zuludog

I have (or rather, had) an Ekornes Stressless leather covered swivelling & reclining armchair. After nearly 40 years suffering the ravages of family life it became too worn & battered to use - the leather is thin and fragile on the centre of the seat & headrest, and the frame is bent where the kids used it as a roundabout when we weren't looking - that went for scrap. But much of the leather is in reasonable condition, and I'm in the process of unpicking it as I thought I might be able to use it to make wallets or card holders. However, as it is upholstery leather I think it is a bit too soft & thin for that. It is smooth and black, and my guess is about 0,5 to 0,8mm thick So I wondered if there is anything else I could do with it, or any way of stiffening & thickening it? For example, I'd thought of backing it with something either to make it thicker, or a contrasting colour, say tan or dull red Any suggestions or other comments please? Thanks

Tandy sell two types of edge beveler One is a simple, traditional looking tool with a wooden handle, but it doesn't seem to be on their current website, though you can see it in their Deluxe Leathercrafting set #55403-00. I wonder if they're discontinuing it? However it is available from several other suppliers, typical cost is about $12 to $15. Pros - cheap, easy to use and easy to sharpen. Cons - makes a straight cut The other is their Craftool Pro Classic Edger # 83001, $25-99, which looks more modern, in stainless steel and has a black synthetic handle. Pros - makes a rounded cut. Cons - more expensive, but not impossibly so; needs more care in use and sharpening An Osborne edge beveller typically costs $32 to $35. After that you're into the top range models, with higher prices

Best of luck with your progress! If you want to watch some more videos, those by Ian Atkinson and Nigel Armitage are good. I don't think they have any on gloves, but they are excellent examples of neatness and precise working; and, of course, the same skills can be used on a variety of items If you're really keen you could subscribe to Nigel's Vimeo channel, where he goes into more detail

Contact both tanneries and leather/hide suppliers. Ask them if they have any damaged, second grade, or surplus/clearance hides Bellies and splits are the cheapest types of leather. They are not good enough for top quality items, but they are good enough for learning, and for making small items Ask for a discount on large orders. Find out if you can set up a regular purchase order from your suppliers. Not just leather either. Suppliers should be able to give you a discount for large orders of any other things too, like tools, thread, dyes and so on Contact the makers of finished leather goods. They might let you have their scraps and offcuts I've just Searched Google for 'leather tanners belgium' and 'leather hide suppliers belgium' There are several references in Belgium and The Netherlands

Hmmmm.... again You say "after school"; which makes me think that you are a teenager Although you say you've been following leatherwork for 2 years you also state that you've only recently 'jumped on board', by which I assume to mean that you have just started; which in turn makes me wonder how much experience you have with leatherwork I've never made gloves, but I have made overmitts from Goretex, and waxed canvas, and they were fiddly enough, and I was only making them for hiking. I can only imagine that making gloves to the standard that you're planning would be quite difficult. Plus some of the materials you've mentioned are rather expensive - if you're not careful you could end up making some very expensive mistakes So my suggestion is that you start off with something that is cheaper and easier. I don't mean absolutely dirt cheap rubbish, just something more reasonable and attainable than the top end stuff you've mentioned Materials - instead of the expensive and exotic, start with something like thin cow leather; calf; pigskin; goat; deerskin. And instead of cashmere or alpaca try microfleece, brushed nylon, and jersey nylon. Don't be afraid of suppliers! Tell them what you want to do. They know their products, and will advise you accordingly You say you'd like to make small leather goods as well. Wallets/card holders/billfolds are simpler, but can still look impressive. You could hand out simple cardholders to friends & acquaintances to show what you can do. Nigel Armitage has a good video entitled 'how to make a simple hand stitched wallet' or some similar title; though there are others

You're aiming high, so best wishes with that If you're keen on good quality items and brand names you've probably heard of Fil au Chinois linen thread and Ritza Tiger thread for synthetic. I've used both of those, but recently I've discovered Yue Fung thread, both linen and synthetic. I think their linen thread is especially good, as good, if not better, than Fil au Chinois Search Google to find a supplier; or it is sold by Rocky Mountain Leather Supply, but re branded as their 'Twist' thread A typical size for sewing leather is about 0,5 to 0,6mm diameter; or 532 in the French system, but try a small amount first as you may decide to go thinner Hmmmm.......... I've just re read your post. You've done a lot of preparation and homework, but have you actually made anything yet? I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but I think you'll find that making gloves is tricky, to put it mildly Search YouTube for 'making leather gloves'. There are several videos

