Daigz84

That looks awesome! I've been eyeing doing a messenger bag, I just don't think that I'm up to the point where I'll be able to pull it off yet!

Redochre - thank you for the suggestions I really appreciate all feed back. The leather was indeed from Tandy. Being so new into this I wanted to go and actually feel and see the leather before buying my first piece rather than getting it online and potentially getting the wrong thing. When you mention the staining and the leather being too wet or not drying, where are you seeing it on the piece? Trying to learn how to spot my own mistakes.

I just realized after posting one of my pieces in the Show Off section that I never posted an introduction! My name is Cody and I'm in Southern California. I recently got into leather working after paying far too much (or what I originally thought was far too much) for a small Field Notes cover. I've been doing leatherworking now for all of a month but find this to be really relaxing. After work it's great to head out to the garage for an hour and work on some little leather project. Right now I'm focusing on functional pieces. I've made a field notes cover, portfolio, sleeve for my leatherman, pouch for my EDC pen and flashlight and a couple of key chains. I've been reading on this forum for the last six months or so, trying to figure out how difficult it would be to learn. I'm hoping that my leather projects will eventually become gifts to people, if they ever are of the quality that I would want to give out!

I've been doing leatherworking for around a month, this is my fifth project or so. I have always written on the smaller yellow pads at my office and decided that it was time to make something to hold it, a pen, some business cards and a jump drive or cable. This is what I came up with after messing around for a while. I'm up for getting some input on what you guys/gals would change to make this look like more of a finished product.