mdely

First off, thanks all to those who provided such great advice. I definitely feel like i have a better grasp of where I need to start out. As for the Japanese Wallet Book... I believe this is the most comprehensive book on the web that I found, which fits the description: The Making of Leather Wallets Thanks Again!

Thanks so much for the help! I just had a couple of follow up questions: 1. It seems like there are a lot of tools covered by Ian in his video. At the end he mentions that there are other tools he did not mention in his video that may be useful. From your own knowledge, would you happen to know if there would be any specific tools i would need for wallet projects? 2. Because I am not using any starter kits for guidance, I am planning on using Ian's videos, this website, and the following three books: The Art of Making Leather Cases Vol. 1 - Al Stohlman http://www.amazon.com/The-Making-Leather-Cases-Vol/dp/1892214946 The Art of Hand Sewing Leather - Al Stohlman http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-Hand-Sewing-Leather/dp/1892214911/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_z Leatherworking Handbook: A Practical Illustrated Sourcebook of Techniques and Projects - Valerie Michael http://www.amazon.com/Leatherworking-Handbook-Illustrated-Sourcebook-Techniques/dp/1844034747/ref=zg_bs_5151_1 Are there any other resources you think i might find helpful for my specific projects? Thanks again for the advice!

Hey all, As you may have already assumed from the title of my post, I am a fresh newcomer to the leather crafting scene and I could not be more excited. I have always been one to work with my hands, as I loved wood working at an early age. Now that I have graduated college and am about to start my new career in corporate America, I thought I could use a new hobby as an outlet from my full time job. I was first interested in leathercraft when I stumbled upon a company called Bellroy, which designs and manufactures really cool minimalist leather wallets. I decided that I would like to make wallets somewhat similar to the ones on their website and potentially start a brand of my own. http://bellroy.com/wallets/note-sleeve-wallet <-- Another Example Aside from these types of wallets, the only other items I would really be interested in making someday would be tablet/laptop/phone cases and notebooks. I do not expect to be able to make any of these items at the start of my long voyage, as I am aware that practice makes perfect, particularly with leathercraft. Now that you have a good idea where I am coming from and where I want to go, here are the main questions I have for all of you: 1. Which (if any) of the popular leathercrafting starter kits would be worth purchasing, knowing that I am really only interested in crafting wallets, cases and notebooks? I know the tandy leather deluxe kit is widely recommended, but I am unsure that would be the best kit for me to get. 2. If you don't think i should buy a starter kit, could you recommend the necessary tools i will need to start my work? 3. What types of leather would you recommend for making wallets similar to the ones on the Bellroy website? I understand that I probably should not be experimenting with more expensive and higher quality leathers, but I would love to know for my personal research and future usage. 4. What type of leather should I use for experimenting while learning the craft? Thanks in advance to all those who reply! The support I have seen from this forum is incredible and I hope to contribute myself later down the line. I was planning on taking a class or two for professional guidance, but I could not find any in my area within a reasonable budget.