New To This Website....can't Believe I Just Found Out About This Site.

[VansCustomLeather]

I'm READY to LEARN!! My name's Van Woodruff and I started Vans Custom Leather. I recently medically retired from the Army after 13 years service. Got to see A LOT of the world but glad to be back in God's Country...Sweet Home Alabama. You'd be amazed at the amount of people in the military that have "some sort or craft/art skills." As for me...I started playing around with leather a few years back. I was "drawn" to doing leather plaques from the very beginning. I only did trades for the first couple years. Once I really started finding my "niche" with the "leather biographies"...business "Within my Army Unit" took off but it's hard to get your "Leather Products" in front of "the masses." As I was going through the retirement process at Fort Bragg...I had an opportunity to meet an AP reporter. I did my best "Billy Mays pitch" to him right after the "original interview" was done. He told me that once I move back to Alabama...he'd come do a story and he was a man of his word. Here's the link...I don't know how to add the link so I'm just typing it in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ab-Yc1rjIM ...if that doesn't work Google "Veteran Creates Job During High Unemployment" it should be 1:50 long. As you can see...my leatherwork is "aesthetic in nature." I LOVE doing the plaque designing and tooling but I want to LEARN "Functional Leather Skills." I want to know how to make quality Holsters/Belts/Wallets/Purses/Bags...that people will be able to pass down. I've been fortunate to have "Quality Leather Advice" along the way. The 3 main ones being Aubrin Rheem at Tandy Leather Raleigh. Michael at AnvilMade Leather and Christian Marsh at Xian Leather. If you haven't seen Michael or Christian's work...you SHOULD check them out. In MY opinion Christian's the Best in the World at what he does. I'm going to try and attach some pics...I have NO IDEA what I'm doing or how to "crop them properly." If they're all jacked up...I apologize.

[plowboy73]

Welcome. Thank you for your service! It looks like you are already well on your way with a new career and your skills with carving and design are awesome.

[Wicked Welts]

Welcome aboard Van! Your work looks great and the scale, wow, them pieces are big! Thanks for sharing with us and for your service.

[VansCustomLeather]

Thx for the military support boss man. I enjoyed my time and enjoying the transition as well. It's AMAZING the amount of people and knowledge on this website. Thx for the leather compliments...it's been a 5 year evolution into what u see now.

[OdinUK]

Welcome to the forum and fantastic work! I watched the video, very well done indeed. You found the right place to learn about every aspect of leatherwork.

[VansCustomLeather]

I appreciate it OdinUK. I've barely started to dig around in these forums and it's AMAZING how many techniques are used that I never had a clue about. As for your work...you have a VERY unique look to your products...looks Awesome. I've NEVER even heard of a Tankard before I checked out ur website...those things are cool. Had one question for you if you don't mind answering it. What type of "matting/backgrounding tool" do you use on those back patches? I've never seen a matting tool that is that "gnarly" for lack of better words.

[biglew]

WOW... great work. If your belts and other items are as beautiful in looks and craftsmanship as your plaques well then you are amazing! AND I love the toolholder you have in the video. Michael at anvil is another great leatherworker. I have watched his videos

Hope to see more of your work soon!

Thank You for serving!

Lewis

[maddhatter]

thanks for your service and your work is awesome.

by the looks of your skills you will have no trouble at all. good luck and welcome home.

[OdinUK]

Thanks Van! One background tool is called the 'pebble' tool but I forgot what the other is called. When I get home this evening I'll check the part numbers on the tools and send you a PM. I think I got the pebble tool from Springfield, and got all 3 sizes.

Quite a few folk here make tankards and Jacks as they are sometimes called depending on style.

Thanks Van! One background tool is called the 'pebble' tool but I forgot what the other is called. When I get home this evening I'll check the part numbers on the tools and send you a PM. I think I got the pebble tool from Springfield, and got all 3 sizes.

Quite a few folk here make tankards and Jacks as they are sometimes called depending on style.

Opps, seems something went wrong with my last post!

[VansCustomLeather]

I appreciate it biglew and maddhatter. As for the toolholder...that was the first piece of woodwork that I did once I retired. If y'all know how I can attach photos to these posts...I'll add some close-ups of it. As for Michael at AnvilMade...he's the one that told me about this website. He's only been doing leather for a couple years now...which is INSANE when you see the quality of his work. He's an artist for sure.

[terrypen]

I just posted your video today in LeatherWork Conversation threads, before I was told you had this one here!

First things first! Thank you for your service! Sorry it ended up a medical. What was your MOS? Army I assumed! I was a 67N20 in the US Army, did 8 years as an aviation softie, on UH-1H or Huey helicopters. I never served in combat, thank the Lord, but thankful for the guys who had to!

Second thing, dang those leather plaques are cool! Especially drawn to the military ones, those are the things that military guys cherish!

Do you have a FB page? Link didn't work on website.

You need to add your website link to your profile and/or signature.

As far as posting pictures.

Click on the down arrow next to your name at the top right corner of the page.

Select My Gallery

Then it's a little sketchy to me... haha

Click on the Upload link.

Create a new Album

Then click choose files while your new album is selected.

You can upload a few at a time

Then you have to Review and Publish (where you can add information to the pictures)

Then you click Publish at the bottom of the screen...

