johnv474

Nuttish, I think your last point about not supporting processes with chromium discharge is what motivated the original question. My disagreement was not about how broad a much veg tan aniline dyed include (which is, as you pointed out, a huge array of leathers), but that I felt OP's original question could be answered. Nothing offensive intended there.

Here is a suggested combination, which can be adjusted to meet your needs/preference: Maine Thread (waxed polyester) 0.030 thickness, CS Osborne #3 harness needles, Tandy preinserted awl/haft or CS Osborne haft/awl #43 preinserted, stitching at 6-8 spi. Here is an example of that combination at 7spi, following Nigel Armitage's videos for technique. Here is a suggested combination, which can be adjusted to meet your needs/preference: Maine Thread (waxed polyester) 0.030 thickness, CS Osborne #3 harness needles, Tandy preinserted awl/haft or CS Osborne haft/awl #43 preinserted, stitching at 6-8 spi. Here is an example of that combination at 7spi, following Nigel Armitage's videos for technique.

You can always have a brick and mortar store that functions as a showroom and workshop, then include online sales as well. The workshop can, in fact, be a show piece as well for those who find the craftsmanship appealing. I would suggest having a good supply of show pieces that will draw people into the store, and also lots of entry-level wallets, belts, and small accessories that will help make a sale. People are more likely to spend 20 bucks on a whim than 1200 for a holster rig.

First, cool kicks. Second, suede is used all the time in shoemaking, as is "rough-out" (leather inside out). I have the idea of taking a pair of shoes and making them into saddle shoes but considered doing the Converse thing, too. I don't think you need any particular suede to use for lasting but be aware that suede is more sensitive to dirt, water, and damage than the grain part of leather.

There are many good options out there. Maybe take a look here for the Uni-ball review. I've used them for years, but not specifically for writing on leather: http://www.moleskinerie.com/2006/06/pen_review_unib.html.

Part of Tandy's market is people just getting into a hobby, before specializing. Some of those people may give up the hobby after spilling dye on the carpet or making one Fathers Day belt. Telling someone like that to buy a Barry King this or an other-big-name-brand that is like selling a sniper rifle to a Cub Scout or a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar to a fifth grader. The quality and prices of the tools and supplies reflects that when someone moves from beginner to hobbyist to expert, they will replace those tools. For all beginners and many hobbyists and some professional, the limitation is more often the skill than the tool.

Nigel Armitage's patterns are worth it. I have his wallet and messenger bag patterns (both oof which paid for themselves in leather savings, i.e. fewer mistakes and do-overs). If you consider the quality of his work and then to have made patterns available is uncommon (and admirable of him if you ask me). You can learn much of what you ask through Google, Youtube, Wikipedia, and this forum... but not all information from the books is easily found online so you may want to check out leathercraftlibrary.com and so forth.

Without seeing the leather in question it is difficult to answer specifically. In general, whether leather has a smooth or pebbled grain depends on the type of animal it comes from, what part of the animal, plus tanning and processing, plus finishing steps, and so on. For example, some leathers are run under a glazing jack, which is a motorized rolling pin that applies tons of pressure (as seen on Youtube) and smoothes the leather, not to mention embossing, etc.

Why not try the Uni-ball 207 pens? They are the ones with the special ink that is resistant to oil, bleach, water, etc. For check fraud purposes. They get high reviews adn are available for about 3 dollars apiece at office supply stores. They have various widths and colors.

The top piece looks to have a sanded back. Tanneries will do this (at an additional expense) but sometimes the buyer doesn't want to pay for that. A sanded back is usually more consistent in its thickness as well, as it has been levelled off some. The Hermann Oak in the picture has surely had something similar done (sanded, if not pasted).

A sharp punch will help moving forward. For this project you can burn off the fuzzies or wrap something small like a toothpick with 80-120 grit sandpaper and smooth out the area.

You could try using burnishing wax, like Yankee wax, but that requires a flap wheel and brush to finish, though maybe a Dremel could work. Or, you could try lacquer, shellac, lacquer, varnish, or polyurethane. The entry in Wikipedia for patent leather explains how it was made before plastics (using linseed oil and varnish). Or, you could try Fiebing's Dura-Edge, a brush-on plasticky coating in brown and black.

I don't know of a UK source besides Abbey England. There are certainly others. Look up the 20 minute tote (which is made of fabric, but gives you dimensions etc. Buy 4-5 ounce leather or so. You will need something to poke holes (a Saddlers awl in a handle), a few harness needles (John James #2 or so), some 0.6mm waxed nylon or polyester thread, a razor knife with many spare blades (change every day or so of work), a scratch awl, and a metal carpenters square. Some leathercraft glue or contact cement iis nice. Then you will need about 1 Sq meter of leather, but you may have to buy the entire piece. Pockets can be patch pockets, just a rectangle any size sewn on three sides in a straight line. To make the pockets open more, make the rectangle about 1 cm wider at each of the top two corners, but still stitch in a straight line. Test out your dimensions and designs with lifesize paper templates and tape/staples before cutting your leather. You'll probably want to mark your stiitch holes about every 4 mm apart (be consistent and go in straight lines using a ruler). Sew your pockets on first before sewing the body of the bag.

We have a piece at work you might like then. Send me a reminder and I can send you a photo. I was thinking of cutting it into blanks for the cosplayers.

