ConradPark

Nice, just a question, your card pockets, have you glued any 'hidden' pockets behind to prevent the top cards from falling to the bottom or is it just cut out slots?

Double C, I think it's my mistake, I was talking about industrial clicker presses like this one, You place the hide, place all your dies at once (4-6 dies per wallet and I normally do a couple or more at the time), swing the arm, click, swing off the arm, move the dies (you can normally click a couple, three times before needing to separate the leather - depending on what type of dies), swing back the arm, click, repeat, one hide done. Less than 3-4 min, max. So with this kind of clicker it is very much possible to make it in this time frame. But obviously this is not the kind of clicker you are talking about. And no, I don't own one of these (cost more than £3500 - I rent them per hour, so it wouldn't make sense to me to be a reseller, besides I am a firm believer that one has to choose what kind of business one wants to do - personally I make and sell leather goods only, if I owned the machinery and only manufactured for others I might have done so, but now that's not the case.) Anyway, I feel I might have offended you, considering the tone in your answer and that wasn't my intention. Just do what you feel like doing and good luck.

Double C, if your idea works for you, all the best. However around where I live (London), the studios that have clicker presses earn some extra money in the way that they rent them out hourly to whomever wants to drop by with their own leather and dies. Standard rate everywhere here is £10 an hour (clicking out wallets from five average hides doesn't even take 15min). Also, would you send your dies to someone else to keep? Anyway, as I said, if it works for you, all the best. Good Luck.

No problem to do that, you'll need some foil and maybe a temperature controller if you don't already have that. There are several bookbinding forums and YouTube videos that already explain this in detail, much better than would be explained in a few sentences here. Also actual trial and error, helps. Google and you'll find your answer.

A lot of European military clothing including gloves was not rarely made of horse leather up to the 50s. Not saying that Horse Leather is the best, but it does have some advantages over cow/steer hide as it is more abrasion resistant. However, not many tanneries do it anymore and Horween in the USA are probably the most known. Remember that there are many different variations of horse leather and what you'll need is the garment horse leather (horse front), not the shell or strip. However, there are many high quality cow hides from other tanneries today, thanks to modern techniques, that gives exceptional properties too. In the end, it's in the eye of the beholder. There are specialist leather suppliers that only do leather for the automotive industry so they are flame retardant, doesn't crack in frost etc. Anyway, seems like you know what you don't want so good luck.

Don't forget to look at ebay for tools, with a little patience you can get stamping tools there for a fraction of the price of a new one. This is also basically the only way to get hold of a larger number of older pre -63 Craftools. I have over 200 tools that I got for an average of a dollar and half each on ebay. Even with the shipping costs overseas, I have saved hundreds of dollars compared with buying the new and inferior Craftools. Just remember to buy them in bulk and resell the ones you don't want/duplicates. Also, I want to point out an underlying risk called "tool craze". That's when you basically start to try to collect all the tools you don't have, always looking for the better or rarer ones. The truth is that you can do 80% of general tooling with only a handful basic stamping tool. Everything else is either variations or specialist. The fact is that very few people explore all the possibilities with the tools they have at hand, instead fooling them self believing that another new tool will help them doing better. So unless money isn't an issue - I would just get some basic cheap Craftools or Ivans, and then tool away for all my worth. With time you'll learn and realize where and how certain stamps are limiting your progress and when that time arrives, you're able to seek out and purchase just the right tools for you. I might have hundreds of stamping tools, but I probably only use 20% of them for 80% of my tooling work. The rest just sits there looking pretty 'just in case I need them'...

That's one fly flask.

