Tugadude

No need to be sorry! We're among friends here!

RockyAussie, I am probably an outlier here. I am a confirmed hobbyist. I do not sell my leatherwork. I make it for myself, my family and my friends. I typically make things that would be very useful for them to have and that they likely would not buy for themselves due to the cost. I may try to hawk some of my wares some day. Or not. But I found your post fascinating. It was interesting to hear a bit of your history, where you grew up, etc. Wouldn't mind hearing more. The ideas you shared about marketing are timeless and they apply to most anything that is sold. The principles also apply to things such as speech-making, know your audience. I've spent my entire career in sales and business development. I also give speeches and product presentations regularly. Knowing who you are speaking too is crucial. You may THINK you know what they want to hear, but all too often you are wrong. Better to find out what they want, what makes them tick. Then tailor your talk accordingly. Thanks for taking the time. Between this, your videos and your detailed "how-to" posts you are an invaluable resource on this forum. Thanks!

I have several Tandy bevelers and they are just fine so long as you maintain them. There is a video that was up on the Tandy site and you might also find it on youtube that shows how to maintain the edge bevelers. The basics are to take a wooden board and glue various-sized strips of leather onto it. You then use rouge on them and draw the edger over the leather. The video explains it better than I ever could. But it works, and that is the point. Edit: here is the link BTW, even $60.00 bevelers aren't worth a darn if they aren't maintained. If I used my beveler daily I probably would splurge. I'm a hobbyist and the ones I have work fine for my purposes.

Welcome to the forum! It is never too late to start a new addiction! Seriously, it is a fun hobby and before long you will be turning out things that you wouldn't have believed possible when you began. Were you a tool-and-die maker by chance. Sorta sounds like it. I had an uncle that was and he worked for a carburetor factory (remember those!). He could do most anything with machines and such. He ended up getting into clock rebuilding. He made his own replacement parts frequently because it is so difficult to find what you need. Have fun!

Nice! BTW, I don't want to take anything away from Halo's work. Making shoes has to be a pretty difficult task. I applaud anyone who even attempts to make boots, shoes, etc.

Very cool and quite a feat! Sorry, couldn't help myself. I'm a certified "dad-joke" teller. But I'm trying to kick the habit.

Blue Duck is correct. The first bag was based upon the traditional U.S. Mail Bag design and they sometimes featured the folds. I presume it was to allow the bag to bulge out a bit more and create extra capacity, however small it might be. So it is mainly an aesthetic choice. Regarding the template, I would just cut and fold until it resembles what you want it to be. Looks like the paper is pliable enough that you can accomplish that. I'm not big on making exact copies of marketed items, so I would change "something" about it, just to personalize the design. YMMV.

Nigel visits this forum from time to time. I hope he sees it. I know he will be stoked. Or chuffed I suppose they would say in England. Nice job! Ray

All of the above is true. I would add one thing to it. I have found on some rolls that the inner end of the roll can sometimes be folded over on itself. When that happens there is a bad crease. For that reason alone it is worth unrolling and then re-rolling the other way.

I recall seeing what you are after at Springfield Leather. Give them a shout and ask. They typically will sell most leathers by the square foot. There are exceptions, but mostly they will cut.

Love the aesthetics! The design, hardware, colors, all look great. I would like to know if there are any interior pockets in the weekender. Great stuff!

Thanks so much for the heads-up Fred! I downloaded three projects and two Stohlman books and it only took me a couple of minutes. Perhaps the website had lower volume this morning. At any rate, I appreciate Tandy offering this to us for free and for your pointing it out to us! I just flipped through the Stohlman book on making leather cases and it is fantastic. So glad to have known about this!

Thanks so much for the heads-up Fred! I downloaded three projects and two Stohlman books and it only took me a couple of minutes. Perhaps the website had lower volume this morning. At any rate, I appreciate Tandy offering this to us for free and for your pointing it out to us!

I couldn't find that exact shape, but OTB has some options. Maybe they have them but not on the site or they could get them for you? https://ohiotravelbag.com/

This is exactly what I was going to recommend. Works for me.

LatigoAmigo is correct, there was a previous thread and I don't recall any real success in sourcing the exact metal piece. Perhaps that is part of the patent?

Tony, thanks for sharing the video. I hadn't heard of the Belt Ninja before. I don't make a ton of belts, and when I do I use an old belt as a pattern. The plexiglass template is great.

Very fair review. I'm glad that in the end you were satisfied. I have done business with SLC many times (In person) so I have no experience with their mail order. What I can say is that every time I walked out of the store I felt I got more than my money's worth. And the personal service was excellent. If you are not getting the same experience, ask to speak with Kevin or Rusty.

I like it!

A couple of observations. There is no need to feel threatened by competition. Without competition maybe all leather belts would be rubbish. In my business (not leatherwork) there is a trend towards the bottom lately. Contractors demand cheaper and cheaper pricing on products and don't seem to appreciate the service aspect that they once did. I believe in a value added approach. I work hard to make sure that my customers are well satisfied and in order for that to happen there is an attendant cost. That cost is added into the pricing. Sometimes I will have a customer say, "Hey, I want to buy it from you but can you match so-and-so's price?" The reason they are doing that is because they know if they buy from the other company they will get crappy service. So in the end they want MY good service at the competition's crappy service price. It doesn't add up. So I generally stand my ground and defend my service and maybe give a little back, but never match the lower price. Good service comes at a price. So you have a choice. Take the high ground and offer your customers finished goods, slicked edges, better leather, etc. or give them unfinished goods. Maybe that is fine with them? Maybe they don't understand the difference. Then it is your job to educate them. Make them a discriminating buyer. Tell them what burnishing is and why it makes a difference. Justify the difference. If handled correctly, your competition will likely get wind that customers are demanding more finished product and will begin to raise the bar on their own quality. That is how it is supposed to work. There is always room for bottom feeders. However, I've never wanted to be one. Or buy from one either.

