Laphroaig

Complete n00b so please be gentle and forgive my complete ignorance in all things. I've been scouring the internet for a few days finding information to help me create the ideas I have in my tiny brain. Still plenty of big gaps to fill but I'm "getting it" slowly. I'm here to learn how little I know and hopefully glean some useful knowledge from the experts to help me develop my abilities.

I'm currently putting together a list of tools and have a couple of rooms available to convert into a workshop/studio, so it's all a bit hectic at the moment. I'm in Bristol, England, and so far my search of the internet has failed to reveal any local suppliers where I could go and actually look at tools, hides, etc. and get advice so you've got to put up with me instead.

I got here primarily through my love of Panerai wristwatches. Over the years I've spent a small fortune on them and also on the straps to wear with them. Most "Paneristi" have a huge selection of straps to go on their beloved wristwatches and I want to have a go at making my own and if I deem them good enough and people like them, perhaps even fund my next acquisition, at least partially, from flogging a few.

I would like to carve and emboss my straps as well as experiment with different coloured dyes and acrylic paints. From what I've ascertained so far I'm okay with the former as that takes skill which I can only hope to develop and improve over time. Dying, painting, and finishing is probably where I'm weakest, there's scant material in what I've found so far going through the internet dealing specifically with the issue of making something that will be worn against the skin for considerable periods of time and have to deal with sweat, getting wet and all the other rigours of everyday life and remain supple. Panerai are big watches, they make a monster with a 60mm case, I'm planning to follow their lead with 4mm or 5mm thick straps with big chunky 4.6mm thick tang buckles I recently found in Australia.

I've also ideas for a couple of bags I would like to make and then there's always the other thing I've always wanted to try my hand at, knife-making, would like to design and make my own tracker knife, in Damascus steel, but I've got to figure out leather first before I move on to that.