New guy needs help

[valknutleather]

How's it going everyone I'm new here this is my first post. So far I have created 2 things with leather and I'm hooked. This is my latest project a small wallet. Like a money clip without the clip. It's made from hobby lobby scrap leather. I have a very hard time keeping my stitching lines straight. I'm using a small 3 hole punch. Critique is welcome!

[bikermutt07]

Welcome to the best place for leather learning. It's hard getting started not knowing what's needed or how it's done. 

A few things to pick up.

Wing divider. This will help you make straight lines for your stitching.

A stitching pony will also help free up both hands for stitching.

I'm pretty new to this craft myself, but I made a wallet tutorial last week to help fellow newbies.

If you go to the section "how do I do that", you will find it listed under with wallet. This may be a good starting place. 

Keep having fun.

[leatherwytch]

Hi newbie, as biker mutt said the best place on the internet and we are always willing to help out. If you catch a bunch of us yapping in chat some nights, we will even help you guys there. Yes, in chat we don't always talk about leather,

You need some thonging chisels these have bent ends and they make the holes for you to lace through. You have some excellent hide shops in California and for you it would be way cheaper than for me in Canada. Try the Hide House, you will become an addict.

it takes time to stitch properly and when you do and it is all nice and straight you tap them down with your mallet, then they are not bulging up.

 

Edited August 27, 2016 by leatherwytch
word correct is mental

[valknutleather]

Thanks for the replies. I'm currently working on version 2 right now. I definitely need an edge beveler, slicker, and the wing tool. But I'm just working with what I have for now. Where is the cheapest place to buy tools? I think Zach white leather had the best prices I saw but don't know of any other besides Tandy. 

[leatherwytch]

Sometimes the best price is not the best leather but being able to tell good leather from not so much comes with time and experience. There are other hand made tools that are excellent but yes, they are expensive. I can't afford Barry Kings with the exchange rate and shipping. But yes you can get tools at Tandy's that are fairly decent. Like I said I don't have a choice, all my tools come from Tandy's.

If you are moving into tooling and Herman Oak or other veg tan leather, you will need edge bevels. You will not need for things like the one you did. I only use Herman oak for tooling unless I am doing prototypes. Herman oak cuts like butter and beautiful to work with. I am so glad we have the only distributer in Canada for it in Calgary. Wing divider is tres' important and so are the chisels. for making your holes for sewing. All tools you can get at Tandy. Their pro series is  better and a bit more expensive.

 

 

[Dwight]

The first thing I would suggest, is quit buying leather at Hobby Lobby, . . . it is way too expensive, and the leather you bought is really not conducive to a beginner learning how to make much of anything.

Buy some vegetable tanned leather, . . . cement all your edges together, . . . the first two absolutes.

Next, . . . clean up the edge, . . . bevel, sand, burnish, . . . get it "nice".  Then if you have wing dividers, . . . slightly dampen the leather in the area you want to sew, . . .  make a crease line 1/8 to 3/16 inch in from the edge on both sides.  Use that same set of dividers on the "beauty side" and mark off your stitches about 6 or 8 at a time, . . . set your length at 3/16 of an inch. 

Do not use a multi pronged punch to learn with, . . . that is an advanced tool.  Start with an Awl, . . . slowly push straight down on a table surface with another piece of leather under your project, . . . when you fell your tip has probably gone through, . . . turn it over and make sure it came through on the line on the back side.  Had you done that on the first wallet, . . . your stitches would not have wandered like a drunken sailor.  

Getting the hang of hand stitching is easy as falling off a wagon, . . . getting the hang of it and it looking really good, . . . takes lots of practice.  You might even just make a couple of strips an inch wide, . . . bevel the edges, . . . sand em, . . . burnish em, . . . mark em, . . . and stitch em, . . . maybe 15 or 16 inches long.  

Do 3 or 4 inches, . . . quit, . . . go get a cup of coffee, . . . call a friend, . . . then come back and do another 3 or 4 inches.  Keep stitching, . . . breaking, . . . stitching, . . . breaking until you get it done.  Make some of the breaks a day or two long.

By the time you have gotten to the end, you will easily be able to tell which is the beginning and which is the ending part.

You already have the best talent you could ever get, . . . you want to do it.  Now just make it come to pass.

