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There have been a few threads about cutting costs or getting stuff cheap but they were by and for the US cousins so I thought I'd start one for the UK-ers I can't see anywhere else but here to run the thread 1. Granite chopping board. From Home Bargains = £4.99, exactly the same one sold by Argos is £9.99. Size is 40 x 30 x 1.3 cm. It may be thin but I've been stamping on it and it hasn't cracked yet. Certainly good enough for edge skiving if you don't want to chance the stamping on it 2. Next we visit the Poundland shop, so all these items cost.... ?? How much? anyone? Bueller? UHU glue. Look for the solid box. There is one with a window in the box, that tube is far smaller [half the contents afair]. Its a good contact glue, Easy to apply because it is a tube - and in my case you don't waste a load cos the rest of the glue in the tin has solidified. UHU is also available at some Home Bargains for... 99p a tube. Home Bargains sells a Bostick type glue in their own brand name; its good too, at £1 a tube. 3. Stainless steel roasting tin. I use these for dip dyeing. Holds enough dye and easy clean up 4. Compartment storage box, About 20 x 20 x 4cm. Divided up into twelve 5 x 5cm and one 10 x 10cm sections. Many of the partitions are removable making the areas longer [or wider, but not both ways]. Handy for keeping and segregating small things like small rivets, Chicago screws or Sam Browne buttons 5, Black box with lid.This one is just under the size of half of a folding crate. I throw scraps into a number of these, then sort out the stuff that can be used from the real waste. I make board games so any piece from which I can punch a 6mm disc is still good for me 6. Need to see better close up? I wear reading glasses. Available in powers from 1 D to 4 D. I have several in 2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5 powers for various tasks [not all leather work] They're cheap enough to have several pairs kicking around. My eye specialist [I can't spell her fancy title!] put a pair on one of her machines and she said the lenses were fine; almost as good as the ones she gets for customers. 7. A new style of reading glass on the block. With LED lights, one each side. I'm still checking these out. In low light they help but if you have bright working lights they don't seem to make much difference. These cost me £1.09 from China via ebay 8. Back home - to Home Bargains actually. A medium sized clear storage box, £1.69. I keep things that I use more frequently in these as I can see the contents better 9. At many discount stores; small spring clamps, usually about £1 to £1.50 for six or eight. Their jaws will mark leather so I use lolly sticks between the jaws and the leather, both sides. Not only does this prevent the leather from getting marked but it spreads the clamping force. And, yes occasionally the stick will leave a flat impression on the leather but it never looks bad. Normal lolly sticks at The Works; 50 for £1, or some craft stores 100 for £1, and wide sticks; 100 for about £1.50 Don't use the coloured sticks; the colour comes out and will stain the leather, it even stained some chrome tanned upholstery leather I have. 10 Another bargain. I'm currently 'remodeling' [ahem....clearing out, tidying, sorting the mess of, or as we say here 'redding it out' ] the room I do leather work in. I went to Homebase to look for another tool box and got this; £40, discounted from £160. It was a stock clearance sale. It pays just to keep yours eyes and ears open. I already had two drawer units [the top bit of this] from Halfords for my tools. Sometimes they discount the tool boxes too. Right, that's all from me for now. Over to youse.........

Hi, I am selling a load of BRAND NEW Vergez blanchard tools as well as an Osborne punch set and Japanese punch. All the items are in amazing condition, and need to go. I became a vegan (don't use leather) right after buying the tools...so I never used them. These tools are amazing quality (used by Hermes and Louis vuitton). looking for 600$ I paid 1000 and never used them. shipping is not included. Vergez blanchard pricking iron set 9 tpi 10 and 2 teeth Vergez strap end punch size 17 Vergez skiving knife (hss special steel) Vergez saddler hammer size 3 Vergez saddlers clam Vergez round knife Barry king awl blade size 0 Barry king awl haft (small) Barry king mallet 32oz Japanese Strap Punch size 21mm Glue pot w/brush Seiwa tokonole gum I am unable to post pics on this forum (I don't know why) so if you dm me your email, I will send you a pics as well as you custom price. Best regards, Isaiah LeVinus Instagram: @Ilevinus Email: Ilevinus777@gmail. c o m Quote

Hi, I am selling a load of BRAND NEW Vergez blanchard tools as well as an Osborne punch set and Japanese punch. All the items are in amazing condition, and need to go. I became a vegan (don't use leather) right after buying the tools...so I never used them. These tools are amazing quality (used by Hermes and Louis vuitton). looking for 600$ I paid 1000 and never used them. shipping is not included. Vergez blanchard pricking iron set 9 tpi 10 and 2 teeth Vergez strap end punch size 17 Vergez skiving knife (hss special steel) Vergez saddler hammer size 3 Vergez saddlers clam Vergez round knife Barry king awl blade size 0 Barry king awl haft (small) Barry king mallet 32oz Japanese Strap Punch size 21mm Glue pot w/brush Seiwa tokonole gum I am unable to post pics on this forum (I don't know why) so if you dm me your email, I will send you a pics as well as you custom price. Best regards, Isaiah LeVinus Instagram: @Ilevinus Email: Ilevinus777@gmail. c o m Quote

