality and skills - thank you @smoothsailor … cheers mate, much appreciated