zuludog

I know we're getting off topic, but I thought i'd tell you a snippet about my friend with the newspaper He only did his stewarding at weekends. his normal day job was a primary school teacher

I haven't got a French Edge Skiver, and I haven't used one, but I wouldn't have thought it would be too difficult to sharpen it You might want to correct the angle and the bevel of the cutting edge with a needle file first, then - For the bottom/outside edge just use a fine stone or fine grit abrasive paper, followed by a strop. For the inside, make up a few sharpening 'stones' from strips of wood that fit inside, with progressively finer abrasive paper glued or pinned to them. If you're really keen you could go to finer grits like 5,000 and 7,000. Then make up a strop in a similar way You may well find that if the cutting edge is correctly adjusted and very sharp you will be able to get more control, and thus not have to force the tool and cut too deep. Try Searching YouTube foe 'sharpening an edge beveller' ; yes, it's a different tool, but it uses similar methods to sharpen it I wouldn't use a Dremel, it would be all to easy to damage things beyond repair. It will take a while to get things right, and sharp at first, but once you get there you should only need a quick sharpen on a strop Search YT for 'sharpening'; there are loads of videos and you'll soon see how things are done Are you using the French Edger for general skiving? Search YT for 'skiving leather' for various methods

Have a browse through YouTube, several channels offer patterns & templates for wallets, including JH Leather, Nigel Armitage, and Ian Atkinson. Similarly for belts and other items For template material I use artist's/photographer's mounting board; from The Range or your local art store; could also use breakfast cereal packets I use cereal packets to make mock - ups of items, to get an idea of what the final article will look like; sequence of construction, and so on Do you know there is a British knife making & collecting forum? www.edgematters.uk It is subscription but it's only £5 pa via Paypal, which is more of a screening for serious users really Speaking of cosh's years ago a friend was a steward/marshal at events like rock music festivals, football matches, and so on. He used to keep the crowd in order with a rolled up newspaper.......but it was rolled up round a chair leg.

When I dye leather on one or both sides it does go stiffer I carry on and make up the item - usually a belt or a knife sheath - them apply my mixture, which is simply ordinary general purpose leather grease in the flat cans typically intended for hiking boots and similar items I scrape it out into an old jam jar and thin it about 75% grease and 25% white spirit, which is, I think, the British name for mineral thinners. Apply it with an old toothbrush so it soaks in and knead it with your hands & fingers. Then let it dry out for a couple of days and buff off I've been doing that for years and never had any complaints I've tried doing the same with mink oil but it doesn't seem to dissolve as well into the white spirit

A spirit (alcohol) burner is traditional, and a small camping stove would also do the job, though I think there is a danger that the gas stove might get the creaser too hot Have a look at YouTube videos by JH Leather. she uses an electric hotplate to heat the creaser

I use Evostik Impact , multi-purpose instant contact adhesive. It's available in small tubes or larger cans

Yes, I can go along with that as well

You can buy the head knife from the makers https://www.georgebarnsleyandsons.co.uk As a traditional maker they keep the cost down by only giving you a basic cutting edge; you must do the final sharpening and polishing yourself. However, once you've done that, it is excellent There are several videos on sharpening round, and head knives; the same technique is used for both. JH Leather has a good video on this; also her videos show her using a head knife, though it is not by Barnsley Osborne also make a head knife

Cutting inside curves is not easy. Try this method - Mark out the line of the cut you want to make with a round awl, also called a scratch awl - that's how it got its name. This scratch will act as a guide for your knife make your first cut very lightly, then firmer and firmer on subsequent cuts. Try using a clicker knife with a hooked blade, as shown by mike02130 above. You can buy these, and similar knives but with a fixed blade which you must sharpen yourself from www.georgebarnsley.co.uk For some inside curves you can use a round strap end punch For sanding I use 100 grit paper, either just folded over or folded round various shaped pieces of wood. Glue all the pieces together first, then sand them as one thickness Watch YouTube videos of the kind of things you would like to make, and you'll see how other people do it; but sanding & finishing edges is is done for many items What kind of things are you making, please? That might give us a better idea of how to advise you