As with so many issues there is rarely one item that is the best. It's all in the eye of the beholder. Generally speaking the leather that is used will be what is called garment leather, regardless of what animal the origin might be. This is referred to in the way the tannery has produced the skin to be supple (and it will most certainly be some kind of chrome tanning). It also depends on what you are after. A glove with a lot of man made material, plastic knuckles, Kevlar etc. can get away with lamb skin. A period WWII all leather glove might better be done in horse leather. And not to sound too harsh, but you're probably better off going to your local MC shop and talk to the people there about their preferences. Second, you should go to a reputable leather only supplier (not Tandy..) to tell them what you're after and they will help you, that's why they exist. Also online there are so many MC forums. Do your research. While this forum is great, one need to remember that it is mostly enthusiasts and hobbyist that lurk here, so specialist questions, especially those that harbor to the professional side or manufacture/business side seems to be better answered elsewhere. Actually, I wondered for a long time why so few of all those thousands of leather workers that work for all the big brands in fashion or upholstery or interior never go to sites like this. Maybe because a lot of them either just see it as a job or they are like the tattooist - everyone has to learn the hard way. The one constant exception seems to be people working in the saddle business. Maybe Cowboys are more laid back...

This will depend on so many factors, foremost depending on how detailed your design/carving will be. While I'm sure it can work if it's a simple design and the leather is veg tanned and damp enough, you should ask yourself if it's worth the work, considering how cheap it is to have an embossing plate made today. A small square inch zinc, or magnesium plate will hardly cost you much more than a few dollars and will last you for hundreds of stamping sessions. Another way, if you want to copy an existing pattern is to use Plasticine. Make a quarter inch thick square, press the pattern into the dough on one side and harden the plasticine in the oven. The pattern will be negative, so if you want a positive pattern you need to use the first mold as a master for a second imprint. If cured correctly the Plasticine will last surprisingly long, mind you that it's brittle, so smaller sizes (2 inch) and an arbor press, instead of pounding it with a hammer, works best. Good Luck.

I originally posted a similar answer elsewhere, but the same answer applies here. Most professional manufacture of bags and small leather goods do use some kind of stiffener (a sheet of firm synthetic material that comes in different thicknesses) . Stiffeners come in many different brands and shapes. In the US I believe most common brands are the like of Bontex or Tandy's Terraflex or Texon. In Europe you've got Vilene Decovil as the cheapest and most readily available (while not regarded professional, it works really well). You want the pliable/softer cellulose based, not the stiff compressed boards - unless you're making travel trunks or shoes. There are other brands of course. While it's unfortunately common that especially many leather crafters loathe the use of this, it doesn't take away the fact that it's a common practice in professional manufacturing. There is no way to otherwise use exotic skins, thinner and softer leather to do items that needs to be rigid. Actually in some cases it prolongs life by preventing the stretching and tear. Basically, if an item is not unlined, it will most likely have some form of stiffener. The whole technique with making rolled edges actually came about as a way of hiding the stiffener in a nice way. There is a popular video on YouTube that show how Ettinger are making their wallets and the clearly show the use of laminating the leather with stiffener and then rolling the edges to hide this. Of course you can use a firm veg tan leather as a lining - mind you, that this is a more expensive solution in the long run. So go ahead, do what suits you best and good luck.

Have to agree with Andrew Chee on this one. Most likely done with a custom made stamp that 'flattens' the edges all at once, probably as well as cutting it at the same time. Based on how even and identical everything seems. The way to do it by hand (and much, much slower) is to skive the flesh side (paring knife or with a skiving machine) and wet the edge, then on the top side, crease a marking line and with a bone folder manually flatten out the area between the crease and the edge until that area is flat and smooth (and thinner). I have no experience using the glazing irons for this and I'm a bit curious to if it actually works. Normally shoe makers use it to wax and smooth the sides of the soles/heels, but I heard about saddle makers using it for edge finishing too. Would like to see if someone makes it work.

Truly a marvelous first time job!

