No Idea Where To Begin

[smirak]

So, I can spell leather, and that's about it. I need something to occupy my hands...

Anyway, want to get started making some things... (In order of what I perceive to be easier to harder)...

1) business card case

2) bifold wallet with ID pocket and bill storage, so no "card wallet" style

3) gun belt 1 1/2 wide and maybe double thickness?

4) OWB pancake holster

5) purse for the wife

I live in west central NH about middle of the state on the NH/VT border. We have no leather supply stores anywhere near..,nearest Tandy is near Boston 2-3 hours away. So, all my stuff will be Internet orders.

Tools I think I need...

Stitching groover

Awl haft and blades (which ones?)

Needles/thread

Over stitcher?

Knife of some sort

Edge beveler

Hole punch(es)

Hammer of some sort

Dye goods - have no idea what to get...

Slicker for burnishing

Leather - I have no idea what leather to get...I know I'm not going to (initially) spend like $300 on a whole hide (if that's what it's even called). I see all the different weights/thicknesses, aides, saddles, shoulders, etc...

Is there a "beginners guide" somewhere in this forum/site I can reference?

Thanks much,

Kevin

[MonicaJacobson]

Kevin, there really should be a beginner guide. As it is, most people have to use the forum search function and peruse through for a few hours. You could try "tool list" as a search word.

Are you planning to buy dyed leather or undyed leather? You don't have to do the whole dye-your-own straight off... or you could just leave your first few experiments undyed. Lots of people like the look anyway.

Unfortunately, a lot of the supplies are one choice out of many. There are so many choices, you just have to do some reading about each particular topic, pick one of the options, and try it. A lot of it comes down to preference.

You should consider getting a pricking iron rather than a over-stitching wheel. You'd need a 2 prong (for going around corners) and a four (or more) prong. You'd want to get 6-7spi (stitches per inch) for bag size or 8 spi or so for wallets. Here's an example of one, but which one to buy is another debate in itself.

I use Fiebings spirit dyes. Some people use Angelus. I think most people like them much better than Tandy eco-flo. You can dilute them with lacquer thinner for color variation and mix your own colors as well.

If you want pre-dyed leather, try MaverickLeatherCompany. They sell at a ridiculously good price. Springfield Leather will cut smaller quantities for you. It works better to call these companies than to order through the website, from what I've tried. If you talk to them, ask them about the leather and its quality, and tell them what you want to make, they really try to make sure you get what you need, and they are very upfront about the leather. If you place your order through the internet things just get processed and you may or may not get what you were hoping to get. The worst I've ever gotten was on par with Tandy, not below it.

You also want some saddle soap or beeswax/paraffin for burnishing.

Good luck,

Monica

[smirak]

Thanks for the reply Monica...funny thing...I move to NH from Buford...

Anyway, for the first one, I'm most likely just going to make a small business card holder. I'm in corp America and take business cards with me everywhere. Currently, they are in the "nasty" plastic case that comes with the purchase of like 10 million business cards. I'm looking for something that will hold about 16-20 business cards. I want it to be bi-fold wallet style where each side would hold 8-10 cards and fold in the middle. I'm not sure what I actually want, but I do know what I don't want. I'll most likely buy a pc of leather already dyed from springfield for this project, but don't know which weight/thickness. I am thinking I want this case to be lines or double thickness as I don't necessarily like the "fuzzy knap" on the underside of some leather, but have no idea what that's called or even if I need to worry about it.

[MonicaJacobson]

Small world! I don't know what possessed you - maybe it was the allergies.

It depends on how thick you want it. Some people like ultra thick, some people want it more like 5 - 6 oz. Some people want almost paper thin. I think if you talk to the people at Springfield and tell them about your concerns about the back, they'll be able to give you some ideas of would wouldn't be too expensive, but would look nice. At Maverick right now there's some leather that is finished smooth on both sides if you're really concerned about it. However, Maverick will not cut for you. They can be half the price of Springfield, though. There are several kinds of leather that are very smooth on the back.

[byggyns]

For wallet / card case, the thickness most people like is 4-5 oz. for the outside and 2-3 for the inside. Like Monica said, it really is personal preference.

You may want to think about wet molding the inner pocket if you want to fit that many business cards into each side. For wet molding, you want to make sure the leather you buy is not pre-finished and is just dyed veg tan.

