humperdingle Report post Posted March 24, 2013 ...Piece of advice to a newbie to the leatherworking scene... What would that single snippet of advice be? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
celticpride Report post Posted March 24, 2013 be patient with your self and don't take on more then you think you can do. welcome to the group my dear. Give the american's a few days to find your post and respond to you. this place is one bloody good place to hit for advice and help. I hope this will help from one Scotsmen to another. celticpride Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Leela Valley Leather Report post Posted March 24, 2013 scraps are your friends Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tree Reaper Report post Posted March 24, 2013 Repetition makes you a better leather worker, the next one is always better that the last. It takes time so take the time to do it right. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikesmith648 Report post Posted March 24, 2013 Always keep your fingers"behind" the knife............otherwise it truly will be a "bloody mess" Ask me how I know!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chief31794 Report post Posted March 24, 2013 Don't buy what you don't need, people tend to want to buy lots of tools when they start, buy them as and only if you need them. Chief Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cyberthrasher Report post Posted March 24, 2013 Be honest with your work. Stare at it and see what needs to be practiced. If it's not perfect, figure out what went wrong and work on it. I see a lot of the "it's handmade, it should be flawed" out of people, so really watch out for that. We're craftsman who should strive to be the best we can be and handmade or not should have no bearing on that. Basically, good enough is never good enough Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
veedub3 Report post Posted March 24, 2013 (edited) As a newbie myself, I can assure you that all of the posts above is some great advice and I follow them all, but if there is one thing that I have to tell myself over and over is to take my time. (Gotta have patience) I tend to get ahead of myself and find that I skipped a part, and either have to undo what I have just done, (time consuming) or the piece is wasted because I didn't cut it correctly. (Leather is too expensive for that) I was in such a hurry to get going in leather working that my first project was a messenger bag which was waaaay too ambitious for a first project for me. I purchased a side of leather and just started cutting blind without really knowing the process. The parts to that bag is sitting on my desk as a reminder to take my time and map things out carefully. I will finish it one day, but I stepped back and started with smaller projects. From start to finish. I look at the first project I did, (I think it was a Tandy wallet) and the latest project I finished, a dopp kit, and the difference in the two finished projects is like night and day. The dopp kit was sold before I even put the finish on it. So my answer to your question would be to take your time, have patience. Karina Edited March 24, 2013 by veedub3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted March 24, 2013 I am going to have to saw two things. The best way to learn is do your item 4 times. You will improve with each try. You will also see your mistakes and hopefully not do them the next time. Be honest with your work. Stare at it and see what needs to be practiced. If it's not perfect, figure out what went wrong and work on it. I see a lot of the "it's handmade, it should be flawed" out of people, so really watch out for that. We're craftsman who should strive to be the best we can be and handmade or not should have no bearing on that. Basically, good enough is never good enough The thing the makes the hairs stand up on my neck is when I hear someone say, "No one will notice but you." This is absolutly incorect. Almost everyone will notice. They will just be too polite to tell you that your work sucks. If yoru work is not better than what you can buy at the store then why would they buy it from you? Hand wour needs to be better than production work or there is no reason to do it. Aaron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
camano ridge Report post Posted March 24, 2013 Learn to walk before you try to run. Befor you take on a fancy multiple piece project with Sheridan tooling, take on small projects. Learn cutting, dying, stitching or lacing. Then start with basic borders and simple tooling designs. Many new to leather seen something they tought was beautiful or very cool and want to copy it without relizing that what they want to perfectly duplicate was made by someone with years of experience. When they sart the project or try to duplicate the tooling they become easiily overwhaelmed. Build up to your ultimate project don't start with it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted March 24, 2013 Ask the questions you need to ask before you need to know the answer, or, as my sig line says "Don't learn the tricks of the trade, learn the trade." We have a 'Critique my work' section here in the forums, and many times the critiques have been gentle and somewhat "beating around the bush". If anyone wants an absolutely no holds barred critique, y'all are welcome to contact the moderators and we can post your images without your name attached to it with instructions to be brutally honest. I did this a good while ago and the critique of my work was ...sobering. But that type of critique is sometimes exactly what we, as artisans, need to improve. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
