Johanna
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Custom Western Boot Making
Table of Contents and Topic Page Number
The Last 8
Measuring the Feet 10
Tracing the Foot 13
Ordering the Last 14
The Short Heel 15
Patterns 17
Selecting Leather 23
Cutting out the Uppers 26
Cutting out the Bottoms 27
Crimping 28
Three quarter welt Insoles 30
Attaching the Insoles 32
Thread & Sewing 33
Skiving 34
Heel Slide 38
Heel Slide Assembly 39
Stay 40
Top Beading 41
Top Beading Assembly 42
Panel & Lining Assembly 43
Sewing the Panels 44
Stitch Embellishments 45
Trimming the Shaft Panels 48
Counters 50
Counter Assembly 51
Counter Cover Assembly 54
Vamp Lining 58
Vamp Tongue 60
Vamp Assembly 63
Trimming the Vamp 65
Side Welt 66
Side Welt Assembly 67
Punching Holes 69
Closing the Sides 70
Turning the Shafts 73
Pull Straps 74
Pull Strap Assembly 75
Toe Flower 78
Lasting the Boots 82
The Toe Box 90
Toe Box Assembly 91
Inseaming 95
By Ken E. Hockenberry
Used with permission.
This is a large download, so caution to those of you on slower connections.
Johanna
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Going through my notes...these are from Ernie Wayman 2003 International Federation of Leather Guilds (the umbrella organization of worldwide guilds)
Leather Judging Suggestions
Swivel knife cuts should be smooth with no undercutting, unless a special effect was desired and a notation was attracted.
Pear shading and beveling should be smooth and not choppy.
Check all tool impressions; they should be distinct and not blurred.
Check for neatness of color.
Overall Appearance should be neat; also check the inside of the piece for glue smudges, pulled or wrinkled lining, colors smudges. No raw edges.
The backsides of belts, buckles, coasters, etc, should have a finished appearance. Belts should have the buckle end with snaps, or the buckle should be securely sewn on. The keeper should match the belt. There should be at least 3 holes in the billet end.
Pencil and pen marks should not show on cut lines.
Wallets should not be bulky, but easily fit in the pocket.
Utility items should function properly.
Pictures should have a proper frame and have a secure method to hang them. The frame however should not be judged with the picture unless it contains some type of leather.
Filigree; Make sure all cuts touch to prevent pull back of edges. There should be no fuzz showing, edges should be clean and even.
Lacing; Lacing should be smooth and even, in a straight line, holes should be evenly placed and straight. Lace should be hammered down so it lays flat with no gaps showing. Tag ends should be hidden and not seen. Corners should be multiple laced and an even number in every corner. The inside should not show draw marks.
Stitching; Check for neatness of stitching holes. They should be uniform and in a straight line. Stitches should be straight and recessed in a stitching groove. Ends should be hidden. Thread should be clean
Edges; All exposed edges should match the color of the item and be burnished smooth. Run your hand along the edges to check for smoothness.
No item should show signs of wear or use, all items should be new.
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If you plan to help with judging or scribing at the show:
Judging Guidelines for IFoLG Competition
Note: every judging team should have a copy of the competition class and a copy of this judging guideline to refer to while judging. This should be supplied by the host guild.
1. All items will be critiqued in writing. These critiques should be constructive, such as suggestions for improving specific techniques, or possibly why the item did not qualify to be judged.
2. You should judge the quality of work instead of the subject matter. The subject is strictly a matter of personal taste, and has no bearing on the ability of the competitor to do leather work.
3. Keep in mind that choice of color is a personal choice. However the method of application can be considered in judging.
4. If you feel you are not qualified to competently judge a specific category, please notify the head judge or the competition committee chairman of the host guild before judging starts. Likewise, the head judge should consider a category in which you feel more comfortable.
5. If you feel that you will be influenced in any way either for or against a piece you are judging, than the quality of the work. Please have the courtesy to excuse you from judging that class. Notify the head judge immediately so you can be replaced.
