SUP

@Alzilla, You are perfectly right, if I get $20 profit from each sheath. I somehow am not sure. My husband just told me he was talking to my husband about simple sheaths for $10!! People have no idea of the expense and efforts put into hand made leather items! if he agrees to a price where I can make a decent profit, I will probably do it. Otherwise, not worth it. @Handstitched, Yes! It is empowering and feels good. I should see the positive side of it!

@KGG, yes, that makes sense. Hand stitching so many sheaths is just not practical. Leather sewing machines are expensive and it does not make sense to me to buy a machine for just this project - it will certainly not cover the cost of one. I do not know whether I will get other projects or will even want them. So I have to decide whether buying a machine will help me in newer projects and allow me to make more items that I would not attempt to hand sew, even just for a hobby.

@Klara and @Handstitched, I know! it is such a dilemma. I could sell items directly without making it a formal business but these days they are very strict here in the US, I have heard. So if I do decide to do it as a business, it will have to be all the complications of business registration etc. UGH! @jrdunn, you are right about the deadlines and pressure to complete orders versus doing leatherwork for the pleasure of it. I would hate to lose the joy I get from working with leather. And like you said, @Handstitched, buying a machine! I have seen the threads here about buying a machine There are so many things to think about, and since I am such a novice at leatherwork, I am clueless about all of them. I barely even machine-stitch cloth, so that will be a learning curve as well. I have 2 sewing machines, including a vintage one , just sitting pretty as of now! So I wonder if I will use a leather sewing one or it will become another expensive 'curio' in my house. And I hate to spend money unless absolutely necessary. SO much to think about. Thank you for giving me so much food for thought. I need it all to make an informed decision.

@Handstitched that is very true. I could buy a machine and start a business and still enjoy leatherwork - I think I will - but I am so new at leatherwork - just started earlier this year - that I do not yet feel confident. I need to feel that I am getting good at at least some things first. That is my concern.

Thank you for that kgg. That helps! I agree machines will help but I am a hobbyist and have no plans to go into business and therefore have had no plans to buy machines as I enjoy hand stitching. However ,I seem to be getting pushed that way. In the last month or so, this man is the 2nd who asked me to make knife sheaths and another wants moccasins for him and his family. Another woman wants me to make bags for her. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something! I am a little loathe to turn a hobby into a profession though - worried that leatherwork will lose its charm. But let me see. I will think over it for a few days.

It seems leatherwork is in demand, at least where I stay. Each and every time I mention that I work with leather, I am always asked whether I can make something or the other. Purses, moccasins, and now, knife sheaths. Someone wants me to make dozens of knife sheaths. He has 105 knives and some have sheaths, but most do not. I explained that I am just a hobbyist and that I just make simple, protective knife sheaths for personal use but he insists I make some. and he is fine with simple ones, without any tooling. Now my question is, if I agree, how much do I charge for them? They will be hand-stitched as I do not have a machine and I size and wet mold each so it fits exactly. The knives are of different sizes, he says. I would really appreciate some guidance on this.

It looks really beautiful in dark blue. Are you sure you want to dye it black?

I will, whenever the day comes. I just started leatherworking in January 2023, so still very much a newbie.. with ambitions!

Could be Kolhapuris. Need to be broken in, to shape to one's feet. Very comfortable and hand made to boot, At least the ones I wore growing up in India. No idea what they sold here. I plan to make them as soon as I become better at leatherworking.

Nice. Very imaginative.

@FFbullrider Why on earth shouldn't men shop at Etsy? When last I looked, they don't ask if you are female. Coming to the topic in question, I make moccasins and have just managed to get hold of some old tire tubes. Can't wait to use them. When well shaped, they work very well. Besides, as moccasins are bespoke made for each person, the soles will exactly fit each foot as well. @Dwight You are right about being conversation starters. I got the tire tubes at an estate sale, and the woman next to me kept looking at me, puzzled as to why I wanted them. When I explained, she was delighted. She did not know they could be used in that way.

A bit late in this thread, but don't coconut oil, almond oil etc. get oxidized over time? I have heard they do.

@TomGEco-flo bleeds so easily, I think I will just compromise on the color and try something else. Thank you. It saves me continuous trials when I have a million other things to learn about leatherworking.