raysouth Report post Posted March 24, 2013 The one thing that I would suggest, you have already done. BECOME A MEMBER OF LEATHERWORKER.NET. You can find everything you need by talking to folks on this site. Welcome and hope you have wonderful experience here. God bless. Ray Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
David8386 Report post Posted March 24, 2013 No such thing as a dumb question. Make things out of paper or cardboard first until you are sure that it is what you want and measure twice and cut once. Leather is expensive. Welcome to the forum. David Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jazznow Report post Posted March 24, 2013 A dull knife is a dangerous knife believe me, I know that for sure Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
humperdingle Report post Posted March 24, 2013 Thanks for the answers so far - Keep them coming! I've managed to learn a lot of the pitfalls already, purely by making mistakes! Also, this forum has given a few 'Heads-up" moments. My own advice to my noob self, after being in the hobby for just 2 months would be: "Don't stress... it's just for fun!" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JD50 Report post Posted March 25, 2013 Learn how to use and sharpen your tools. Get the book "Leathercraft Tools" by Al Stohlman Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lightingale Report post Posted March 25, 2013 1. Wet leather is easier to edge and skive than dry leather. 2. Be creative and go beyond kits, materials, tools, and patterns from the leather store. You can take inspiration from other crafts to make something very unique. Example: pick up a cabochon from the jewelry section of the hobby store and try embedding it in leather. 3. If you have a great idea for a project, make a list so you don't forget. 4. Many people will tell you to get the best tools you can afford. I disagree. Try the cheap Tandy ones to learn the techniques, and if it's something you see yourself using a lot, then upgrade to the best you can afford (exception is the Tandy diamond awl; that thing is useless, so get at least the Osbourne one). You don't need to start out with a full set of Barry King tools and a Bearman maul! This way you'll quickly build a repertoire of tools so that you are able to make and learn from a variety of projects. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jason Austin Report post Posted March 25, 2013 Don't be afraid of hand stitching. You don't need a machine to do beautiful work. Check out Nigel Armitage's work and videos. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lightningad Report post Posted March 25, 2013 don't get hung up on "the right way" to do something, as there are usually many different ways to achieve your aim. Just make sure you learn from everything you try. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basically Bob Report post Posted March 25, 2013 Hook up with a local leatherworker's guild or association and develop an informal mentoring type of relationship with a respected leatherworker that produces the type of work you are planning to produce. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cowboy bowhunter Report post Posted March 25, 2013 Buy good barry king or pro tools right away. I have been doing leatherwork for 6 months and am already getting rid of my tandy tools and going to better tools. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted March 25, 2013 post your images without your name attached to it with instructions to be brutally honest. I did this a good while ago and the critique of my work was ...sobering. I like this one, though I would take it just one notch further. Scratch the name off of anything you see that inspires you. I know we all assume that if it says Stohlman on it, it's going to be quite nice. BUT -- I've seen many projects that were extremely well done from people who have been working leather for just a short time. I've also seen web sites with long flowery speeches about how long they've been doing it - followed by some stuff that looks like it was taken away from the dog. WHO did it is immaterial - look for styles / techniques / methods that you like, learn what you can from them. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shooter55 Report post Posted March 25, 2013 If you ask for critique or opinions about your work, don't be offended when you get it. The experience on this forum is vast and helpful if you listen. Everyone I have seen here wants you to succeed in this craft. They all root for you to do a little better on the next project. Eventually, you will be helping someone else. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
immiketoo Report post Posted March 26, 2013 All of these are true to a certain degree. I have a few observations. Good tools are an absolute must. I've been at this for six months, and the difference between a good tool and an entry level is astounding. This is true whether its a stitch groover or a beveling stamp. Buy the best tools you can afford. This has always served me well. If you decide leather isn't for you, you'll always get more money back from high quality tools. Good tools inspire me to do better work as they eliminate excuses. Second, is don't let anyone tell you can't do that yet. Or that you don't have the skill to tackle a particular project. You will find your own limits, and they might be much higher than someone else's. Work at your own pace and learn all you can from your mistakes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lightningad Report post Posted March 26, 2013 i think we should also add that as well as buying the best tools you can, be sure to learn how to maintain and use the tools correctly! Sounds obvious, but i wonder how many tools don't live to expectations simply because the user was unaware of how to sharpen it before using it? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
