Leathercraft Vs Leatherworks

[jprieto]

when do you use the word leathercraft and when do you use the word leatherworks?

i mean...

what is the difference between these words

forgive my ignorance

[bruce johnson]

Interesting question and hope some of the international members weigh in. I have followed this same discussion on other forums in the past. For a lot of people, they may be pretty synonymous. Some will say that a leather crafter in the US tends to bring up the image of crafts - modpodge, hot glueing felt shapes into birds, creamics, macrame and that sort of thing done as a pastime or by kids at camp or scouts. Crafts are something done for enjoyment and not necessarily profit motivated. "Working" is a business and profit is more of a factor in that scenario. It kind of follows the trend into hobbies and pastimes post WW2 according to some discussions.In reading from people in other countries it changes some. A "craftsman" indicates a higher level of skill or artistry than a "worker".

[DoubleC]

Do you think it's ever OK to use the word artisan? I've had this discussion on a writing forum I was on back and forth forever, is writing a craft or is it art. But some of the things I see here I think are truly works of art.

[bruce johnson]

Do you think it's ever OK to use the word artisan? I've had this discussion on a writing forum I was on back and forth forever, is writing a craft or is it art. But some of the things I see here I think are truly works of art.

There is no regulation in almost all of this. There are a few groups that are trying to get some standards, but pretty slow sledding here in the US.There is sure an art to leather and then the mechanics of doing things with leather.

I have heard Leather Artisan, Leather Craftsman (person?), Leathersmith, and probably a few others if I thought a little more. Then you can self-add the adjective "master" to these too without a lot to back that up. Some people work in shops and others work in studios. Mine has a roillup door and you used to be able to park a truck in it so it is a shop by my reckoning.

[DoubleC]

There is no regulation in almost all of this. There are a few groups that are trying to get some standards, but pretty slow sledding here in the US.There is sure an art to leather and then the mechanics of doing things with leather.

I have heard Leather Artisan, Leather Craftsman (person?), Leathersmith, and probably a few others if I thought a little more. Then you can self-add the adjective "master" to these too without a lot to back that up. Some people work in shops and others work in studios. Mine has a roillup door and you used to be able to park a truck in it so it is a shop by my reckoning.

It may be a garage but you create art Bruce, I've seen it. And people will talk (referring to the writing forum) that you have to follow basic mechanics of writing so it's a craft. Well I think Van Gogh (maybe a bad example :-) had to follow certain mechanics of the craft in order to create art. But who could look at Starry Night, done from looking out his window of an institution and say it was a MH craft?

I wish there were standards although how you'd set them I don't have any idea. Then I'd know when I'd moved up from noob to nobody and beyond.

[wareagle]

the way I have seen it in the business world is:

A Leather works is the place where people that work with leather do their craft.

A Leather crafter is a person that works with leather from scratch (cut, pattern, prepare leather for what is being made and finishing).

A Leather worker is a person that works assembling pre-cut leather into a finished pattern.

A Leather Artisan is a person that creates and embellishes what he has made.

[DoubleC]

That sounds reasonable. I guess I'm a leather crafter at this point. Thanks, Cheryl

[mlapaglia]

I agree with the Leather works concept. TO me it has always been a place not a person.

[jprieto]

I noticed that a lot of the members here sell their creations under a business entity XYZ Leatherworks ----- so my question is, why they not using XYZ Leathercraft ??

See what I mean?

i will be making leather creations from scratch (pattern, cut, mold, stitch, etc)

now then ...

So, let's say I want to start selling my leather creations, and I register a DBA ....... should I name it

(1) MEME LEATHERWORK,

or......

(2) MEME LEATHERCRAFT

Which is proper usage?

THAT is what my concern is, as it relates to this post.

What say you?

Edited June 3, 2012 by jprieto

[DoubleC]

My name doesn't even have leather in the name, LOL so I'm afraid I can't help. From what I understood Bruce to say you can call it either one, the USA doesn't have any set rules.

[Leatherimages]

There is no is.

Be yourself. Grow and be that person then.

DBA as you wish.

There is no is.

[DoubleC]

Sound advice, Cheryl

[jprieto]

thanks guys (and girls)

case closed

[Johanna]

I prefer "leatherworker" because we need to get paid for our WORK. I am not a "crafter", which conjures up images of glue guns and popsicle sticks, nor a "smith", just a humble leatherworker. But there is no "standard" definition.