There are no hard set rules, but in general using linen thread is not the best idea with garment leather. You could use 'ordinary' sewing machine thread, but it's better to use thread for hand sewing as it's slightly stronger (but not as thick as most linen threads). Avoid saddle stitching, just use normal back stitching or similar techniques as when you sew garments. Use glover needles, hand sewing needles that have a sharp pointy triangular shape. Avoid both ordinary needles and saddle needles, no pricking irons as the holes will be too large. Basically, garment leather is soft and thin so you can sew it as any normal garment. Good Luck.

Well, for that size 4.5 - 5 cm or 1 inch, you probably need to google what's called ' fittings for barrier rope'. Some call it end caps, some call it decorative fittings. They all look the same though. There are too many suppliers to link here but just google 'Barrier rope end fittings' and use picture search and you shouldn't have any problems to find a supplier near you. Good Luck

Another way, and this is how most commercial bag/accessories manufacturers are doing it, is to use a professional leather stiffener glued in between layers, often the outer but sometimes all layers. Even when the edges are skived to be thin for rolled edges or other reasons, there's usually enough material left for making it more rigid than the 'flimsy' leather. Sometimes, thin veg tan leather can substitute. When I thin larger pieces of leather, I always keep the flesh side off cuts, just for reasons like this, and also to use for prototype making so I save on wasting expensive leather. Also, while it takes some experience, it's fully possible to saddle stitch thin layers of flimsy chrome leather or skins - even without stiffener. A slow and light approach, pulling both threads at the same time, and also using the thinnest thread and a small stitch count. Good Luck.

Quick answer; Dying leather is a skill, and how well it covers the leather is more due to how it's done than what brand you're using. There are plenty of threads on this forum and on YouTube that show how it's done. Always experiment on some scrap leather at first! When it comes protecting the leather it's down to personal preference. Resolene works very well (but again, it can be difficult to apply if you're not used to it), so does all the other different brands. Just try and see what you like. I normally only buff with a little Carnauba cream after dying as I like the result and it's easier than applying Resolene. So basically, to answer your question; yes - go ahead, but you might have to try a few times before you get a satisfactory end result. Good Luck.

As the leather is two separate pieces I would suggest that you unzip the zipper and sew the two sides separate from each other. This way you minimize the risk of undoing the leather from the zipper. If you're using a pricking iron, use the widest you have, I wouldn't be afraid of having 5mm or 1/5 inch between stitches. This helps too. Also, don't worry about pulling every stitch so tight. A light 'pull' after each one is sufficient enough. You could also try a normal 'back stitch' as well. You only need one needle and goes a lot faster too. There are plenty of YouTube videos that show how to do that. The stitch looks like a saddle stitch from above, but under it over locks itself and actually help keep the zipper garment in place better than a saddle stitch. Just practice on some scrap first. Good Luck

Never underestimate the power of advertising and branding is just that! However, as you noticed everyone have their own opinions and you will never be able to please everyone so at least you should please yourself. And don't worry about others copy your work. First of all, unless you have a world distribution of thousand of goods on an annual basis, I'm pretty sure that you will never be economically affected in a negative way if someone would copy your design. Secondly, I'm sure you have noticed that most people and companies are actually using more or less the same designs anyway, what sets them apart is normally - you guessed it, branding. Then sometimes you have a difference in workmanship as well, but not as often as one as a consumer could hope for. Anyway, you should brand all your items, but it doesn't have to be on the front if you don't want to. A makers mark stamped with ink on the flesh side inside a pocket would definitely be fine. Many brands do it this way already. Good Luck and remember to have fun!

Looks awesome, can't wait to see pics of the final restored seat!

Just out of curiosity, would you mind clarifying what you mean? Did you get requests to make a custom item or did you already make it? Do you have an Etsy shop yourself? And the pictures, are those your pictures of your made items or just random pictures of other peoples works? Sorry, no mean to offend, I just got a bit confused.

