Dunluce

Nice one. Think I’ll give it a go. Appreciate all the replies.

I would like to out some hot foil initials (just the two or three letters) on a couple of items. It’s not worth thinking about buying a stamping machine so I am wondering if anyone has had any experience just heating up standard hand stamp letters and using them to stamp some foil?

Okay. Thanks for your help.

I think I may give it a go. Was the one you bought on eBay a cheaper replica version? I see the original costs about three times that.

Spyros, I was interested in your reply. I remember looking at one of these some time ago but I heard they were not much good for softer leather or for skiving down to around 0.6 - 0.7mm. Perhaps they were not using sharp enough blades or changing them often enough. I am a 'table-top' leatherworker so something like this would be ideal for me if it works. I would mainly want to use it for items like wallets (skiving the edges or top of pockets for folding) and watch straps etc. Although it is cheaper than a skiving machine it still costs enough to be an expensive mistake (I have a couple of them already!). Does it really perform well enough for you and for what I would want?

I did ask one of the staff in there one day and he said they did not. I’ll ask again next time I am in.

I have used this company before http://www.leatherthinning.co.uk/index.htm They do a good job but by the time you take into account postage to and from, and possible double processing charges it can work out expensive for small quantities. Other than that I have looked myself and not found anywhere in London that offers a thinning service.

I have attached a photo of their Sully line as sent to me by Alran. Just tell them what colours you want when communicating with them and they will let you know what is in stock and the cost. I presume you are emailing to ventes@alran.fr

You can buy direct from Alran themselves.

Tried evry dort of pull but still doesn't thin leather like Buttero properly. Softer like goatskin is fine!

Well I thought I would take a punt on one of the leather splitters (shown in the photo below) from AliExpress. Initially I was quite pleased with it. I was able to split some 10cm wide Alran goat leather from 1.2mm down to 0.6-0.7mm (for wallet pockets) and taper skived a belt end from 4mm down to 1.5mm by passing it through a coupe of times. The problem came when I wanted to split down a piece of 1.5mm Buttero (I was hoping to split this down for wallet covers). Try as I might I couldn’t get it to work properly. Every time it bites through the leather until it ends up cutting it in two.I seem to have tried Avery combination of pulling and taking a little off at a time but to no avail. Does anyone else use one of these and have this issue or know a way around it?

As a follow up to this, I looked up the website of the pub that it has become and under the ‘History’ tab it has pages from the May 1842 edition of the Penny Magazine. It has a fascinating article on leather processing and the trade in Bermondsey. You can find it at the following: https://www.theleatherexchange.co.uk/

I recently thought I would have a go at designing a template or two using software. I downloaded the free version of Sketchup and found it relatively easy to use (quite a bit quicker than using a pencil and ruler). The problem I have is that when I export my design as a .pdf and print it, it is coming out quite a bit bigger than my design. I have checked my printer settings and I am printing off at 'actual size'. Anyone got any ideas?

Could I please ask what programme do you use for drawing your templates and how do you do the stitching lines?

I was out walking and passed the old London Leather Hide and Wool Exchange in Bermondsey (it’s now a pub). These reliefs, showing how leather was processed, were on the walls. It must have been the centre of the leather trade at one time as there are lots of streets, pubs, gardens etc with leather or tanner in the name. Thought people might like to see them. kn the