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