I would fix the loop to the bracelet by whipping or binding it with fine cord Search YouTube for 'Whipping the end of a rope' and 'common whipping knot' and you'll see the sort of thing

Hello Nikos, and welcome to the forum. Here are some suggestions for you Is that linen thread? Try using thinner, synthetic thread Make the strap wider than you need, then cut it narrower when you've sewn it. Make the distance between the stitching and the outside edge of the leather about 6 or 7mm at first, then trim off the extra width. You will, of course, make the strap the correct width just where it fits the attachment slots Make a groove for the stitching with a pair of dividers, then make the holes along the line. Pull the stitching tight enough so that it sinks below the surface of the leather

Thanks for the comment/recommendation I've asked for 4 or 5 samples, including the Minerva but not the Pablo, plus the Tempesti & Horween I've already mentioned; can't remember what the others were. If I produce anything like as good as your example I'll be happy enough!

For either leather you could make cushions for hard chairs, or cover existing ones Reinforce clothing, especially the elbows. This conjures up images of an English academic in his favourite old tweed jacket, but you could do jeans or similar clothes that take hard wear. or applique for fashion (can you tell I was a young man in the 1970s?!) Nigel Armitage has a video called 'How to make a simple handmade wallet', or some similar title; Search YouTube and you'll find it. In it he lines a wallet with thin leather - deerskin I think, but yours would be OK. He uses a leather press, but you'll get the same result with a piece of wood & a pile of books, you just have to leave it longer Simple drawstring pouches? Soft cases/covers for photographic & similar equipment & instruments Tool rolls. Probably not for heavy things like carpentry, but for drawing instruments, precision & instrument technicians tools - or your own leather tools Search YouTube for 'spoon carving', 'wood carving' and 'chip carving' - tool rolls/sheaths/blade covers ( Chip carving is carving on the surface of wood) Finally, there are no lame questions on here, that's what forums are for Edit - I've just Searched YouTube for 'wood carving tool roll' and there are several examples. You could also make a strop to fit each one, but from firmer leather, say 2mm veg tan

I've heard that kangaroo leather is good, but it's not so easy to find in Britain. I also expect that it will be expensive, so I'll get some practice on something that's cheaper, but still fairly good, first However, there has been some progress - there are several hide suppliers, but A &A Crack seems the most interesting. They don't publish prices, which I suppose is the difference between a merchant and a shop. Instead you choose a few likely products, then they send you a sample and a quote. I've done that, just waiting for a reply There are two leather merchants near me - J Wood Leathers, Keighly. I've visited them once, and it's definitely a warehouse, not a shop, and it would be unreasonable to ask them to unload 3 or 4 pallets just for me to choose one or two pieces. They do have a pile of oddments in the corner though, so I might call sometime Newman Leathers, Bury I've phoned them and they will sell small quantities for hobby use, but I expect the setup will be similar to J Wood. Still, they're close enough to visit

I make mainly sheaths from 3mm veg tan, but recently I've fancied making a wallet or two. My problem is that once I've started Surfing the Net I find there are lots of suppliers and possibilities for the leather, and things get rather confusing However I've more or less settled on these from the clearance section of https://www.aacrack.co.uk - though I will have to wait a couple of days till after the weekend to find out prices Tempesti Oregon veal half hide 1,5/1/7mm and Horween Chromexcel sides 1,6/1,8mm I'll also get Nigel Armitage's Wallet Design Pack Any comments please?