~J

[mlapaglia]

well things change with the addition of the "er". We started out talking about Leather craft vs leather works. The consensus seemed to be that craft was the stuff we made or the act of making it and works was the place it was made.

Changing to talk about Leather crafter vs leather worker brings up a different set of thoughts. To me I agree with Johanna. A leather crafter brings up the image of a person that gets their leather and tools from Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Lots of glue gun, glitter and small items. A leather worker makes me think of a person with a corner or room or store they call "the shop" More than one piece of leather, has the tools, produces a product that is guality.

Its like the difference between a gardener and a farmer. Leather craftesr are like gardeners and leather workers are farmers.

This is my opinion only. As for the term that applies to me. I prefer Leather God. It's a miracle that I get anything done well.

Michael

[DoubleC]

LOL, Michael. You are right though, guy was trying to pick out a name and we were talking about a place vs. the person doing it. If a leather worker is someone who has the tools, and at least a corner dedicated to the work, then I'm a number one leather mangler. I just rearranged (still not finished, why is organizing so hard) my bedroom to make as much space for the work as possible. I have an industrial metal desk, desktop, cabinet, and two sets of shelves dedicated to the leather side. On the other I have the sewing machine, a desk with material, and sewing 'stuff' along with finishing stuff for my leather work (roo lace, etc.). For me in this bedroom, I uh have a twin bed and nightstand :-) I'm thinking of moving it out and sleeping on the LR floor to make more room for the leather and sewing stuff. Not really but I could sue about three closets in here (have none, old Victorian house converted to apts.) Oh the leather has an end table too with my molding things on it. I am saving a corner (hard to believe I have one left, I know) to pile boxes of things I need to sort through and gonna call that my little shop of Horror (so much that's gotten mixed together it is horrifying). Cheryl

[Sylvia]

I prefer "leatherworker" because we need to get paid for our WORK. I am not a "crafter", which conjures up images of glue guns and popsicle sticks, nor a "smith", just a humble leatherworker. But there is no "standard" definition.

~J

I'm afraid I must respectfully disagree. A craftsman is a highly skilled artisan who made things to last. As example, think of the the "craftsman" house. Wood was carefully formed into windows, stairways, built in cabinets.

When the western world became consumers we got used to shoddily made manufactured goods which would last only a few years before they were set out with the refuse. Funny, that now people seek out craftsman made items and pay a premium for them... then restore them to their former glory instead of buying new.

Some where along the way folks who still made things in fabric, wood, and leather became hobbyists instead of highly skilled business people and called what they did "crafting." Through the years "crafting" mistakenly became a "dirty word" and something bored housewives did to pass the time.

In fact the word "craftsman" is still defined as n. A man who practices a craft with great skill. And "Craft" is defined as An activity involving skill in making things by hand.

[Bob Blea]

I'm probably with Sylvia on this one. To me, a 'leather crafter' would be a craftsman, someone who practices their craft with great skill. But I can certainly see the hobby 'craft' meaning in that too. I really think it depends on your background and your mind set. You may be used to thinking of 'crafts' as the art class that your young kids go to at school. Or, you might work in a union environment where the trade skills (plumbing, electrical, etc.) are organized into trade 'craft' unions, and those people are the ones trained and most skilled at those particular 'crafts'. Same for the term 'worker'. There are probably plenty of people that will automatically associate 'leather worker' with 'worker bee' or 'day laborer', someone who is low paid or doing a job that anyone could do.

I think most of the perception on each term will depend on the person who hears it and their background. Everyone probably has some preconcieved notion of what 'craft' or 'worker' means based on their own experiences. It is up to us, when dealing with that person as a potential customer, to help them understand what makes us skillful at what we do, and what makes our particular product unique and extraordinary.

Bob

[DoubleC]

Good point. It's not just what we bring to the conversation but the customer as well. Cheryl

[rosiart]

This is my opinion only. As for the term that applies to me. I prefer Leather God. It's a miracle that I get anything done well.

Michael

Too Funny!!! Thanks for the morning chuckle.

[chancey77]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artisan

I think that pretty much says it all about being an ARTISAN.

