Ok. Let's see' em........

[bikermutt07]

I was watching a thread and people started posting their first projects. It got me a little nostalgic.

How far have we come since the beginning?

I took up leather as a hobby after my wife and I lost our 2 week old son, Eddie. After his battle was fought I needed something to get my hands moving again. Her and I have come a long way since August of 2014.

Some how we grew stronger through our experience. She got us into counseling almost immediately (big help).

She has poured herself into her middle school teaching program like no one ever has. She is about to do her 2nd annual "The Arts are Always in" event. It even includes a fashion runway show out of upcycled goods with her advanced class. This is a huge undertaking. And I am very proud of her.

I made a few leather goods to get me going and then kind of took a break from it. I hadn't done anything since probably November of 2014, then we had some unexpected space become available in our home last year. Since then I have been puttering when I can find the time.

I enjoy myself when working with leather. I don't want to do it for a living. It's my little escape time. I want to do it for fun and if people want to buy what I make, great. But I'm not doing it for them. It's for me.

So, the point of this thread is.......

Show us your first ever project, and maybe share why you got into it. 

Here is my first piece.

Edited February 13, 2017 by bikermutt07

[CaptQuirk]

Ok... I'm game. My first "Real" attempt at a holster. My actual first, was just scraps from a bag at Hobby Lobby, using finishing nails to punch my stitching holes. That holster was never photographed, and quickly replaced by this full on western gunbelt and holster. I bought a new gun, and was not happy with the cheap nylon "one size fits many" holster, and nobody within a hundred miles sold a western belt. The internet had a lot of holsters, many were questionable, lots were pricey. I figured I'm pretty good with my hands, why not give it a go?

 

[bikermutt07]

Wow, that's a pretty big chunk to bite off. It looks good, way better than my plastisized knife sheath.

[Instinctive]

Here's mine. I think this is it's 40th anniversary. I still have it (retired now).

I got into because I didn't want to take a language class in high school so went to art class. Mrs. Wallace was multi-talented include some leather and I learned the basic from her.

Got better and started  small business which I retired from a few years later to focus on work in the real world (I'm an engineer). Packed away all of my tools for about 25 years then sold my last business and semi-retired. Blew the dust off of the gear, resharpened some edges and have been trying to relearn what I forgot since.

I regret ever stopping. Therapy for the mind.

Edited February 13, 2017 by WRLC

[kiwican]

Wow. Your first attempts are pretty bloody good. I got into leather work to keep sane in my other job....some say it didn't work. 

[CaptQuirk]

19 minutes ago, kiwican said:

 I got into leather work to keep sane in my other job....some say it didn't work. 

Only those people in the chat room that know you

[bikermutt07]

29 minutes ago, WRLC said:

Here's mine. I think this is it's 40th anniversary. I still have it (retired now).

I got into because I didn't want to take a language class in high school so went to art class. Mrs. Wallace was multi-talented include some leather and I learned the basic from her.

Got better and started  small business which I retired from a few years later to focus on work in the real world (I'm an engineer). Packed away all of my tools for about 25 years then sold my last business and semi-retired. Blew the dust off of the gear, resharpened some edges and have been trying to relearn what I forgot since.

I regret ever stopping. Therapy for the mind.

It still looks great. Thanks for sharing. I had a big crush on my middle school art teacher.

[Brianm77]

Her is mine, unlike most of y'all here my first is only a couple months old.  Looking back I can say horrible attempt at edge dressing(I have since gone back and re done it). Did not even touch the belt slots cause I did not have a way to get in there. 

[bikermutt07]

And yet, it's perfectly usable. Good job.

[kiwican]

7 hours ago, CaptQuirk said:

Only those people in the chat room that know you

Ha! if sanity is measured by the standard of folks in the chat then I have no issues!