OurJud

I think if I was marking the stitch line on a corner, I'd just do it free hand with a scratch awl. It can't be that difficult to trace a parallel line around a corner, can it?

Maybe leather shears/scissors are the answer? I think once you get the corner cut perfectly, your wing dividers will follow the contour properly and give you the stitching line you desire.

Thanks very much, Toolingaround I've had a quick look at those links and as I'm sure you can appreciate it's difficult to ascertain anything (the problems with buying online I suppose). I also searched for tandy leather UK and it seems there used to be a .co.uk version, but that has now moved to .eu. The store finder reveals their only UK store is in Northhamton - 150 miles away from me. I contacted a UK seller on ebay who had a bag of dark scraps for a few quid, but she doesn't think they'll be big enough for what I want so she's agreed to take a look at what else she has in the colour and thickness I want. I'm waiting for a comeback, but at the price she'll be asking I think I'll just take the plunge and see what I get.

Thanks very much, Andrew. I don't want to dwell on the unease between benlilly and I, and I must stress that all the answer so far have been helpful, but if I'd had a detailed reply like this earlier on, this thread would be half the length it is now.

How can you say I want answers immediately? I post a question and then wait for an answer. I've never bumped a thread and reply gracefully to every reply I get. How is that demanding answers immediately? And forgive me, but I thought forums were there so that people like me who are new to something can ask for help and advice?? If we all learned the craft 'the hard way' as you seem to be so proud of having done, people wouldn't need forums like this, would they? May I suggest that if you feel you are flogging the proverbial dead horse, you refrain from replying to my threads Thanks, humperdingle. I like the prices there - UK based too. And they do dyed veg tan. I shall investigate them further. Another UK based company. Thank you.

But it doesn't end with the dye does it? I'd then need sealers and whatnot. I'm not being purposefully argumentative here and I really do appreciate all the help, it's just frustrating because, as someone brand new to the craft, there's a lot I simply don't understand. For instance, no one has explained to me why veg tanned doesn't come in the thickness I want, already dyed. If I can get 2mm cowhide in every colour under the sun, why can't I get 1 - 1.5mm veg tanned in all colours too?

But I've already explained veg-tanned is no use to me as I want leather that's already been dyed. If people would simply say that the leather I want doesn't exist, then I would stop asking questions. Sorry, don't know exactly know what you've tried to link to there, but it says 'page not found'. I've had a snoop around and from what I can gather prices would be a little steep for me, and that's before any shipping costs.

Not that I know what I'm talking about (never done any stitching myself) but they look very good for a first effort. Nice uniformity and it's only the fact that they don't run parallel with the edge of the wallet that lets it down.

Thanks, TZ, but I want leather that's already dyed (black or dark brown) and I don't have the money to start getting leather split.

Thanks, electrathon - that works out at about £5 a sq ft, which is doable as the piece of leather I need for the wallet only needs to measure about 9 x 20cm meaning I could get a few wallets out of 2 sq ft. Thanks, I'll go and search for some goats. Does it have to be veg tanned? I want it already dyed. Found this on eBay, but again, even though the thickness is about right (1 - 1.2mm), it looks too floppy. BARKERS HIDE & LEATHER N152 BLACK Soft kid goatskin nappa Textured Slightly waxy

I don't really understand why I'm finding it so difficult to find the leather I need. When I decided to have a go at making some simple notebook covers the advice suggested 2mm was about the right thickness/weight. I headed over to eBay and found what I needed, in the right colour and at the right price, within 5 minutes! All I want is the same stuff but slightly thinner and it's like it doesn't even exist. What leather I have managed to find at the right thickness looks too floppy

Thanks very much, Toolingaround. Being new to leather, I'm not even sure what you both mean by 'veg tan' leather. Is this leather from a certain animal or does it refer to the process? Having to work on a too-small desk in my living room also means I don't want the bother and expense of having to dye my leather. When I did a quick search for veg tanned leather just then, the stuff that was coming up was natural.

