CountryStyle Report post Posted July 24, 2012 Hello everyone. I am a beginner to leatherwork, and I am having so much friggin' fun! I wanted to post a thread about some of the things I've discovered that I'm sure apply to all beginners. 1. Tools. They are expensive, this is no secret. My tool purchasing budget is literally $0, and this makes it difficult to get the things I need. So what I have done is use craigslist, and have had much success. I posted ads in the "items wanted category" and the "Barter" category (titled: "trade your leatherworking tools for my???") Since I don't have any money to buy tools, I have been able to trade things for them. For example, I acquired a Tandy starter set the other day for a couple bags of fertilizer I had stored in the garage. I also traded my Xbox 360 for a very nice set of tools and supplies. This is a fun and cost effective way of attaining tools. With that being said, don't get discouraged if you don't get flooded with emails about tools, they aren't very common, but they are out there. A lot of what I have found is people who wanted to get into the craft, bought some things, and then stored them in a closet somewhere. Also, some people have inherited them and have no interest in using them. 2. Patterns, aids, tracing patterns, etc. If you are like me, you have searched the web pretty thoroughly looking for free patterns, only to find there are VERY few... The truth is, people like to make money off of there patterns, and if you want some good material, your going to have to pay for it. One great resource I found is www.leathercraftlibrary.com. They have digital downloads for sale at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a book. You can print individual pages to use only the patterns you want. I purchased a belt pattern book for like $4, and am very happy with what I got. (and I am a very cheap person, I almost never buy things online, especially information.) Just some tips for us new guys, hope this is helpful. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted July 25, 2012 Not to push Tandy as the only one that does it, but there are some free patterns on their page. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Glendon Report post Posted July 25, 2012 eBay is also a good resource for cheaper tools when you can spend a little money. You definitely want to do your homework first, learn brands, the big names in leather tools, and the like, but there are some good deals out there. The stamp sets can get over priced, but punches, knives, and supplies can be had at good prices. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CountryStyle Report post Posted July 25, 2012 Yes there are many tools on ebay, and I agree, the stamp sets get out of control! It seems like there are a lot of people who go to ebay to purchase tools, this can drive the price up. Someday when i do have a large chunk of change I plan on getting competitive on a Lot on ebay. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
