Making Wallets

[3ntin]

Hi guys!

I want to make a carved leather wallet for my girlfriend. She is thinking about how she wants it, when I have the project done I'll post it here to ask you some questions.

The basic idea is this: http://www.bagswish.com/476-handmade-leather-bag-high-quality-leather-wallet.html

The first question is about the thickness of the leather. I want to carve the external part, so I think I'll use 2.5 mm natural cowhide, but what about the interior? I don't want it to be too thick, but I still don't know how much card slots my girlfriend wants...

Generally speaking, which is the best leather to make wallet interiors, both for men and women??

Thanks in advance to all!!

Daniele

[Bob Blea]

Hello Daniele,

I use either pigskin or 2 oz. (.8 mm) vegtan leather for my interior parts. The pigskin is very thin but durable, but it doesn't look as nice as the vegtan. Vegtan is bulkier but I like the burnished edge I can make on the exposed parts. There are also other thin leathers (calf, goat, exotics) that people use but I don't have any experience with them. This is just what I use, others here who make more of these sorts of things probably have other suggestions.

Bob

[Sporq]

Vegtan goat comes in around 2-3oz with what I have (I totally didn't buy a huge stockpile when it came in randomly at my local store >.> ) and it will burnish together with cow veg. You can find it on ebay and such sometimes.

[LeatherLegion]

I use 4-5oz veg-tan inside and out..but I make the pockets in a different way...

[3ntin]

I use either pigskin or 2 oz. (.8 mm) vegtan leather for my interior parts.

is it good for tooling leather? I usually use cowhide for tooling...

do you have any pic of your works to see how it looks? Thanks!!

but I make the pockets in a different way...

ok, you have to explain me how you do them =) I searched a lot but I couldn't find anything about, and I am very curious =)

[Bob Blea]

Hi Daniele,

I found a picture of a day planner that had 2 oz. pockets installed in it.

The pockets are layered on top of one another and skived at the bottom (out of view) to reduce thickness. They are just glued at the bottom to each other but they are sewn along the side where they are visible. This pocket assembly came out kind of bulky in my opinion, and I would probably try to use something thinner (like a chrome tanned leather or the pigskin with a rolled edge) next time if I make something similar to this.

I have carved leather this thin but it is very tricky. It is very easy to cut too deep with the swivel knife and end up punching a hole in the leather with a beveler. The pocket below was cut and beveled as you normally would. However, I tried this again on a different notebook and broke through the leather while beveling.

Now I just trace the celtic knot design onto the leather and then bevel it without using a swivel knife. I think that so much of leather's strength is contained in the grain surface of the leather that on these very thin leathers I don't want to actually cut through that surface, so I just bevel or use a modeling spoon. However, if you are just planning on stamping the surface I think you will be OK as long as you have it attached to some sort of backing to prevent stretch. In the pocket picture I have used a pebbled backgrounder across the whole surface. It's a big tool that you have to hit hard, and the leather stood up to it just fine.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[silverwingit]

Daniele,

If I were to make a carved leather wallet, I wouldn't attempt to make an interior (pockets, zippers, etc.). Done well, interiors take a lot of experience and a good industrial leather sewing machine or extraordinary hand-stitching skills. A much more practical alternative is to purchase a professionally made wallet interior and then make a carved cover to fit it. Springfield Leather carries a whole line of top-quality wallet and checkbook, etc., interiors:

http://springfieldleather.com/31/Chaylor-Fenneli-Interiors/

I'd use a piece of 5 oz. or thicker leather for the cover to get good tooling results. You'd have several alternatives for attaching the interior to your cover.

This way you'll save lots of time and headache, end up with a very classy interior, and you can concentrate on the more personal aspect of the carving.

Michelle

Edited July 31, 2013 by silverwingit

[3ntin]

I have carved leather this thin but it is very tricky.

I thought so...that's why I used 5-6 oz for my prototype's external part, because it can be tooled well...I'm not carving the interior parts (by now, maybe using an embossing wheel on borders)...thin leather is only to make more than 3-4 pockets without getting it too bulky..! Skiving may be a good solution...

If I were to make a carved leather wallet, I wouldn't attempt to make an interior (pockets, zippers, etc.). Done well, interiors take a lot of experience and a good industrial leather sewing machine or extraordinary hand-stitching skills. A much more practical alternative is to purchase a professionally made wallet interior and then make a carved cover to fit it.

well, thanks a lot for your advice, but I'm really interested in learning how to make them... and I think, if I don't practice, I won't learn...

[3ntin]

in my country they say "he who seeks shall find", and I found what I was looking for =)

I found this topic http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=42694&hl=wallet&st=15 with some interesting explanations and pics about doing pockets...!