What got you started in this hobby/addiction?

[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 ...

[Tnoisaw]

I started by making Kydex holsters but they were not very good looking. There's only so much you can do to Kydex to make it look good. So I did one in leather and thought I could improve on it. I love to work with my hands (I'm a plumber). I also have a CCW and want a good looking holster. Of course few will see it since it will be concealed. It also keeps me busy since I got laid off November of last year.

[$$hobby]

i was first exposed to leathercraft in jr HS. i dabbled in it for some projects from time to time, but it really took off after i got back into horses. i guess horses and leatherwork goes hand in hand since horses have a tendency to be hard on tack.

[pat h]

I got started about a year and a half ago. I bought a pocket tool pouch from a guy i was working with. When it got shipped i wasnt happy with the leather it was make of so i thought about it a while. Looked at the pouch and decided i could do that. so i read and read bought a side of saddle skirting and then decided to make a tool bag. I thought it turned out great at the time, got alot of compliments on it. My brother put a design on it for me when i was on vacation. By that time i was making tool pouches for people at work made a few knife sheaths and anything else i could think of. Then i decided i could do the tool bag better so i made one for a friend. tried to do a design on the top that didnt turn out very well. I just scribed it in. So then 6 stohlman books later the carving is getting better.

[TrikeGypsy]

This really is a GREAT thread. Interesting to see how folks got started.

I got started in the early 70's. I had horses, and being a young adult with no money, I started hanging around an old saddle shop. The old gent who owned the place told me if I was going to continue being there, he was gonna put me to work. Started with hand stitching, which moved to simple tack repairs, which moved into saddle repairs. When he passed on, and the shop sold off, I concentrated on my horses and showing. Sure was nice to be able to fix my gear..and word got around the show circuit that I could. As you can imagine, I started getting repair commisions from folks in my area. This turned into a nice "drop off/pickup" arrangement with a local tack shop.

I was still showing my horses, but, being vertically challenged (lol) I could never find chaps that would fit me. I picked up a pattern, made some modifications to that, and put a set together. They were pretty rough looking, but got the job done. I made another pair later with some improvements, which then turned into "those are really nice, can you make me a set?" I have been making custom chaps ever since.

Over the years, I was forced to move back to Illinois for family reasons. This was the first time in 20 year I was without any horses, so I bought a motorcycle to ride instead. Last year, like so many others, I lost my full-time employment. This left me with too much time to ride my bike (which is now a trike). On a charity motorcycle run, I was approached by a gentleman asking where I got the chaps I was wearing. They happend to be a much improved set I had made during my horse days. When I told him I had made them, he asked to take a closer look, so I pulled them off so he could inspect them. He was so impressed with the hand-tooled yokes and quality that he asked me to run the custom shop in a new biker leather store he was opening.

These days, I am still making chaps, just for Iron Pony riders. The fun part is I get to bring a bit of western influence into the biker world. I offer hand tooled yokes/cuffs, belt inlays, western conchos, and buckle, tip, and keeper sets. You should see these guys go nuts over this stuff...LOL

The great part is, I now get to work every day doing something I love, leatherwork. I just have to grin and bear it when I get teased about the country music playing on my shop radio....

If you happen to be in No. Illinois and would like to check out the shop, send me a pm and I will be happy to give you info on the shop location.

[McJeep]

I love leather, and I live motorcycles - it seemed like a natural ;0) Wish I had time to do more than "dabble" in it but I don't see it paying the bills really well here so it will remain a "do stuff for family and friends" deal for the time being