Spindrift57

http://www.instructables.com/id/-5-Mallet-OR-How-to-Make-a-Leather-Handle/ I used an old chopping board!

Thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated.

Thank you.

Reduced a saddlebag pattern to make this as a Christmas present for a colleague.

Followed an 'Instructable' to make this. Great fun project!

Thanks, I appreciate it.

Spent the morning at Tandy in Northampton - great fun portrait of Bramble later. Something else to practice!

Something I've been wanting to do for a while. Christmas present to me!

Found an old US army pattern and had fun with it.

Holds I-Pad, mobile, purse/wallet. even made the brassware. Up cycled some reins for the strap, full wells and champagne corks for the handle.

Thanks for the kind words. Vikefan. Good call on the fittings, the ones on the webbing are plastic but from a military supplier and the main catch is a high spec aluminium buckle used by riggers and tree surgeons. I'm using brass on my current project and am experimenting with aging/dulling techniques. Ammonia & salt solution next. Should be smelly!

Thanks Capt'n My understanding is that a haversack is where soldiers carried their 'possibles'. The plans have dimensions for salt and cutlery bags which fitted each side of the main campartment. The mobile and tablet pouches are my touches. I read somewhere that the front flap is larger partly to keep the rain out and partly so that it could be used as a small ground sheet to sit on whilst still being able to access the contents of the bag. Today I suppose it comes under the catch all of "Messenger Bag" as the main care is large enough for documents or a small laptop. Cheers ps which is your chief weapon, fear or surprise?

Based on drawings of the early US Army haversack with my own twist. Apart from the inner flap all the leather is from the same skin and has been dyed, oiled and saddle soaped in the same way. I really like how each section has taken on it's own patina. im really pleased with how it's turned out. Hope you like it.

My wife and I will be visiting DC, New York & Maine next summer and I wondered if there is machine (new or refurbished) and materials supplier anyone could recommend that would be worth a visit? It would be great to visit any makers with outlets in the area as well.

Spent a great morning with Roy and the team at Tandy in Northampton, many thanks. Then had a play. Very rough but I'm please with them as first attempts.

Great attitude Nick. My 1st project was a lined briefcase! Took me nearly 2yrs to complete whilst I learned all the techniques. to understand saddle stitch get hold of a copy of Al Stohlman's book The Art of Hand Sewing Leather. Full of really useful, clear diagrams and tips. I use a stitch grooved and over stitch wheel to mark my stitching and then use an awl as described in the book to make the holes. Still drop the awl on a regular basis! Main thing is to have fun.

Not posted anything for a while as I've been trying out a few things. I customised the Buck110 as my son's getting into making bushcraft knives. Fun project which will be my fishing knife. The tote was a leaving gift for a colleague. Box stitch down the front and a loose blue suede lining. Happily she loved it! Small knapsack is made out af odds and ends as a prototype. It has hand made brass fittings on the front as practice for making silver ones. I'm calling it an essentials bag as it's sized to take a tablet and mobile! Strap is up-cycled reins. Hope you like them.

Thanks guys, pleased that you like them. What's really nice is that it looks like I've got a commission on the back of it! Dirtclod- nice of you to point that out. However, they are the right way up before I attach them and when they open on my I-Pad but upside down in the panel. No idea why. Oh and by the way it's "they are" or "they're", "their" means belonging to someone as in "their bags". We can all be picky.

Hi all Here is my latest project - a gentleman's cross body bag. It's the first time I've tried a cloth lining and used british oil cloth (thanks Huns!). Lining includes a zippered pocket (also a1st), 2 pen pockets, 2 phone/wallet size pockets and a full width pocket with leather covered press stud. All trimmed with leather. Molle grimloc carabiner for keys completes the inside spec'. Leather is saddle tan dyed veg tan shoulder with waxy side for the front flap & back newspaper pocket. All hand stitched using Tigre waxed thread. This is the 1st big project I've completed with Tigre and although it's good Id like to try some Sajou Lin Chinois to see what its like to work with top quality linen thread. Strap is 50mm heavy cotton webbing with Austrialpin riggers buckles. Expensive, but I think they're worth it. I made the strap detachable with male & female ends so it can be used as a belt in an emergency or fitted to another Spindrift bag! I'm really pleased with how the grab handle turned out and will use the same design again. I also made a couple of my trade mark smart phone holders which can be attached to the shoulder strap or the one on the flap. As always there are things I'd do differently next time but overall I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. Again as always your comments as to how I could do things differently/ better would be greatly appreciated. Spindrift

Good looking belt GMK but sadly there are loads of good looking, mass produced belts out there. For what it's worth I'd encourage you to think of early pieces as 'lost leaders' and move them on in order to make more almost regardless of price. As you make more develop your 'point of difference' what makes your pieces stand out from the crowd? Have a look at Monica's work, her violin bags are original and stunning. Market places are great if you have a steady output but friends and family are a far more accessible market and is where most of my early pieces have gone. Once word gets out you'll get commissions and then you can start thinking about racking up your price per hour. I'd agree with the earlier comment about lining your belts. I'd also stitch the buckles and keepers rather than using rivets which, please don't be offended, make it look like a mass produced item. As has been said before, it takes time to get known. Keep plugging away, as with your obvious talent it will be sooner rather than later!

Just finished these. New holder for my i-phone 4 with laser 'branded' Salish design. Pigskin suede lined with a bound edge to the pocket. Velcro tabs allow me to carry it on the strap of my briefcase. I need to play with the laser settings as the design is a little too deep. Not bad for a first attempt at the process though. Small pouch/bag is based on saddlebag design and is a practice piece for a larger bag/briefcase. I hadn't done any 'inside' seams so I'm quite pleased with the learning process. 1st time I've done copper rivets for years so bit of a re-learning process! I'm going to use/adapt Verlane Desgrange's patterns that the great people at Leathercrafters & saddlers Journal found for me for the full size bag. Should be 'interesting'! Canteen caddy was a gift for my son in law 'to be'. Belt loop and back pack attachment points make it versatile. He was pleased with it so I'm happy.

Several people have asked me if I could make more 'economical' versions of my work (bags and satchels in mostly 6-8oz veg tan) and so I have been thinking about buying a sewing machine. I had already worked out that I need a walking foot machine which was confirmed by reading Wizcrafts brilliant post. Not being a great one for reinventing the wheel and having already found the pitfalls of trying to use a home sewing machine I'd really appreciate some guidance as to what machine to purchase in the UK. Is there a European equivalent of the National 300 or Consew Wizcrafts recommends? Are American brands available in the UK? As I use relatively stiff leather should I be looking for a cylinder arm machine (the great video from Gfeller cases prompted this thought). My plan is to start with a good 2nd hand machine and graduate to a new one once I'm proficient and/or sales materialise. As always, any and all advice welcome - offers of free machines wouldn't go amiss either!

To be fair to Marcellino the ones they use look more refined than the ones available from Weaver and are probably made or altered for them. When you get right down to it there isn't much that is new or unique just creative ways of doing things. Looking forward to seeing how you use the fasteners.

Monica Thanks for the info. Think I'll give Etsy a go. Exuviae It's a harness collar fastener. I got mine from Weaver Leather in the US who now have a good on line shop. Colonel Littleton, Orivis, Skytop Trading and many others use them for belts and bags. I like them but they' only come in one size and are a bit heavy for smaller bags.

Books sound almost as lucrative as selling plans & instructions on-line. Eh Nige.