I don't think it would be possible to make dark leather lighter, certainly not on that scale. And anything you did try would probably ruin it Have you ever sanded back paint on a piece of wood? no matter how hard you try there are always remnants of the paint left in scratches, nail holes, and so on; I think you would get the same sort of effect on leather. To be sure you would have to sand back severely on wood, and on leather it would damage the leather, as mentioned Usually when you clean back the surface of leather it is so you can apply some sort of coating or leather feeding compound to preserve the leather or make it darker But an alternative would be to give it a good clean and feed, then it might look a bit more acceptable I am just about to clean my Stressless leather chair with cleaner and protection cream from the Leather Repair Company www.lrcuk.com. I've never used it before, but it has good review; otherwise Search t'Net, there are lots of products Another possibility would be to fit covers - Search t'Net for 'stretch covers for sofa'. Or you might think you're better off putting the money towards a new sofa in the first place Finally, welcome to the Forum. Although it is based in America there are members from all over the world, including the UK

There is still a Sheffield based maker of leatherworking tools - https://www.georgebarnsleyand sons.co.uk I have one of their head knives. As a traditional maker Barnsley only provide a basic cutting edge, which helps to keep the cost down. But once you've done the final sharpening and polishing it's excellent

Something bigger than a stitching pony, but not as big or bulky as a stitching horse that you sit on? How about the traditional saddler's clam, aka saddler's clamp? - Search Google and YouTube accordingly You can sit down to it on a separate chair, or stand up to it; then tuck it away in a corner somewhere , upright or lying down, when you don't want it. Usually you sit down and put it between your knees to give it a bit of support; by varying the angle you can adjust the height Nigel Armitage, Jo from JH Leather, and many others use a clam

Nigel Armitage has a video entitled 'How to make a simple hand stitched wallet', or some similar title. He covers leather & linings for wallets, and shows how to make a lined wallet. I think he uses deerskin for the lining, but your pigskin would do the job as well Drawstring - mediaeval style? - pouches & purses Belts, chokers, bracelets; braided or otherwise. But you'd have to find the right customers Lining a jewellery or trinket box Tube protectors for your little fingers when you're hand sewing

Well, I've got one -- it's the type shown by FREDK , and I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at how good it is Once you starts Searching you'll find this knife all over the place - Amazon, Etsy, Ebay, and a few leathercraft suppliers. The prices vary quite a bit, between about £4 and £15. I saw one at £3-83, and thought that at that price I might as well try it Import duty brought it up to just over £5, say $6-50. Stated delivery time was 4 to 6 weeks but it arrived in 7 or 8 days The blade is polished, aligned properly with the handle, and is not wobbly or loose. The finish on the handle is a bit rough, which is fair enough at that price. I sanded it but did not strip off all the varnish completely, and oiled it, which improved things; in fact as the grain is partially revealed, it looks quite attractive It was sharp from new. I gave it a brief touch up on a fine stone and than a strop; now it's very sharp So far I've only tried it on scrap, and to make its own slip cover, but it works well enough for both cutting and skiving. There is a noticeable secondary bevel but I'll probably grind that out as I resharpen it If you're interested or have never used a Japanese style knife before I can recommend it

I had a thought - I do that sometimes - and Searched YouTube for 'wing dividers' and 'wing dividers for leather work'. There are several videos, for leather work and other uses, but I haven't watched every one

Sorry, perhaps I didn't make things clear. Rabone Chesterman ceased trading years ago, and so you would only find them secondhand. I think Moore & Wright are still going though, and there's also Faithful and Draper Starrett, Osborne, and some of the top Japanese makes are available, but they are expensive, so try Searching Google for 'wing dividers for leathercraft', there are several cheaper makes, especially on Etsy, probably from China, Korea, and so on, but you don't need precision engineering to make a line on a piece of leather It's a shame that the secondhand stall is closed thanks to The Pestilence Edit - I've just Searched Amazon UK for 'wing dividers leather' and there are several models available at reasonable prices

