What got you started in this hobby/addiction?

[Tac]

I was reading another post in which a board member commented on how they got interested or "hooked" on leather crafting/leather working, and rather than hijack that thread, I thought I'd start one on the topic...

Heres my introduction into the world of leather craft/holster making.

My first experience with any sort of leather crafting was an "industrial arts" class I took in the 8th grade...(seems like a lifetime ago...) I had fun learning to stamp leather and made a couple of small projects. I found that it wasn't nearly has hard as "wood shop" and didn't require me to use tools that could cause me to lose fingers or worse...

Fast forward about 20 years... I am a working cop who is putting his wife through college..... One of my favorite off-duty holsters finally wore out and came apart. Not willing to let it die and too cheap to spend the cash on a new one, I decided to try and "fix" it... I took it to a Tandy Leather factory and spoke with the manager about how to sew it back together. He sold me a Al Stohlman (sp?) book on leather sewing, and awl, thread, needles and some "practice leather" to go home and work on.... After reading the book and trying a few stiches, I took my holster apart and repaired it. It worked like new again, and I discovered that it was fun and not nearly as hard as I thought... So, I stopped back by the leather store, picked up a few more books and started "Tinkering".... Now I know all of the employees of the leather store by first name (When I walk in it's like 'Norm' entering Cheers!), and I am producing about 10-15 holsters a month for sale, as well as a steady stream of other cop related leather products (cuff cases, mag pouches, belt pouches, etc.).

That's my story... what's yours?

-Tac

Edited April 17, 2009 by Tac

[budd4766]

I started with Bruce Grant's book on braiding. Wanted something to do on "rainy days". After braiding about everything I could, I remembered I had my dad's old hunting knife in a drawer somewhere, and that I'd planned to restore it someday.

So, I pulled it out and, like you, I wound up at the tandy store. Bought tools and leather to remake the leather "disc" handle and sheath and got started.

After that, I was really hooked. Started thinking of all the other stuff I'd like to have made in leather. It's been all downhill from there.

Here's the before and after pics of that first sheath. Pretty plain...but that's what got me started.

[flyingcuda]

i was a stay at home mom...did'nt like the idea of someone else looking after my babes. hard to trust people with the care of your children. anyways...money was not flowing as we had hoped, hubby said there was money to be had in adult leather items. he actually did the shopping at tandy, brought home the goodies, as soon as i smelled and felt the leather...well...that was it for me..i knew i had a new passion!

[Russ]

I needed a new saddle and decided I wanted a "good" one, not a $600 saddle. I looked in a bunch of catalogs and got sticker shock. I thought to myself, couldn't I build exactly what I wanted a lot cheaper? After all, that worked for the house, the barn, the fence, etc.

Boy, was that saddle expensive!

[Kevin]

Just remember, you asked.

Wallet, seventh grade; Christmas after graduation, Let's Do Modern Leathercraft, and that my friends, was the beginning of the end. I had swing arm lamps on either end of my bunk bed and a pile of phone books with a piece of marble on top in the middle and that was my first work bench.

After a few years, I thought, this is getting expensive, about this time my father died, and I came into the princely sum of about $2500. Hmmm.. pay off my truck, which will be nothing but rust in a few years or invest in myself?

So I ended up in Whitewood,SD at the fabulous JM Saddle School. I had no intention of coming back to VA, I was going to go on to Salmon ID and build saddles and commune with family, but as luck would have it, after a while I missed Virginia, now Cary Swarz is living my life (he even ended up making my ex's saddle).

I came back to VA and drove to every tack shop I could find around the Beltway and there actually were quite a few back in the 70's. But no one would have me.

So then I went to work for an aunt and uncle, taking care of 8 horse and 100 acres. It was great, well for a while anyway. The very day, I decided I needed a major change in employment, a friend coincedentally called and said this tack shop was looking for somebody, so I showed up and they said "huh?" Well after a few months I wore them down and now I have outlasted the owner and work for his ex-wife (zipper problems).

I actually feel like I am the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth some days. We have some very priveleged customers (even at least 2 bbbillionaires) and some people that I don't understand how they feed themselves, much less their horses. I like to treat them all the same.

And me? I live in my little shack in a crack 'hood with my tools and machines. Yesterday, I found a hypo-needle in my backyard while mowing.

It's not all that bad, I got a new kitchen and bathroom after kids set my house on fire.

