What Can You Use 3Mm And 2-2.5Mm Leather For?

[Retrospads]

So I just got into leatherworking a week ago, and as usual I got too excited too quickly and ran into a problem. When I was buying leather I accidentally bought way to thick a leather for wallet making (the pattern I use requires .8-1.2, and instead have double or more the required thickness. I have almost two full hides and spent $140, so I'd like your opinion on what I should use it for?

As a beginner, what are some good options. I made some earphone holders, and transit card holder but I'd like to make something more worth my time.

Thanks everyone!

David

[zuludog]

I'm sure you'll get lots of useful suggestions; here are a few comments:-

I make knife sheaths from 3mm leather. You could make belts; a general belt pouch or for specific items like a folding knife; a handbag or shoulder bag; covers or slips for your woodworking tools - chisels, axes, saws; or a larger tool roll or tool bag

Have you made a sharpening strop yet? There are tutorials & videos on this forum & YouTube, or just copy the one in Tandy's website.

You don't need to be in a hurry to use all the leather at once. It keeps well if you tie it in a loose roll, somewhere dry and out of the light. As with any hobby you will soon acquire a collection of tools & materials. They're bound to come in for future projects.

This company's website has some good tutorials on basic techniques, including a comparison chart for leather thickness

http://www.bowstock.co.uk

This website has a forum section on leatherwork

http://www.britishblades.com

This company's website has some tutorials on sheath making

http://www.brisa.fi

Put a few ideas into the search box of YouTube, there's bound to be something interesting

Have a look through these sections on this forum; Show Off, and Critique My Work

Edited May 12, 2015 by zuludog

[ConradPark]

I don't know where you're located but most larger leather workshops/shoe shops/saddlers and leather craft reseller/suppliers also have a leather splitting service or at least the machine and if asked nicely they are most of the time willing to do so for almost no money, unless you bring 100 square feet of material to be split! . Cut out the pieces slightly larger than the pattern you need for your wallets and bring all the pieces to the workshop. If they have an industrial band splitter it shouldn't be a problem to split leather up to 10-12 inches wide, more than enough for any wallets.

I almost always need different weights of the same leather, thinner for card pockets, even thinner for lining, medium for inside walls and a thick one as an outside and for small runs it's cheaper to cut all the parts from one hide to later split the leather at a workshop than to buy 4 different hides in 4 different weights.

Good luck.

[Retrospads]

Zuludog - I would usually not want to get rid of the leather immediately but I will only be residing in South Korea for another 4 months, so holding onto leather isn't possible at least not for long. I have a sharpening strop for my straight razors, can I use that? I don't think I'll get into the sheath making, only because I'd like to learn wet forming later on, for guns/knives, etc. I'd like to stick to simpler stuff, as a beginner, but nonetheless I will look into that! Thanks for the links!

ConradPark- Since I live in South Korea, there are definitely none of those I can find. Most of the leather shops here get their leather via importation, and do little to no splitting (that I know of) here. Any tips on what I could create with the mm I have? Would women's purses do, like this one?

http://www.lzpattern.com/leather-bag-patterns-catagory/leather-craft-patterns-bag-pattern-leather-patterns-stitch-patterns-crochet-patterns-leathercraft-leather-craft-leather-crafting-%20leather-carving-leather-art-leather-working-leather-tools-leather-craft-tools-leathercraft-tools-handmade-tools-CLD-10

Thanks guys, appreciate all the help so far!

[ConradPark]

Well, I don't know where in South Korea you are but leather craft is HUGE there, much more so than in UK or Sweden where I'm from, so I'm afraid I need to correct you on this one. Maybe you just have been misinformed! Anyways, I know for a fact that in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Dageon and probably a few more, there are several leather craft shops, both studios and workshops, suppliers etc. In case that you're far from those cities or any of the other larger cities and stuck on the country side - well, then I do apologies for your inconvenience.

Now before you ask me to name a few places, I actually think it's easier for you to find one if you start to ask/google around (just do it and you'll see that there are several places that sells materials, offer classes and yes, rent and sells equipment and the services), since you're actually there. I also know that there are quite a few Korean leather crafts people here on this forum that you could ask, the most famous one is probably Huns (I don't know him but he is definitely one of the best leather workers on this forum AND Korean).

Edited May 12, 2015 by ConradPark

[zuludog]

You could try selling it, either back to a dealer, or secondhand - whatever is the Korean equivalent of cards in newsagent's windows, free papers, or local Internet based sales scheme

If you are leaving soon you could make a bag or case, even if it's simple/basic/a bit crude/, then pick it apart to re-use when you get home; save's buying luggage & kills 2 birds with one stone. Perhaps this could be used for heavier, stronger items, like tools, or shoes

In fact there's no need even to make proper luggage at all; sew the things up completely, like a big parcel. There will be a bit of wastage when you come to re-use the leather, but it would be better than just leaving it behind. Or just wrap it round like thick wrapping paper, and use a helluva lot of Duck Tape.

You could use a razor strop, but Surf the Net a bit and you'll see that strops for knives, plane blades, chisels and so on are usually leather on wood

Make some key fobs as mementos for friends & colleagues you leave behind.

By the way, sometimes the links don't work. It's worth putting them into Google manually.

[Retrospads]

The biggest problem for me is the language barrier. Add that with a beginner and it creates problems haha. I'm glad to be stood corrected, if I could get in contact with such a person here in Korea that would be amazing.

As far as sewing or bringing back the leather, thats not a bad idea, may do that.

[Grey Drakkon]

Masks are a good way to practice your leatherworking and still end up with something that looks neat.

[carsonm3]

just make a bag. the backpack in my gallery was made with that thickness of leather and it was my first project as well.

Edited May 14, 2015 by carsonm3

[outlawcustomleather]

Besides knife sheath we made possible bags, luggage tag holders and leather earrings with some of ours.

www.outlawcustomleather.com

[silverwingit]

You could make all sorts of little projects.

Tandy has dozens of how-to videos.

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/free-leathercraft-instructional-videos.html

They also offer many different patterns.

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/category/leather-craft-patterns

Or, you could dive into learning real leatherwork. If you want to do that, buy Al Stohlman's book on hand sewing and get a few tools to learn how to do that.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Hand-Sewing-Leather/dp/1892214911/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463156341&sr=1-1&keywords=al+stohlman

Then buy Volume 1 of Al Stohlman's Book on making cases.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Making-Leather-Cases-Vol/dp/1892214946/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463156341&sr=1-3&keywords=al+stohlman

After taking either of those paths, you will no longer have to ask this question.

Good Luck,

Michelle

 

Edited May 13, 2016 by silverwingit