Shed

Thanks! And I use Fieblings Pro dye. Yeah, dip dye seems to be the way to avoid streakiness. Another thing to a add to the 'learn how to do' list!

An iPad Pro case with Apple pencil holder. Came about when my brother said he was going to spent £150 on the official Apple case... so I said I would make it for only £145 Veg Tan goat lined with Pigskin, dyed 'Royal blue'. Came out a bit streakier than intended, but my brother thought it was a pattern, so of course, it is. The stitching seems to look much worse on camera than in real life, though I maybe should have hammered it a bit flatter. The design is blatantly nicked from Apple. A fairly floppy case but should give plenty of protection. I was super impressed with the edges, with a bit of gum trag they came up as shiny as a normal veg tan. The photos aren't from the best angles, since I forgot to take any so got my brother to do them instead. Any critiques/ comments much appreciated.

It's just a simple aluminium bar, doesn't particularly matter the type. mine was 300mm x 30mm x 3mm, which was about right for my bag, with very little flex. I just measured the holes, drilled and countersunk to accept the rivets then glued pigskin over it. I got mine off ebay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metal-Flat-Bar-Plate-Aluminium-Brass-Mild-Steel-various-sizes-100mm-600mm-/322532527916?var=&hash=item4b186fcf2c I'm sure you can get an equivalent over the pond. Shed.

I'll give that a go. Thanks!

I'd actually forgotten that bridle is essentially treated veg tan, I do have a half butt of the Metropolitan stuff which comes out when a belt needs making. I don't really like the stuff, as I have a nightmare trying to burnish, even with a homemade power burnisher, as my edges always appear cracked and rough. I didn't know much about how it was made though, that made for a really interesting read, thanks!

Try looking on ebay for 'eye plate marine fittings'. A quick look came up with these- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4Pcs-5mm-Stainless-Wire-Eye-Straps-Saddle-Clip-Boat-Marine-Plate-Staple-Ring-/112411348764?hash=item1a2c3d0f1c:g:CssAAOSwjL5ZHYAl http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pad-Eye-Plate-9mm-x-100m-x-32mm-Stainless-Steel-316-Marine-Grade-No-Rusting-/140313509263?hash=item20ab563d8f:g:xuEAAOSwf-VWY4JH I'm sure Canadian ebay will have something similar. I don't know if they have a name wen used in leatherwork- 'Staple' maybe?

If you knew what a nightmare they were... but thanks!

Cheers! Nope, the closure you see is the only one, and it seems to do the job. The strap which locks through the loop does have a 2mm brass plate riveted to the back of it, which locks everything in. On my prototypes I found that only using the leather there was a risk of it pulling through. It was designed for one handed open and closure, and seems to work pretty well for that. The only problem is that the leather at the bottom of the front panel pulls up slightly due to the center fixing, but its not a big deal. I don't think anyone ever really ready to jump in on their first bag, but your stitching is certainly improved by the time your done! Good luck if you give it a go

Thanks! Your right, I think it would be a lot quicker after the first. The division works well, but its a bugger to get both the gussets to behave when you're trying to stitch them up. Good luck to you!

Thanks! And yep, dyed with my own fair hands with show brown Fieblings pro dye. I made a big dauber out of some old tshirts and just worked the dye over the hide in a circular motion. Didn't penetrate that well compared to using a wool dauber but was suitable for purpose. The grain came out a bit streaky though, as you can see in the first picture. The shoulder was the standard stuff from Le Prevo. I've never actually tried the pre-dyed stuff, since I can't justify keeping a large inventory of colours as well as thicknesses. Do you find it behaves differently in any way?

Hi there, Thought I'd show my attempt at a messenger bag, which was made for my brother. Design shamelessly nicked from the Saddleback 'thin briefcase', and the closure method is from their 'Mountainback' range. Handle was designed to not give your hand cramp over long distances, though it looks a bit tacky. 2mm Veg tan shoulder lined with pigskin, with copper rivets and SS hardware. Cost around £150 in materials. These pictures were taken after about 6 months of use, so its a bit worn. It took a massive amount of time, and if I was asked to make one again I think I'd pay the difference so they could buy Saddleback . Any comments and criticisms appreciated. Shed

Like many others, I am continually frustrated by Le Prevo Leather's crap ordering system. Great company, terrible website. In an attempt to speed things up, I've put together an Excel spreadsheet that calculates P&P, subtotals, VAT etc, which can then be copied into the Order Form. I hope it will prevent someone going mad quite as quickly as I did. But I do wonder, if I can put together a simple spreadsheet pretty easily, It shouldn't be too difficult for an established seller to make their website do the same... Good luck, Shed. Le Prevo Order Form.xlsx

Hi there. I'm from Scotland and have been doing leatherwork for a short while, and I'm loving it! I come from a woodworking background, so I have a very much hybrid workshop that works great. I am an occasional bushcrafter and regular Scout ASL, so perhaps not supprisingly most of my projects have been axe and knife sheaths! I'm here to hopefully learn more about making things look nice, as well as functional.