Leather gouge alternative?

[scottishwolf]

I've got myself some nice leather to play with and could really do with an adjustable gouge. Problem is, I'm skint , so was wondering if there is an alternative thing I could use or if anybody had an old one I could buy or swap for a new folding hand saw.

P.S. could do with a stitch marker wheel aswell but have been using a ruler so far with ok results.

 

[Eric_Methven]

P.S. could do with a stitch marker wheel aswell but have been using a ruler so far with ok results.

Can't help with the gouge, but you can make a stitch marker wheel yourself fairly easily. All you need is some old wind up clockwork toy. Rip it to pieces and find yourself a neat little thin cog wheel. Get a bit of stick and saw a slot down one end. Drill a little hole right through the stick. Put the cog wheel in the slot, push a bit of stiff wire through the holes and the wheel and you have a stitch marker.

You can find some nice wheels inside an old wind up alarm clock - wheels with different teeth counts will give a wide variety of stitch marks - but at least they will be completely consistant.

Eric

 

[ESpy]

DIY

http://www.homestead.com/beknivessite2/leathergouges.html

This is a fairly simple project taking next to no tools, which is nice.

As for stitch marking - rather than just using the ruler, if you get a pair of dividers it'll make layout a bit faster.

 

[scottishwolf]

Tried the stitch marker idea a wee while ago and it works a treat, cheers Eric, helpful as always :You_Rock_ Still no luck with the gouge though, I know they're only a fiver or so just might buy one at the end of the month. That gives me time to maybe find one second hand

 

[John Fenna]

I made a stitch marker from an embroidery pattern tracing tool - just like a stitch marker, a toothed wheel in a handle that is rolled along, but in this case to carbon copy an embroidery pattern on to cloth. I got mine many years ago when I was at colledge studying fashion design (another story all together!) and since then it has sat in my sewing kit almost unused. Available for mere pence at your local sewing/embroidery suppliers, all it needed was for every other tooth to be filed away and I have a stitch marker of 4mm throw - just right for saddle stitching sheaths and pouches!
I hope this helps.
John