aaronmcoleman

my thoughts exactly! i just did a collar for my dog out of some cheapy 8/9 oz natural tooling leather i happened to have lying around. i used sno-seal on the edges when i burnished, and sealed the back and front and was amazed at how nice it came out.

One thing that really helps is being able to use both hands. I like using a drill press with a burnishing wheel bit. You can get the bits for $15-20 and a used drill press off craigslist for around $25-50 usually.

Thanks! I was just looking for something like this, but didn't know what it was called.

Well we finally got a machine. My wife and I make a lot of canvas and small leather goods (mostly under 12oz leather). We just picked up our first walking foot after using standard industrial machines for the last few years. So far I'm wishing we had gotten this machine a LONG time ago. It's a dream for canvas and thick materials, and had no problem with 3 layers of 4 oz leather. Now I don't have to hand sew everything

Three pieces of advice, as someone who has owned a "craft" business for a few years: 1) don't underprice yourself just to make some sales. it's very hard to raise your prices later. so find a price point you feel comfortable with and don't budge. 2) don't over do the design. find a way to make the product in an amount of time, with a material that allows you to charge a price you're comfortable with. don't skimp on quality, but maybe dial back the intricacy. 3) maybe just find a way to sell enough to where the hobby pays for itself. if you can sell a few items here and there that cover the costs of your materials and tools for personal projects, that is a huge bonus. also, Boriqua is dead on on all points! NOTE: my business is not in leather work at all, i'm a novice leather worker at best.

I make guitar electronics and am heavily involved in that industry. It's not what's good that sells, it's what's "cool". My limited knowledge of leather seems like it's the same.

Overpromising is the worst thing in the world for customers. Waitlist, being choosy about projects, and raising prices all help control demand. In my day job I'm a contractor. We often have to tell customers we can't start a job for 4 weeks or more. If your stuff is good they'll wait, and that's the key. The stress of too much work is far better than the stress of not enough!

Hey everybody. I've lurked around here for a while and gotten tons of ideas and advice, so thanks. I like making some pretty basic stuff like wallets, belts, folios etc. My wife and I own a few small businesses including Shotgun Paul http://shotgunpaul.com/ where we make canvas aprons, dopp kits, etc. Looking to add some leather goods to our line this year. So this is 50% hobby, 50% business venture. Beyond leather work I play guitar and make guitar effects pedals and love electronics www.heavylideffects.com I have a TON to learn and look forward to getting more involved around here. Thanks for all the help so far.