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I have receinly finished filming my studio and here is the result. I am sorry if I have posted in wrong place. Still trying to figure out how to place YouTube link properly. Any comments are welcome. Thank you. [media][/media] https://youtu.be/DFoxy0xJfjs

This is my latest briefcase, designed for a client out east. I custom make all of the handles and large buckles for the bags and belts in my shop. This one is egyptian olive wood and solid brass. The flap is lined with italian wool. Gives it a nice flash when you open it up.

Hello, I recently received some of the round briefcase locks from Abbey England, and I was wondering what you guys use to attach these locks to your leather. I've seen a couple of folks on these boards use these same locks, but I'm having a hard time finding hardware with a thin enough post that is also long enough to fit through the front plate of the lock, 8-10 oz of leather, and the back plate of the lock. Let me know what has worked for you! Thanks!

I've been experimenting with some briefcase ideas, incorporating some of my hand-made brass and exotic wood handles and hardware. This one is also lined with an Italian wool men's suit material. Simple single gusset brief, but I've adopted/adapted the rod look from the music breifcases. Great littel bag, and with the brass and Purpleheart handle, it really is nice to carry. Overall I'm quite happy with it, though I think that the leather would be more suited to a turned bag...that'll be next on my list.

does anyone have any idea with what this hasp is installed? Both ends inside and out seem to have a revit or pin head of some sort. how do they do that to get it to be the same on both ends? a tube or split revit would show the split on the other end. maybe a pin flattened but that would bend and scratch up the front end i dont think its a force fit revit as none are that small any ideas how to install a hasp like this with available tools and a clean non scratched up way?

Well, I had a little time over the holidays and thought I'd try making a few leather items. It started out with a belt...I couldn't find a buckle I liked anywhere, so I made one. Brass and Ebony, all hand sculpted, and I fashioned a simple belt to go with. Then I thought I'd try leather stitching....I always thought one needed a sewing machine, but I was definitely misinformed. That's when I found you all here at Leatherworker. How inspiring. I started with the two card holders to figure out how to stitch and what tools and materials to use and then just jumped in with the briefcase. Quite pleased with my first go. Comments and critiques are very welcome. I know that they are far from perfect, but please remember that these are my first items. Thanks for all the inspiration. Kai

I've been quietly watching and learning from everyone here for over a year and I've finally made something I like enough to share - so thanks to all of you for your ideas and suggestions that you share every day. This is a gift for a friend who is retiring from the military in a month or so. The patches on the front are for units he served in and the ones on the back are places he's been. 12"x16"x4 built from 6/7oz Triple C leather and hand stitched. Please feel free to critique and make suggestions for either design or process improvements.

I am currently working on a briefcase/messenger bag and am currently struggling with the pattern design. This is my second bag and it is quite a bit larger and more complex then the first. I would like to base it on a design similar to the Saddleback Classic Briefcase XL, I might change the dimensions a bit to fit my needs. Here is a link: http://www.saddlebackleather.com/briefcase My biggest concern are the gussets or pleats or whatever they are called on the sides, and how they connect with the bottom. I have some leftover 4/5oz veg tanned leather but not enough for the whole bag, so I need to go to Tandy and get more. Should I get more veg tanned or is there a more suitable leather that would hold up better to the elements? Thank you for any advise you can give.

I found this briefcase online and obviously, as a novice leather craftsman, I'd rather try my hand at it than spend that kind of money. Does anyone know where I can find a similar pattern or provide some steps to reverse-engineer this? Any help is appreciated! Heres the link to the site - http://www.saddlebackleather.com/Classic-Briefcase?sc=8&category=301407

I'm thinking of making a briefcase or two as Christmas gifts for my family this year. Initially I was just going to do a standard billet and buckle arrangement, but when I looked at examples online I found that most of them had straps that seemed to weave in and out of the lid of the case, as well as the back...hard to explain what I mean... What I can't see about this method is how the strap is attached...is it just woven through all the slots in the leather and left 'loose', or is it stitched on someplace? I haven't had any success finding anything about it. See the attached image for what I mean. (the briefcase below is from Longview Leather, a supplier out in Calgary. Just figured I'd cite my sources) Can anyone enlighten me?

Not sure if this is the right forum, but I spose I would like to show it off. So my husband and I were strolling about town and just wandered into an antique store. In the dredges of their giant basement, in the corner, on the floor, a very unique case caught my eye. A briefcase. A modified briefcase. Modified for tools. The ouside is a bit beaten up, but the bones and hardware are all in working and functional order. I am not sure if it was originally used for leather tools, but I dont know what other kinds of tools would fit such slots. Works for my meager (still growing) tool set though! Oh gosh, sorry if my pictures are upside down!

Hey everyone, been lurking around here for a bit as I wade into the world of leather but I need some help. Judging by the search results I am not the only one who would like to try their hand at making a sort of Saddleback Leather inspired briefcase. I've been researching techniques for constructing it and composing a tools and materials needed list. One of the big issues I am having is that I don't know what kind of leather to buy. I think I am right in saying I want something veg-tanned so that I can dye (stain?) it whatever shade of brown I decide on, and something around the weight of 5-6 oz. so that it is strong enough. Using the picture from Saddleback below as reference, when I'm sketching out my pattern I have two pieces that are 12.5" x 17" as the front and middle-divider panels; a piece that is (12.5" + a lot more that I have not yet determined) x 17" to serve as the back panel and flap that goes over the front; and two more pieces which I believe I am correct in calling gussets that are I think 2.5" x 42" that attach the panels to each other and serve as the sides and bottom; as well as a few more like the little doodads all over it and the shoulder strap. I'm looking at Tandy and the Springfield Leather Co. sites to determine what kind and how much leather to buy but I don't know what pieces to get in regards to a single shoulder, a double shoulder, a side, a bend, a belly. For example, the shoulder strap is just a few inches thin but very long whereas the back panel is fairly large in both dimensions; I have no concept of how long and wide a shoulder might be versus how long and wide a belly might be so I don't know which pieces to buy for each part of my project. Can anyone help me or point me in the direction of some good resources for this? I want to make sure I can actually use the leather I buy so that I don't end up getting X square feet of leather and come to find that none of it is wide or long enough to cut out a certain piece that I need.

I have a customer that wants a briefcase with a specific closure. I can not find one anywhere and not a good enough photo for me to figure out if I can fashion one out of other items. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I can get something like this. Thanks in advance. Ken