Then when you are editing your post, you click on My Media and select Gallery Images and select the pics you want displayed.

Hope that helps!

[robertmeco]

Welcome to the forum glad to have you join us. Thank you for your service.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Welcome home Van! Thank you for your service. Being an old vet myself, I know how much it means to be home. Glad to see you are "doing leather". It is a great way to help settle the nerves, except when you screw something up! LOL! Anyway, the folks here are the best and all levels of achievement from the beginners to the professionals. They are all ready to give you help and have many ways of doing things. I am sure you will get some enjoyment and help from this sight. Make the best out of your GI Bill, and enjoy that Tide! After all, you got a good ole Michigan State Coach down there to lead them! He'll make sure you got something to cheer about! Once again, Welcome Home and Thank You for your service. Look forward to seeing more of your work.

Bob

[terrypen]

Welcome home Van!

Make the best out of your GI Bill, and .....

Bob

Oh yeah Van, what Bob said!!!! I did some college but not enough and waited until it was too late.... Get out there and use that GI Bill.... you earned (and payed) for it!!!

[VansCustomLeather]

Thanks Robertmeco...those pocket holsters are AWESOME. Never seen anything like those.

Thanks for all the help Terrypen. I was a Radio Repairer (35E) at first and then I re-classed to a Satellite Communications Operator/Maintainer (25S). I got VERY lucky after re-classing and was assigned to the only Special Operations Signal Battalion in the Army (NOTTT Special Forces). Everybody mixes that up. We supported those guys. I got to see A LOT of the world and a lot of opportunities arose that most "Big Army" Soldiers don't get access to. As for the military plaques...that's my bread and butter. I've been in SOOO many Commanders and Sergeants Major's offices over my career and I ALWAYS looked at their "glory plaques" and took note of them. I'd say 95% of the ones I saw were something I could have duplicated for myself at ANY award/frame shop off-post and just change the laser engraving with my info (cookie cutter plaques). That's when I started evolving my plaques in that direction. Once I did that...the business took off. As for the Facebook page...it's Vans Custom Leather.

BondoBob...thx for the kind words. Do you personally make all of those saddles on your website? They are AMAZING. As for the Tide. My parents taught me NOT to say 4 letter words like that. We're part of the "Sophisticated Sector" of our state...we say War Eagle. I'm blown away already by the amount of knowledge I've found on this site already. I just discovered "Paul Burnett" and his website. I ordered his "Super Bundle"...it's like reading "The Leatherworking Gospel." As for the GI Bill...there's NO more college in store for me. One of the GREAT things that George W. Bush did for the military while in office is to pass the "Post 9/11 GI Bill." What that does is to allow you to pass your GI Bill down to any of your dependents if you know that you won't use it. With that said...my 11 year old son's college education fund is taken care of which is a HUGE weight off of my shoulders. As for growing up on a farm...we live on 100 acres or so here in Alabama. We have 6 horses a Donkey and 25 head of cattle throughout the summer. Daddy will only keep about 4 head of cattle through the winter. It's a "hobby farm" for him...he LOVES it. Again...thanks for the warm welcome. This website is Awesome.

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Van, I don't have a websight per say, but; if you search "Bonbo Bob Custom Saddles" you will get a few threads that have pics of my saddles in them. I only make a couple of saddles a year and have been doing so for the past 20 years or so, that being said if they have my stamp on them, that is 2 B's back to back and says Bondo Bob Custom Saddles around the border edged with a rope edge, then it is mine and I made 100% of it.

Bob

[terrypen]

Thanks Robertmeco...those pocket holsters are AWESOME. Never seen anything like those.

Thanks for all the help Terrypen. I was a Radio Repairer (35E) at first and then I re-classed to a Satellite Communications Operator/Maintainer (25S). I got VERY lucky after re-classing and was assigned to the only Special Operations Signal Battalion in the Army (NOTTT Special Forces). Everybody mixes that up. We supported those guys. I got to see A LOT of the world and a lot of opportunities arose that most "Big Army" Soldiers don't get access to. As for the military plaques...that's my bread and butter. I've been in SOOO many Commanders and Sergeants Major's offices over my career and I ALWAYS looked at their "glory plaques" and took note of them. I'd say 95% of the ones I saw were something I could have duplicated for myself at ANY award/frame shop off-post and just change the laser engraving with my info (cookie cutter plaques). That's when I started evolving my plaques in that direction. Once I did that...the business took off. As for the Facebook page...it's Vans Custom Leather.

"Post 9/11 GI Bill." What that does is to allow you to pass your GI Bill down to any of your dependents if you know that you won't use it. With that said...my 11 year old son's college education fund is taken care of which is a HUGE weight off of my shoulders.

35E? So are you a ham radio operator now? My vanity callsign is W5NRA. I'll look for that FB page! Put it in your signature on here. Just some more publicity!

I had heard of the Post 9/11 but didn't know what was different about it! Good thing to pass on if you weren't going to use it anyway!!!

[Nick Bowles]

hey man...I'm right down the road from you in Weaver. I've been doing leatherwork for about 8 months.

A girl in the J'ville liquor store saw a holster on me that I made and told me about you.

Good lookin work man! See you around!