robs456

Thanks guys. Yes, he's lucky but he's eight so probably won't know it for at least ten years or so...

Made a sheath for my 8 year old nephew's first knife. The kid is into Lord of the Rings so made it look 'elfish', and even gilded the carving with 23 karat gold leaf.

Made a sheath for my 8 year old nephew's first knife. The kid is into Lord of the Rings so made it look 'elfish', and even gilded the carving with 23 karat gold leaf.

No, please do go on. There's some great stuff in your post.

Handmade, machine stitched. I enjoy the replies in the thread, very interesting to see all your views. It's good to see that most agree that the price of the product ought to come down if it is machine stitched. I would also add that I think if a product is badly hand stitched the price should come down (or the product tossed), yet we still see people selling product on sites like Etsy with top prices even though the stitching looks like it was done by a 3-year old. While hand stitching is a selling point and could be a mark of quality its mere mentioning does not automatically make it so. I think the comparison here is interesting but a bit off to our subject. In this example you're using tools to do stuff to the wood, like sawing a miter joint, planing etc. It is your skill with the tools that decides the outcome of the look of the pieces and the end product. Similarly with hand stitching, you're using tools to do stuff to the leather. Your hands are guiding the tools and the outcome will be dependent on your skills with the tools. By machine stitching though it's the machine doing the work, the machine is guiding the needle according to setting, your hands are not guiding the tools. They're guiding the machine though, directionally, but the outcome of the stitch is due to the machine. Can you be a master at sewing leather by hand? I think so. Can you be a master leatherworker by machine stitching all your products? Surprisingly, I think so too. Just don't price it and market it as hand stitched.

But do the customer know what they really want? I was told by the owner of a successful tannery in the US that the biggest market for handmade goods is Japan because they know and appreciate the value of handmade stuff. While the US and Europe is way behind, with the increasing hipster market leading the way. People look down on hipsters but really, these guys with their homemade beers, beets and funny hats really know what's up. Homemade and small scale FTW. Man, I wish I was young enough to be a hipster, maybe I can be a wannabe?

Didn't see that one. Is machine burnisher OK though? I have one, but now usually burnish by hand because why not!! Matt S and alpha, nothing is wrong with machine stitching, just that by hand stitching you get it stronger and you'll get the look and 'skill' of the maker. Now a lot of people don't care about those things obviously or there would be no wally world etc. Is it ok to price machine stitched stuff at the same level as handmade do you think? Now I wouldn't, but I'm not making the 'rules', just trying to find them...

Yeah, I'll make custom stuff for sure but will also have a "line" of standard bracelets to sell, though they will be made to order to keep inventory down.

Mine neither it seems, the big brands get away with murder. Launching my brand as 'all handmade', seems like that might not be worth as much as I thought...

Thanks Dwight, I'm making a smart phone shoulder rig(!) for a buddy and this is good to know.

I get your point but what do you say about the likes of hermes, 1 guy makes a kelly bag in about a week but they have 50 guys doing it? No machines except the clicker press. What if only the handles were made by only one guy?

Today I visited a hipster heavy 'design center' of sorts and saw a cardholder that was clearly machine stitched. Asking the staff they claimed it to be handmade. When pressured she claimed that they used their hands when operating the sewing machine. WTH? When is it not hand made? Personally I think using machines for burnishing is ok, cutting is questionable and sewing is plain not. Am I too old school? What's your thinking on this?

Having made a Ka Bar sheath I know there's no problem having the retaining strap on the top, but thinking about it I think a fighting knife should have the strap close to the finger guard for quicker draw. Of course if it will never be used 'in anger' it's more down to looks and practicality perhaps, what do you guys think?

Wax and oil sounds like they would mess up any garment in contact with it. What's your experience, or do you finish with something else as well on top of that? But I thought using wax would make that quite difficult.

Yeah, it's tough. I use pebbled leather as lining for my bracelets and on the white ones .... Kors, Balenciaga and even Gucci are some of the houses that do worse edges than you. That's how I measure myself...the number of luxury houses that I'm better than... (which is annoying as I'm nowhere near them in prices)

Did it, done it, doing it tomorrow.... Well, yeah, gotta go now, late for grinch duty...

You should, this is good work. Like the edges.

No, that's perfectly fine and I think you incorporated it well. I meant the top left corner, I might be mistaken but in the two pics the weave looks a bit off there, a little 'bent'. Sorry if it's just the leather bending or my screen that's off.

Yeah, good stuff, too bad about that corner. There's always something right...? Myself, I always make mistakes. That's how it is being an artist/artisan/handicrafter/etcetera. Personally I hate effing up my antiques so if it doesn't come out right as you wish, go take a bike chain to the piece and go to town on it. Then charge double for it on ETSY...

Just embrace the glue high. New research says brain cells do get replaced so you're not losing out, just enjoy.

Join the revolution! A lot of people want to buy 'locally' and custom, just oblige them by being there. I've just done a demography test/experiment. I got a lot of replies that they would never pay more than 'insert large retailer here' prices, some replies that I should sell at half my production costs and about 10% that I could get more than I was asking if the customer could have their 'input' to the product (=custom order). Those ten percent when calculated across the market is more than I could ever fulfill orders for.

'Someone' should be a philosophy professor. If we don't better ourselves we've stopped learning and if we've stopped learning we've stopped living. Well, this message this powered by 15 year old Dimple so take it for the philosophical masterpiece it obviously is...

I agree. Also remember that a true master will know how to hide their mistakes. Mostly though they don't make mistakes because they know how to adapt their speed/tools/dye to the piece they're working on. The above is most likely a product of all three. Also remember that other people don't see the same thing as you the maker sees it. I've been told on numerous occasions -by the customer- that my stuff is 'sooo great' and 'a masterpiece' while I really just wanted to bin it and start over. While I didn't agree with them I do know that the customer is King, or Queen, and they get what they want. Though I have on occasion remade the item 'as it should have been done' just for myself to prove that I can do it 'right'...but then my better half tells me to stop acting silly and that's that...

Just did a belt for myself handsewn (may post it later) which comes to over 2 meters of hand stitching. While I did get a great motivation for dieting I also figured out two things: 1. A sewing machine isn't really necessary. 2. I do need to add about 120 to 175 USD for lining a belt or guitar strap. The customer is the Boss but she/he also need to pay for what they get. PS. I also figured out that Netflix is the leatherworkers best friend. DS.