fredk

unfortunately here in N.I. it has been watered down so much more that no-one really knows the meaning and its just attached to anything and everything as a modern catch-all phrase

waste cardboard: old brown card boxes opened out. Lay out flat to dye on. When used put into recycling old newspapers can sometimes be used too, but check that their ink doesn't come off on your wet leather

Most of my bags are made; two layers thin leather on front or back panel with compressed cardboard in between the layers. If its a one piece front panel/base/back panel/flap it gets 4 individual pieces of card, each cut to allow for glued and sewn edges and allowance for the corner to become the next piece. The gussets are sometimes made the same way, or done as a single layer if its your #2 3 pc, as in the belt bag above, which is now about 20 years old. I like bags to compress or expand to the limit of the gusset. As for keeping the bag on square its up to how thick the leather is and if you add re-enforcement

a. make it a feature; if the client is any ways a bit overweight a curved belt will be more comfortable on (him). If (he) is doubtful, let him wear it for a while. He'll not return it b. I think ~ if you wet/dampen the leather and let it dry slowly and naturally a couple of times that will ease the tension in it and the next belt straps will cut straight

You are releasing the tension in the stretched leather. The hide has been stretched during tanning and drying. The whole hide is in tension, a different amount in different directions. Without the pull of the rest of the hide the cut strip is returning to where it wants be naturally A belt with a curve in it is actually good. I cut belt straps straight, but after some time of wearing they take on a curve, especially on the bit on the back. You could wet the leather and hang it up to dry with a weight on the end to pull in downwards

I'm not the best one to give advice on what you should or could do. Perhaps signage saying how many years experience you have, something like 'Hand crafting leather since 2006' or ' . . . for over 14 years' ** ~ 'Every item carefully fully made and finished by hand by the craftsman himself' ~ 'Guaranteed made in Australia by a local expert craftsman of over 14 years experience' Maybe? Design and either get printed or print up yourself (computer printer?) some A5 sized handouts with photos of a few items and short concise explanations of how you see to quality. They will pay for themselves in the long term. I don't think you need to improve your work or change what you make (as a member on here, I reckon we can take your quality for granted, ) but you may need to increase your marketing and pushing yourself in the craft fair. When I was a working photographer I had a friend, also a photographer. He once said to me ' We are friends, but when it comes to business I intend to wipe you out and I expect you do the same to me, and we will both be wiping out every other photographer in the area' and he mean't it. Alls fair in love, war and business. **Local home bakery near to me. Not long open, just about 1 year, has recently added 'Making quality home baking since 2014' ~ thats only 4 or 5 years yet I know some local women are impressed that the bakery has been producing for 'that long!' I think the people running the bakery shop started off literally at home.

I've done the; 5 pc, the #1 3pc and the #2 3pc. 5 pc: round the bottom corners of the front and back panels to ease the gusset pieces around. Sew the bottom gusset piece to the two side gussets first #1 3 pc: round the bottoms of the gusset side pieces #2 3 pc is just the 5 pc without the base being separate and needing sewing. Rounding the bottom corners can be just a small curve right up to a quarter or half circle. Not only eases attaching and sewing the gusset but also square corners get bashed in rather quickly giving the bag a bad look This is a type #2 3pc ( sorry, its an old photo), soft leather for a continuous gusset, rounded corners on front and back panels

Thank you for the compliments.

I differ; no he won't. In this 21st C age he will gain more and more business - that is my experience, not only in leather work but also in wooden toy making and furniture making with my father. Add the words 'Craft' or 'Artisan' to anything these days and the ordinary buying folk become blind to the quality of the product - in this I speak with knowledge. eg a coffee shop not far me; did coffees, teas and sticky buns. Was losing out to a big chain one newly opened. On advice the shop 'rebranded' as 'Artisan' Coffee, and pushed that their stickies were all home-baked, ie in shop. Turned their fortunes around inside 3 weeks! Still the same doing inside, they made very little changes to how they did anything - it was the branding 'Artisan' sorry, I'm going to hit you between the eyes, Do feel threatened. Work to get rid of that threat. Call yourself an Experienced Craftsman or something. Push and push and push your quality over his. If you don't he'll be taking business away from you. I speak from experience, below a tale of woe; I used to be the only leatherworker selling 'medieval' style leather goods at craft fairs here in N.I. Then comes along a guy, calls himself the 'Medieval Leather Crafter'. His work was . . . rubbish. And dearer than mine. I made items to the patterns supplied by museums etc, his were literally just scraps roughly sewn together. I and my Mrs thought he'll drop way, so I basically ignored his rubbish. Guess wot happened. I was dropped by the craft centres and castles and museums as my stuff was not 'historically accurate' compared to the interloper. I lost out to him because I ignored the threat of sub-standard work but someone more pushy than me

