Jake P

So after a some reading and watching videos, i gather that using hot water to form makes a harder leather compared to cooler water? Is this correct? Also, if I'm going to form and carve/stamp leather, would I wet the leather and form it, then stamp it? Will form or carving come out if the leather is re-wet? I'm assuming the "cutting surfaces" I see on on tandy and springfield and the like are more or less a generic cutting board like would be used in the kitchen?

Thanks! I'm going to try and find/make any tools I can. I imagine there are some specifics I'll need to thumb out the cash for. I'm going to order one of these: http://springfieldleather.com/33907/5-Pound-of-Vegetable-Tanned-Horse-Pieces/ to practice on before starting an actual project.

Hello all, I am trying to get started with leather working and have been pooring over this forum for a couple of weeks. Some really talented people in here! Anyway, I've got some more specific questions that I can seem to track down with the search feature. Question one: Does anyone have and helpful tips, links, book recomendations, words of wisdom, etc, about turning deer skin into workable leather? I ask because I'm on an eight-dollar-an-hour whilst paying for college budget, and I can obtain deer for the price of the occasional lost arrow. I also don't want to start out tearing up and expensive piece of high quality leather. I'm not too interested in carving at this point, mostly just cutting, forming and stamping. Is this even doable on deer skin? I've stretched and salted a few and they seem like they'd be too thin. Question two: Should I spend my money on a beginers kit or just tools? Tandy has their Basic Leathercraft Kit on sale for ~$40. It seems like a good deal for what you get, but it includes things for projects that I don't have any interest in. Anything else I should thing about? Any generic words of wisdom? Thanks for any and all future help! I'm sure I'll learn alot from this forum!