It was a VERY old term used in the Middle ages...now the terms are just replaced by what you are trained to do...

Carpenter,Saddler,Dyer,Craftsman,Blacksmith... again very old jobs ( but TRADES THAT CONTINUE)

Myself, I always get a funny cringe any time anyone says Leatherworks...it just sounds silly...

I like to consider my self a Leather Artist.

Just like a Painter, Leather is my canvas. And I draw original art work, and then carve and color it on leather...so Leather Artist Works For me...

But I have heard people here in Europe call me an Artisan...just seems a little old fashioned, and is really to broad of a spectrum, though I guess I do fit into more than 3-4 or those categories, so MAYBE THEY ARE RIGHT????

These are people who know next to nothing about what it is I do, only that I am in several different trades.

Carpentry,Masonry,Metal Worker,Leather Artist, Telephone Lineman, Musician whatever puts food on the table...

So I guess it just depends on YOU.

There is no is:) AS PAUL PUT IT BEST.

[Bluesman]

WAYYYYYYYYYYYYY to much in a title. How about "I want to be paid, for what I created". I could care less about the title, and more about the dead Presidents. To much thought and useless conversation here. Tool it, make it, sell it........DONE!

[Jazznow]

I Agree with Sylvia here, but that may be because I'm from Germany. Here we follow more or less the definitions sylvia quoted. A worker is doing repetitive work that in most cases needs little skill (there are exceptions like sewers who sew together shoe uppers). They usually get only low wages. A craftsman is doing complex task that need a great amount of skill and practice. In most cases u have to stand quiet hard exams after an apprenticeship of three years to call yourself an craftsman or more exactly a saddler, shoemaker, tool maker and so on. To call yourself a master craftsman you have to visit another school or do certain courses and stand another hard exam. Some years back it was neccessary to be an master craftsman when you wanted to work on you own/have your own shop. Today only ths is only the case in certain crafts that effect health or security of other people (like an orthopedic shoemaker, an electrician or an car repairsman). Often you can work on your own without doing any exam (I can do leather work without one, but I'm not allowed to call myself a Saddler, shoemaker, bagmaker since those are official crafts and I would need an exam.

Note: in Germany we have a law for everything and everything that is not explicitly allowed is forbidden lol.

Greetings

Jonathan

[katsass]

From the grump: There is no 'craftsman', 'craft', 'worker', 'artist', 'artisan', 'works', etc. in my business name. Just "Katsass Leather". The folks that come to me, come because they saw something that I did, or, they were told by someone that I made something for to see me for what is wanted. I call each customer a couple of weeks after delivery to ensure that they are well satisfied with the product they purchased. When pressed about what I do, I tell them I take some dead cow skin and make things from it --- mostly holsters. My maker's mark seems to be well remembered by those that see my work, and a little looking about or asking will get customers to me. To me the superlatives and semantics are just words, a man's work stands on it's own. Other's will tag you from what they see, no matter what you call yourself. Mike

Edited June 10, 2012 by katsass

[DoubleC]

I would subtitle my name if I were honest with 'Accident in the Making.' I recently started out to make a lizard underlay snake guitar strap with the wide strap being dark, the narrow natural, and the lizard brown. It then changed to a lizard overlay snake so I could try and not mess up the strap with the cut. Then it went to an ostrich body leather in light brown because lizard is too delicate for an overlay really. When I messed up the edges on that it became a dark brown/black snake. When I messed up the edging on the oblong hole in the small strap it became dark. When the vinegaroon rubbed off on the wide strap from my oblong template I made I first dyed it natural tan using very watered down dark cocoa, but it just looked dirty so I dyed it regular tan watered down some. I'm getting ready to sew the backing on and if I mess it up, it will become laced. All I can think is, 'what if this was a custom order?' I think I'll take that part off my website and replace it with, 'you can buy what I end up with if you want.'

I may not be good yet, and don't expect to ever be great but I can adapt so maybe I could add that too my name. Custom adapted leather work/craft/art/now pay me.

Still I've enjoyed what everyone has shared on here, just hope the poor person that started the thread didn't decide to leave leather working completely and move on to something easier to identify. I think it's interesting how we can all use the same tools and raw materials yet have such different and interesting opinions of what it is exactly we do. I think I'll stick to leather mangler, shorter and easier to remember. Cheryl