New To Leatherworking In Northern Va

[Mightydog]

Hello everyone,

I'm thinking about getting into leather working. I have been doing custom chainmaile armor for about 8 years now. I'm looking to expand it into leather and chain. I'm looking at trying my hand at armor mostly. I'm having a rough time finding patterns or tutorials to help with this endeavor. I'm looking to do this as a hobby not professionally. Just make it for my self and friends. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[Peter Darby]

Welcome to the site.

I live in Manassas, I made my own leather armor (Functional rather than pretty) , play in the SCA and have been doing leatherwork for the past twenty or so years as a hobby. I can probably help you get started on about anything you would like to do. My latest projects were a cross draw holster for a SA Colt (Cowboy gun) and a fast draw holster as well as a medieval style leather covered glass bottle. (As an aside I have a special tool that allows me to attach rivets to armor (leather or steel) tightly while leaving enough play to allow the piece to move and flex with the body part underneath it.

[Mightydog]

I'm currently working on a chain piece in trade for some leather. It's something I've wanted to try for awhile so when the opportunity came up to barter for some I couldn't pass it up. It will be about 3 weeks before I'm finished with the piece I'm working on. I live just outside Manassas. I'm not sure what I'll need to start as far as tools. Any suggestions would be helpful.

[Art]

Well, that is a big depends. Depends on what project you want to do, and if you want to cycle through the cheap tools before you end up buying the good stuff. Depends again on how committed you are.

First off, you need to get a knife, a three stone set for sharpening in either natural stone or diamond. When you get the knife and some leather, you can build a strop. Get some green rough for the strop. There is a Tandy up in Baltimore and one in Richmond, and there is the Internet. Springfield Leather and Sheridan Outfitters are both good Internet merchants and also brick and mortar establishments. The top "dog" at Springfield is Kevin who can help you out with everything. Vandy can help you at Sheridan, she knows her stuff, and Luke knows leather.

Bruce Johnson knows old tools, which are some of the best tools. The thing about going to Bruce or Vandy for used tools is if you tell them it is for using not collecting, it should come to you sharp; all you have to do is keep it that way.

So, let us know what you want to make and we can get you started.

Art

I'm currently working on a chain piece in trade for some leather. It's something I've wanted to try for awhile so when the opportunity came up to barter for some I couldn't pass it up. It will be about 3 weeks before I'm finished with the piece I'm working on. I live just outside Manassas. I'm not sure what I'll need to start as far as tools. Any suggestions would be helpful.

[Mightydog]

I learned from when I started making chainmaille tools do make a difference. Cheap tools make the work harder and less enjoyable. So I would like to start with some mid range or better tools. This may be a newbie question but what is a "strop"? I'm looking to make a set of pauldrons. Nothing historically correct but more fantasy style. I understand it's going to take quite a bit of work and mistakes before I get them right but I'm to sacrifice the time and leather. I've been looking fot a particular look and haven't been able to find it.