Eve

Beautiful, she will love it for sure!

Thank you tankerman1967 =) I guess it is a woman thing, bags and heels lolz

I brought most of my leather from Hong Kong, it is almost impossible to tell those shop keeper what kind of leather processing in which way I need, I can buy what my eyes can see, and they don't speak English. Then I ordered 2 pieces of leather from Springfield Leather, one was the usual grade, but some how they mix up the second piece, they gave me a very top grade one, it had been few years now, I still holding that better grade refuse to use it, that is the best piece I had never purchase so far! I did cut a small stripe off to made one of bag's belt, because only that piece can provide me the length I need, but the bag's handle and other parts I used other cow hide I purchase from Hong Kong, after a year or so, the leather started to change color, even my 73 years old mother with no leather experience can tell the difference, she can point out my leather belt look much nicer than rest of the bag, the belt surface actually became shinny with very even tan color, other part of the different type of cow hide became dull and uneven dirty type of tan. All in all, both piece of leather are the best type of tooling leather I have so far, even without doing craving on them, I still like to work on the usual grade from Springfield instead of the cow hide from HK, like my second pair of shoes for example, it is impossible to use the thinner cow hide from HK to wrap the mid-sole, and the heel, the only leather after many attempt was the usual grade from Springfield.

The bag look fantastic , I will buy a matching pair of heels just to go with it, if it is leather, it will be a big waste to recycle those parts

Stunning!!!!

Hi! I'm so excited, finally I created my second pair of shoes, it took me many years to gather experience, material and tools to made them, without made a pair myself, I didn't know each part is a hard work (specially without a teacher and totally lack of experience and tools), my first pair of shoes I recycle some old shoes part (the mid-sole with shank and the heel), so it was so much easier, however this second pair was totally made from scratch, like the heel for example I used many layers of leather stack it into the heels, and everything was done by my hand. I suppose the hardest part for a person who interest to learn how to make shoes was the material, unlike bag, it requires much less specialized parts such as Last, Shank, Heel, without them, it is almost impossible or very difficult to create a proper pair of ladies high heel shoes. This pair was done without the Last, a copy from my other pair of same style sandals I brought from the shop, you can tell it is done by a newbies, but it is after all my second pair of shoes =) Regards and Marry Christmas everyone!!!!

Thank you so much =) Actually I was too hurry try to completed the bag and ignore that fact the lining size was totally wrong, I force the zipper flap to fit the lining, so that zipper area looks very bad, as well as it has big impact on my bag's body as well >.< lolz I already undo and replace a new lining and change a new zipper, well at less now I will like to use it to go out =D Cheers!

Ohh my goodness, it is just amazing!!!

My new tote bag, made of cow hide, snake print leather, and sheep skin lining, still a newbie in leather working, hope you can give me some suggestion

Hi! Looks very impressive, must be very expensive! Cheers!

Thank you so much for your quick reply JustKate =) Here is my so call work station: See that wooden chair, that is most of my punching, hammering happens, and I share it with my mother's hardware work >.<! I usually cut leather on my dinning table, but when the project is too big like my son's school bag, I cut them on the floor =) I have to sew the bag on the floor as well some times.... Thanks for looking!

Hello! This is the first big project I had ever work on, there is many first on this bag. 1. First big project for such complicated work 2. First time try burnishing the edge learn from Bob Park - Finishing Edges (http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18101) 3. First school bag (I don't have any pattern for it, I just use basic measurement from other suitcase I found on internet to come up with the dimension of the bag, yes everything is my guess around) The surface is a bit dirty due to I don't have proper work station =( I have to fighting space with my mother's hardware tooling thingy, so there is many black dirt on the cover, as well as my blood stains >.<! I have poked my finger with the needle countless time. Do give me some advice for my problem, also I have a question will vinegar remove the blood stain? and will it damage the leather? Cheers!

Sorry for taking this long to reply, I have been working on my son's school bag for the past few weeks =) Here is what it is like inside the black and white checker bag I have used black Pig hide for the lining and there is cow hide frame in between the lining and the cover checker fabric. Regards

Hello Bill Thankyou so much for your compliment =) ActuallyI'm a very immature leather-working and tailoring person, I have onlymade totally 7 - 8 bags so far, I must admit that each bag I made I learn a lotof different things, and I can see my small improvement each time that is whatkeeps me going, it is very hard to learn leather-working without a teacher (I'm learning it from the books or internet / forum), butthink goodness I found this forum. Asfor this bag, there is some problem with it, for example, I can’t align theback and front checker to fit perfectly (inexperienced >.<), and the pighide lining was too big for the outer layer so I have to force it down, and I had made the locket position too low, etc. Ireally hope some of you can give me some good advice, so next time I can make fewermistakes =) Regards!