May God bless,

Dwight

[JLSleather]

DO go to Hobby Lobby.  While I wouldn't buy the leather there, they do have some tools you'll be wanting and some templates and liquds which are useful.. and they're LESS expensive than "leather" stores.

Not sure why they seem to think all leather people are suckers   I've seen a needle nose pliers for sale in Menards (or Home Depot, or Harbor Freight) for $1.   That same pair in teh "leather" store ... $4- $8 a pair (same thing).  So.. hobby lobby DOES work for dividers, compass, circle and oval templates, straight edge, circle cutter, rotary cutter, straight edge, cutting mat, rubber cement, .... etc.

As for the leather, it will depend on what you want to make. If you're planning 37 belts, then Wickett & Craig is a good place to start.  If you're thinking a belt, two small like front pocket wallets and a key chain, then maybe someone on the forum who is geographically close can let you have a bit at their cost.

 

[CaptQuirk]

Hobby Lobby is fine for beginning, that is where I went when I was near one. Problem is, it is almost a 2 hour drive to the closest one. They sell veg bellies for maybe a bit less than Tandy, without the shipping. Another source that nobody mentioned, is right here. There is a for sale section that could get you started with many of the basics, even leather.

[valknutleather]

Well my reason for going to hobby lobby is because I wanted to try it out without spending a lot of money for something I may not like. The tools I've gotten from them have sufficed fine. They just don't have ALL the tools I need. I suck at drawing but still would like to get into tooling because it's beautiful what people can do. When I'm done stitching up version 2 I'll post pictures. I do believe it would have turned out better if I had actually leather instead of the scraps from hobby lobby. Where SHOULD I buy leather from. I'm a disabled veteran and my disability is my only income so money is kind of tight. I'd like to get good leather without selling a kidney to get it 

[bikermutt07]

Springfield leather has good stuff in smaller sizes. Get yourself a square foot  or two of Hermann oak 3 ounce leather (that's a good thickness for wallets).

They are a good resource for hobbyists who don't need a whole side of leather. It costs more per foot, but you can buy smaller pieces.

[valknutleather]

Alright man I'll check em out thanks. 

So here is version 2. Turned out alot better but this leather WILL NOT burnish. 

[bikermutt07]

Being from hobby lobby there is no telling what it might be. I have a grab bag from them that I bought in the beginning, I can't do anything with. It's just junk.

Let's look at straightening out those stitches a bit.

Do you have a straight edge or ruler?

Use this with a common razor knife and the will straighten up those edges.

Then (since you don't have the wing divider) use your straight edge and something to get a crease line going. That crease will help get those stitch lines a lot straighter. Get creative with things around the house/shed. You need something that will create a little friction. 

If I didn't have the divider I would use my plastic slicker/bone folder. But you can use a lot if things as a substitute.

Sharpen up the back end of a toothbrush or maybe try an old credit card edge, or even the spine of an old comb. Any hard plastic edge will do.

Here is a picture of a crease line I did with my bone folder. If you can get your edges straight and then put this line around your edge with ant of the household items above your stuff will improve dramatically.

Like I said, get creative. And don't get discouraged. My first two wallet type items didn't fit anything in them.

Keep having fun.

[Halitech]

The best thing is you are here, you are asking questions and you are trying to learn. That will help you a lot down the road.

Probably the reason you are having an issue with burnishing is because the leather you are using is probably chrome tanned which will not absorb water/gum trag/etc so you can't burnish it. The black you are using looks like some lamb that I have here. It's great for a liner and even for making a complete wallet interior but you have to get creative with the edges.  Even thin veg tanned can be a challenge to burnish properly.

A suggestion for your stitching, use a straight edge and "mark" a line by pressing into the leather a bit. Then go to the kitchen and grab a fork. Yes you read that right, a fork. Press the tines into the leather to mark where each stitch hole should be. It won't be as accurate as stitching irons or an over stitch wheel but will be closer then eyeballing it.

[JLSleather]

You are correct... that leather is never going to burnish.  

Again... don't be swayed by the BS put out by most "leather supply" stores (and many who post here, who are often simply repeating what someone said without any real knowledge of their own).

I've seen $1 needle nose pliers in teh "leather supply" stores.. they called 'em "lacing pliers" and priced at $6.  The difference between the one at the auto part store and the leather supply store?  About half a mile. Otherwise identical.