Wow! That is some high-end craftsmanship right there! I can't help but get incredibly envious when I see someone with a workshop like that - leaves me wondering what chance I have with a too-small desk and no tools

Thanks, BDAZ. Would a lighter do the trick to singe the edges?

I don't know of any and I don't have the money for that kind of service anyway. I have to think twice before spending $10, so we're talking VTB here.

Thanks, BDAZ, I'll take a look online. How is it applied, though? Do I glue on a piece that's bigger than the leather and then trim, or do I cut a piece slighter smaller than the leather so that it won't get caught by anything and pull away? And what about the edge of the liner; how do I avoid fraying? Bearing in mind this will be a stitch-free wallet.

Sorry for all the quick-fire questions - I hope I'm not becoming a pest, it's just that I'm itching to get something finished. I want to finish or line the flesh side of the leather I'll be using for a slim wallet project, but don't know how to get the best results. The leather will be no thicker than 1.5mm, but I don't like the look of the flesh side and its properties also mean the credit cards don't slide as easily as I'd like. This is the prototype so you can see that lining/finishing will be fairly straight forward in terms of the area that needs working. The leather will be too thick to edge fold, so if lining, how do I ensure the fabric won't fray around the edges once cut to size and glued in place? What fabric would I use if lining (I'd like something black) What type of adhesive do I need? How do I best burnish the edges of thin leather - stability being an issue, of course. Thanks.

Thanks, Andrew. I understand that without seeing it for themselves it's difficult for other members to fully appreciate the type of leather I'm seeking. The leather wallet is going to be stitchless and have no pockets, so it really is nothing more than a shaped panel of leather. These images show the prototype and you can see how the leather is holding it's shape (2mm). This is what I want to achieve, but with a thinner leather.

I know what I will be advised to do when I ask this question, so may I make it clear now that living in the UK, in the middle of the north west, my only real option for buying leather is online. Yes, it would be preferable to go and see and feel the different leathers in person, but as I say, not really an option. Anyway, I need a firm but thin leather for my slim wallet project, and need some advice on suitable types. In the past I've used 2mm cowhide which offers exactly the firmness I'm looking for, but is a little on the thick side. I've been looking at some leathers on etsy, from various animals including cow, at 1 to 1.4mm, but from the pictures it looks to be far too floppy for my needs. This seller has lots: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PeggySueAlso?ref=shopsection_shophome_leftnav Any advice on thin leathers that keep their shape and don't flop about would be appreciated. Thanks.

Thanks, each. I had to read them a few times before I understood, but I think I' clear now - certainly with camano's solution. Just to clarify your idea, electrathon, are you saying put a couple of slits in the leather, feed the webbing through and then stitch the ends together? And yes, I'll be using 1mm leather - the leather in the photos is 2mm.

I suspected I wasn't explaining myself too well. Here's a picture of a prototype and how it works. Here you can see I've used elastic cord that I simply doubled up and fed through a small hole in the leather before securing it with a couple of knots on the inside. Trouble is the cord is too thin and difficult to grab hold of when opening the wallet. I want to keep the concept the same, but replace the cord with 12mm wide webbing and have it attach at the same place. Obviously I can't just tie a knot in it like I did the cord, so need advice on the best way to stitch. The circle shows where I threaded the cord through. Thanks.

Thanks, rosiart.

Sorry, not following you there, electrathon. There won't be any layers where I attach it and I don't know what you mean when you say add a tab of leather over the elastic end.

I could do with some advice and help on how I might stitch some elastic webbing to some leather. Let's just say, for ease of my explaining, that you have a piece of leather and you need to stitch the elastic webbing to it so that it forms a closure around the leather. Kind of like a wristband, but for the piece of leather. How would I best stitch that in place and ensure it would hold up to constant pulling?

Not that the OP will ever see this - it's his one and only post - but I love what he's doing over there. Those wallets are very much my thing and the Slimplistic is just about the best minimalist wallet I've ever seen in terms of capacity and slimness. The only down side to that site is that there are so many pages of wallets (I waded through about 20 pages before I came to the conclusion it was never-ending) that every conceivable design is covered and my chances of coming up with something original are pretty much zero