My Dad was a carpenter; I grew up with oilstones as diamond & ceramic stones just weren't around when I was a boy, and that's what I I still use; mainly because I inherited them, and also because - call me old fashioned - but I just can't get me 'ead round the idea of using water on a sharpening stone. Nevertheless I bought a cheap, coarse diamond stone for rough work, and I accept that it will wear out more quickly. However for finer work I use my oilstones But as YinTx has stated, it doesn't really matter what you use, as long as you're patient. Here are my comments, though I'm sure there will be other opinions Oil stones - Not as popular as they were, but they still do the job. Reasonably cheap to buy, and because they've been around for longer you can often find secondhand ones quite cheaply. Try secondhand dealers; flea markets; garage sales. Clean them up as shown in YouTube videos Japanese water stones - I must admit that I haven't used one, but people do, and manage well enough. Need soaking before use - fairly messy - as I understand it, these stones are designed yo wear as you use them, and it is this slurry of water & grit that does the sharpening. The slurry can be created either as the tool is sharpened or by rubbing the stone with a special type of stone called a NAGURA. this nagura stone is also used to flatten the waterstone as it wears Ceramic stones - notably Shapton - ceramic bonded to glass - lubricated with water - less messy than water stones Diamond - lubricated with water - probably easiest to use - with cheap ones the spread of particle size is not as consistent, and the diamonds are more likely to wear off - good ones are expensive Instead of water on these stones you can get special lubricating solution, or use clear window cleaning spray, or a small amount of washing up liquid in the water So there you are - yer pays yer money and yer takes yer choice. And speaking of money, you will find that things can easily get expensive. By all means buy a set of diamond stones if you wish, but as you already appear to have a decent fine stone, my suggestion is that you get a cheap, slightly coarser diamond or water stone, say 800 to 1000 grit to start off your sharpening, then go to the 3000/8000. Once you have the chisels sharp all you should need is a strop and occasionally that fine stone. Treat yourself to some proper honing/stropping compound; I use Veritas, a small bar will last for ages It's easier to skive leather if you dampen it slightly, especially old or veg tan; experiment to find the right level You might find this YT video useful - 'Preparing and sharpening a woodworking chisel' by Paul Sellers

Search YouTube for 'sharpening an edge beveller'; there are several videos, especially that by 'lb custom knives' Most of them are for the 'open ended' style of edger but I'm sure you can adapt the technique. They usually involve making ridges or raised narrow strops - watch the videos This is what I've done for my Tandy & Seiwa open ended edgers - Took a sheet of plywood about 25 x 10 cm, though it could be any other suitable piece of wood Bevelled both sides of an edge of 3mm veg tan, then cut it off about 4mm wide and 20cm long. Glued the flat edge to the wood so that the raised part has a rounded profile. Rub with compound and strop the edgers. It will adapt to the various sizes Glued on a 20 cm length of 3mm dia braided nylon cord. Can rub this with compound and use as is, or use as a base for very fine wet & dry paper. It will adapt to the size of the edger Have a selection of rods of various dias - bamboo, brass, steel, aluminium; say 2 to 4mm. Hold down fine wet & dry onto the rod and in turn onto the paper. Use these to strop the edger Play around with this technique and YT videos and you should get there I also added a small strop to the board, about 20cm x 4cm, but that is not relevant to bisonnettes

Thought I'd mention Nigel Armitage's Vimeo Channel He has produced about 70 videos on various aspects of leatherwork, both techniques like saddle stitching and particular items like belts. On Vimeo he is able to go into more detail and at a slower pace, and they're excellent. His latest batch of videos is on making a sheath, from preparing the design to the final product. I think a lot of people, myself included, will have been waiting for this. The good news is that he says he is going to produce more sheath videos on different types & designs in future Search for 'Vimeo On Demand' then 'Nigel Armitage. It's about £3 ($4?) pcm

Yes, it's OK to push or pull on any kind of sharpening stone - oil, ceramic, water, or diamond, but you must only pull when using wet & dry paper I'm puzzled by your comment about your stone being too fine to get a sharp edge, as the finer the stone, the sharper should be the cutting edge, and 3000/8000 followed by a stropping should give you an excellent sharp cutting edge But if your chisel is blunt to start with, then you could get it into the correct angle first by using coarser stones. Once you have the edge sharpened on the 3000/8000 stone you should very rarely need to go back to anything coarser; so as a coarse grade is only used rarely you could use wet & dry paper, say work through 600, 800, 1000, which would be a bit cheaper than buying another stone, then go to the 3000/8000 stone You can skive with either side of the chisel, whatever suits you I suggest you play around with the Search box on YouTube and look for things like - Sharpening a woodworking chisel - sharpening a skiving knife - Japanese leather knife - using a water stone - sharpening a Japanese leather knife, and follow the links & videos, there . Plus, if you search for sharpening a knife there will be loads of videos