Great job on both projects! The edges on the holster are amazing. And I agree with Rockoboy's comment on the stitching. One suggestion to think about is the thickness of the wallet. If it works for you, great, but it is too thick for my tastes. I would keep the thicker shell but use thinner leather for the pockets and probably skive the edges down as well. Cutting the pockets in a "T" shape also helps reduce thickness. What I'm afraid of is as you load that sucker with cards it is going to get really plump and might not be so comfortable in your pocket. Like I said, if you are happy with it, great. But I would use pockets of about half the thickness of the shell. Keep it up and make sure to share your next projects!

Members of the Guild of Master Craftsmen are required to maintain our Aims and Objectives, or membership will be revoked. These are: To bring together all artisans engaged in a craft, art, trade, profession or vocation, in order to safeguard the interests of both craftsmen and the public. To ensure that the minimum qualifications for membership preserve the high standards of The Guild by excluding unskilled tradesmen. To publicise these high standards through national and local media, thus increasing public awareness of the ideals and aims of The Guild and its members. To promote to the public the trading assets of its members, their honour, integrity, professional expertise, high standards of workmanship and the value for money which they offer. To provide clear identification and recognition for members, in order to enable the public to distinguish them from unskilled tradesmen who try to pass themselves off as master craftsmen, and so to attract and direct work to members of The Guild. To assist all members and to protect them against the damaging and devaluing activities of the unskilled, against bureaucratic discrimination, against penal taxation and adverse legislation. Equally, to protect the public by instilling in our members a greater sense of responsibility, alerting them to the national importance of the services they render, monitoring these standards to ensure that The Guild’s high standards are being maintained, and by encouraging members to always strive for excellence. To encourage an interchange of views amongst members, to unite these views and to bring them to the attention of the Government and local authorities in order to safeguard the livelihood and welfare of members and their dependants. To constitute a pressure group to seek the support of one or more Members of Parliament to make sure that someone speaks out for the interests of Guild members where it matters most. To promote continual research within the craft, trade, art, profession or vocation in which members are engaged, thus benefitting both members and the public. To foster learning amongst apprentices and students in order to perpetuate the survival, evolution and success of their particular craft. To promote sponsorship of The Guild by persons, firms and organisations, whether by financial support, by endorsement of the activities of The Guild, or by patronage.

Yes, without the backing of an organization, institution, union or guild, it is self-adornment. With the others there is at least the appearance of if not actual assessment and adherence to standards. Yes, if you look at the verbiage in the link I posted, there is an expectation of respect for the craft and the quality of workmanship.

BTW, a gentleman that is often lauded for his workmanship and his willingness to help others grow in the craft is Nigel Armitage. His videos are both enjoyable and informational. I owe all of whatever stitching knowledge I have to Nigel. He is seemingly quite proud (and should be) about having attained the level of Master Craftsman. This link tells about the organization or guild. There is a requirement that your work pass an assessment and that you uphold certain standards. Sounds good to me. https://www.guildmc.com/about-us/a-sign-of-quality/

Interesting topic. I work in the construction industry. Most trades in my neck of the woods still have unions. There is a set hierarchy within each union but they all are similar. A worker begins as an apprentice, sometimes referred to as a "cub". Then after a certain period of employment and attending classes, they attain the status of journeyman. Their level of respect increases along with their paycheck. A journeyman is expected to be able to handle any sort of work which is required for a specific job. In other words, through training and experience, they should be able to complete a given task in a workmanlike manner no matter what skills are required. That is the way it used to be. Nowadays, there are journeymen that do not have complete skillsets. They get pigeonholed into certain aspects of their craft and may become expert in some skills while neglecting others. Plasterers are supposed to know how to do interior plaster, both conventional and veneer, stucco, EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems) and ornamental plaster. Those birds are rare. Most become competent in two or three of those operations. So in leather, I would think the same "hierarchy" would apply. There is an apprentice stage, an intermediate stage where maybe you can call yourself a craftsman and then when you have truly mastered all of the necessary skills through training and experience, a master craftsman. In labor unions there are boards made up of journeymen that judge the progress of the apprentices and later, the development of the new journeymen. You cannot declare yourself a journeyman, you have to earn it. There is a timetable for apprenticeship, but if suitable progress is not made by the time your term is up, then you are subject to dismissal. So to sum it up, in my opinion a craftsman is one who can sit down at a bench and with the proper materials and proper tools construct most any item out of leather and do so in a workmanlike manner. Perhaps this individual is not keen on making saddles but probably has the skills to do so if need be. There is always specialization and it is quite rare to find people that excel at every task. BTW, my use of the masculine form in many of the terms above is not intended as a slight to the female gender. I have great respect for women in the trades and in fact have met many who outshone their male counterparts.