It's really hard to know what you're talking about as there are no pictures. But I'll try to help you. First, I don't know if you're using regular pricking irons or if you're using the 'Japanese style' for lack of a better word. But regardless, it's always more difficult to punch through more layers/thicker material than less/thinner so PRACTICE. You should glue all parts together first. Otherwise, you make it hard for yourself. If you have a stitching clamp, just mark the holes and use an awl to drive through the holes. A bit difficult at first so you need to PRACTICE but after a while it's actually easier, especially if the material is very thick. There are loads of videos about saddle stitching on YouTube - have a look. Finally, like every skill you can only get better with PRACTICE. Sometimes when you fail, it's not because you've done something wrong, but because you haven't done it enough. Good Luck.

Well, if you're actually talking about the item in the picture I'm afraid that you will not be able to salvage it. You'll need to remove the stitching and start over. Regardless of how you attach the zipper to the leather prior to stitching (gluing or tape or whatever) it's there and then you'll be able to make any adjustments. If it's not lying flat just pull it off and start over. Once it's flat, start stitching. Using a stitching pony/clamp helps. Make sure not to pull away the zipper material of the leather as you stitch - difficult in the beginning but with practice it gets easier. I always push a stitching awl through all holes prior to stitching while having it flat against a rubber mat or similar. Makes it easier when sewing. Also - the width of the gap for the zipper should be as little as possible. Yours seems a bit unnecessary wide - but it might be the photo. Finally, use metal zippers. Nylon/plastic zippers are usually of lower quality and that might also explain the stretchiness. Good Luck.

I think that most people have mentioned the most important things on this thread already, however I would like to emphasize that you need to realize that your belt, the craftsmanship and quality etc. has very little to do with if that item will sell on Etsy or not. The truth is that Etsy and all the similar market places work in a specific way and to succeed there requires very much of an effort - too much to mention all of it here. Basically, you need to enter it as you would with running any business and you need to have that mindset. A lot of people complain about Etsy and how difficult it is. It is difficult to succeed there, but the truth is also that most people - regardless of how beautiful and well crafted items they produce - aren't very good at running a business. This is why you see many successful shops selling mediocre and sometimes crappy stuff, because they know how to run their business, they know how to price according to demand and how their target demographic perceives value, they have professional photographs taken with studio equipment, well researched business plan, they know what works and what doesn't and they are ready to change to make it work and everything is about making the sale and run a profit. On the other hand, you'll see plenty of well made stuff that hardly sells. At the best it might provide some coffee money, even though their products are superb. The reason is foremost that they lack the will and knowledge to run a business. Secondly, most people that want a high end quality hand crafted whatever and are willing to spend silly money to get it - will most likely not go to Etsy to look for it. I'm not trying to discourage you. However, I do think that you should worry less about Etsy and more about continuing with your craft and the pleasure of doing it. With time you'll get the hang of Etsy and the rest, even if it will probably take years. The thing is, that if you rush into the whole thing about selling and so on, you'll soon notice that there will be little time over for actually enjoying doing leather craft. Food for thought. Remember to have fun.

Get a proper oiling stone or water stone and learn how to properly sharpen your tools, this takes time and will be very frustrating, but when you'll finally get the hang of it you'll wonder how you did things before. It affects everything from stitching to cutting. And finish your projects even if it turns to crap in the middle of it. That will teach you that sometimes you can salvage things anyway, and it actually makes you to be more careful for the next project. There is nothing wrong and even advisable to use a free template or copy something that is copy free to learn how to make something for the first time. But for the next time, try to do something that is your own, change anything really - size, design, type of leather, etc. This in itself will teach you not to just be a robot. Do start and finish a project, small or large on a regular basis, especially if you're not sure how to go ahead. You will quickly realize that most questions, answer them self as you're working on your stuff and that there are seldom needed to seek answers through others. Most of the time your questions are because you haven't tried.

Looks great! Would really like to know a bit about your process, maybe you could do a tutorial for the future, like how you attach the teeth and what materials you're using. Refreshing to see a different kind of work than the usual card holders, gun holders and book holders. Cheers.