OK, I tried to keep it brief,

Kevin

[barra]

I'm the grandson of a jockey. My first memory is of a horse (well shetland pony). I grew up one street back from a racecourse and was going to become a jockey. Well at about 12/13 the hormones kicked in and put paid to that idea so I thought well if I can't ride in saddles, I might as well make them. I could not make up my mind between saddler or soldier so at 15 I left school and started a saddlery apprenticeship, thinking that when I finished I could still join the Army. At 17 I joined the Army reserve while still learning saddlery. This pleased the boss no end as he was in the British Army before, during and after WW2 (it'll make a man of you boy). After a couple more years I decided to fly the nest so to speak and branch out on my own, knowing the old boss was still close at hand if I got stuck. The only problem was as the Boss was retired even before i started with him, he did not have a sewing machine. Time was not money to him.

A few years down the track and I was involved in Australia's ANZAC day commemoration Services (sort of our version of Memorial day). This usually ends up in the local RSL (VFW). It was here that I got talking to a retired Airforce member about what I did in civvy street and somehow it got around to not learning how to use industrial sewing machines. He suggested I join the Airforce as there is a trade that amongst other things maintains the Aircraft interior and uses Industrial sewing machines. I mulled this over for a while and eventually walked into a recruiting centre. Of course they ask what you do in civilian life and when I said I was a Saddler and "harness" maker, their eyes near bugged out of their heads. Hmmmmmm we have a trade that maintains safety equipment including the manufacture of Aircrew "harnesses" and we will teach you. So here I sit 21 years later having well and truly learned to use that stitcher. In fact i taught the trade for 4 years. Many of the skills I have learned in the Airforce I have been able to transfer back to leather work and many Saddler skills have come in very handy in the Airforce.

Barra

[sdkid]

Pretty simple for me. I needed a new wallet. My m&fil told me about leathercraft. They had a few tools, all I had to do was order a kit for my wallet. Its more of a winter hobby for me. Now, boys are getting old enough to try their hands with it. Its a great way to spend an evening.

[Tina]

I was looking around to get another hobby (besides my paintings) a little bit more "hands on". I came across the art of decorating gourds, seams to be huge in USA. For some reason, when browsing the net for info about this some leather pages (read Peter Mains web page) came along, I think it had to do with searcing for dyes. The gourd people are mostly (?) using Angelus leather dye in their craft.

Well, as manny here knows, I'm a huge fan of Peter's work and I was so impressed what could be made in leather...I started to read as much as I could find in the subject of carving/tooling leather online. After some time I felt readdy to get some tools (with some scrap leather pieces for practise) and eventually I got my first hide, that's a wee bit more than a year and half ago and I have never looked back again...This is for sure a bug, an addiction and I'm totally and utterly hooked:-)

Tina

[Keltrey]

I needed a creative outlet and an alternative career due to back problems. This allows me to work with a physical medium for my art and make things that I love. I have always loved leather. Now I get to work with it on a daily basis. Since I started with this "addiction" this year, I have decided to pursue more education in Graphic design to help in the design of my pieces. I think the overall best part about the whole thing is, it is something that will allow me to spend more time with my children and pass the art to them.

This forum has helped me a great deal in giving me the information that I needed. I am very thankful for everyone that participates here and shares their knowledge and to the folks that keep the site running. Thank you for everything you guys do!

[Trav]

Just remember, you asked.

Wallet, seventh grade; Christmas after graduation, Let's Do Modern Leathercraft, and that my friends, was the beginning of the end. I had swing arm lamps on either end of my bunk bed and a pile of phone books with a piece of marble on top in the middle and that was my first work bench.

After a few years, I thought, this is getting expensive, about this time my father died, and I came into the princely sum of about $2500. Hmmm.. pay off my truck, which will be nothing but rust in a few years or invest in myself?

So I ended up in Whitewood,SD at the fabulous JM Saddle School. I had no intention of coming back to VA, I was going to go on to Salmon ID and build saddles and commune with family, but as luck would have it, after a while I missed Virginia, now Cary Swarz is living my life (he even ended up making my ex's saddle).

I came back to VA and drove to every tack shop I could find around the Beltway and there actually were quite a few back in the 70's. But no one would have me.

So then I went to work for an aunt and uncle, taking care of 8 horse and 100 acres. It was great, well for a while anyway. The very day, I decided I needed a major change in employment, a friend coincedentally called and said this tack shop was looking for somebody, so I showed up and they said "huh?" Well after a few months I wore them down and now I have outlasted the owner and work for his ex-wife (zipper problems).

I actually feel like I am the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth some days. We have some very priveleged customers (even at least 2 bbbillionaires) and some people that I don't understand how they feed themselves, much less their horses. I like to treat them all the same.

And me? I live in my little shack in a crack 'hood with my tools and machines. Yesterday, I found a hypo-needle in my backyard while mowing.

