Hi from West Sussex, UK. My first ever leather project

[Raf65]

Hi All

Just started in leatherwork and really enjoying it. I recently had a workshop with Nigel Armitage. I can highly recommend it... and here's the result. My first belt in fact my first ever leather project. Looking forward to developing my skills and learning much from all you good folk.

Raf

[Martyn]

Lovely, very nice indeed. It makes such a difference when you've got someone like Nigel teaching you. I really should hook up to one of his courses, he's only about 20 miles from me.

 

Did you make your stitching holes with an awl or a chisel? If that's freehand awl work, it's very neat indeed for a first time.

Edited April 13, 2016 by Martyn

[Raf65]

Thanks. Yes, it was a fantastic experience.

I used a set of Seiwa stiching irons / chisel (6x4mm) along with a softer rounded awl (as opposed to diamond) and 0.8mm Tiger thread. Working my way towards pricking irons / awl work once I get a few projects under my belt (although we did cover it)

[HENDREFORGAN]

I like the touch of the natural hide with your stamped logo on it being part of the "hidden detail" . . never seen that used before . . very subtle and classy.

I use a five prong straight stitching iron from C. S. Osborne and Co which is measured out at 10 stitches to the inch, it's not easy to find in the UK these days and "straight holes" as opposed to "lacing holes" seems to have fallen out of favour.  Yet punched into a deep groove on harness work it provides clean stitching in a nicely recessed line.

Though I've used it since about 1988 I've only ever needed to lightly dress the points twice and that's because I use a "soft block" for my pricking . . actually I'll be brave enough to state that though originally trained by a saddler to use it ONLY for pricking out lines I use a rawhide mallet and I wallop the pricking iron through the total thickness of leather . . . saddler's that have passed on are turning in their graves at hearing this.  If necessary I use a round dull pointed awl to clean up any holes but the punch I use give a good sized rectangular hole and it's not often I need to use the awl.

Again though I was taught to use a lump of lead as the block I applied my woodworking skills to my needs and made a rectangular box about 15" x 9" and about 3" deep with glued dovetailed corners into which I put off-cuts of 3" x 3" softwood exposed end grain facing up.  These are firmly secured by tapered wedges and, when the "top" gets chewed up, you turn them over.  When they're done on that side too then they become firewood and are replaced by new off-cuts.  Simple, cheap and highly effective.

[bikermutt07]

Great looking belt.

 

[TonyRV2]

12 hours ago, HENDREFORGAN said:

.....Again though I was taught to use a lump of lead as the block I applied my woodworking skills to my needs and made a rectangular box about 15" x 9" and about 3" deep with glued dovetailed corners into which I put off-cuts of 3" x 3" softwood exposed end grain facing up.  These are firmly secured by tapered wedges and, when the "top" gets chewed up, you turn them over.  When they're done on that side too then they become firewood and are replaced by new off-cuts.  Simple, cheap and highly effective.

This is an excellent idea.  Thanks for sharing!

[Raf65]

Hi Hendreforgan

Thanks for the feedback and insights. I've made made quite a few belts since this one and really getting into developing my awl skills for sewing in my buckles. Until I get (or can even find) some nice pricking irons, my method at the moment is to punch through one side of my leather and then with those holes as a guide use my awl to push through the inside return tab of the buckle end. 

Cheers

Raf

[Raf65]

On 9/7/2016 at 11:38 AM, bikermutt07 said:

Great looking belt.

 

Thanks guys. I'm loving the craft and have made quite a few belts since.