Aethelhelm Report post Posted October 20, 2007 (edited) Hiya guys, I've been considering starting up at leatherworking for a year or more now and have finally decided to take the plunge. The thing that really prompted me was a friend of mine who made some bracelets and so on from old leather jackets taken to charity shops. I was wondering what you guys might suggest for a beginner, what projects to attempt and what tools to buy etc? I was considering buying a ready made kit from a shop with sections of leather and the tools included but wondered if this was really the best approach? Is it better to buy a decent set of tools by project and practice on small objects like bracelets and so on to begin with? Can anyone recommend a book that might cover all the questions I have? I'm aware of the fact that practice makes perfect but I've always found that having a good initial basing from an expert or at least someone who vaguely knows what they are doing is for the best! My aim is eventually to be able to make bags, bracelets, rings, wallets, guitar straps etc for my friends and family and possibly to sell to others if I get that far. Sorry to be a pain but this seemed the most appropriate place to ask! Many thanks, Tom EDIT: I am based in the UK so any US specific advice might go straight over my head, bear with me if it does! :D Edited October 20, 2007 by Aethelhelm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Regis Report post Posted October 20, 2007 Tom, Great to have you here as you will get lots of help as you grow in leather. The items you describe could be done more than one way and it would be good to narrow your interest or try a little of each. - you could design, carve, tool, dye, and assemble - or buy leather in the color you want and just cut out and assemble the peices - To assemble, you could glue, lace, or hand/machine sew A lot depends on the types of experience you are bringing with you. I would not spend a lot on tools to begin with until you understand the tools you need for what YOU want to do. There are a lot of good books and video/cd's at Hidecrafters, TLF and others. Are you near a store that sells tools & supplies like TLF (tandy)? If you would like to carve and tool, there are some very online tutorials Like Paul Burnett's Painting Cow News Letter. Look over this site at Show Off and the Gallery to get ideas Of what you would like to do. Well, I went on a bit but, most of all welcome and ask away as there are truely a lot of very helpful folks here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aethelhelm Report post Posted October 20, 2007 Hiya Regis, Thanks for the quick reply! I have never touched a bit of leather for crafting purposes it must be said. I have done a few bits of carpentry a couple of years ago. I am a civil engineer by trade so spend most of my time doing consulting, figured it was time to get my hands dirty! My final aim would be to be able to do the whole process, carving, dying, tooling, assembling etc. I prefer lacing or sewing items as it gives it the look I am probably going for. Initially I'd probably like to learn some of the processes involved and go from there so it might be better to learn assembly and cutting to begin with? There are a few general craft/hobby shops here but they tend to not contain many specifics for each individual craft. I am quite into celtic and nordic themed items and so would most likely want to be making bags, bracelets, bracers etc etc in that sort of theme. Very much like things such as this, this and these. Many Thanks, Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gunfighter48 Report post Posted October 20, 2007 Hi Tom, Welcome to the forum, it's a great place to learn about leather craft. I did a search on Google for "leather supplies uk" and turned up many pages of sites specifically for the UK. Look for books on leather crafts they will run from very basic to very advanced but most all will show you what you need to do different projects. That's how many of us started out. Sorry I can't be more specific but leather crafting is such a wide category that it's very hard to recommend what you will need. Braclets, wallets, and belts make a good place to start. I started with one of Tandys leather kits that had a very basic set of tools and variety of small projects and then bought books to expand my knowledge. As my knowledge grew so did my tool collection!!! It's a great hobby. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aethelhelm Report post Posted October 20, 2007 Thanks very much. I think I will just buy a kit or a book and just get stuck in. Heres hoping you will all be checking out my first projects in a few weeks! Tom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beaverslayer Report post Posted October 20, 2007 Welcome to the forum Tom. As the others have said, with bracelets wallets and such, you will only need a basic set of tools. There's no need to go out and spend hundreds of pounds to aquire a whole bunch of things that you will never use. The most important thing is to buy the right leather for stamping and carving. You will need to use "Veg Tanned" leather for this, and it should be available in the UK. You have made the first step a positive one, by joining the forum and asking questions. You will find that there are an abundance of people here that will freely give of their time and knowledge to help you along the way. Good Luck, and looking forward to those pics. Ken Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
