Hibernicus

Thanks for the info, it all helps. I've got a few different things to consider now. The supplier is in the UK and doesnt sell by the oz, but I think from their conversion chart 7/8 oz would be 3mm .The scraps I've been using already are mostly round about 3mm, I feel like that might be just a shade thick for some of the projects I have in mind, but I'll try contacting the supplier and see if they can give me some further advice. I definitely appreciate the input from everyone.

Hi, I'm new to leatherwork, but I'm pretty familiar with acrylic paints. The brands made for general arts and crafts, and the Games Workshop paints, will work fine on most surfaces that are not too glossy. I recently tried some Inscribe brand craft acrylics on a leather piece and they work very well. I've used them in the past on fabric and they can crack and flake as it bends, so maybe avoid them if you're making something very flexible. The Games Workshop paints are excellent in terms of the range of colour and they have a very nice consistency, but they come in tiny pots and are comparatively expensive. Another issue with that particular brand is that some colours are designed to be layered over different undercoats, so you may not get a true colour match on bare leather. You can dilute the other brands with water but the more you dilute them the less adhesion you are likely to get.

Hi guys. So far I've been working with a bag of tooling scraps from tandy, which are ok to get a feel for the tools, but the pieces are too small and irregularly shaped to make anything really useful. So at this point I'm considering ordering a larger piece but I'm wondering what the most versatile thickness or type to get would be. The site I'm looking at is leprevo.co.uk. The problem is, I have to order this stuff internationally and its gets pretty expensive to ship, so I want to get the leather that can be used for the most different things, if that makes sense. I'm interested in making pouches, wristbands, small bags and things like that, tooling and wet forming, but I dont have any very definite projects in mind, I just want to experiment. Unfortunately I dont have a local supplier where I can view the hides or ask about it. So if any of you guys could give me any advice on where to start when choosing which leather to get it'd be a great help.

Thanks a lot! Making these is simple enough but rewarding for a beginner like myself. Here is another one I made with a hole punched to use as a pendant and coloured with acrylic paints.

Hey thanks for your reply. I don't have access to any thinner leather right now, but I might try attaching the pin to some canvas or other fabric and glueing that on the back.

Hi guys. I made this leaf and I was thinking of making it into a brooch, but I'm not sure how I would attach a pin to the back so it would be secure. I don't know if any of the glue I have will hold it and I dont really want to punch holes in it for rivets or stitching. Any ideas?

Thanks, I'll try to keep that in mind on the next try. I think I still need to sharpen the blade a lot more.

Well, I spent a while sharpening the swivel knife, and rigged up a sort of spacer to hold it at a more comfortable height. Tried to case the leather better as well. I'm not sure any of these things really succeeded, but I went ahead and made my first attempt at a carving anyway. I guess it's a coaster or something

I think the best thing I can do now is to see if I can achieve any results with what I already have from Tandy. You know what they say about a workman who blames his tools I just thought it would be a little easier to get started. Anyway I'll see where it takes me. Thanks for the encouragement and advice everyone.

I ordered from Tandy UK. They charge a huge rate to ship to Ireland. I believe I paid over £30 (€35) in shipping on the beginner kit plus a bag of scrap leather (50% of the order price). Ireland charges import tax on 'commercial' imports - which can sometimes include tools depending on the opinion of the customs officer who signs off on it. Its somewhat of a lottery as it is not always applied, but I regularly buy tools from Germany (also EU) and have been charged import tax on many of the orders. I'll check out the other suppliers you have mentioned, maybe the can give me a better deal. I'm starting to think Tandy is somewhat of a scam, but I've found in the past that many UK businesses charge full international rates to ship to Ireland.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess I've got a long road of sharpening and learning and experimenting to do before I get to make a start on the wallet and other projects in the beginners kit. Looks like I better order some more leather and get to work trying to figure it out. I'll be back if I ever get the hang of it. Thanks again.

I will look up how to sharpen the blade correctly. I am used to wood carving tools being supplied razor sharp...I guess it didnt really occur to me that the leatherwork knife would be supplied unsharpened.Ill experiment with casing and sharpening and see if I can get any better results. Seems a bit uncharitable to provide a beginner kit with a blunt knife. If I didnt already have sharpening equipment it would be useless to me without laying out another bunch of cash for whetstones. Now I might have to order another knife. The one you linked me to would could cost me €45 ($60) with shipping and import tax. This hobby is starting to get very expensive, very fast. Not sure I can afford it.

Unfortunately I have to use the basic knife that came with the Tandy starter kit. I don't see any way to adjust it. The only way for me to get any tools is to order internationally and it's very expensive. I'll try sharpening it, but it's brand new, unless they supply them unsharpened? I've been following the instructions in the kit about casing the leather, sponging it lightly on both sides and then allowing it to return to its former colour, but the article you mention makes it seem like there's a lot more to it, so maybe that's where I'm going wrong. Thanks for the help.

Thanks for the input guys. I know the swivel knife is the best tool for the job, it just feels so awkward to me and gives me cramps in my hand. I was kind of hoping that some of the tools I'm more comfortable with might work. Anyway, I just did a little experiment with the v-gouge. It was very easy to work, but left a broader cut than it does in wood. Obviously not a substitute for the swivel knife, but I think it might have some potential for certain effects though. I'll keep practising with the swivel knife anyway, and I'll probably try some other experiments with the wood carving tools I have on hand. I took a photo of some cuts for comparison, v-gouge is on the left, thinner cuts on the right are from the swivel knife.

Hi everyone. I'm a total beginner, just ordered a starter kit from Tandy and some tooling leather scraps to practice on. One of my problems so far is, I cant seem to get the hang of the swivel knife, my cuts are very messy and inconsistent. It just doesnt feel intuitive to me. I've got some wood carving experience and I was wondering if some of the same tools and techniques could work on leather. I'm particularly thinking of the V-gouge which produces cuts as seen in this picture. Of course I'll keep practising with the swivel knife too, just wondering if anyone has ever tried woodworking tools.