Been asked to make simple knife sheaths. Please help..

[SUP]

@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. 

 

 

[SUP]

@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.

 

[AlZilla]

26 minutes ago, SUP said:

t does not make  sense to me to buy a machine for just this project - it will certainly not cover the cost of one.

 

105 sheaths x 20.00 profit per = $2100. More than the cost of a Cowboy Outlaw or  CB2500.

If you never do another for-profit order, you've propelled your hobby leaps and bounds forward.

I'd be on that deal in a heartbeat.

[Handstitched]

@SUP Its a lot to think about I know, but  remember, YOU are in charge  and whatever you decide, you have our support 

Empowering isn't it ??   and it feels damn good too 

HS 

[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!

[AlZilla]

18 minutes ago, SUP said:

My husband just told me  he was  talking to my husband about simple sheaths for $10!!

Yep, mass produced junk is the enemy of handcrafted quality.  We live in a Walmart world.

I hope you get the deal.

[SUP]

@Handstitched, your mother sounds delightfully talented! Spinning wool, knitting, making garments, pottery, baking.. so many talents. I am impressed. You must be proud of her.

[SUP]

@AlZilla, yes, unfortunately. Don't people notice the different in quality?

If he insists on such a ridiculous price, I am directing him to the cheap items he can get off Etsy or eBay or Temu or wherever. 

Edited June 4, 2023 by SUP

[fredk]

Be careful. I recently dropped a deal for cowboy holsters. The retailer want top quality holsters at a lower price he can buy poor thin leather ones from Mexico. The deal was for at least 5 holsters per month for at least 3 years. I can't even buy the decent leather for less than he is buying a cheap holster in at (eg, my good thick leather is about £5 sqft x 3 = £15 plus lining leather at £3.50 sqft = about £26, he's buying the cheap holster and a belt for £25). The retailer keeps asking when I'm going to make him some holsters and I keep telling him he can't afford my prices. He's been asking since 2017!

Sometimes, after looking at a deal, ya just gotta walk away from it

Hand sewing can take more time than you think. I recently sewed the perimeter of a book cover. It took 3, that's three, bluddy hours. At £10.85 (minimum wage here) that's £32.55 just to sew the edge! As this is for a friend, I'd told her £15 for the book cover. That just covers the cost of the leather (real cheap, but good, leather ) and a few fittings

Also, a while back, as I was asked to do so, I used a stop watch to time every working step in making a simple coin purse. Actual working time came out at 1 hour 45 minutes, and I didn't have to dye or edge finish or anything fancy. So that was, at min/wg, £19 for something I'd sell for £3 or £5

I might do the stop-watch thing again sometime, just to see how long it takes me to make something

 

[AlZilla]

Out of curiosity, I trolled $10 knife sheaths on Amazon. I found what we'd all expect, cheap, thin "leather", no welts, complaints of poking a sharp knife through the sheath. One reviewer measured his "leather" at .040", so about 2oz.

But look!  4 stars out of 5!

How does Amazon Math work when 45% of reviews are 4 stars and under, 29% are 3 stars and under, yet somehow average out to 4 stars?