Kilanya Report post Posted February 18, 2013 G'day all, I'll make this brief. I am wanting to start out leather working, making my own tack, eventually getting onto saddles (english and western). Firstly I think I'd like to start perhaps making small items ie: pouches, jewellery etc to familiarise myself with it all. I live in a small country town in Victoria, Australia and we are VERY limited in the way of saddlers, so here I am, trying to "self teach" if you will! My biggest question is: Where on EARTH do I start? What do I buy? Where do I buy it from? What do I DO? Ok, so that's 4 questions, but you get the drift! Any advice on starting out would be GREATLY appreciated, thank you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spooky Report post Posted February 18, 2013 feel like a trip to tassie? came across this when i was searching http://mobilesaddler.com/tasmanian-saddlery-school-courses/ Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
spooky Report post Posted February 18, 2013 not sure about this... http://www.asfasaddlefitters.com.au/asfa-courses.html Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilanya Report post Posted February 18, 2013 Thanks Spooky, unfortunately I'm unable to take a trip to Tassie, and the saddle fitters are about 5 hours from me and the course looks pretty pricey. Thank you for the options though! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
immiketoo Report post Posted February 18, 2013 I would expect a saddle is a pretty complicated thing compared to smaller projects, and I would want some hands on instruction before I started making one. Tack and pouches are another matter, and there are tons of resources here or on the web on how to make those items. Most people would probably say a saddle class is in order, but someone had to make the first saddle years ago and improve on the design from there. You could try and learn as you go, but saddle makers have perfected the trade and I'd think it would be money well spent to learn a trade from a master. As for where to buy stuff, theres all kinds of people who are willing to take your money and send you stuff! If you aren't finding anything local, I suggest you start poking the buttons at the top of the page. Springfield Leather Company, Tandy and others will send stuff all over if you're willing to pay the shipping. There's also ebay and a for sale section here on this forum. To get started, I bought a deluxe Tandy starter kit and it helped me learn what I liked and didn't like in a hurry. That might be a good place to start for you as well. Welcome! Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilanya Report post Posted February 18, 2013 G'day Mike, Yeah I don't expect to be able to make a saddle right off the bat, I'm not naive like that but that is ultimately my goal. I have been Googling solidly for the last few days at different tools etc, but it's simply so confusing! Have also had a look at the Tandy kits and agree it's probably there place to start. I'd love to hear stories of how others started out in the LW world! Cheers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
immiketoo Report post Posted February 18, 2013 I will elaborate a bit on mine. I bought the kit because I knew NOTHING about leatherwork. If I could start over, I might consider NOT getting the kit, especially if I had done a bit of research first. The kits contain a bunch of projects, some of which are less useful than others. All of them have excellent instructions to teach the basic process, but all of it is geared toward Tandy products. This is fine if you'd like to make kit type items, or for learning how various items are constructed. I found very quickly that I did not like the finished product as it looked generic. I also quickly outgrew the tools supplied with the kit. They are functional, but as with any skill, good tools are more comfortable, easier to use and produce better results. Pro grade carving stamps are a perfect example of this. The Tandy kit was 80 dollars USC, and of all the things that came in the kit, there are exactly three of them that I still use. The 104 backgrounder, the swivel knife for my beader blade only and the briar brown hi-liter. Other than those tools, I have purchased replacements for everything else. Truly, 80 dollars is a drop in the bucket of the money I have spent on quality tools, but I still say that it was a good place to start. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jasj Report post Posted February 19, 2013 Hi Kilanya, I suggest you start by obtaining "Beginning Leatherwork" by Ron Edwards, available from Greenhalgh Tannery (near Ballarat) www.gretannery.com.au . They also have a well stocked shop with tools, hardware etc. Another excellent book is "Leatherworking Handbook" by Valerie Michael, try ebay. Lefflers in West Melbourne are well stocked suppliers also. www.leffler.com.au . The Dimensions in Leather Conference in Brisbane this coming July would be well worth checking out. www.dimensionsinleather.com . I have attended several times and it is a great opportunity to study under masters of the medium. You may find a local saddler at australiansaddlers.com Trust this is of some help and happy hunting, jasj Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kilanya Report post Posted February 20, 2013 Thanks again Mike! Jasj, some good links there thank you! As it turns out my mother-in-law in California has a heap of LW tools from when her MIL used to teach leather working so she is sending them over and looking into some hide for me over there. Must be fate! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
immiketoo Report post Posted February 20, 2013 Lucky duck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