Hello This is some thing I have made recently, I hope you can give me some advice to improving my work. The bag has leather interior insert and full pig hide lining, the checker fabric just cover the leather frame to match the jacket I have made, and the photo shown the bag has a thinner chain, actually I have changed to a slightly bigger chain. Cheers!

Thanks for sharing, I did try to ask my Mother make me a stitching horse or pony for me by looking at the plan, guess what my mother said:" I will sponsor you $100USD so you can buy one from Japan." >.<! Making stitching horse or pony by ourselves is not going to happen in Singapore or Hong Kong >.<! Because we can’t find the right material or tools for it. Ps. We can't even find any leather shop here in Singapore ... sigh... How do the leather working class do here in Singapore, the teacher will bring the students to Hong Kong and make a one stop group shopping in Sumshupo for leather and accessories, very sad yeah? (and yes I brought the pony from Japan >.<)

Hi I'm very new to leather working as well, my first wallet was made by reading Tandy leatherwork Crafting Instruction Manual by Stohlman, but I find the inner compartment is not what I wanted (also I ruined it by putting the leather lacing around), so I made a second wallet by copy my old one. The inner part where the card goes in are made of water proof PVC or Nylon fabric (the fabric make umbrella from), the original wallet which I copy from is made of PVC (since when LV is not made of PVC), but think about goat hide or sheep hide, they are thin! My next wallet will try on goat hide, wish me luck! I also brought a wallet inner compartment kit (long wallet type) but haven't started it. Cheers!

Hello Dylan Thank you for your great tip, I watched the video, and that just what I been looking for! ^_^ About the chrome tan and veg tan leather, I brought all my leather from Hong Kong, they sale as – what you see is what you get, unless I know what is chrome tan or veg tan, otherwise, they can't help >.<! veg tan leather no idea what tan is this >.< Also I brought a few diamond stitching chisel (4mm & 3mm) from HK (made in Japan), the problem is the hole is too big for thinner leather like sheep or goat hide, is there any chisel that will make smaller hole. Thanks! Eve

Hello Kevin (Springfield Leather) I have a question for you, do you sale small amount of leather to Singapore? I need a piece or two cow hide for shoe sole, since I only start to learn how to make shoes, so I can't afford huge amount of leather, do please let me know if you would take a small order from me. Regards Eve

Thanks everyone for the great recommendation and information, I wouldn't find them on my books! Next time I will try chrome tan or oil tan leathers instead of veg-tan leather, and I will soak it in the water until it wouldn't take in anymore before I turn it. I have two more question - is there any book teach how to do sewn with the stitches on the outside with an inward curving gusset? Is this method for hand sew or machine? Cheers all!

Thank you Randi-Lee Actually when I completed the sewing part, everything looks fine, and the leather was too thick for me to pull the thread too hard or tight (my hand fill with needle holes and water bubbles when I done that part). The wrinkle problem comes after I turn the bag out, it took me ages to turn it because the leather was very hard even I did wet it to make it softer and I still have to force it to turn, when it finally out, the leather no longer smooth as brand new >.<! it looks like a bag being used for a while, when I hand it to my mother in law I felt so embarrassing like I gave her a used bag. Most likely I will be keep using hand sewing, not enough space at home, I’m actually using my dining table for my leatherwork LOL sooner or later I think I’ll crack the glasses on the top. Cheers!

Hi Cyberthrasher My problem is after I turned the bag out, the leather no longer as smooth or flat as when it was, it all wrinkle up, looks like the bag being used for some time, and this problem is not only on one side, it is the whole bag that looks like being beaten up. Hi Randi-Lee Yes I sew this bag by hand, and I already gave the bag to my mother in law, can't take anymore photo of this bag sorry =( My question is how to make the bag looks still brand new after I turn it instead of all wrinkle up like a wave.

Hello everyone! I'm very new to leatherworking, recently I have made a bag which I have a problem with (please see the attached photo), I attached both side pieces from inside the bag, and turn it out when I done, but the bag look very beaten up, I did wet the leather to make it smoother before turning. Can someone please help me? I really need suggestion and recommendation. Cheers! (photo link) https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=359596297412627&set=a.359595717412685.83376.100000867801310&type=3&theater