New member: where to start?

[Davzava]

Hey folks, my name is David . My interest is huge in leather working but I have 0 clue where to start !!! Would someone be kind and steer me the right direction ? Thanks everyone in advance .

[rickdroid]

Hi David and welcome.  

If you don't have any experience a good way to get started is to go to Tandy, pick out a kit that interests you and start with that.  Most kits have everything that you need for the project and include instructions.  The Tandy staff should be able to help you choose a good beginning kit.

 You didn't say where you are located, but ask around to see if there is a leather club or guild in your area.  There are some really good ones out there and if they are like the one I belong to pretty much any member will be willing to help you get started.

Hope this helps a little.  Be sure to let us know how it goes.

rick

 

[Boriqua]

Im with Rick ... I picked up starter kit that I think was $69.00 back in about 1992 and have been hooked ever since. It came with everything I needed to get started and I still have most of the tools today. This is similar and gives you most of the basics

https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/deluxe-leathercraft-set

Those tools can carry you for quite some time. I swear I used that plastic mallet for a decade and I still have it so while the initial outlay may be kind of high you wont NEED to rush out and buy a bunch of stuff separately until you want to or feel ready.

After that I bought several kits for say wallets and belts and built the kits but soon used the patterns that came with them and started buying rolls of leather and replicating the patterns but with different materials and without the giant prepunched holes.

Alex

[Sc00t3r]

i agree with the above, being fairly new to this medium myself.  

plus with Tandy, if you buy the kit you get access to their lessons as well - which are a really good starting point

I would also add don't be afraid to make mistakes.  When you start what would appear like doing something simple like cutting, you will mess it up.  even when i do that i still complete the piece, it teaches you how to do the rest of it, and the key to leatherwork is practice.

Don't be harsh on yourself with critique, when you have finished just ask what could i do better, it might be moving a snap under a piece of leather instead of on top of one.  Progress wasn't built on success!

Most of all  enjoy it, i find lacing and sewing quite therapeutic (some find it mind numbing).  At the end of the day i look at something and say "i made that from scratch", that's the reward

 

Scoot

 

[bikermutt07]

The above suggestions are great. One thing I might add is make small investments first. When I started (and I'm still pretty new) I bought lots of stuff I don't even use. The direction of your interest will dictate the tools. 

If your interested in tooling/carving I would (after visiting tandy like mentioned above) do some investigating. Amazon has the deluxe adjustable swivel knife for 9 bucks and a set of tooling stamps for less than 20. I just bought a set of 4 diamond chisel for less than 20 bucks. This was after spending 25 a piece for chisels at tandy that are too small for my current project. Granted I will use the more expensive chisels when the time comes and the cheap chisels aren't as nice but they fit the current bill.

So, go slow. Don't dive in before you find out where your interests lie. If you just want to do sheaths for a while then the tandy deluxe kit will get you by for a good while.

Back to the tooling note. If that's your interest, these are some things I learned immediately.Don't start out with tiny carvings. They just exaggerate the messy parts. The swivel knife and other tools will be easier to learn on something 5 x 7 inches rather than something 2 x 2. Tool on a piece larger then what your image is. You need to be able to hold it down while you're working on it. I suggest sacrificing a few bellies or even a single shoulder to the learning process. 

Lastly, you could do worse than spending a month here just researching and learning before you ever spend a cent. You will learn a multitude of what to buy and how to apply it. 

So, leave the expensive tools for later, start slow, and enjoy yourself.

P.s. the deluxe kit does have a swivel knife and basic stamping tools. I didn't realize that when I posted.

Edited May 23, 2016 by bikermutt07

[silverwingit]

Quote

After giving this question some thought I've decided to dissent. I assume that, since you've gone to the trouble to find this site and ask this question before you leap, that you are serious about acquiring some leatherworking skills. Though I might be accused of having a certain bias, I've two main reasons for my dissention.

1) For me, the two most important leatherworking skills are skipped if you start with a basic Tandy kit: cutting and stitching. Yes, they yield instant satisfaction but kits teach little in the way of usable skills (well, lacing may be an exception). The ones that involve only riveting are similarly limiting. I believe kits best serve Tandy. They sort of tacitly encourage you to avoid learning the basics and have you keep coming back for more kits instead of letting you grow you skills. Sort of the leatherworking equivalent of crack cocaine. That may be a bit harsh but you get my drift.

2) Most of the tools Tandy sells in kits are ah, well, soon set aside for better ones. I know I've handed almost all of mine down to budding leatherworkers just to help get them "kick" started. I can't think of any I've kept around except for a an odd seeder or other simple western tooling stamp. Do you know a seasoned leatherworker? I've never met one who was unwilling to help a newcomer. I've also never met one who still uses a significant number of the tools they started with when they bought a Tandy starter kit.

My advice is to pick a simple pattern for a project that appeals to you from the internet, the LW Forum on that topic or Tandy. A key fob, a coin purse, a simple knife pouch. Then buy a good utility knife, a set of inexpensive diamond stitching chisels, a poly mallet, a wing divider, and some thread and needles. Learn to transfer and cut out a pattern, punch the holes and stitch it up. It will look terrible but you will have embarked on real leatherwork and you will have a minimal tool set that you will add to as your skills increase and projects become more complex. You will get a taste of what is to come at far less expense. Even if you never make another leather project you will still be able to make simple repairs or modifications to leather items around the house.

At least that's the way I would do it if I had to start all over from scratch.

There are many how-to videos on Youtube to help you get started. If you decide to take my advice, I'd be happy to guide you through them and offer to advise you along the way.

Good luck whatever you decide!

Michelle