nick

The bear looks great! The rich color of the belt is awesome. What finish did you use?

AMAZING! I would like to spend just one day in your workshop...I would promise to be very quiet...and just observe. (I would even sweep the floors)

Thanks everyone for all the positive feedback! I am still learning, but with each project I complete, I feel like I improve slightly. Anyway, thanks again for the kind words...makes me want to start another project right now.

My brother is an avid fly fisherman and somewhat of a minimalist. So, I decided to make him a small fly fishing kit that would fit in his shirt pocket since he usually doesn't carry much (if any) gear with him. I got the idea from the Art of Making Leather Cases (vol. 1) but sort of put my own spin on it and reduced the size down. The case itself is made from 7 oz. veg-tanned leather that I dyed with Eco-flo all-in-one in Acorn Brown. The inside is lined with pig-skin suede in a rust color. The design on the outside is a craft-aid and the letters used for his name are 1/4" stamps. There are two small cleats on the inside that are used to wrap leaders. There is a small pocket that holds a nifty little fly fishermans tool and there is a small strip of foam that holds a couple of flies. Overall, it's a neat little package and I hope he likes it. Take a look.

Here are a few pics of a project I have finished. I am still VERY new to leatherworking and I am teaching myself as I go. This is a utility case made of 5 oz. veg-tanned leather. It is dyed with Feibings saddle tan oil dye and then buffed. I lined it with a rust colored pig-skin suede. The stitching is all hand stitched as you can tell from the un-even lines and spacing. Overall, I am pleased with how it turned out, although each time I look at it, I find something else I could have done better. I wanted something that had an old time look to it...that old "hand-made" rugged look. Anyway, it has a loop on one side for a flashlight or screwdriver and a thin pocket on the other side for a pen or pencil. The main compartment is roomy enough for maps, compass, GPS, cell-phone etc. The small pocket on the front is molded and is just the right size for credit cards, fishing license, keys or whatever you may need to stash in there. This was my first attempt at gussets, molding, and stitching. Anyway...take a look.

WOW! Those are fantastic! What did you use to dye or color the leather?

$30 sounds just fine actually. Thats why I said start at $20 and go from there...sorry if I offended you, that certainly was not my intention. They look great, are original, and are hand made so they are well worth what you intend to charge.

I would buy them... If you decide to sell them, start at $20 and go from there.

Very nice! I always wondered where they kept their flasks... I like the tooling design, very original!

Very nice! As a fellow fisherman, I can see how useful that will be! Great idea and great work!

Those look great! I especially like the musical note theme. Hopefully someday, my attempts will look as professionl as your finished products.

I....am....astounded. Absolutely amazing! You must eat a breakfast of pure skill every morning and wash it down with a glass of creativity! Your work is amazing...I am inspired...and humbled. Teach me, Yoda...

Hey! Thanks! I do have Volume 1 of The Art of Making Leather Cases. It has been VERY helpful. As for the leather used, I believe it was 4 oz. Is that a bad thing?

Ok...I'm the new guy. Just wanted to intro myself and post a few pics. I am VERY new to this (less than a few weeks) but I am determined. So, here goes... These are a few things I have tried my hand at so far. The first was a VERY basic multi-tool sheath...since the nylon sheath just couldn't keep up. Then there was a very basic box...case...that I just had to add a snap to...for some strange reason. Next was a medevil (mid-eveil?) style pouch in which I attempted my first gusset...and of course...I just had to add...you guessed it...a snap. Then, I tried carving on a check book cover that I constructed. Let me just say, you people amaze me. I have a difficult time operating the coffee maker let alone carving a legible design in skin...needless to say...I will try again. Lastly, I am working on a journal cover and will try to post pics of the progress soon. Seriously though, you all have a great site and I look foreward to being a part of it. Nick ....Hmmm...ok...some of the pics are too large to upload...so...I need a cookie to figure this out.