I think this the first time I've posted up something for you to look at Background to this. Two members of my vintage sports car club got married a few months ago. I only found out on July 2nd (at 04:12 BST!). I like this pair so I thought I'd make them something especially as both are, to put it politely, very, very affluent and don't need a toaster or kettle. However, both compete in vintage car rallies around the world as well at home. This started as 'I know, I'll cover a clip board for them' ~~ then it grew and grew as I added the things that rally navigators need to hand. Vintage (aka Antique) cars do not have very many places to stow the necessaries during a rally. This is one of the pair with one of their cars, an early Buick Now I present to you my Rally Navigator's Work Board. About 4 evenings designing and thinking about it and 7 days to make, maybe just about 10 hours in total. It measures 34 cm wide by 42 cm long. Leather is some 2mm (belly type I think) that I had laying around in my oddments box. Dye is Fiebings. A couple of years ago I over thinned some Tan colour so I added some Dark Brown to it and added some Red dye just for. . . . well, cos I felt like it. And speaking of felt, sandwiched between the front and back leather pieces is 3mm MDF board with a layer of felt on the back. Item holders on the front are sewn to the front leather but all rivets are ready-rivets which go through the MDF board, but not the back piece of leather. The holder for the stopwatch was wet moulded, then a soft leather glued to the inside. The pen/pencil holder is wet moulded. The eraser/sharpener loop is just a strap sewn on. After dyeing it got several coats of thinned Resolene and then about 3 coats of a floor 'polish' which is actually a water-thin acrylic varnish. I find a few coats of this helps water-proof items Without the map in place: Across the top: 4 sail eyelets, you always need somewhere to tie or hook things, in this case I've looped the stopwatch lanyard through them. Below is the pencil/pen holder. Left the eraser/sharpener held by a loop, then the maps clip and on the right the stopwatch pocket. Below it is a bulldog paper clip - tbh I'm not happy with that but I couldn't find anything better. The back of the note book below that slips down through a slot in leather. It covers the top of a pocket deliberately The pocket, unobscured, A few items stuffed in with card to stretch the pocket a wee bit The rear of the board is plain except it has a panel with the couple's names on it sewn on Plenty of mistakes, could have been better I know

I bought a couple sets like these. I got 4mm spacing and 6mm spacing. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3x-Tool-Leather-Carving-Hole-Craft-Prong-Stitching-Punching-Punches-Tool-4mm/283327622900?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 I've only used them a few times but they work fine

aye chris you are basically correct. But in that my friend was a Gold Smith, he could not get his own makers stamp unless he was approved by the Guild. The issuance of Gold and Silver Smiths makers stamps is highly regulated. I mainland Europe in most professions one has to do an apprenticeship, then qualify, then spend a few years as a journeyman before one can call oneself a Craftsman. In the UK no one gives a sod anymore but many professions still insist on you have qualifications.

right, here goes... it can depend where you live. I had a friend who is a Gold and Silver Smith. He was legally not allowed to call him a Craftsman in those metals until he had made his Master Piece and it had been positively appraised by the Gold Smiths Guild in London However, that apart, I reckon its when you enjoy what you do, turn out items to not only the best of your ability but push yourself to do even better on each successive item and sometimes have a break in your heart when you hand that item over to your client

if it works for you it works

How about a toggle? sorry no pictures A. roll a strip of leather. Glue it as you roll it. Leave the last couple of cms. Punch a hole through the roll. thread a piece of thong/lace through hole. Glue one end of lace along the roll then glue that last couple of cms over the lace. One leather toggle with lace to attach. Attach to bag/box with lace though a hole. b. counter part. A loop of lace. each end through a hole in box/bag, large enough for toggle to go through length wise but not for it to go width wise

hot-diggety-dog, go faster flame job. . . . . n i c e

Clever I think it would do for pattern templates as well

fyi its not happening with me. All SLC links go to an Oxford leather and stay there, no redirecting to any log in page I'm using Chrome and Windows 7 Home Premium

Perma-lok; you thin the end of round lace then screw it into the end of the needle. It can be used for flat lace as well https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/perma-lok-needle But flat lace is best used with this type; the Lok-eye; https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/lok-eye-needle-hook-n-eye-10-pk or this version; https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/2-prong-lacing-needle-10-pk

very much a very big yes they are

to add my $1 worth; a. skive the edge of the gusset and the main bag where it attaches to the bag b. wet the leather and bend the edge up or down with your fingers. Usually up as the gusset sits into the bag by the amount of the sewing allowance, but it can be done the other way c. I like to use a slightly thinner belly leather for gussets as it is a bit more stretchy d. I glue the gusset to the bag first, then make the holes for stitching

1. on a pocket it is good to go over the edge as that stitch re-enforces the previous one joining the two pieces, it adds strength where the leather will try to pull away 2. read your stitching before making the holes. Make the holes from both edges of the pieces towards the centre. eg first hole, about 3mm from each edge, then prick or punch holes towards the centre from these edge holes, as you get to the centre you'll see if the last few need adjusting in length for a tidy look 3. similarly on corners; do the centre corner hole first, then a hole on each side of that, then work from each corner to the centre of seam, adjusting the last few holes for an even look 4. never worry about the odd stitch being too long or too short if its aiding good construction. You/me/we see it as a 'fault' cos we're looking and studying it close up but a client/customer/friend won't see it that way - they'll be saying, 'wow, you hand stitched this!!'

Later you can invest in two pairs of these; Available with four teeth and two teeth. Costs as little as about 12 Euro a pair. They make diamond shaped sewing holes suitable for 0.6 to 1.2mm thread. Most of what I make is no more than about 5mm thick (about 7 oz I think) and these do the job first class. With these I can punch stitching holes round an item really fast. Downside is the depth of the jaws, that is from the teeth to the hinge, only about 2cm so I can't punch holes within something which is further in than that, so the hand chisels come out for those jobs.

1. The teeth/prongs will be case hardened. You'd have to file away quite a bit to get through it. A bit of polishing by using a jewellers file or a metal nail file followed by smooth grades of wet & dry grit paper will make a lot of difference. 2. Mix a pot/jar/tin of soft bees wax and olive oil. Not soft and runny, just softer than beeswax on its own. Before you make the first set of holes dip the chisels into the beeswax mix, then as you go on, after about every third time dip the chisels again, if the leather is really dry you may need to dip after every second hit.

Fiat Abarth, full leather interior, high performance racing spec engine, limited edition colours, especially as my friend wanted two in colours that Fiat did not offer - but you don't turn down an order cos you don't offer it in Ballilia Yellow. and Italian cars were more expensive in N.I. than GB