AAHHH..... aahhhhh..... So you're not using flat thread, you're using artificial sinew. It would have helped if you'd said that in the first place! Months ago I was chatting to the staff in the Tandy shop in Manchester before it closed. They said they wouldn't recommend artificial sinew for general sewing of leather, as it is too thick and tends to separate and fray into fibres - which just about sums up what you've found So get some proper thread, linen or synthetic, about 0,6 to 0,8mm dia and you should see an improvement; if you want thicker thread, Search for 1mm If you want flat try Ritza/Tiger thread

I have a small hide mallet that I bought a few years ago in a craft store sale for about £3 = $4? I don't do any tooling; the only things I need to hit are stitching chisels and sometimes a hole punch, so this does all I want

Alright Alex, my apologies if I was a bit harsh; I misunderstood what you wanted

Oh come on, Alex, and shape up! If you're going to college you'll have to learn to do your own Homework/Research/Reading Around The Subject/and so on, and not expect to be spoon fed! I've just Searched Google for - 'Sewing Machine Supplies' and 'Sewing Machine Repairs' in Middlesborough, and Northumberland; and Cleveland; and Newcastle, and got lots of hits - from Whitley Bay to Leeds, and from the east coast right across to Cumbria - Look for yourself! On a slightly calmer note, I agree that going to some of Nigel's courses would be a good idea in theory, but I think you would find them expensive; and more so as he is based in Burton - on - Trent, so you would have to allow for travel and accommodation as well. There might also be an age limit Search Google for 'Craft Courses'. There are other courses. I remember there were some in Bishop Aukland and Newcastle - on - Tyne, but check for yourself. You would still have to pay some fee, and perhaps a better idea would be to look at videos by Nigel Armitage and IanAtkinson. You might also consider joining Nigel's Vimeo Channel, where he goes into more detail, and at a slower pace. It's about £3 per month, but you can cancel anytime Any money you save on course fees you could put towards tools & sewing machine, and this might interest you - George Barnsley was a traditional Sheffield tool maker who ceased trading years ago. But they've started up again, and produce a full range of good quality leatherwork tools at reasonable prices. I have one of their head knives and it's excellent. Just Search Google for George Barnsley. They're still in Sheffield and you might be able to visit them.

Well firstly, be patient! Although it's based in USA this is an international forum, with members all over the world, in different time zones. We have jobs, families, & other things to do, and believe it or not, I like to sleep sometimes. You only posted your complaint after 8 hours, hardly enough time at all. I'd say that for most queries you need to allow 3 or 4 days to get a decent response. And you would have done better to post your question in the 'Sewing Leather' section You should be able to pass a needle & thread through the holes easily enough with just your fingers for 95% of the time, with just a slight resistance. What you're looking for is that mythical engineering term 'a snug fit', which I have also heard described as 'a satisfying drag'. The exception is when you're back stitching, when you might need to enlarge the hole with a round awl and/or use pliers, in which case wrap the jaws in tape to avoid damaging the needle. Nigel Armitage is an acknowledged expert on leatherwork; have a look at some of his videos and you'll see that he whizzes through his sewing with very little effort If you are struggling to get your needles through a hole there can only be two reasons - 1) The hole is too small; but 1,5mm is reasonable enough 2) The needle & thread are too thick, and I think that is the source of your problem, and not whether you are using flat or round thread - John James needle sizes are a bit confusing. Check that you are using size 002, which is a very common and recommended size for most leatherwork. It could be that you are using size 2/0 which are too big 1,2mm thread is quite thick for most sewing. Think about it; at the fold over of the thread at the eye there is 1,2 + 1,2 + the thickness of the needle, which will make quite a big lump to pull through a 1,5mm hole. Why are you using such a thick thread? Most leatherwork uses thread that is about 0,6mm diameter, or sometimes up to 0,8mm. Nigel Armitage makes belts, pouches, and all sorts of items, and he finds 0,6mm thread to be thick enough. I'll bet you struggle to get 1,2mm thread through the eye of the needle as well I use 18/3 linen thread, which is about 0,6mm dia, and various synthetic thread, again with diameters about 0,55 to 0,65mm Here are some makes and suppliers to try - You can pick up 18/3 linen thread anywhere, but recently I've been using 0,65mm linen thread by Yue Fung, from www.blackmountainsleather.com, and it's excellent www.identityleathercrasft.com stock Ritza/Tiger thread, and 0,6mm waxed nylon thread, which I like, and think is underrated www.blackmountainsleather.com Besides the linen they also stock Yue Fung 0,55mm polyester www.artisanleather.co.uk stock 0,65mm Amy Roke polyester, and I think it's very good. They also have 0,6mm waxed nylon thread www.abbeyengland.com are the UK's main stockist for Ritza/Tiger thread All these synthetic threads will be strong enough for most leatherwork If you are no longer struggling & forcing the thinner thread through the needles and holes you may well find that it doesn't fray or twist as much There is, though, only one way for you to find out if there's any improvement, and what suits you, and that is to try a roll here & there. Abbey sell Ritza in full rolls which are expensive, but Identity sell shorter lengths, or try Amazon & eBay, Don't buy anonymous linen thread off the Net as some of it isn't very good. Go for a decent brand, like Somac, Crawfords, Fil au Chinois, or from a leathercraft supplier