6. Under no circumstances will a judge, including the head judge, move an item into another class or category. If all the judges in your team agree the piece is entered in the wrong class or category. This piece will not be judged. You will however critique it, noting that the item was entered in the wrong class or category and was ineligible to be judged and why.
7. Any question you have about judging an item should be directed to the head judge. He then may approach the competition committee chairman. Should the occasion warrant, and no decision can be reached by the head judge and the committee chairman, the question will be brought to the attention of and discussed by all the judges.
8. When you have completed judging all the classes assigned to you, you may then proceed to deal with any other duties the head judge assigns you, such as best of class and best of category, as the host guild has directed. To award ribbons or trophies for best of class and best of category is a host guild decision, and not recognized by the IFoLG.
9. Judges are expected to act responsibly on the competition floor. We would request that you refrain from consuming any alcoholic beverage before or during the judging. If a judge is found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and /or is acting in an irresponsible manner, he or she will be asked to leave the judging area, either by the head judge or the chairman of the competition committee. This person shall be barred from the competition area until the judging is completed.
10. At all times be aware of your respected status as a judge. Remember the IFoLG awards are the highest recognized awards in the field of leather art. These awards have been sanctioned by the largest worldwide grope of professional and non-professional leather craftsman, International Federation of Leather Guilds.
11. To ensure the integrity of the organization, we request of its members and its judges that they refrain from making derogatory remarks or comments on the results of the judged competition on the show floor. Judging is a grave responsibility and should be approached as such.
Remember, these guidelines are three years old and possibly some detail has changed- I don't know. But they are good common sense rules for any competition, and the judging rules are strictly enforced, so if you have any questions, make sure you ask!
Johanna
:book: Johanna
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If you have a business, take out the time to fill out your profile, including an avatar and picture. You will find all your set up options in "MY CONTROLS". List your business name. You may want to use your business name or real name when posting, for easy recognition. Put your website link in your profile, signature -or both- and you are all encouraged to shamelessly brag. Post pictures so that you can back up what you say! Also, drop me a note if you want your business featured on the other side of this site (under construction) which will connect interested customers to leatherworkers who accept work. No, you're not going to sell your leatherwork to the people that you are talking to on the board, but the conversations are already attracting search engine hits, and if you make quality posts, people will find you. As the other side of the board grows, so will the search engine rankings. Search engines do not crawl Yahoo threads, but they do love active forums, like this one. Use it for your benefit.
Also- feel free to take advantage of the Live Chat feature. You can talk to other people online any time of the day or night.There are a lot of friends here at Leatherworker.net. Keep in touch with yours in real time, any time.
Welcome to leatherworker.net!
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http://www.answers.com/topic/leather
Leather, skin or hide of animals, cured by tanning to prevent decay and to impart flexibility and toughness. Prehistoric and primitive peoples preserved pelts with grease and smoke and used them chiefly for shoes, garments, coverings, tents, and containers. Today pelts are prepared for tanning by dehairing, usually with lime, followed by fleshing and cleaning. After tanning, leather is generally treated with fats to assure pliability. The practice of shaving leather to the required thickness was abandoned early in the 18th cent. after the invention of a machine that split the tanned leather into a flesh layer and a grain (hair-side) layer; skivers are thin, soft grains used for linings and for covering firm surfaces. Characteristic grains may be brought out by rubbing, as in morocco leather (goatskin), or may be imitated by embossing. Finishes include glazing, a high glaze being achieved by rolling with glass cylinders; coloring with stains or dyes; enameling or lacquering as for patent leather; and sueding, buffing with emery or carborundum wheels to raise a nap, usually on the flesh side. Russia leather, originally vegetable-tanned calfskin dressed with birch oil that imparted a characteristic odor and often dyed red with brazilwood, is a term now covering a number of variants. Rawhide is similar to parchment and is untanned. Cordovan, or Spanish, leather, a soft, colored leather made at Córdoba during the Middle Ages and often richly modeled and gilded, is imitated for wall coverings, panels, and screens. Leather is much used in bookbinding. Artificial leather, made since about 1850, was originally a strong fabric coated with a rubber composition or with a synthetic substance such as pyroxylin. Since World War II, materials made from vinyl polymers have far outstripped the earlier artificial leathers in commercial importance.
Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. Leather is a very important clothing material, and its other uses are legion. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. Leather with the fur still attached is simply called fur.
Forms of leather
There are a number of processes whereby the skin of a dead animal can be formed into a supple, strong material commonly called leather.
• Vegetable-tanned leather is tanned using tannin (hence the name "tanning") and other ingredients found in vegetable matter, tree bark, and other such sources. It is supple and brown in color, with the exact shade depending on the mix of chemicals and the color of the flesh. Vegetable-tanned leather is not stable in water; it tends to discolor, and if left to soak and then dry it will shrink and become less supple and harder. In hot water, it will shrink drastically and plasticize, becoming rigid and eventually becoming brittle.
• Alum-tanned leather is tanned using aluminum salts mixed with a variety of binders and protein sources, such as flour, egg yolk, etc. Purists argue that alum-tanned leather is technically "tawed" and not tanned, as the resulting material will rot in water. Very light shades of leather are possible using this process, but the resulting material is not as supple as vegetable-tanned leather.
• Rawhide is made by scraping the skin thin, soaking it in lime, and then stretching it while it dries. Like alum-tanning, rawhide is not technically "leather", but is usually lumped in with the other forms. Rawhide is stiffer and more brittle than other forms of leather, and is primarily found in uses such as drum heads where it does not need to flex significantly; it is also cut up into cords for use in lacing or stitching, or for making dog toys.
• Boiled leather is a hide product (vegetable-tanned leather) that has been hardened by being immersed in hot water, or in boiled wax or similar substances. Historically, it was used as armour due to its hardness and light weight, but it has also been used for book binding.
• Chrome-tanned leather, invented in 1858, is tanned using chromium sulfate and other salts of chromium. It is more supple and pliable than vegetable-tanned leather, and does not discolor or lose shape as drastically in water as vegetable-tanned. More esoteric colors are possible using chrome tanning.
• Brain-tanned leathers are exceptionaly absorbent of water. They are made by a labor-intensive process which uses emulsified oils (often those of animal brains) and which has not been industralized. They are known for their exceptional softness and their ability to be washed.
Leatherâ€â€usually vegetable-tanned leatherâ€â€can be oiled to improve its water resistance. This supplements the natural oils remaining in the leather itself, which can be washed out through repeated exposure to water. Frequent oiling of leather, with mink oil, neatsfoot oil or a similar material, keeps it supple and improves its lifespan dramatically.
In general, leather is sold in three forms:
• Full-Grain leather, made from the finest raw material, are clean natural hides which have not been sanded to remove imperfections. Only the hair has been removed. The grain remains in its natural state which will allow the best fiber strength, resulting in greater durability. The natural grain also has natural breathability, resulting in greater comfort. The natural Full-Grain surface will wear better than other leather. Rather than wearing out, it will develop a natural "Patina" and grow more beautiful over time. The finest furniture, and footwear, are made from Full Grain leather.
• Corrected-Grain Leather (also called "top-grain leather"). Corrected Leather is fuzzy on one side and smooth on the other. The smooth side is the side where the hair and natural grain used to be. The hides, which are made from inferior quality raw materials, have all of the natural grain sanded off, and an artificial grain applied. Top grain leather generally must be heavily painted to cover up the sanding and stamping process.