• small needle nose pliers - lacing, sewing, other
• wing divider - scribes guide lines and marks stitch spacing
• utility knife - straight cuts (I use this one http://www.harborfreight.com/folding-lock-back-utility-knife-62156.html )
• x-acto knife (i LOVE that #11) -- curves and corner cuts
• straight edge (I have one that was "supposed to" be for drywall, 6' long, aluminum doesn't stain the leather, works great)
• small square - 12" or so for the smaller cuts http://www.harborfreight.com/8-in-x-12-in-carpenters-square-69363.html

Harbor Freight is about everywhere, and they have all the above. Honesly, for those small projects, I like the see-through triangle templates at HobbyLobby... got a ruler right on there and you can see the leather under it ('tween us,.. that's where i get the x--acto too).

If you're making these little wallets, see my cutesy site.  You can get these "bits" for less than a small fortune without buying the cow, as they say.  I'm not a leather "supplier", nor do I intend to be. These are there for exactly this situation.  Good quality Hermann Oak leather, just what a guy needs, reasonably priced.  I do this because it helps leather crafters.  If someone was to see the listings, and "undercut" my price by offering the same thing at lower cost, that's EVEN BETTER for leathercrafters, and I applaud it!  https://www.etsy.com/shop/JLSleather?ref=hdr_shop_menu&section_id=19129422

Most of the patterns I think are on web site for free, so if you find leather you like to use, feel free to download the pattern any time you like!

 

 

[CaptQuirk]

@JLSleather- The additional cost for "Leather specific tools" isn't new. Back when I was doing videography, you would find places selling cheap tripods, lens filters, etc., and by adding "HD" (For High Def), they would almost double the price. Of course, the stuff was the exact same stuff used with standard def cameras, and had absolutely nothing to do with the video definition. All just a trick to lure the cash out of the pockets of the novices.

[JLSleather]

Uhhhh... tha's what I said.

 

[valknutleather]

Bikermutt: I'm going to use that credit card idea and a straight edge that's pretty ingenious.I tried using a tack puller to create my line but it didn't work out so well. 

 

JLS I will definitely check out your etsy store and thanks for the tips. Just to clarify what I'm using for stitching is a 3 prong punch and a speedy stich awl. 

[bikermutt07]

Don't dismiss that fork idea either. That's downright genius. I didn't know jls had bits of leather to be had. So, I got to learn something too.

I love this place.

Edited August 28, 2016 by bikermutt07

[valknutleather]

So what type of leather should I be trying to get? Hermann oak? Craftsman? I'd like to make a few knife sheaths as well. The wallet was me just messing around and trying to get creative with what I have. 

[Halitech]

toss the speedy stitcher and get some proper needles and go watch nigel armitage saddle stitch on youtube.

 

If you want to tool or stamp, your only option is veg tanned. The others won't absorb water so you can't tool them. Far as brand, if tandy is close, get the mid grade stuff from them since you are starting out. If not, see who is close or check the companies above and see what the shipping is like to you

[valknutleather]

Ok I'll see about getting some better needles and learn to hand stitch. 

I'll probablygo through SLC because they sell it by the sq ft or etsy has some too

[Double Daddy]

Ditto what Dwight and JLS have proffered thus far...especially about HF and tools. My contact cement comes from Lowes (because its cheaper by the gallon and they're local to me)...I think my X-acto knife even came from Walmart (because that was where I just happened to be when I was lookin' for one)...my stamping "stone" is a 12" black granite tile Liquid Nail'd to a patio paver of like size (all purchased at HD & works marvelously for the marginal amount of stamping work that I do). Point being...I usually get what works for me without regard for professional trends (i.e. I personally have no need for a round knife or swivel knife). The only major purchase I have made has been my Cowboy CB3200 from Toledo Sewing Machine Co...the rest of my "arsenal" has been here and there and everywhere.

Now...some of you veterans don't be throwin' stuff at me here...but...FYI: Tandy's Leather Outlet has discounted "Low Grade Veg Sides 4 to 6 oz." on sale right now for around $70...complete with barbed wire drag lines, domestic violence markings, snow chain scars, etc. Granted it's no good for production work but its a decent amount of square footage (16-17sf) readily available for practice, if a person wanted to invest in it. When you're done practicing and learning...throw the unsightly pieces you made from it to the dogs to enjoy for chew toys and get you some HO or W&C leather.

http://www.tandyleatheroutlet.com/p-476-low-grade-veg-side-4-to-6-oz.aspx

GOOD LUCK!