Search the Community

Just saying hello and looking forward to learning from ya'll . I have been on the leather road just 2 or 3 months and am enjoying the journey . Be gentle but be honest

Hi, I'm new to leather. I would like to sew a leather bag that's not extremely stiff/heavy. What type of leather am I looking for? And about how much should it cost? I think I would prefer to use a sewing machine (Singer 31-15). I would prefer the bag be unlined, but I'm open to lining. I was thinking at first to use 1-3 oz leather, but I do want the bag to last. I like the "buttery soft" leather texture, but also the flexibility. I'm not sure how to explain it. "Vintage Coach" is the best I've come up with. I also looked into buying a vintage Coach bag on etsy and it might be less expensive to go that route, but I want to learn to work with leather and customize the dimensions of the bag and pockets. Thanks!

My first attempt at making a holster. I like the overall fit but I need to tweak the belt clip location I think. With the clip I'm using I. An tuck my shirt in if needed. Any suggestions critique would be appreciated.

Hi everyone, I'm practicing my tooling and moving toward the goal of making a leather seat for my Honda Shadow(using the same pan & trimming the foam a bit thinner). I'm wondering about the longevity etc of my work if the seat is stored outdoors in the very wet Pacific Northwest. Is there a finish I can use to keep the leather from absorbing water and taking a fine imprint of my tuchas? I'm planning on doing it in 7-8oz veg. Please advise. Thanks very much, Grumble

I get some basics to get back into tooling and within weeks I have a list of projects I need to have finished by the 24th of this month. Wow. The first three I took on were little things, to be made into "belt favors" (a badge/emblem to be put on a loop and hung on a belt, seen at Ren Faires and LARPs all the time). Okay, a little swivel knife work, a tiny amount of beveling to enhance the emblem, and painted. No problems, get them done in a couple of sittings of a couple of hours each and the only person that has seen them lost thier mind. Whew. I'm not totally happy with them, but I'm the kind of artist that tears their own work to shreds with critique, so.... Next. Yipes. A tooled/carved award certificate. Nah, didn't go in whole hog on getting back into this at all. Takes everything I got practice in on the favors and tosses in some celtic knotwork, a rose, antiquing, and having to decide if it's going to be a frame or if I'm going to be insane enough to try to letter this thing in a week, on top of everything else getting ready for a weekend camping type event, I'm thinking it's going to be a frame or ink/paint calligraphy, but still... It seems I don't believe in taking slow. I'm either going to do it, or not. lol 1) Casing: still have a little ways to go on getting it "just so," but not too bad. 2) Swivel work: It felt SO GOOD to pick up that thing again. Like coming home. Of course I need practice, but I was no where near as inept as I feared I would be after so long. 3) Beveling: This was a cakewalk to get back into. 4) Tooling/carving (not sure where my work would fall, but my mentor/Grandfather called all of that tooling): Other than a lack of a couple of tools and having to improvise, again it went much better than I had prepared myself for. 5) Painting: I grew up painting, a little adjustment for media and I was off like a rocket of contentment. 6) Antiquing: Not there yet Still missing some things for the bench, so burnished edges, and a few other things are going to have to wait until later. I hate money right now, it's getting in the way of having more than a few tools and scraps to work on. Dang electric bills in the summer. lol Oh well, I'm patient and will work with what I have and slowly build the bench to what it needs to be. Best parts of the expreience so far: --My son wanting to learn it more and more each time he comes to the bench to see how the projects are coming along, and realizing that a modest piece can be finished in a real amount of time. --Feeling so close to my Grandfather again after so long. I can feel him behind me watching just like he used to. Worst parts: --Missing my Grandfather, because he's not there when I turn around. --Realizing we're going to need a bigger place to live with two more people wanting to get into it... We're going to end up scrapping over workbench time at this rate. lol I will post images after the event they are for, don't want them accidentaly seen before then by those that should see them until presentation.