• Suede is an interior split of the hide. It is "fuzzy" on both sides. Suede is less durable than top-grain. Suede is cheaper because many pieces of suede can be split from a single thickness of hide, whereas only one piece of top-grain can be made. However, as the look of full-grain is in demand, manufacturers use a variety of techniques to make suede appear to be full-grain. For example, in one process, glue is mixed with one side of the suede, which is then pressed through rollers; these flatten and even out one side of the material, giving it the smooth appearance of full-grain. Latigo is one of the trade names for this product.
Other less-common leathers include:
• Patent leather is leather that has been given a high gloss finish. The original process was developed in Newark, New Jersey by inventor Seth Boyden in 1818. Modern patent leather usually has a plastic coating.
• Shagreen is a rough and grainy type of untanned leather, formerly made from a horse's back, or that of a wild ass, and typically dyed green. Shagreen is now commonly made of the skins of sharks and rays.
• Buckskin or brained tanned leather is a tawing process that uses animal brains or other fatty materials to alter the leather. The resulting supple suede-like hide is usually smoked heavily to prevent it from rotting.
There are two other descriptions of leather commonly used in speciality products, such as briefcases, wallets, and luggage.
• Belting leather is a full grain leather that was originally used in driving pulley belts and other machinery. It is often found on the surface of briefcases, portfolios, and wallets, and can be identified by its thick, firm feel and smooth finish. Belting leather is the only kind of leather used in luxury products that can retain its shape without the need for a separate frame; it is generally a heavy weight of full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather.
• Napa leather, or Nappa leather, is extremely soft and supple, and is commonly found in higher quality wallets, toiletry kits, and other personal leather goods.
Leather is sold in a variety of thicknesses. In some parts of the world top-grain thicknesses are described using weight units of ounces. Although the statement is in ounces only, it is an abbreviation of ounces per square foot. The thickness value can be obtained by the conversion:
• 1 oz/ft² = 1/64 inch (0.4 mm)
Hence leather described as 7 to 8 oz is 7/64 to 8/64 inches (2.8 to 3.2 mm) thick. The weight is usually given as a range because the inherent variability of the material makes ensuring a precise thickness very difficult. Other leather manufacturers state the thickness directly in millimetres
Today, most leather is made of cow hides, but many exceptions exist. Lamb and deer skin are used for soft leather in more expensive apparels. Kangaroo leather is used to make items which need to be strong but flexible, such as motorcycle gloves. Kangaroo leather is favored by motorcyclists specifically because of its lighter weight and higher abrasion resistance as compared to cowhide. Leather made from more exotic skins has at different times in history been considered very beautiful. For this reason certain snakes and crocodiles have been hunted to near extinction.
In the 1970s, farming of ostriches for their feathers became popular. As a side product, ostrich leather became available and is currently used by all the big fashion houses like Hermès, Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Ostrich leather has a characteristic "goose bump" look because of the large follicles from which the feathers grew.
In Thailand, sting ray leather is used in wallets and belts in the same way as regular cow leather. Sting ray leather is as tough and durable as hard plastic. The leather is often dyed black and covered with tiny round bumps in the natural pattern of the back ridge of an animal. These bumps are then usually dyed white to highlight the decoration.
Preservation and Conditioning of Leather
The natural fibers of leather will break down as time goes by. Various treatments are available:
• Conditioners
Working with leather
Leather can be decorated by a variety of methods, including:
• leather dying
• leather painting
• leather carving
• leather stamping
• leather embossing
• pyrography
• beading
Dictionary definition of leather
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Encyclopedia information about leather
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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Shirley- WOW!!!BadAssSeats, Las Vegas
Love 'em!
Johanna
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Shirley, I've been admiring your work for awhile, and sometimes you mention that you are "new at this". How new? Like only 20 years experience? Like all your seats, that one is sharp, too. I like the way you laced/braided it together. I also like the way you left that design looking like leather, because over time that seat will just get nicer and nicer, from the weather, to the buff from the rider's "bad ass". (easy, folks, that's the name of Shirley's business- "BadAssSeats".) I'm looking forward to seeing more- you have captured the goal of every true leatherworker- combining beauty with function.