Strictly speaking there is a difference between a wing divider which clamps down on a flat curved arm to adjust the width, and a screw divider which uses a screw thread acting against a spring; but in practice there's not much difference between them and they'll both do the same job Fettle the tips with a fine file and abrasive paper. You want them very slightly rounded so they will make a mark or depression on the leather but not so sharp that you cut the surface I got mine from the secondhand tool stall at my local market for £2-50, they're 15cm/6" long. They're marked 'Cooper' but I would think that any of the usual makes like Rabone, Eclipse, Chesterman would be OK Osborne have their model 106, but it's expensive. Otherwise Surf the Net. Axminster Tools have some at a reasonable price

I punch a hole about 1cm in from one end. Choose the scruffy end if there is one, that you would trim off anyway. Then put a cord through and hang them up out of the way somewhere. If you have lots of belts, just do several bundles - segregate them according to width, colour, etc. This, and Fredk's method means the belts relax and straighten out if they've been rolled up for shipping, and makes them easier to work with. For this, and any other leather storage, do it somewhere out of strong sunlight

Welcome to the forum! I don't know of any books that deal specifically with making tool cases, but the thing to realise about leatherwork is that the techniques and methods are used on various different items - sewing up a belt, a pouch, or a knife sheath is pretty much the same process for all of them So a good book on general leatherwork would show you most things. This is often recommended, though there are others of course - 'The Leatherwork Handbook' by Valerie Michael However, there is a lot of information on YouTube, both for the techniques and the finished items. So Search for things like saddle stitch; finishing leather edges; fitting rivets & snaps; beginners tools for leatherwork, and so on Play around with the Search Box for how to make the finished items, things like knife sheaths; axe covers; tool rolls; pouches to see how other people do them Just follow the links; you may not find exactly what you want, but they will be close Most of the items you want will be unique to your own tools, so before you cut leather, I suggest you make mockups from card, like cereal packets, stapled or taped together You could start by making a strop, this is one of the easiest items of leatherwork you can do, and it will be used frequently - Search YT. Then a key fob; start simply and build it up from there. Next could be simple slip covers for chisels, as shown in the picture, and for leatherworking knives. They don't need to be riveted, all mine are sewn

Well, I think that's the other end of the price range I am still thinking of the Craft Sha, Kyoshin Elle, or similar, but at that price I may as well see what it's like

For Japanese leather knives you skive with the bevel down, so that makes the angle of the cutting edge lower. Even so, I think the cheaper, simpler models would be better for skiving 'HAKU - handmade leatherworks' has a good YT video or two showing this; even though it's in Japanese, the video and the diagrams are clear enough. You can see that he uses a simpler knife, though I suspect the steel would be better and more expensive than the $30 ones

Yes, that's the sort of thing, but although I'm sure they are very nice,and good quality, they're too expensive for me I was thinking more of the sort of average looking models from Craft Sha, Kyoshin Elle, and Seiwa that you see on Goods Japan's website, costing around $30 But thank you for finding them

Does anyone know a supplier of Japanese Leather Knives in the UK, please?

Hello JIMBOJAY and welcome to the forum, and all the fun & frustration that is leathercraft! One thing you will quickly learn about leathercraft is that like many hobbies, depending on how serious and involved you want to be, you can spend & spend as much as you want to Here are some suggestions for edge bevellers, going up in price - Standard edge beveller #8076 about £13. this is probably the cheapest; it is simple and easy to use, and to sharpen, and will do the job - from Identity Leathercraft It has a flat cross section to the base Keen edge beveller #8077 about £18 It has a grooved cross section to the base so you need to be a bit more careful about sharpening it Also from Identity Leathercraft Osborne Round edge tool #127 about £32 from Metropolitan Leather ; also has a grooved base They all come in different sizes for different thicknesses of leather, but unfortunately there is no common standard, each maker has their own system, so check with the supplier that it is suitable If you're going to make a bag & specs case you'll probably be using leather that is about 2mm thick. I would start with a standard edge beveller size 2. If after that you want to get more involved it will still be useful They usually come with only a basic finish, so they can be improved considerably by sharpening & polishing them yourself. Making a strop is one of the easiest items of leatherwork you can do, and you will use it for other things as well There is a lot of information on YouTube. Search for edge bevelling leather; edge bevellers review; sharpening an edge beveller; finishing leather edges, making a strop, making leather eyeglass case and so on. There's not much on making armrest bags, but Search for making pouches, and possibles bags and you'll get the idea https://www.metropolitanleather.com https://www.identityleathercraft.com

