JoeSnuffie

I'm getting better at this. Things that used to take a long time are much easier. This is bison and calf. The bison started out about 50% thicker than this and I hand skived it with my home made round knife.

I'm using my cell phone, a Samsung Note 3. I have a decent camera but I'm lazy and it's just so easy to post images from my phone. I played with the white balance settings last night and got a lot better results. I think I'll get some better lighting at my bench, as well. The more I sell stuff the more I see the need for better pictures.

I hammer on a cutting board that allows the prongs to sink in a couple mm and I have gotten in the habit of checking the back side each time to be sure I see the prongs sticking out of the leather. Otherwise I end up making new holes or stretching the tiny hole in a different shape with the needles.

Thanks. The inside is 1.75oz calf skin. The outside is about a 4oz chrome tanned piece that I got from a couple lots of scraps.

I've stitched countless pieces of scrap strips together for practice and I still miss it now and then. Every few stitches I still check the slant of the hole just to make sure I'm doing it right. But still, at least in 1/3 of the pieces I make, I have to clip the thread, pull it back out a couple stitches, then redo it the right way. I'm sure at some point I'll be able to do it without thinking, but I'm not there yet.

Are you using stitching chisels or pricking irons? If not that will really help. Also, look for videos on saddle stitching. These two things helped me the most with my stitching. It's really important that each stitch be done exactly the same. When finished, cut the thread close, but leave enough to melt to a ball and poke back in a little.

I finished this wallet this evening. I can't seem to get some of these browns to show correctly in a picture. The liner is chocolate and a bit lighter than the picture shows. The shell is pretty close. I like the contrast a lot more than I did when I started.

They're actually both brown, but the darker one is chocolate treated with leather lotion, making it very dark. The other, sort of russet colored, is cow. It came from a couple lots of scraps I purchased and as best I can tell this is a chrome / oil tan. Or just chrome that's been heavily oiled and waxed. A lot of these scraps have some really nice looking defects. The rest of this hide has really great spots, scratches and blemishes.

Actually, it's Jeff. Joe Snuffie is what drill sergeants called you if they couldn't remember your name. I guess I wan't very memorable because I got called that a few times back in 1993 at Ft. Jackson. It just stuck and I've used it ever since.

I make my interiors with either goat or calf. Calf is much softer but goat can be split a lot thinner and still be strong. This is made with 1.75oz calf skin. The total width of the liner is 8.5", which allows the pockets to hold business cards. It's about 3.75" tall now but that might get trimmed a little when I do the final fitting. It just depends on how it looks. You can tighten it up a little if you don't want to allow for business cards but you're also going to make it a tight fit for more than one credit card in each pocket. When I use chrome or oil tanned leather for the shell, it always wants to spring open a little at first. I set a cutting board on them with some weight, overnight, and this helps a lot. but usually, after a couple days of use, they're worn in and lay flat on their own.

I got them from eBay. I searched and compared for a couple weeks and decided on these. I didn't get them because I think they're the best money can buy, but I believe they're the best I can afford at the moment. I purchased from this eBay seller. He promptly answered questions about his items before I bought. http://www.ebay.com/usr/2002memory This was the item: http://www.ebay.com/itm/111348511344 "High Quality White Steel / Diamond Stitching Chisel 3mm, 1 + 2 + 4 + 6+10 prong" I can't speak for their quality compared with the high dollar models, but these are a vast improvement over the Tandy models and are actually a little cheaper per chisel than the Tandy when purchased as a set. On the model I purchased, the steel is much harder and it's also polished, making it much easier to remove from the leather. This is a close up. You can see the holes this one makes compared to the Tandy chisel labeled 3mm.

I've had aluminum react with wet veg tan and leave a mark but I can't think of any other reason as long as you are careful to remove the sharp edges. I had 2 templates made for wallet pockets by a professional and it was cheap and fast. They laser cut an acrylic sheet and you can add holes and slots for reference points.

1. I'd like to make a nice bag to carry both of my sons' iPad mini's and chargers at once. Hopefully I'll get to do this soon. 2. I'm a software developer by day. For years I'd come home and unwind by watching TV or playing a video game, but I never felt relaxed. Then I stumbled upon leather and fell in love with the complete lack electronics involved. I can design and create something, start to finish, and use nothing more than my ancestors might have used 200 years ago. 3. My flag, and I suppose you mean my home, is planted in Northwest Florida.

Lots of us use smaller pieces of leather. I've had great success in buying scraps that are 2sqft and larger and turning them into wallets, small bags, etc. Donate as much as you can and sell the rest. There are plenty of people like me interested in scraps of different sizes.

Hey, these are really nice. I'm thrilled that I could inspire someone after all the inspiration I've gotten.

Distressed vintage looking robot wallet. I guess that's how I'd describe it.

Thank you. It's all 2.5oz calf skin. I order the skin split to 1.75 oz now because that's a much better thickness for the liner.

This is a really good video that shows you start to finish, how to measure and make a knife case. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZKxHdNIiP4 There are a number generous leatherworkers out there who do a great service in sharing what they've learned.

Calf skin is typically pretty soft compared to the same weight skin split from an older, more experienced cow. I guess all those years of hard life toughen them up. This is 2.5oz calf skin and it's pretty soft and pliable. You can tool it but you won't get crisp and well defined impressions.

It looks like veg tanned that's been dyed, buffed really well, oiled and finished with some sort of wax. This is veg tanned. So is this.

Thanks and you're welcome to the design. It's pretty simple. The loops hold the top part in place and under the folded bottom I have some veg tanned spacers that have just enough space between to hold the bottom of the handle snug. I tapered them a little at the shoulder to make it easier to insert.

Thank you! It really turned out a lot nicer than I was expecting even without doing any finish work.

I store my Crafttool chisels in a wooden rack but my new favorite chisels got a case made from a scrap piece of oil tanned leather. They're 3mm point to point or about 7.5 spi, not 3mm between prong edges like the Crafttool chisels measure. I didn't work too hard to keep it neat and clean because time is money and this isn't making anyone any money.

Welcome and I wish you luck with leather. I'm looking forward to seeing some pictures and I really hope this turns into a source of income for you.

This is a beautiful wallet. The color is what really stands out for me. I use these acrylic templates. I made them in a CAD program and had a company laser cut them. These cover all of the card wallets and full sized wallets I make. The holes allow me to mark cut and stitch lines. I can use the curve or flip it over for a straight line.