It's not all that bad, I got a new kitchen and bathroom after kids set my house on fire.

OK, I tried to keep it brief,

Kevin

Kevin , I surely would like to hear the entire story. I know you were serious but that FUNNY. Trav

Just remember, you asked.

Wallet, seventh grade; Christmas after graduation, Let's Do Modern Leathercraft, and that my friends, was the beginning of the end. I had swing arm lamps on either end of my bunk bed and a pile of phone books with a piece of marble on top in the middle and that was my first work bench.

After a few years, I thought, this is getting expensive, about this time my father died, and I came into the princely sum of about $2500. Hmmm.. pay off my truck, which will be nothing but rust in a few years or invest in myself?

So I ended up in Whitewood,SD at the fabulous JM Saddle School. I had no intention of coming back to VA, I was going to go on to Salmon ID and build saddles and commune with family, but as luck would have it, after a while I missed Virginia, now Cary Swarz is living my life (he even ended up making my ex's saddle).

I came back to VA and drove to every tack shop I could find around the Beltway and there actually were quite a few back in the 70's. But no one would have me.

So then I went to work for an aunt and uncle, taking care of 8 horse and 100 acres. It was great, well for a while anyway. The very day, I decided I needed a major change in employment, a friend coincedentally called and said this tack shop was looking for somebody, so I showed up and they said "huh?" Well after a few months I wore them down and now I have outlasted the owner and work for his ex-wife (zipper problems).

I actually feel like I am the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth some days. We have some very priveleged customers (even at least 2 bbbillionaires) and some people that I don't understand how they feed themselves, much less their horses. I like to treat them all the same.

And me? I live in my little shack in a crack 'hood with my tools and machines. Yesterday, I found a hypo-needle in my backyard while mowing.

It's not all that bad, I got a new kitchen and bathroom after kids set my house on fire.

OK, I tried to keep it brief,

Kevin

Kevin .I want to hear the entire story, I know you were serious, but thats funny. Trav

[kevinhopkins]

This is the short version

I was sort of a hippie in a rock band in the 70's... Needed a guitar strap, so went to Tandy and got sold a qt of neat lac, a strip of 10 oz alum tanned latigo, and about a hundred dollars worth of all the wrong stuff. Made a strap tho, and our rhythm player decided he wanted one. Then the music store that we traded with wanted to try selling my straps, so I kind of got into it. Next it was wallets, bags, lots of figure carving, clocks, sheaths, belts, holsters, and anything else that anyone wanted. Dad hung up anything I'd make in his restaurant. (the only one in town) Stuff flew! Got busted for drugs, decided a new life was in order, decided to try leather work. I learned that it's one thing to do leather work for money, but it's another matter to do it for a living!!!! Got down to my last 10 bucks, went to tandy for a few supplies, and saw a sign on the door that said "Asst Mgr" wanted. I applied that afternoon, and got the job that evening. 6 months later Tandy offered me the Battle Creek Michigan store, which I turned down, and 3 months later they offered me the Rochester Mn. store, which I accepted. Spent 2 yrs there, then went to Fargo ND, (of all places) for 5 yrs, then came to Springfield Mo in 1983. Started a small leathe working company out of our home in 85 called Hardwork Leather. Made just about anything possible for the tourist industry located in Branson Mo. Tandy decided to close the store chain in 99, so I offered to buy our location from them, and they agreed. We purchased the loction from the landlord, and now have 5 units (about 10,000 ft) in a strip ctr on Glenstone st. We moved all our equipment to the store, and called it Springfield Leather Co, and are enjoying our 10th year. I learned just enough about sewing machines, clickers, splitters, skivers, strap cutters, and a bunch of other strange machinery to be dangerous. Dealt in used sewing machines for a number of years. (then came to my senses) Went from 5 employees to having 24. Still can't hardly get my head around it.... The thing I like most about this place is that we get new leather at least 3 or 4 times a week! It's like a continual leather party around here! Most of the employees have been here a while, and it seems like they've all become folks that would almost rather work for leather than for money! (almost....not quite) But basically, there's a love of leather here.

And for what its worth, between Bo Riddle and myself, (mostly Bo) there's a lot of leatherwork experience that's here for the asking. We certainly don't know it all, but there's a good chance we know someone who can provide the info that you might need.

Kevin Hopkins

Springfield Leather Co

[Suze]

well my answer really is quite simple and one word

Johanna

Yep - the Leather Lady herself

that and she has ALL the cool toys to play with so I don't have to spend a young fortune on tools......

