What Book Can You Recommend

[cheepo63]

Can somebody recommend a good book for a beginner. Really would like a book that explains all the different tools and when to use them. Not really ready for carving and stuff , more of good tips on how to get nice finishes and stitching advices.

[Harag]

Hi Welcome to the leather world, like you I'm also new, I'm reading these forums and even bought several books. Just got my first parcel yesterday with my carving tools in it.

The books I would recommend for starters are: Depending on what you want to do there are others.

The Art of Hand Sewing

Leathercraft Tools

Leathercraft Manual

Others:

Figure Carving

Pictorial Carving

How to Carve Leather

The art of making leather cases vol 1, 2 and 3

[Cyberthrasher]

If you're mostly focused on tools - Leathercraft Tools by Al Stohlman is a must have. It will continue to serve you down the road. From there, you just need to decide what you want to focus on and then get books more closely related to that if needed.

[mlapaglia]

+1 Leathercraft Tools by Al Stohlman. I still look at mine. It explains how to use and sharpen almost all the tools there are.

[Basically Bob]

The Leatherworking Handbook by Valerie Michael

This book focusses primarily on stitching and assembly techniques rather than tooling, carving or decoration.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Basically Bob

[cheepo63]

Thanks for your tips. Gonna go for Al Stohlmans and Valerie Michaels books.

[cheepo63]

Books ordered, also ordered this one Leatherwork: A Manual of Techniques by Geoffrey West.

[gary]

Don't look at the Geoffrey West book until you've read and used Valerie Michael's.

[cheepo63]

Don't look at the Geoffrey West book until you've read and used Valerie Michael's.

Ok, thanks for the tip. Any special reason why?

[gary]

Ok, thanks for the tip. Any special reason why?

In my humble opinion, a couple of his techniques are just not good practice.

He tries to cover an awful lot of topics including pattern-making and carving as well as basic techniques. I feel it's a bit too ambitious for the size of the book and the basics suffer as he spends time on the more advanced and specialised aspects.

Gary

[Glendon]

I would agree with Gary. I have both books, and have the same reaction. If you think of them in school terms, Valeries book is more Intro to Leather 101, and Geoffreys is more of an Intermediate Leather 201 book. It's easier to get the basic concepts down first.

[St8LineGunsmith]

I ((((ECHO)))) Al Stohlmans books The art of hand sewing leather, Leathercraft Tools and leatherwork Manual

some other of my picks would be craft tool tech tips, how to carve leather and how to buckstitch

Sthohlman Encyclopedia of saddle making Vol 1 and Vol 2

these books cover all the key components of educating your self about the technical and mechanical aspects of leatherwork

Valerie Michael leatherworking handbook is a good book for more modern design ideas where as some of Als design books like the art of making leather cases would be somewhat out dated due to the the type of applications they were designed for however the methods of making hand made leather goods has changed very little over the last 150 years

the rest is imagination.