EricDobson

My standard response to any question about niche marketing is you need to sign up for The Challenge (formerly the Thirty Day Challenge) and go through it, step by step, applying every lesson to the niche you're interested in. This is absolutely the best training available to get started finding and connecting with your potential customers online... and it's free! I've worked personally with Ed Dale, the challenge founder, and he's the real deal. This stuff can change your life. Enough hype... I just wanted to impress upon you as strongly as possible how much I believe in this, and how much I think it could help you market to a really small specialty group like leatherworkers. It's not an overnight or easy solution, but if you're serious about pursuing this over the long haul, this is how I'd approach it.

If you're gonna try making big changes to your diet anyways, check out the book Eat To Live. I've known a few people who have had great success with this plan, losing weight, lower blood pressure, and overall health. I just had my first go at it a couple weeks ago and it's not nearly as bad as I would've thought. Eat as much as you want (of the right stuff) and you don't have to cut anything out completely, just moderate it, which is really easy to do when you've filled up on the good stuff first. A lot of people have drastically reduced their blood pressure without any medication by following the book. I'm not a super-fan or anything, just reporting what I've seen and experienced. It's not perfect, but pretty great if you can stick to it.

For those who may come later, here are the links mentioned above: Tandy Leathercraft ABCs Tandy Free Leathercraft Instructional Videos Leatherworker.net Tutorials Leatherworker.net For Sale Forums DVDs from Hidecrafter Leather Company

Thanks ferg... I just found some of the info on the Tandy site. Looks like it will fill in some of the basics I've been missing. And wow, I just found their list of free videos so I'll have to check those out too (several times if they're any good). I hadn't seen the 'for sale' section yet. This forum is huge! I'll definitely keep an eye on it. Like you said, I can find used books on Amazon and elsewhere but it'll never be the same as having someone knowledgeable tell me if it's a good resource for me personally. That'll be a huge help. Thanks for your helpful and encouraging response. I'm sure I'll be back with a lot of questions. One thing I failed to mention is I'm stationed in Italy for another 8 months, which is why I don't have access to a local library, the usual stores, or (English speaking) craftsman I could work with. I'm sure there are some amazing resources here, and hopefully I can find out what they are and take better advantage of my time here... but it's certainly not as simple as checking the yellow pages.

I tried using the report function but it gave me error #10136.1 "The report center module for the content you are trying to report is not configured correctly." You might want to check out the topic Advantages Of Custom Web Designs http://leatherworker...ndpost&p=167216 Hope this helps, -Eric Name: Eric UserName: EricDobson IP Address: 87.22.70.118 Email Address: contact@ericdobson.com

I think these all look absolutely incredible, but I have to ask... what do people do with leather like this?

I agree with dragon, as a beginner I'd be completely thrilled with this as a first try. Nice work! Dave, I just read through your tutorial. Thanks a lot for putting that together, it was really helpful to see! Now I need to read the one on inlays. With what you said about the cost of Kangaroo, I was wondering nowadays that the difference comes down to. What would be the difference in price for a small or large sheath?

I forgot to mention other interests that aren't represented above... belts (definitely), sheepskin lining, footwear (maybe)... I'm not worried much about decoration to start. I just want to learn to make good, sturdy items that will last longer than I will.

Just like all beginners in the honeymoon phase of a new hobby I've been devouring all the information I can find on leather working. I'm in a fortunate but dangerous situation. I'm not rich by any means (ok that's not true, I always have to remember the Global Rich List when I say something like that) but if I wanted I could buy anything I wanted for working leather. Somehow I don't think it'd be best for a total beginner to run out and order a Campbell. In any case, I've blown enough money on temporary pursuits to have (mostly) learned my lesson. As a musician of almost 20 years, I know better than most that great tools are are always worth the cost, but consistent practice counts far more than anything. So, I'm taking it slow. Step one was to join this forum! I'm already overwhelmed by the amount of great information here and the countless helpful craftsman. I hope in time my skill improves to the point that I can be helpful to others. In the mean time I can at least write about the steps I take and if they worked out or not. Step two was to order a few books. I had done a little research on Amazon before finding this forum and the book I had it narrowed down to was Al Stohlman's The Art Of Hand Sewing Leather. The only problem was that it's really hard to tell with craft books if they're true guides to learning great skills, or mass-market crap. What really impressed me after searching the forums is how, not only how many people straight up recommend this book to all beginners, but how highly it's spoken of in passing comments. It seems to be almost a given, that people casually discussing some technique often say "here's what I do and that's how it's done in Al's book." So clearly, this book went straight to the top of my list. Based on all the discussion I could find, I decided to just go nuts with the Stohlman books... so I also got Leathercraft Tools: How To Use Them, How To Sharpen Them. My overall plan is to buy the minimum tools I need to get started hand stitching, but to buy really great, high end tools. I know that even if I never turn pro, this is a hobby I'll use off and on over the course of my life, and I want tools that I'll never have to replace. Since the description of this book says, "This complete guide helps you with the proper selection, use and care of tools." and it comes highly recommended on the forums, it was an easy choice. Past that I thought I'd get some books that I know I don't need immediately, but I can begin to get an idea of specific areas of leatherwork I'll probably be interested in. So I picked up The Art of Making Leather Cases, Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3. Like I said I'm sure I don't need all three right away, but they're gonna go on the shelf eventually so why not... Finally I also got a copy of How To Make Holsters. I gather this is not a beginners book, but I'm sure I'll be making my share of holsters and right now it's a pretty big mystery to me of how exactly they're made, or especially how they're designed. In my current situation I have at least a one week wait to receive packages and no stores I can visit. I really want to jump in all at once and order tools and leather, and get started right away. But I know I'll be better off after another one or two weeks of reading the forums and these books, and will have a better chance of starting with tools I'll be happy with and skills I can build on. And after all, I've got years ahead of me if I'm ever going to make it to craftsman, so what's a couple weeks? Slow and steady and all that... Finally a couple questions... 1. What books would you add to this list as absolutely essential to any craftsman's library? 2. Are there any DVDs you'd recommend? There are some helpful videos on YouTube, but it'd be really great to have hours of pros at my disposal to watch over and over.

Awesome examples Dave. I'm just starting with leather and I'm constantly amazed at what's possible, things I've never seen before. That's some creative, clean work. Very nice.

Nice resource Dave, thanks for posting that.

I'd also recommend the Ford 7.3L. I had an excursion with that engine and absolutely loved it. I'm going to be in the market for a truck in the next year and getting another 7.3 is at the top of my list right now.

Really nice work. I especially like the first one. I also agree with abn, the inlay is really well done. I'm just getting started with leather and it's great to look through examples like this and see what's possible. I also appreciate what you mentioned about taking the machine to shows. As I consider some areas I might like to specialize in, that gives me some great ideas for marketing. And for those who are counting... I have now completed my very first post.