Johanna
***anyone who wants to see some more of Shirley's work, please drop me a PM so you can get into the adult section.
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Verlane Desgrange graciously agreed to share her illustrations of the parts of a saddle and the proper terms to describe the pieces. Please feel free to copy or print the diagrams for your own personal use, but please respect Verlane's request not to alter or modify her drawings in any way, or to use them for commercial purposes. Thanks, everybody!
Johanna
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It's big, it has a table and it sews something like 750 stitches per minute. The man in Macon who fixed all the shoe shop machines called it a "mattress machine" and made it purr like a kitten. A very fast and powerful kitten. I'm scared to death of it, and will never use it. It is sitting in my basement with all its pieces, and has been there since John Henry died. He used the Singer for jobs that required sewing two pieces of 8-9ox leather together, and it never dropped a stitch. It was fast, though. It has a foot pedal, and he always talked about modifying it to run by hand, but I don't know how he planned to do that. The shipping would be horrendous, but I have a truck and would be willing to take it to someone within reason, and I can post pictures of it if anyone is interested. I would like to reclaim the space it is using, and see it go to someone who can put it to work. No reasonable offer refused.
Johanna
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1. Identify and demonstrate to your counselor the safe use of leatherworking tools. Show
correct procedures for handling leathercraft dyes, cements, and finished. Know first aid for
cuts, internal poisoning, and skin irritation.
2. Explain to your counselor
a. Where leather comes from
b. What kinds of hides are used to make leather
c. What are five types of leather
d. What are the best uses for each type of leather
3. Make one or more articles of leather that use at least five of the following steps:
a. Pattern layout and transfer
b. Cutting leather
c. Punching holes
d. Carving or stamping surface designs.
e. Applying dye or stain and finish to the project.
f. Assembly by lacing or stitching
g. Setting snaps and rivets
h. Dressing edges
4. Recondition or show that you can take proper care of your shoes, a baseball glove, a saddle,
furniture or other articles of leather.
5. Do ONE of the following:
a. Learn about the commercial tanning process. Report about it to your merit badge
counselor.
b. Tan the skin of a small animal. Describe the safety precautions you will take and the
tanning method that you used.
c. Braid or plait an article out of leather or vinyl lace.
d. Visit a leather-related business. This could be a leathercraft supply company, a
tannery, a leather goods or shoe factory, or a saddle shop. Report on your visit to your
counselor.
BSA Advancement ID#: 69
Source: Boy Scout Requirements, #33215, revised 2004
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I'm gonna guess that this is an old Tandy handout. This basic stitching can be modified a zillion ways, limited only by imagination. It can be a functional stitch (holding pieces together that may be subject to stress) but is most often used for hiding seams, framing an inlay, creating a pattern and the like. Enjoy!
Johanna
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According to the Tanner's Council of America, our industry uses hides from steer, cows, bulls, sheep, lamb, goat and kid, horses, goat, ass, mule, zebra, pig, hog, peccary and carpincho, land and water buffalo (not American Bison) and exotic and fancy feathers such as frog, ostrich, crocodile, lizard, snake, seal, shark, walrus, turtle, and camel to produce products.
This council also clarifies a number of definitions that are commonly used in the leather industry. We gratefully acknowledge the Council's Dictionary of Leather Terminology, as well as the organization's publication, "Leather Facts," as we highlight some of the words we use daily in our business
LEATHER
A general term for hide or skin with its original fibrous structure more or less intact, tanned or treated to be non-putrescible. The hair or wool may or may not have been removed. Leather is also made from a hide or skin which has been split into layers or segmented before or after tanning, but if the tanned hide or skin is disintegrated mechanically and/or chemically into fibrous particles, small pieces or powders and then, with or without the combination of a binding agent, is made into sheets or forms, such sheets or forms are not leather. Leathers may have surface coatings of a reasonable amount, but beyond this the resulting products shall be described as a laminate or composite. However, the term laminated leather shall not be used if the leather content is less than two-thirds of the total thickness.
