desertwastes

A few relatively recent creations. Concho wallet, Tobacco pouch, axe sheath with my custom made branding iron.

Found him. Thanks for the tip! I actually recognize some of his stuff from a cool thrift shop around the corner from my place coincidently.

Hey there, sorry I missed this notification somehow. I am in fact in Halifax, Nova Scotia!

Perfect! Will do, thanks!

Hi Thank you for your reply, I do already have veg tan leather. I am specifically looking for black leather I'm happy to buy various pieces of a hide (bend, belly, etc.) according to what each project needs. I just wasn't sure if its more cost effective to buy the whole hide, which I would use, or to buy specifically by piece?

Hi gang, I'm finding it difficult to pick out which kind of leather to buy. I looking for black leather to make things like belts, collars, harnesses, wallets. Which oz would be best, should I buy an entire hide since the thickness varies? Any suggestions would be helpful. I will have to buy from an online supplier.

I did burnish the edges but I didnt consider sanding! Thanks for the tips!

Made my first wallet yesterday, I also tested out my new mini branding iron ; I think I held it on for too long, the branding is quite a bit thicker and darker than it should have been. But I designed it myself and I'm pleased with it otherwise! Leather is just scrap. My pricking irons were too small for the stitching I wanted, so I had to use the single. I tried my best to make the spacing consistent, but it's not perfect. Let me know what you think!

Question regarding pricking iron sizes. I like the handmade look of the more spaced out stitching. I'm wondering if someone could tell me the size I have (top) compared to the one used in bottom project? (The latter is a wallet made by a friend of mine.) I would have preferred to use a wider one, which I will have to purchase. Second question: What kind of thread is used in the bottom piece? It looks quite thin compared to what I used. I almost thought it was dental floss.. Side note .. The top, dark brown leather was my first attempt at stitching. It's a small sheath I made for my japanese skive. It looks quite awful, I know. Mistakes/Things I learned: 1) The pricking irons were not sharpened, simply because I did not have the resources and was anxious to try. 2) The stitching was too close to the edge, and so the welt started moving over since I couldn't get the needle through the thickness of the 3 pieces. ( I snapped easily 3 needles.) This also cause everything to be wildly uneven. 3) I should have hammered the pricking irons in each piece before I glued them together for stitching.

It looks much better now that it's dry. I just left it, I think normal use will even it out. Lesson learned for next project. I was just using a wet cloth along the end then a wooden burnisher. I think at first I was using a size that was too small, so that was part of the problem. It was a combination of stain that wasn't dry enough, cloth that was too large, and wrong burnisher edge. I will check out the guide and check around for the soap and wax. Thanks for the help!

I decided I wanted to further burnish one side of a project I was doing, after it was already stained...After I wet the edge I realized the water caused part of the leather to darken along the sides. I'm just wondering how much it might change the colour of the leather? I may re-stain the other side to make it have a darker edge as well. Suggestions? This also happens to be my first ever attempt at leatherwork.

Hi Gang, I never made a formal introduction, but I've been frequenting this site for just under a month now. It's been an incredible introduction to leatherwork; there is tons of information on the site, and people are always so quick to reply with any questions I've had so far. I'm originally from Vancouver, B.C, but recently moved to Halifax (Canada). I've been wanting to learn leatherwork for a while, and finally have an incredible work schedule that allows me time for a new hobby. I'm starting small; keychains, belts, wallets, concho boot straps, knife sheaths, and eventually hoping to move up to bags. Eventually I'd like to be able to customize the motorcycle I'll be buying in about a year once I move again to the U.S., and maybe sell some stuff along the way. Thanks for all your help! Hannah

Will do. My tools only just arrived yesterday (finally), so I've been trying them out on scrap leather. You were right, first things first, I need to sharpen every tool. I'll have to pick up/make some things this week. Wet/dry paper, Rouge, leather strop..

Perfect. Thanks! Better get myself some rouge then! Thanks!

I have watched a couple very helpful videos on tool sharpening. However, I just want to be sure there isn't a different way of doing this : My edge groover is about as dull as I would ever imagine one could be. There is quite a lot of resistance when I use it, is that normal for it to require quite a lot of pressure to create a groove, or does it indeed need to be sharpened somehow? I've attached an image of a Japanese make that I believe is the same/similar to my own. Thanks!

Thank you so much for trying that out for me Dwight! I really appreciate you taking the time to do that. I will keep it in mind for larger pieces, it sounds like a great option.

Thanks for the reply Dwight! It would need to be relatively small so I could fit it on items like knife sheaths and wallets. Likely about an inch. Would this process still work for that size? Hannah

Hi gang, I'm wanting to create a fairly basic 2D logo. I'm looking for tips on ways that are the most cost effective but will still mark the leather permanently. Stamping? Cutting? Burning? I have been looking into customized 2D stamps, but they are quite pricey. Though I'm sure they are a good future investment, I'm wondering if there is an alternative. This stock photo is similar to the design I will be making, with a small crescent moon. Thanks!

Perfect. I made a note of it, will do. Partway through the youtube video now. Thanks!

Okay! Good to know. I was worried they might instantly fall apart into dust, since I paid so little for them. Mine should be here in a couple days as well. Thankfully, I happen to be a female with tiny hands.

Perfect, thanks for the help. Will do!

This is all great information! And honestly, most of it I haven't come across yet! Thank you for taking the time to write it all out! Thanks!

Will do! Thanks for the tip!

Yeah they were more than double the price on Ebay, but I found this set on amazon for way cheaper, I have no idea why. Hopefully they work for us! After we've learned to sharped of course.. Sharp and sharp, copy that.

Hey Gang, I've done some research on which tools I will need to start learning how to work with leather. There is a Tandy relatively close, but little in the way of much else. I ended up purchasing a kit online for very cheap ($25 CAN), and I'm hoping the quality won't be too terrible. I think it was a good decision, with several of the tools being on my list. I'm sure there are some in the kit I didn't necessarily need. Thoughts? I'm interested in being able to make wallets, knife sheaths, harnesses, and belts. I still planned on buying a mallet, saddlers needles, thread, wax, glue, utility and precision knife..