For leather I mainly sew 2 to 4mm veg tan by hand, but I also have a sewing machine. I use this to modify & repair tents, rucsacs & clothing for backpacking, but I have used it now & again to sew thin leather Most large towns & cities have a sewing machine repair shop. Tell them what you would like and they should be able to find you a decent secondhand/refurbished machine at a reasonable price. That's how I got my machine, it's a s/h Janone; £50 about 30 years ago and it's worked faultlessley ever since Home sewing is not as popular as it was. I used to work in a charity shop, and there were about 12 or 15 machines in the back storeroom just gathering dust because no-one wanted them - and we didn't bother putting them out on display for sale for the same reason. So ask nicely and they might let you have one for next to nothing Put the word out among friends, relations, neighbours, colleagues at work (if you've started) or ask your parents to do the same. You might just hear of someone who has Aunty's machine or Grandad's tools just packed away in a shed and waiting for a good home. If you don't ask you don't get. And if you can do minor repairs to cases, handbags, outdoor jackets, put new zips in, and so on, if you spread the word, that will bring in some money Any such machines will almost certainly be for fabric, but a good domestic machine will also handle thin leather. Get one if the price is right; it will do to get you started, and for thinner items, while you look out for something that can sew thicker leather. You say you have no experience with a sewing machine, so this will be a help. And by asking around someone might offer to show you. Also get some books from the library. They will probably be on dressmaking, but the principle is the same In fact if you can only sew thin stuff, consider mixed materials. Search YouTube for 'making canvas and leather bags' and 'making canvas and leather clothing'. Follow the videos and you'll get lots of ideas & inspiration Search Google for 'leather sewing machines', there are several references, including www.sewingmachineexpert.co.uk and www.preloved.co.uk For something quiet, consider non - electric, either hand or treadle. Friend of a friend sews sails, boat covers, and similar boating stuff on a treadle machine as he says it gives him more control. Manual machines are cheaper too. How close are you to going to college? They might have some kind of subsidy or grant scheme; or if nothing else there may be the usual wanted/for sale notice board, and another group of people to ask around

I no longer use a stitching groover, I just use a pair of dividers to mark the stitch line, followed by stitching chisels along that line. You can set the dividers to any distance you want

I assume we are talking about the two wheels mounted in handles. They are not edgers, they are for marking the line or position of stitching, and for the spacing of the stitching holes The one with long, narrow, pointed prongs on the wheel is a POUNCE WHEEL - Search Google & YouTube for similar models, and how to use it. Basically you lay tracing paper over a pattern and run the pounce wheel along the lines. Then place the tracing paper onto your workpiece and force coloured powder through the resulting holes by dabbing the holes with something like a muslin or fine nylon mesh bag containing the powder. You can use this technique for sewing, and also for woodcarving The wheel with blunt prongs is a stitching wheel, aka an overstitch wheel for leatherwork. You roll the wheel directly onto the leather and it makes a row of indentations to show the position and spacing of the stitching holes. Then you make the holes themselves with an awl. This wheel looks like it will give very closely spaced stitching You could use the pounce wheel as an overstitch wheel

Well, well, you live & learn. I stand corrected that it is not a modified hacking knife. That's what forums are for