@TomG does it prevent bleeding of Eco-flo dyes as well? I can find a color that I want only in Eco-FLo but it bleeds heavily the moment it comes in contact with water. Still trying on scrap, luckily. If not, will have to compromise and move to something else.

Tarps! Already ordered some huge ones that will cover my work area, floor included. The advantages of being a newbie with oldies' (only in terms of experience, no age-related offence intended; besides, I'm old!) experiences to read about is invaluable. Thank you all!

Good thing the weather is not so cold these days!

It cannot be undone. A hug. kiss, apology and offer to do whatever she wants to remedy the matter... You realize it is possible she might want to change all the flooring and this will be the perfect chance?

That is exactly my husband's reaction when I tell him not to do something and he does...and it goes wrong!

That sounds painful! And having no feeling feels weird, isn't it? Does your smartphone respond to that thumb? Mine doesn't. And that is an idea. Using the non-feeling finger-tips to push needles. Will try that today.

I have something similar and they are really useful. I hate wearing them, though I have recently started doing so. As it is, I do not have much feeling in my finger-tips because of a dog attack and with gloves, I can feel virtually nothing. Feels a little weird, but less weird than seeing blood everywhere and having to search for the wound.

You and some others might not agree with what I have to say but I will say it anyway. You say you have not even cut a piece of leather or stitched a single stitch. Then how do you know you will like leatherworking or enjoy it enough to keep at it consistently? I know people say 'Buy the best you can afford" but that, to me, is only once one is sure of of staying in leatherworking and knowing what one will be making. I would suggest, get a simple leatherworking kit from Amazon. Should be no more than $100.00 or so. They usually have everything you need to make things like bags and boxes. Get some not too expensive leather from Tandy or elsewhere. Work with both. Wanting to make specific items is one thing; enjoying it enough to keep at it consistently is quite another. Once you are sure of your interest and direction of interest, look for and purchase the 'best' tools. By then, you will also have an idea of what you need - some of the items in the kits are fine. Others will need to be replaced. A tool does not have to have a high end name attached to be of good quality. Not today, with so many players in the manufacturing field. You will then look for the specific items you actually need rather than what you think you need. Just a suggestion.

I have been experimenting with both Tan kote and Resolene and like Tan kote better, because Resolene gives a harder shine and impermeable finish.. Both Tan Kote and Resolene cause the freshly applied dye to come off on the material you use to apply them, especially Tan kote. I in fact, I use Tan kote to get an antique finish without using antique dye. I use Resolene when I do not care much about how the item looks. You will just have to experiment on pieces of scrap leather and decide what is best for your current project - there are others besides Resolene and Tan kote like Super sheen or Satin sheen or even plain mineral oil. With the information provided by so many leathercrafters in this thread, a Google search and the SDS may help you make an informed decision. About Neatsfoot oil and Mink oil, I am surprised that you say it hardens leather. Quite the contrary, in fact. Neatsfoot oil is used to soften hardened leather and if used too much, can make the leather too soft. They are also much more stable than oils like olive oil coconut oil, almond oil and others many recommend for leather. I suspect both have been given a bad name by companies peddling leather conditioners and people, in all innocence, believed and ran with it. Leather goes hard and dry not because of the use of these oils but because the leather has not been properly taken care of and conditioned. That is required periodically to maintain leather in optimum form, no matter what conditioner is used.

The knives I use most often are small decorated ones I got on Amazon - 8 items for about $15.00, in a container! Good reviews and I bought them before I learnt anything about good knives. They are very sharp, cut the 4-5 oz leather I use, easily and not gone dull yet. Easy to cut around corners, angles and curves and perfect for cutting leather for smaller items. Not sharpened or stropped them yet. No idea how long before I will need to sharpen them but good for a beginner stepping into the leatherworking world. Also the price is right! I plan to buy another set before the good reviews push up the price, if it has not gone up already. I think someone buys these and sells them on ebay for $20.00. Getting more comfortable with round knives so I suspect that will become my favorite soon. Of course, I am a noob, so not much experience yet but I had to mention these surprising knives.

Just found another thread about this: I believe it is called 'block dyeing' or 'reverse dyeing'. This is the thread, for anyone else looking for it.

Yes. True. It will be a while because I have to get up the courage to make it! Will need to get some basic tools as well. Having never done anything with metal or wood, I am delighted to be doing it but a little apprehensive as well. This is, I know child's play for most, but for me, something new. I will put up pics.