In describing various classes of leather, the name of the animal from which the skin or hide was taken is generally used. Certain exceptions, which have become established trade practices, are cited in the definitions which follow. Otherwise, adequate explanations should be made.
ANILINE FINISH or ANILINE-DYED LEATHER
Leather which has been colored by dyes as distinguished from other leather treated by pigments or other opaque materials.
BARK OR VEGETABLE TANNED
Leathers which have been tanned with vegetable materials that are derived from certain plants and woods.
BELTING LEATHER
For the manufacturers of leather belts for transmitting power in machinery. Made from the butts of high grade cattle hides.
BUFFED
Leather which has been smoothed or sueded by mechanical sanding.
CALFSKIN LEATHER
Leather made from the skins of the young cattle and characterized by distinct grain or fiber structure.
COWHIDE LEATHER
Term specifically applied to leather made from hides of cows, although it is generally loosely used to designate any leather tanned from hides of animals of the bovine species.
EMBOSSED LEATHERS
Hides or skins finished with designs stamped on by etched, engraved, or electrotyped plates or rollers. A mechanical process of permanently imprinting a great variety of unique effects to the leathers surface. Done under considerable heat and pressure. Embossed designs may be an imitation of the natural grain or different animal skins, or designs of an artificial nature.
FULL GRAIN
Outer cut taken from the hair side of the hide from which nothing except the hair and the associate epidermis have been removed.
GLAZED FINISHED
A leather with polished surface produced by heavy pressure of a roller of agate, glass, metal or other suitable material on a selected finish formulation.
GRAIN
The outer or hair side of the hide or skin. Also the pattern of the outer surface after the hair or wool and epidermal tissue have been removed.
GRAINED LEATHER
Any leather on which the original grain has been highlighted by a finishing process.
IMITATION LEATHER
Materials so made and finished as to resemble leather. Included are coated fabrics, rubber and rubber compositions, and plastic materials. Terms connoting genuine leather should be used in trade names, as for the example "plastic calf," "plastic leather," "Compo-leather," "leatherlike" or "leatherette."
LAMBSKIN LEATHER
Describes leather made from either lamb or sheepskin, in as much as the skin is identical in appearance after tanning.
MINERAL TANNED
Leathers which have been tanned by mineral substances, notably the salts of chromium, aluminum, and zirconium.
MOROCCO LEATHER
Vegetable tanned fancy goatskins having a distinctive grain produced by boarding or graining. Embossed imitation of natural goat grain on other kinds of leather sometimes is called Morocco grained.
NAPPA LEATHER
Chrome, alum or combination tanned grain sheep or lambskin glove leather, drum colored.
OIL TANNED
Leathers tanned with certain fish oils. Produces a very soft, pliable leather such a chamois.
PATENT LEATHER
Leather with a finish which is mirror-like, flexible and waterproof. Also leather of this appearance made by film lamination.
PEBBLE GRAIN
An embossed-leather grain finish resembling a pebble surface, ranging from fine pebbled Morocco goat to heavy scotch grain upper leather.
REVERSED CALF
Terms applied to calf leather of heavier weights, finished on flesh side, containing oils to make it more water-resistant than suede, used for shoes where a nappy leather is required. Originally called "Trench Calf" in England, the term "Hunting Calf" is also used in that country. The term "Service Leathers" is used but is generally applied to splits and side leather.
SADDLE LEATHER
As used in the manufacture of harness and saddlery, this is a vegetable tanned cattlehide. The leather is usually a tan shade, is produced in various thicknesses and is also used outside the saddlery trade for leather goods of various types. In connection with other tannages, the term should be used to specify the leather as "saddle color," "saddle shade," or "saddle finish." "California Saddle Leather" is a registered trade name restricted to leather tanned by a tanner located in the State of California.