I don't agree with nuttish. Vegetable tanned leather is a separate process from chromium-tanned. There also exists retan (i.e. Chrome and then vegetable tanned or vice versa). Many oof Horween's leathers are re-tanned. Alum tanned is mostly used in laces. For nontoxic/environmental awareness, veg tan is the way to go. The hides are soaked in roots, barks, and so forth, and is the more traditional process. Aniline dyes are translucent, meaning you can see the grain of the leather, as opposed to opaque paint-like topcoats like you see it car interiors. There are a few tanneries in the US that do vegetable tanning (Horween, Wickett and Craig, and Hermann Oak), and there are lots of them in Europe (pricey) and Mexico (cheaper than US). I'd stay away from China or India because the quality varies more and regulation is minimal. LeFarc, from Mexico, claims to have eco-friendly leathers, and Concurmex also has some that they claim are similarly environmentally sensitive. The Leon, Mexico area is filled with them. During the tanning process they can include fats and waxes and different agents to obtain a softer or firmer tannage. The particular plants used determine the smell and hue. You can find ratings for different tanneries if you do a Web search. Gold and silver rated are the top, I believe.

I have a boatload of NOS at work in various styles. Most are 1/4" thick approximately, suitable for sandals or tennis shoes. Send me a reminder and I can send photos. These are at wholesale or cheaper because they aren't big sellers.

Gingher and Wiss are the big names in leather shears. Osborne sells Wiss, I believe. They come in sizes ranging from 6" - 12" or so.

Are you looking for a few blanks or for a piece large enough to cut several from, e.g. a side, or double shoulders?

A small pair of vice grips would work, as would binder clips.

Lexol is just a manmade blend of the oils that were traditionally used on leather. The idea is that because it's not animal-based, they could science-out some of the disadvantages of natural products. Either choice (neatsfoot or Lexol) is excellent. Resolene works wonderfully over either one so long as the surface is not still damp from oiling.

5) For leather weights, know that leather thickness is measured by ounces per square foot, and since leather is imperfect, this measurement is given in two numbers. For example, 7-8 Oz leather is 7-8 ounces per square foot. All you need to know is that 8 ounce is 1/8" thick. Leather ranges from roughly 1 Oz to 14 ounce, with some thinner and thicker examples. Most leather belts are about 8 Oz. Most nice shoes and work boots are made from 2-6 ounce. Books are bound with 1-2 ounce or so. The leather sole on a shoe is about 9-10 ounce. Thicker is stronger but heavier. You could have uses for anything from 2-8 Oz, so I'd say pick up something lighter like 3-4 or 4-5 and something heavier like 6-7 or 7-8. A single shoulder of each would let you knock out a pile of smaller projects and practice pieces.

(my replies here lose their formatting, so sorry for the wall of text). 1). First, welcome. Second, you are asking the right questions, but they are big questions--more than I could answer in one reply. Let's start with the basics, because everything will build from that. You need to learn how to draw out, measure, mark, cut, and sew. For decorative elements, you probably want to learn to dye, paint, and possibly tool/carve/stamp. For reinforcement of seams, you will want to learn to glue, set rivets and snaps. 2) To learn to draw out/design, you need to do some reading. Use Pinterest or Web searches for projects you like and figure out their component pieces. Get copies of AL Stohlman's books The Art of Making Leather Cases, volumes 1-3. The first volume covers the main points, then the next two volumes cover more specialized cases. (Armor is, after all, just a case.). Then, for sewing, read AL Stohlman's book The Art of Hand Sewing Leather, watch Nigel Armitage's excellent saddle stitching videos, Leodis Leather's excellent stitching video, and read the Sewing subforum on this site. 3) With just those resources you can develop the rest of what you want. For tools, you want a razor knife (for now) with many fresh blades. You also want some midweight waxed nylon or polyester thread, about .030" or 0.8 mm diameter. You also need some harness needles, maybe 4-6 of them, approximately size 2-3, and a scratch awl, and a carpenters metal square ruler. You want a sewing awl with about a 3/32" wide blade. To start you need under 30 dollars (Canadian) in tools. The rest of the tools are to make your work easier or more consistent or to reinforce or are decorative. 4) Skip vacuum forming, exotic leathers, fancy tools and supplies, and kits. Make a few quivers, sheaths, scabbards, bracers, and so forth, to get familiar with the beginning, middle, and ending steps while using smaller pieces of leather... because you'll make mistakes and the impact will be less that way. More another time. Also, check out Prince Armory if you haven't yet. Beautiful.

Most leather buyers are looking for fewer bug bites, stretch marks, scars, etc., so finding it will take searching. The best way to find this is to go to your local leather supplier and ask when they will be putting out new stock. Most leather orders will include a mix of nicer and less nice pieces, and this gives you a chance to pick through them. I recently found a side of leather that had been branded about seven times with the same brand. The guy on the ranch must have still been in training... or just a jerk. Anyhow talk to your leather supplier and ask. You want a good quality leather that just has cosmetic defects.

Here's how: http://www.minelab.com/__files/f/102088/4901-0115-1-instruction-manual-pro-find-25-web.pdf

Wrap a paint stir stick with a 100% cotton t-shirt, tight so there are no wrinkles on the face. Then, place your piece on the edge of a table so just the leather edge to be dyed sticks out past the table. Weigh/clamp/tack/staple down your piece. While applying the dye, run your finger along the edge of the table. This applies dye in a thin controllable line. Another layer of t-shirt will add "nap" and let you apply a wider line.