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!

[Sceaden]

Outside of a tooling pattern I think this was my first project. 

[bikermutt07]

I was curious so I dug into my attachments from a few years ago and found this picture of my first 3 projects.

They are in order from left to right. I have to give old grierwolfe from grierwolfe customs a nod for helping me get started. My large sheath was built following his tutorials on YouTube. I didn't know anything about this when I started. 

[AussieMade]

This is my third belt I made after getting back into leatherwork after making a belt and knife pouch 16yrs ago and never getting pics of them, and have unfirtualtey lost them over the years. Still wear this one as it is nice solid 10oz leather. Stitching is a terrible beige colour. I left the edges un-burnished as I like the way it looks.

[bikermutt07]

Thanks for sharing.

10 hours ago, Sceaden said:

Outside of a tooling pattern I think this was my first project. 

Those are cool.

[CaptQuirk]

8 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

I was curious so I dug into my attachments from a few years ago and found this picture of my first 3 projects.

They are in order from left to right. I have to give old grierwolfe from grierwolfe customs a nod for helping me get started. My large sheath was built following his tutorials on YouTube. I didn't know anything about this when I started. 

That's a cool little cell wallet thingy right there!

[Sceaden]

Thanks! My first full project was a notebook cover for my mom's birthday. 

I started leatherwork because I wanted to make a few accessories for my muzzleloaders and a year later it had escalated way beyond that and I finally made some of the accessories. :-)

I didn't get into it for a business but I have sold almost everything I have made and have a few orders pending.

[bikermutt07]

4 hours ago, CaptQuirk said:

That's a cool little cell wallet thingy right there!

Yeah I made a cut out for my business logo.

[immiketoo]

Ok, I'll play.  My first holster and a more recent one. My first ever carving wont load for some reason. 

[Sceaden]

Sorry Mike, I don't see much improvement :-P

[Mhicks]

The argument could be made this is my second item but it was the first project I started and it took me about 2 months to finish it and in the mean time i did something else small but I can't remember what it was.  Leather camera bag with removable insert.

 

[bikermutt07]

4 hours ago, immiketoo said:

Ok, I'll play.  My first holster and a more recent one. My first ever carving wont load for some reason. 

You've come a long way, baby.

 

4 hours ago, Mhicks said:

The argument could be made this is my second item but it was the first project I started and it took me about 2 months to finish it and in the mean time i did something else small but I can't remember what it was.  Leather camera bag with removable insert.

 

That's awesome. I guess some people start out with a little more raw talent.

[kiwican]

yup...hate them too

[Mhicks]

Thank you!   I'll humbly admit to have been blessed with the ability to do and pick up different skills quickly.  One of the main reasons I started in leather work was to have something I could do inside the house instead wood/metal stuff until I had my own shop built (my parents have a 4k sq ft shop just down the road that I used).  Still working on the shop for my metal and wood working projects but i do have 2/3 of a 450 sq ft shop dedicated to leather working now.

[TucanSam]

Started off making chainmaille jewelry, got into making 11th  Century style armor and wanted a pair of turn shoes. Found out after I made them, that black leather was extremely rare back then (whoops)... but yup... 1st leather project ever.

[bikermutt07]

Cool. This is great guys keep them coming.