KGV Report post Posted April 18, 2014 Hi all, I'm looking for some Japanese leather craft books, preferably used or discounted, most of the ones i've found are upwards of $50 and are hardcover, I don't hardcover, and don't care if the book is a little scratched up. Specifically this is the book i'm looking for, but anything pertaining to wallets, bags, or small leather goods would do! Hand Sewing Leather Vol. 1 Leathercraft Book For Stitching & Making Leatherwork (P.S. I know goodsjapan has this for sale, I'm just trying to find one that isn't $60 if i can help it) Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidL Report post Posted April 18, 2014 I believe there are a few japanese proxy sites that buy the product and ship it out to you for a small fee. It would be interesting to see if they can locate this book for you. In Japan they have a few leather craft stores that would stock these type of books (probably for 20 USD). Heck, maybe for 15 dollars they can translate it to english for you. If they are able to get you a copy leave a link here I'd also like to pick up these a copy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted April 18, 2014 I have that book (not for sale). It is a good book, just a little hard to read. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGV Report post Posted April 18, 2014 @electrathon worth $60? Im looking for guidance when it comes to making long wallets and mid wallets, let me know if its helpful with patterns, cutting and deisgning. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King's X Report post Posted April 18, 2014 I have the entire collection minus a few here and there. I have a source on eBay where I get my books. They are not in Japanese, but printed in Chinese and they are shipped from Washington state. The eBay store is called Charming Babe. She lists them for around $30 and ships for about $6. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KGV Report post Posted April 18, 2014 @kingsx thanks so much! What a coincidence, I can read chinese so this well be much better than trying to guess what the directions say. I'll check out her shop right now! Much appreciated brother Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted April 19, 2014 If someone is selling them for $36 I would likely buy the rest of the set. For $60 it does make my bottom pucker up some. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WyomingSlick Report post Posted April 19, 2014 I have the entire collection minus a few here and there. I have a source on eBay where I get my books. They are not in Japanese, but printed in Chinese and they are shipped from Washington state. The eBay store is called Charming Babe. She lists them for around $30 and ships for about $6. Good luck. LOL All right you guys......keep it up......and the next thing you know "them guys" will be swamping eBay with them like they are doing with all that other leathercraft stuff. Seriously. as you guys may know by now. I am a great believer in the power of the printed word, and most of what I have learned outside of direct experiance, has been from books. I keep thinking maybe somebody in Japan would get their act together and get those books translated into "good english" and market them over here. It seems to me like Japanese companies, or any other language companies would make a sincere effort to translate better than they do. I am thinking a two step process would help a lot. Have a bilingual native translate it to english........and then have a native English speaker who is fluent in whatever the original language is, do further work and refine the syntax, and meaning to make it readily understandable to english speakers. Till that happens, if it happens.........are the books worth the money ?, Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted April 19, 2014 There are a lot of pictures. More then there are words that I can not read. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LTC Report post Posted May 7, 2014 i bought a couple of these books (the japanese version) and they are really nicely done. the patterns are all in the back for each wallet shown also. the steps are relatively easy to follow along if you have some experience in leatherworking already. though there are some things they do that i don't understand because i haven't seen it done. one thing that i thought was interesting was it looks like they smear either gum tragacanth or something like it onto the flesh side of the wallets and then burnish it with a glass burnisher. i hadn't thought about doing that before. i generally line the wallets i make, but...i'm not sure how well that gum trag on there would work. anyway, there are a ton of pictures. but i do wish i could read japanese or knew someone that could read parts of it so i can understand what they're doing better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DavidL Report post Posted May 8, 2014 If I ever get hold of a copy in Chinese I could get a relative to translate it into english. I may have to give them some cash because I don't think they want to translate a book all day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agentmm Report post Posted May 10, 2014 Hello, New member to the board. It has been very helpful for diggin me out of a few different holes I put myself in so I thank you for your wisdom, knowledge and experience. Would anyone be willing to "lend" me any of these Studio Tac books? I'm primarily interested in mens wallets. I realize they would be prized possessions to anyone who owns them, but maybe we can work something out like a p2p library. If not, anyone looking to sell?As was noted above...I'm not stoked on 60 bucks a piece Thanks in advance Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LTC Report post Posted May 10, 2014 Leathercrafttools.com has them for about $25 each... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
agentmm Report post Posted May 10, 2014 Leathercrafttools.com has them for about $25 each... Cheers I can manage $25 Thank you Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
omlucas Report post Posted October 26, 2014 i found these bootleg on an old russian site a few months ago i feel hella lucky they are great Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NVLeatherWorx Report post Posted October 28, 2014 What is wrong with keeping your purchases inside the U.S.A.? There isn't anything available from a book from another country that can't be found right here without a little searching and I know from experience that the vast majority of the patterns and ideas are available without having to go overseas. I too speak other languages (several as a matter of fact thanks to the U.S. Army and my career requirements) but that doesn't meant that I need to go to an alternate source for things because they are supposedly better. I have been doing leather work for over 40 years and have yet to go outside of the available information sources right here at home for a pattern or other idea; found it all just by looking for it or, the best method of all, creating my own unique version of something. Personal creativity goes much farther than any book will ever take you. No intention to offend anyone here but the more we look outside of our own Country (and that goes for anyone, anywhere) the more we lose our uniqueness and start to become just another minion of the foreign influence. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
omlucas Report post Posted October 28, 2014 There's a ton of good stuff in those books not in any of my other American bootleg books it's good to look everywhere Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