I’m wondering if anybody has tried out the edge bevelers made by Johnleather in China. The price is ridiculously low at about $10 per edger. They look good but I’m concerned about the steel they use. They make them in 316L stainless, which is a low carbon steel. If you’ve tried them out, how good of an edge can you get , and how long does it hold? I love the narrow profile but my wallet doesn’t want to let go of $60+ for a brand that I know will be high quality. Should I pass these up and save for a better brand? Here’s a link to their eBay: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F283039884275

Hi all. Been learning about leather work as a weekend hobby for a couple of years. I've made easy bags, diary covers, dog collars and some simple bits n pieces. Pics later. My question is, what else can I try my hand at. I seem to have no imagination and just see what someone has made and try it myself. As I live in the UK anything to do with guns and even knives is pointless. I'm going to a craft fair in month so keen to make things for that. I make square and heart shaped keyrings for the Airedale Terrier of Scotland Club which are sold via the club. My airedale is called Fudge. https://en-gb.facebook.com/fudgeandme/ there are some pics of the things I've done here. So I'm looking for some inspiration, ideas, suggestions, either for new items or how to improve what I'm doing. I'd really appreciate your views. Thanks from sunny Scotland (insert happy face)

Hello, i am just starting out and i figured out real fast that this is a VERY expensive hobby starting up, but I've found and made some things to cut cost that i wanted to share with yal to help out, ill label whats free, and what i payed for and how much. 1. FREE... wine box from any liquor store.just ask them if they have one to give to you, they just throw them out. Makes a tool holder, storage box.. anything you want, just be creative. 2. CHEAP...Bar soap containers. 1$ at walmart... for holding all your small stuff you want to keep separate. Like the swivel knife and stamps. 3. CHEAP/FREE.Trash bags/walmart bags. Used to lay down under leather when dying. Be careful with walmart bags though, alot of times they'll have holes and not as flat. CHEAP... tool storage boxes.. bought a pack of 4 of them at walmart for 9 bucks. Good for keeping things organized. FREE/CHEAP... old white t-shirts.. instead of throwing away the old white work shirts. Keep them cut them up. Good for tons of stuff.. buffing towels, speading glue and dye, what ever you can think of. CHEAP... stanley box knife. Couple bucks at wal mart and you can get 50 blades for 5 bucks i believe. FREE/CHEAP... BOOKS! Scribd.com 8 bucks a month and you get a ton of books(including al stohlman)..you can also download them onto your phone, using your free 30 day trial(wink, wink).. and if you cancel membership before the month is over you dont pay a dime. Again (wink wink) its not letting me put up the pics so if you want to see them, or have any questions, send me a message and ill send them to you somehow! Addition! Ill add stuff as i think of them and do them... The internet/youtube!! I have already learned a ton of stuff off youtube, and when you have a better understanding of what your doing and how to do it you'll waste less products and save money... Tandy leathers offers a free beginner's class go take it!!

Hey guys, Here in South Africa, there is only one place to get any tools ; a third party retailer for the Tandy shop halfway across the country who seldom has stock. As a result, I am always on the lookout for easy tools that I can make myself to do the job. Mallets and mauls are very expensive here and there is only one in stock at any one time! I have been using a hammer handle with an old belt around it for about 5 months now but I am tired of it and wanted to upgrade. I have been coveting an Stolhman Poly Maul and decided that yesterday was the day that I try and make one for my self. No... I didn't really nail it the way I was hoping. It's a bit rough and ready and a lathe would have been a VERY useful tool to have so that I could turn down the handle nicely but, alas, I don't have one. However, I am thrilled with the outcome. and love the new feel of it. Here's a shot of the "raw materials". The threaded bar is a 6mm diameter and I used nyloc nuts to keep it all together. I didn't use any glue at all. It is seriously straight forward to make and so my only advice is to clamp the leather down when you drill the disks out! DO not try and hold it flat on the bench with your hand. I nearly lost a finger nail when the piece I was drilling, bit into the hole saw and wrapped my hand around the drill! It was a painful realisation of just how strong leather is. I have no idea where the center of the weight should be but I recon you could balance it by taking off the end disk, drilling a few small holes in the second disk down, inserting a few lead fishing weights, and clamping the whole thing back together. That way you could add weight to the head if necessary. The center of this one is right at the join between the head and the handle. Can any one tell me where the weight should lie? For the rest of us noobs out there, you don't need a huge budget to get started. Just a bit of patience and some effort, after all, this is a craft and an art so we may as well invest some time into the set up. Cheers Alex

Hi guys, I know I have seen something on this subject a long time ago, but I can't find it anywhere. Is there another cheaper material that I could use to practice my swivel knife techniques on? I thought I saw something about using a sheet of wax, or something like that. Thanks All