I would have thought that unless it's really cheap and lightweight, most domestic sewing machines could sew lightweight leather such as garment leather, say up to 1mm thick. I have a Janone machine that I use mainly for tents & rucsacs, but I have also sewn garment leather with no problems. I just used the same heavy duty needles I use for rucsac fabric, though no doubt others will come along with their recommendations Your question about how to get started, and a tool list is often asked on here, look at past Threads in the Getting Started and Leather Tools sections There is a lot of information on YouTube, both techniques and how to make particular items. These channels are good - Nigel Armitage; Ian Atkinson; JH Leather. Geordie Leather has a dozen videos or more on tools & techniques aimed at beginners. Search for 'beginners tools for leatherwork' and there are several videos What would you like to make? Belts, wallets & cardholders; knife sheaths; belt pouches are popular, but I'm guessing you are interested in guitar straps. Search YT for 'how to make......' and you'll see how other people do things, both the methods & the tools they use. Remember that the same techniques, such as saddle stitching, edge finishing, and so on are used on different items. Have a browse through some suppliers websites, you'll see the sort of things that are available, and the prices. I only know of Tandy, Rocky Mountain Leather Supply and Weaver Leather in the USA, but if you tell us where you are, perhaps American members can suggest a local store Here are some suggestions for tools. I am assuming that you want to start simply & cheaply Cutting mat; they're not that expensive, get the biggest you can manage There are many types of knives for leather but a utility/box cutter is simple, cheap, easy to use, and you may well have one already. A rotary cutter, such as Olfa, is good for thin leather A steel ruler, at least 12"/300mm long Wing dividers to mark the line of the stitching. I got mine from the secondhand tool stall on my local market Stitching chisels. These have long diamond section prongs and are intended to be knocked through the leather to make the stitching holes; they have largely replaced awls. A 2 prong and a 4, 5, or 6 prong with 4mm spacing will get you started, They can be improved by polishing the prongs with fine wet & dry paper Don't use a steel hammer as that will damage the chisel; instead use a soft mallet such as wood, hide, or nylon. There will still be times when you need an saddler's awl. The blade has a diamond cross section, so they are often known as diamond awls. Traditionally you bought the blade & haft separately then fitted them together and sharpened them yourself. This is a right tedious job, so buy one ready made to use, such as Blanchard from RMLS. Or get an Osborne haft with a chuck/collet and a # 42 or 43 blade. Even so you'll probably need to do the fine sharpening & polishing whatever you get A scratch awl aka round awl. used to mark out patterns on leather, stretching stitching holes, and general poking & prodding; they're cheap enough The cut edge of leather is quite hard & rough so we do a few things to round it off, though edge finishing is a subject in itself Edge beveler to remove the corners. A cheap one for about $12 to $15 will get you started Ideally you need a range of sizes for different thicknesses of leather, but one intended for 2mm will do for most An edge burnisher/slicker/polisher; just get a cheap wooden one To thin down/pare/skive the edge of leather you can use a special, very sharp knife, but a safety skiver is easy to use, cheap, and uses replaceable blades You may as well as start with good needles such as John James model L3912 size 002; again, they're not very expensive Thread - there are lots of different brands but your main choice will be linen or braided polyester; try a reel or two of each and see what you like. You want size 18/3 linen, or 432 in the French system. and 0,5 to 0,6 mm dia for braided polyester such as Ritza 25/Tiger thread A lump of beeswax; for waxing thread and various other jobs in leatherwork I'm bound to have forgotten things, but I think that will be enough for the moment