The "fuzz" on the back (flesh) side is really a function of leather quality. The supplier will be able to get you the correct quality for what you want. Typically better quality (more expensive) leather will have a flesh side with fewer issues. The flesh side can be burnished like the edges to make it smoother. Herman Oak brand is a good one to get high quality hides.

When you start tackling a holster, you want to have a much thicker leather. I use 8-9 oz for my pancake holsters with an additional stiffener piece at the mouth. For a fold-over style, I will normally add a liner of 2-3 oz. The holster section of this forum is a great resource for information and design ideas. Again, because you have to wet form a holster, you must have veg tan without any finishes. Pre-dyed is OK.

I'm working on my first belt with 8-9oz for the top layer & 2-3 for the lining. I haven't finished that one yet, so I don't know about performance yet. I have seen some people use a double thickness of 6-7 or 8-9, and others just use a single layer of 10-12. For a true gun belt, I think you need at least a total thickness of 12 oz. If you want to tool & decorate it, you will want undyed veg tan.

For purses & bags, Monica would a good one to ask. I've seen some of her work posted here, and it is impressive.

[Grey Drakkon]

Before I started, I got my hands on this book: http://www.amazon.com/Leatherworking-Handbook-Illustrated-Sourcebook-Techniques/dp/1844034747 and found it incredibly useful for looking up things like what the thicknesses of leather are called, and what kinds of things they can be used in. Ditto with the tools. That book is how I got started in leather mask making, since it's a project that can be as complex or simple as you want, and can use tools as simple as a blade and wool dauber, or go all out and use everything you can throw at it for fun.

[JAZZMAN]

Before I started, I got my hands on this book: http://www.amazon.com/Leatherworking-Handbook-Illustrated-Sourcebook-Techniques/dp/1844034747 and found it incredibly useful for looking up things like what the thicknesses of leather are called, and what kinds of things they can be used in. Ditto with the tools. That book is how I got started in leather mask making, since it's a project that can be as complex or simple as you want, and can use tools as simple as a blade and wool dauber, or go all out and use everything you can throw at it for fun.

Could not agree more on the book recommendation.

[zuludog]

Yes, work your way through this forum and also YouTube; there's loads of information, it will be time consuming but do it in smallish chunks

Get Valerie Michael's book as mentioned above, and Al Stohlman's 'The Art of Hand Sewing Leather'

This company's website has some good tutorials on basic techniques and also a comparison of leather thickness measurements

http://www.bowstock.co.uk

The 4-in-1 awl sold by Tandy and others isn't very good. You're better off getting two separate fixed blade awls; one diamond cross section and one round/scratch awl. Will probably be cheaper too

Don't get a steel hammer, get a hide/wooden/plastic mallet

You will also need a stitching chisel or pricking iron; 4 mm spacing is as good as any to start with

Start with something simple like a key fob

Learn and practice the saddle stitch, you will use this for most sewing

I use a craft knife, often known in Britain by the most common make, a Stanley knife; I think you call them box cutter knives in USA. Find a couple of blades that fit well without wobbling, they seem to get better as you resharpen them

The usual green cutting mats with the grid markings are cheap and good

Don't be in a hurry to buy a load of tools at once; do your homework and get them as you need them; should help prevent you making mistakes if you understand what each tool is for and how to use it

As an indication or guide, I make knife sheaths from 3.5 mm vegetable tanned leather, which I think is about 8 oz. For wallets you'd want something thinner, say 1.5 to 2 mm, but I'm sure others with more experience might correct this

You'll start to see makers & suppliers mentioned. Have a browse through their websites to see what's available; Tandy, Goods Japan, Osborne, etc.

Best Wishes, and have fun!

[zuludog]

I've just had a fiddle with my post, and can't get the link to work, but the address will work if you put it directly into Google. Here it is again

http://www.bowstock.co.uk

[smirak]

Instead of making a new thread, I'll post a new title in this thread...

HELP ME SPEND BETWEEN $200-$250

First off, I have absolutely nothing leather working related except for a Tandy Mini Leather Punch Set. I have wholesale pricing at Springfield Leather. First projects "out of the gate" will be a belt and a wallet.

Bring on the suggestions!

**Edited to add: I'm not so much into tooling leather right now, so gear this more toward non-tooled stuff, hand stitched stuff.**

Edited April 30, 2015 by smirak