[AgronZoti]

I’m a silversmith, one day I came up with an idea for some buckles and needed belts. Bought a strap cutter and some leather… then one day my niese talked about a designer bag she wanted that cost 2000 dollars, I said I would make one that was better for her. That was 4 years ago, and I haven’t been doing anything ells sins then.

[Kevin]

Trav,

I don't know that I could tell the whole story without a whole lot of things being out of order, or just forgotten and remembered later.

If there's anything that particularly piques your interest, I will gladly elaborate.

Was that a chicken?

Kevin

[Hilly]

My addiction started with the purchase of a 1965 Mustang fastback. Immaculate! Black with a red interior. I had been doing some auto upholstery work on the side, and when I got this Mustang, I decided that I just HAD to do a custom interior for MY special car. Something nobody else had done before, so I thought that I might just do figure carvings of Mustang horses, and use them as inlays in some custom leather seats. I also though some carved and laced visors would be cool. Maybe a few little details elsewhere in the car...

I mentioned this idea over on upholster.com, where I had been hanging out, and one of the folks over there gave me a link to L.W. so I could learn more about leatherwork.

I've been hooked ever since, and never did get my interior made! I've been sidetracked on one project after the next since then, and thoroughly enjoying every minute! I'm still chicken to try my hand a figure carving, but I'm collecting the tools to try it.

Some day I will get that interior done, and my little car will be the coolest on the planet!

[TomSwede]

Some ten years ago I bought a small leatherbracer with machine pressed embossing and thought it'd be possible to do just that by hand and prolly better looking too so surfed around the net and saw all the westernsaddles and belts and such and even some of the tools. Couldn't find any tools in Sweden at that point so I used a hobbyknife and a piece of metal I found in my toolbox to carve and stamp with. Came out pretty cool I thought at that point , lol. Anyways it was a bracer and all my friends thought they wanted carved bracers too and then I met a guy who sells stuff at markets. He bought a copy of my first bracer and also directed me to a store in Sweden with the proper tools to buy and since then I have done..eh..hm prolly about 80-100 bracers and the other stuff I made is posted here.

I did have a break for about three years due to neckpains from leatherwork.

Tom

[kanddleatherwork]

i started this obsession 20 years ago as a job in a saddlery in northern ireland.

i just love the work that much i started doing it at home as well.

i got a basic tandy tooling kit about 9 years ago and did a few toolings

a wallet and a key pouch.

havnt done much tooling since but got back in to it again

as there isnt much work here i hope to turn it in to a business.

[CowboyDon]

My story is pretty simple - I wanted to always have the coolest wallet - for some reason its

cool to have someone tell you "Thats one cool wallet you have there" lol

I could never find a wallet that struck me - so I ended up at the old Tandy Store in Medallion

some 30 years ago, and to this day I have always carried a wallet that would generally get some

good comments. As of late I am getting more into floral carvings and learning to properly use

the new eco flow products. Times are good.

[iwannabeacowboy]

How do you keep this short?

In Nov 08 I started with seeing a guy at work selling flasks and knife sheaths. I thought it looked interesting, and I needed something to fill my time. I was tired of sitting at the computer 4-5 hours a day. We rent so there's no maintenance to do. My wife is disabled so were kind of homebound. Looked up Leather Tools on line and found the Tandy Leather Factory in Elgin. Bought some books and way to many tools thinking the more I bought the better I'd be. Wrong! After ruining some leather I stopped and started reading. Mostly Al Stohlman. What a difference once I learned how to use the tools I'd bought. Now most of my time is spent in the converted 2nd bedroom to the "playroom". My wife wanted to learn with me, so I built 2 workbenches, She has helped some by sewing on some projects. I still spend to much $ stocking the playroom, and practice by making leather birthday presents. Everyone gets leather now. This really is an addiction, but a very enjoyable one. There's so many things I want to try making. And I do have to thank all the people for sharing their knowledge and experience. There's a huge amount of information by reading the past posts, and the pictures of their work.

At 55, I guess you can teach an old dog some new tricks. I wish I would have found out about leather working 30/40 years ago.

Charlie

[anester05]

My Grandfather worked on leather before his arthritis got to bad for him to keep tooling. I made a couple of belts with him when I was younger around 12 or so. Well I came across his old tools and decided to start working with leather again. Thats about it.

Edited August 21, 2009 by anester05

[joet]

That's my story... what's yours?

-Tac

How did I get started, boy that's a story. My first leather project was from a set my folks bought me when I must have been 7 or 8. There was a billfold and a link belt which I never finished. The billfold I wore out. No leather for a long time until I was in my mid 20's and I asked a friend wo worked leather, to make a purse for me to give to my wife. I failed to ask him how much; he failed to tell me what he charged. After the heart attack and stroke I paid the bill. Not long after that I talked to my wife about me doing leather crafting as I felt that if my friend could do it, so could I and a lot cheaper too.

