gmace99

Welcome to leatherworking I have been doing leather work for ever and ever. I am a English style saddle maker. I have travelled all over the world as a consultant and a teacher. I got to the age of 55 last year and decided to retire . I am still to young to retire and love leather way to much ever to give it up. So I bought a building to teach from. What I am trying to say here is I started in the leather trade just to help a friend out for a few days. And I got hooked. You will find as you get into it you will make more and more things. Then you never know you might become a Master Saddler and fly all over the world . Oh and make enough cash to retire early. That is the thing with working with leather It can be a nice hobby or a great job. I also set up a youtube channel To help people . I think I have just over 50 videos on there at the moment and will add more as time goes on. Look on you tube for uksaddlery. My favorited video is the one where I made a handbag from start to finish in 6 minutes. Enjoy your new skills, And welcome to Leather working

This is another video with a type off bleed knot bracelet. This my nephew in the video. He did this video and another showing you how to make a handbag. He said he would like to make more videos. So that will becoming soon.

I bought my stone years ago. It was the cheapest thing you could buy . I think it cost a pound at a car boot sale . I oiled it for ever adding oil every day . It is now a great stone. When I oiled it I had the same problem. I just left the stone soaking in it and it seamed to stop after a few days

You should use a pricking iron to mark the stitches. This does not go all the way through the leather. I have several videos on hand stitching and will add more when I get time. I have resisted doing the video where you stick your two needles through and twist over the back. Lots of people have done this already. Most don't show you the important tip to get your stitches at the correct angle. This is the way you hold your hands. I have a play list with several tips on hand stitching on you tube. If you look at my video titled hand stitching leather tip you will see the marks I made using the pricking iron. In this video I had already punched all the holes using my awl. I would normally use the awl as I go along but it was easier to explain the way you hold your hands with my holes already done. I would imagine on my other videos there will be some showing the marks and me using my awl. I don't watch my on videos so can't say what one will help the most. This link might not show you my playlist. If it only shows you one video look on youtube for uksaddlery I have 50 videos on there. I hope this helps

This is my little nephew Kieran showing you how to make an interesting style of bracelet.

I will tell him what you said JL . He did another video that day showing how to make the bracelet. I might post it later. Then again I can't have him out doing me on my videos. I think he wants to do some other videos, If I get time I will let him do some. I think it is good encouragement for other youngsters and beginning adults.

I am on adsl 8mbps speed and loads fast and looks good. You don't need open source to get nice web software. I used Serif webplus 6 for my last site. It was a free download. I am now on Serif webplus 8. It cost me about £14.99. I think they wanted £80 but they will drop the price if you ask. Serif have some real good free to down load programs. One of my sites done with Serif 8 is www.uksaddlery.com

This is my nephew Kieran making his first bag. He has made a dog lead for his dog and a bracelet for his mum. He asked if he could make a bag. He has never operated a sewing machine before this bag. If he gets some strength in his arms I might let him make a saddle one day. This video shows the pattern and how to make the bag it might be useful to someone,

The tassels are decorative . Some military regiments would have 5 or 6 tassels to identify a regiment. The sporran you have made would be a day sporran. If it was a dress sporran it would have silver or jewels and fur . A sporran was used because kilts don't have pockets

There is no chance me getting a video of the wife stitching. She would stop stitching and tell me to go forth and multiply if she seen me pointing a video at her. If you want to see a professional hand stitcher at work look at the E.Jeffries video you will be amazed at the speed. I don't use a hole size to stitch through. I use pricking irons to mark the distance for my stitches. If I am stitching a bridle I would mark 10 stitches to the inch if it was a head collar it would be 8 to the inch. A belt would depend on my mood and what someone pays. Pay well get 10 to the inch pay less get 8 to the inch. Threads I use most are polycotton core spun size 12 for bridles and size 8 for head collars

I am glad it helped you Zuludog . I teach this method on my course. I also add as time goes on you will reduce your hand movements. You start lifting hands high pulling up and down . In time you find only your wrists move in that direction. Then in time you look as if you ae not moving but you are. My wife stitches a buckle with loops in about 2 minutes. only her fingers move up and down. That's years of experience. I also noted after making this video I should get a manicure and shave my fingers.

The way you pull applies to every hole. The slant of the pricking iron does not change as you go round corners

I'm always happy to help. Have a look at my you tube. The one one how to hold your hands to get a perfect stitch is my most popular one. Then my how to make q handbag in six minutes is my second popular

This is one of my videos from my uksaddlery YouTube channel

looks good well done

People in the UK can understand my English Red. I also never get a problem when I am teaching in America, India, Argentina, France, Holland etc. It might not be the same version that you use. Then again we the British did let you use our language. It can't be our fault If you don't use it with a nice Scottish brogue. (Ps . I hate text it can make people sound as if they are bitching. I'm having a laugh)

My edge strip is a dixons as is most of my tools

I have a couple bag making videos on my youtube page even this one on making a bag in under 6 minutes . To see the others look on my youtube. You might want to look at one of my playlists showing you some hand stitching tips.

Talk to A W Midgley & Son Ltd, 13, Cheddar Business Park, Wedmore Road, Cheddar BS27 3EB, United Kingdom for your leather. They are a really helpful company. I think they do clearance leathers at a good price if you go visit them.

This is a video I did to show how to make a bleed knot dog leash. Hope it helps someone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNq3ohI7AMs

It is a brogue punch. http://lekoza.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=126

I had to look at the video to remind me what my floor in that building looked like lol. Yes its a wood floor with linoleum on top.