Black Water Buffalo Briefcase

[Paulsleather]

Hi folks,

Here is another recently completed hand stitched 16 x 11 x 3 single gusset, lock and hasp briefcase. The bag contains two internal pouch pockets, separate front and back flap pockets, solid brass feet and hardware done in a matte nickel finish, a five layer parallel stitched solid leather handle, and an adjustable 1¼ shoulder strap with buckle and padded suede lined shoulder guard.

It was cut from a double bend of 7 ounce black water buffalo hide with the internal pouch pockets of 2 ounce black velvet pig suede. All exposed edges hand beveled, sanded and dyed in USMC black. Hand burnished, sealed with Resolene and then waxed.

The customer did not request a lining for this bag as the flesh side of the leather was essentially a short nap grayish sued. I was relieved! I put in a reinforcing bar this time as the water buffalo did not have the stiffness needed to support the handle and flap. The handle itself took a fair bit of time to shape the layers and then stitch in a center welt. The center didnt sit up as high as I envisioned but there was no way I was going to build that thing again.

Anyway, thanks for looking / reading appreciate your comments and feedback.

Best regards,

Paul

[plowboy73]

Very clean, Nice job!

[LTC]

Looks heavy. How much does it weigh?

[Trevor]

Nice work Paul.

The handle is the best part of the whole bag. Can you detail a bit more as to how you did the handle part.

Also did you hand stitch the whole bag?

Very nice.

Cheers

Trevor

"Way Down Under"

[benlilly1]

Very nice!!

[Jess Jones]

Beautiful work!

[Paulsleather]

Thanks 73 and Benlilly.

LTC I'm not exactly sure but I would guess 5, maybe 6 lbs.

Thanks, Trevor. Yes, all hand stitched. I posted a few pics that will help highlight the construction. Hard to document it all in words but I'll try.

I started with a long strip which spans the length of the handle and attaches to the d rings. I then glue a narrow strip down the back of that. Next, I glue the raw flap of the handle on top. Oops, Prior to that I run two grooves for stitching the flap onto the underlying center strap. Mark with a wheel, punch the holes and then stitch. I then glue another two layers to the bottom side and then clamp it all for a spell. The subjective part comes next.

With a knife I round off the edges and check the thickness and shape. When I'm happy with that I turn Down the flaps and cut them to length so that they meet in the middle. Then I run a groove on each side, mark it with a wheel and punch the holes. Lastly, I tie the handle flaps together with a baseball stitch.

Hope that helps!

Paul

Edited June 19, 2014 by Paulsleather

[Paulsleather]

Thanks, Francesco!

[Basically Bob]

Sweet! You did a great job!

[MonicaJacobson]

That is a Very Nice Briefcase. Great job, and thanks for the how-to on the handle.

[MojoGeorge]

heck, I really think breaking out the handle construction detail and pinning as a tutorial would be a lifesaver for many

[Paulsleather]

Sweet! You did a great job!

That is a Very Nice Briefcase. Great job, and thanks for the how-to on the handle.

heck, I really think breaking out the handle construction detail and pinning as a tutorial would be a lifesaver for many

Thanks all! Not sure how to go about getting something pinned but that would be fine with me.

[Trevor]

Many thanks for the details. To me its the handle that can make or break the look. Nice work.

Cheers