Went to Tandy and bought their starter kit with the basic tools and swivel knife; several kit projects and some rounders. I read the manual, played with the tools and started with the rounders. First attempts were fair to poor, but I figured they were basically practice anyway. Another friend found out I was doing leather work and she asked me to make a series of belts for friends of hers. After each belt was sold (I was slowly getting better) I would take the money and go buy a couple of more tools to add to my small collection so I could make more kits which called for tools I didn't have.

That's my story in a nut shell and that all happened (at least the second part) over 35 years ago. I am now winning prizes at my local State Fair; and I've won at least one blue ribbon at the IFoLG shows.

[KatieG]

Wow....it's so neat to see how everyone got started!!! What a fantastic thread idea! :-D

Well.. February. last year my hubby decided that he wanted a pair of moccasins, and that he would rather make them than buy them. So off we went to Tandy!!! He also had an interest in the traditional leatherworking craft (he likes all the traditional crafts, honestly), and wanted to learn to carve.

So I made a little suede bag for my youngest sister, and doodled in a notebook while he played with stuff. And one day I felt like playing, too. Finally got over my fear of screwing up...

And I ended up making this:

My first one was the little face. ^__^. The round thingy the second, the eye the third.

I love it so much!!! I love being able to express myself in this form, and carve in the style that I enjoy! To take something from start to finish like this.... it's an amazing feeling. I love trying to turn the style I love into something unique and different and new....I guess I love the creating, and the sense of pride..and the joy I get when someone else likes my work, too.

But that's how I got started: by chance, and a little bit of guts with a pinch of boredom... followed by capital-L Love!!!

[terrahyd]

x;mas gift age 15 ,tandy kit ,,,,made dad a billfold he carried 15yrs been at it as time alowed ever sence ......family you know

[Higgy]

I have always been fascinated with sewing machines. As a kid, I would alter my clothes to make them fit better. I used my mom's old treadle wheel singer. Fast forward 40 years. I manage a commercial printing company and still am fascinated with machines and how they work. My niece wanted a journal from an expensive store in Atlanta and my wife told her don't buy that, your uncle will make you one. I made my first journal - actually first three after a trip to Tandy Leather's scrap bin. I had to make one for her sister and mother also. They loved them so I kept making them as gifts and also sold a few. We had a regular sewing machine that I used on very thin leather for journals. I ended up buying an industrial machine, a Consew 260. I started making small bags with the Consew but was disappointed when it would not sew through some of the things I wanted to make. I recently purchased a Tippman Aerostitch from a man I met at Tandy Leather. It is a heavier machine and will sew through about 3/4 inch. Now I can make larger, heavier bags. This is what I do to relax now. Most evenings when I have spare time, I am working on a bag. This is one addiction I plan to nurture.

[JLSleather]

It's pathetic, really ... now that I think about it I seem to do pretty well when someone tells me I can't ...

YEARS ago, I was in a car accident, ugly. Despite doctor's "suggestion", I started lifting weights again, and decided I needed a lifting belt. So I talked with a guy who did leather work about a simple 4" wide belt with a roller buckle. Guy says $40 and 3 days (like I said, a while back). So I came back in a few days to hear how good he is with leather, how he should be charging more, how nobody can do what he does.... everything except here's your belt. After a couple of weeks and a couple more visits, and still no belt, I thought how hard can it be ... just do it myself. Had he not been so thoroughly obnoxious, I probably would have just hired someone else and been done with it.

Me 'n' a buddy split the cost of a chunk of 9/10, a strap cutter, some chicago screws. Went back for enough tools to "carve" my first name and a simple oak leaf, a couple of bottles of dye, a quart of Neatsfoot compound that somebody told me I would need (did they not get the ONE BELT thing?). Left the store, a week later I had straps 4 inches wide, wondering what I should taper them down to 3" with. Guy sees me scratching my head and offered to trim it if I mark where I want it. That done, he says I can use some tools, including a tooling slab (ya need a slab for that??). Idea was to use 2 pieces of 9/10 sewed grain sides out, so he sold me some thread and loaned me an awl (hey, I was a fitness guy, not a leather guy ). Shortened, I got the belt done and it really did look good. Guys at the gym quickly spoke for the rest of the leather, and that belt pushed alot of "iron" for a number of years.

Early 90's, the girlfriend disappeared and so did my belt (I really miss that belt). 2010, thousands of leathercraft items later, I have a new belt ... from Sears or something. But making my "own" belt is still on my todo list ...