SHARKSKIN
Genuine sharkskin leather is made from the top grain of the hides of certain species of sharks and is used principally in shoes, belts, wristwatch straps, luggage, fine leather goods and for industrial purposes. It has varying, natural grain markings, or fine, smooth mesh like grain similar to pin seal. The term "sharkskin leather" should not be applied to other leathers, such as horse butts, embossed with shark grain.
SPLIT
A term used to describe the under portion of a hide or skin, split into two or more thicknesses. Devoid of a natural grain, it may be either sueded or pigment finished and embossed. Under ruling of the Federal Trade Commission, a split must be so marked and cannot be called "genuine leather" or "genuine cowhide."
TOP GRAIN
The grain split of a hide from which nothing has been removed except the hair and associated epidermis.
TRAVELING BAG, SUITCASE & STRAP LEATHER
A general term for leather used in traveling bags and suitcases. It does not include the light leather employed for women's handbags. The staple material for bag and case leather at present is leather made from the hides of animals of the bovine species, but other skins, including heavy sealskins and goatskins, are also used for this purpose.
WATER REPELLENT LEATHER
A leather which has been treated with any of several chemical compounds which repel the absorption of external water.
WAX FINISH
A method of finishing heavier weights of upper leather on the flesh side by working wax into the substance.
For more information on leather terminology, contact the Leather Industries of America, 1000 Thomas Jefferson St., N. W., Suite 515, Washington, DC 20007. Phone (202) 342-8086, fax (202) 342-9063
Rules for Straps
in Saddle Construction
Posted · Report reply
Rules for Straps
©Verlane Desgrange 2003
All the stress on a strap is lengthwise.
Straps take more punishment than large pieces of leather.
Because of that, straps need some special treatment.
These rules are designed for the user's safety in mind
and the longevity of the product
Never stitch crosswise on a strap. It is an invitation to break exactly where the stitching is. This is the classic phrase: "Tear on the dotted line".
Remove as little leather as is necessary to get the job done. That includes:
Punch only the number of holes needed (but always an odd number so you have a center hole)
Skive only if needed where the strap makes contact with hardware for a lap. You will lap skive the buckle lap, but not the exact spot where it wraps around the buckle. Use full weight around any hardware and skive only the lap end. Thin leather wrapped around hardware is always an invitation to break at that location.
Doubled and stitched (abbreviated D&S) is never stronger than a single layer of quality leather. Many times D&S is a mass manufacturer's method of using up cheap leather in attempt to strengthen weak leather. Putting nylon between layers can make the final product too bulky for its intended use. Many times D&S products are too thick to be buckled properly. They can be difficult to use.
Never stitch around the portion of the strap that directly wraps around hardware. Limit stitching to the lap behind the buckle or ring. The friction of the hardware will prematurely wear out stitches, leaving holes in the leather.
Tailor the stitch length to the task at hand. Even though small stitches usually outlast larger ones, there is a time and place for either large or small stitches. Know which one to use based on use of the product.
Never staple in a loop. It will pull out or the steel staple will rust the leather causing deterioration of the leather and great weakness in that area.
Do not use steel or iron hardware. The rust will destroy the leather, greatly weakening it. Since the rust is on the inside of a lap, it can be hard to see.
Never skive on the grain side (abbreviated GS). The grain side is where all the strength of the leather is. If you skive colored bridle leather and the skiving exposes the internal natural color of the leather, touch up the natural color with dye to make it less noticeable. Always skive on the flesh side (abbreviated FS).
Punch buckle slots exactly in the center of the strap. If punched off center, one side will be thin and weak. A strap will easily break at that location.
Punch the smallest hole that will accommodate a buckle tongue. Reverse punch holes in most situations. Reverse punch means to punch from the side of the strap the buckle tongue enters the strap. Holes are cone shaped and the entry location of a punched hole is always larger than the exit location. This means you'll generally punch holes from the flesh side location.
©Verlane Desgrange 2003