Tugadude

Suggest you check for a local Tandy or other leather/craft store. Usually they have very helpful people. They should have books on leathercraft. Art Stohlman has some excellent resource books for learning the craft. As far as tools, a basic swivel knife and some stamping tools will get you started. They are even available at Hobby Lobby. You can invest tons of money, but it is not necessary when learning. Youtube also has free videos describing leather stamping as does the Tandy web page.

Veg tan is what folks use for carving and stamping. Other tannages are typically resistant to tooling. They can be branded with a hot iron for logos, etc. That belt was done with a machine, probably a roller, for speed and repeatability/accuracy. Good luck!

Another source...http://www.infinitystamps.com/brandingirons/electric.html Suggest you google branding irons for leather, lots of stuff including Youtube videos available there.

This might be suitable for what you want...http://lwleathers.com

Can't tell you the brand, but the style is a tubular rivet with washer. Click on the link for examples. The thing about rivets is they need to be sized properly for the thickness and be set properly. In the pic you attached, one od the rivets appears to have been driven too far into the leather, weakening the connection as well as looking bad. Steel is strongest probably, and comes in multiple finishes. http://www.brettunsvillage.com/leather/parts/rivets.htm

Agree that this is a nice first attempt. The stitching is particularly good for a beginner, I think. Main thing I see is the card slots. If you simply put slits, there is a chance that as they stretch and get stressed, they might be prone to tearing. Time will tell. Some folks put a round hole at the ends of the slits to reduce the stress. Good work there!

Might be some useful info here... http://www.weaverleather.com/Supply/InfoandResources/LeatherTanningProcess.aspx

+1! Very clean, simple and I would say elegant. What color is that? Almost looks natural but I suspect it is not.

If you click on the link I posted, the second one, it identifies it as acetate and there is a link to Springfield Leather where you can buy it.

Second the recommendation. Nigel's videos are great and it is nice to buy his stuff to support his efforts!

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=32256&hl=%2Bplastic+%2Bfor+%2Bwindow#entry209784

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=54776&hl=%2Bbifold+%2Btemplate Try the link above for a nice example. Hope it helps!

in my experience belly leather is good for small pieces for the most part. Some problems with it include irregular thickness and strange grain patterns that cause the leather to wrinkle and worse. But if you own a splitter you can get a consistent thickness at least. I made several dice cups out of veg tan belly from Tandy. Turned out nice. Straps and bands are also doable. Coasters, key fobs and the like are all small and can be cut from belly.

Vergez Blanchard clam.

Shame that folks feel the need to ask others to be nice, but I'll bet it is because the original poster was flamed on some other forum. I've witnessed some really harsh treatment and frankly have stayed away from some as a result. Natenaaron, you have it pretty much right. One of the nice things about horses is that the jaws are operated by your foot. Frees up your hands having to mess with tightening hardware. Also, check out the European clams, at least that is what I think they are called. They work differently than ponies or horses, using thigh pressure to hold your project tight. Good luck in your search.

Springfield Leather Co. Has their Finesse line of tools. Probably a good way to start. Tandy has some very nice irons, check them out too. I agree wholeheartedly with the poster above, 25b. Nigel's reviews are super and his youtube videos can't be beat. He really knows how to teach saddle stitch technique.

Nice cover, very smart looking. Welcome to the forum! Hope you share more projects.

BTW, Nigel is on Facebook. Perhaps you could reach out to him and ask about sources?

http://www.armitageleather.com Watch Nigel's videos on Youtube, he covers all of the basic skills you need and his stitching explanations are superb. You might want to purchase his patterns, especially the small shoulder bag. It is a beautiful, basic case that teaches a lot of processes including measuring, cutting, edging, stitching and how to fashion gussets. He has a video up, but if you can, purchase his instructions. Helps repay him for the useful work he publishes that is available to the masses. In addition to the bag, he also has a video on a basic wallet. Great starter project! There are some great leather outlets in the UK. Lots of leatherworkers here that live in the UK and hopefully they can help with various sources. Good luck!

I would suggest you not invest in too many tools to begin with. You probably have many already that you can use until you decide whether you want to progress in the craft/hobby. Do you have a Tandy store near you? They can be of help to beginners. Tandy sells small bags of leather trimmings. You can buy them cheaply and have lots of pieces to craft small projects with. As far as a first project, how about a key fob? Or a bracelet? There are a lot of easy to make leather projects featured here. Search the various sub-forums. Even a simple key fob can teach you cutting, edge finishing and stitching skills. I assume you might already have an X-acto knife or other razor knife? Edging/burnishing can be accomplished with many items found around the home. Stitching holes can be spaced with a common fork and holes made with a nail or drill bit. If you want to purchase tools, Tandy and Springfield Leather Co. Can help. I just caution against buying a bunch of tools that a few months from now you decide you didn't really need or aren't happy with. Youtube has tons of beginner leatherworking videos. Search around. Good luck!

Beautiful, and never apologize for photos...we love 'em!

Not trying to be argumentative, but the ad clearly states that this creaser rounds the edge at the same time. Maybe someone has used one and can chime in?

I cut and pasted this from a poster by the name of "Chain" 35% Beeswax 5% Carnuba Wax 60% neatsfoot oil or virgin (to match the bees wax maybe) olive oil May need to adjust the wax/oil ratio to get the desired consistency. Carnuba wax available here: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/350521416091?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Olive oil won't go rancid and was used by the Romans on leather a 1000 years ago. Samples of Roman leather have been found and are in great condition. A lot of the old time leather workers use it. The Carnuba wax is the hardest known natural wax so will add some protection as well as shine (shines better than bees wax)