Hey from Alabama

[Clintock]

New to leather working here. Already an expert in making scraps. When I was a teen I repaired bridles and reigns with whatever I could find. Kind of interested in picking this up as a hobby. Always loved the smell of leather. No pictures yet but with a little luck and patience I'll have some soon. Looking forward to learning something new. 

[bikermutt07]

Welcome to a great forum. There is tons to learn and plenty of experts to give the answers you need.

I posted this following bit in a few intro threads in the last few days.

Enjoy.

If I can offer some advice I got here....

Start small and repeat, repeat, repeat.

Making the same small items over and over will help you develop all the different disciplines. Keeping it small gives you more time at the bench with said amount of leather.

Example: Make 25 bracelets from 1 shoulder. That gives you a month or so of hobby time with 50.00 worth of leather.

In those 25 Bracelets you can learn to dye, edge bevel, sand, burnish, build you hardware knowledge, finish, stamp and tool, laminating, stitching and more.

Plus if you screw 1 up, you're only out about .50 worth of leather.

This can be done with key fobs, watch bands, bracelets, and small card wallets.

It will really build some value into that 1 single shoulder.

The advice I received has been elaborated upon. I was told build one thing over and over until you are really good at it. Then move on.

So good luck and enjoy.

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[Clintock]

Thanks! I have put together a holster kit from hobby lobby and used that to make a pattern. Sold a couple of these for $75 each. Feel kinda bad about it now because that was before I knew anything about burnishing edges. Still haven't burnished. Waiting on materials to arrive. Have a holster now but it will be burnished before I sell it. I stamped the border and basket weave. Kinda of a tricky technique knowing when the leather is cased just enough to take the tool. As far as carving I'd love to and used to draw quite a bit but have yet tried any of that. Here's the latest holster built from that hobby lobby kit. Oh and one iwb I threw together. Well it won't let me add the pic. It's a crude little holster. 

[bikermutt07]

We live and we learn. I still haven't tried to really sell much of anything yet. Bench time is scarce and learning to do it well takes time.

[Bodean]

Welcome to the forum. The smell of leather is addicting. 

[bikermutt07]

5 hours ago, Bodean said:

Welcome to the forum. The smell of leather is addicting. 

Try some horween, it's like crack.

[Bodean]

3 minutes ago, bikermutt07 said:

Try some horween, it's like crack.

We need a like button.

[Clintock]

Never heard of it. Where's a good place a single or double shoulder? Not really wanting to spend a 100 bucks on a double shoulder of leather just getting started. Appreciate any info 

[Clintock]

Just looked up horween. Bet that's expensive. All handmade and made to order. 

[bikermutt07]

The shell cordovan is...... The horse fronts and horse strips can be had pretty reasonable. Maverick and Springfield Leather both sell it.

Maverick has the strips for like 6 bucks a foot and they are only 2-3 feet each (about 5-9 inches wide x 4 foot). Making a wallet right now.

[bikermutt07]

1 hour ago, Clintock said:

Never heard of it. Where's a good place a single or double shoulder? Not really wanting to spend a 100 bucks on a double shoulder of leather just getting started. Appreciate any info 

They make bovine and horse leather. The horse comes in much smaller portions. Either a single or double front, strips, or shell.

The shell is the stuff they make really expensive shoes out of. I think they say it takes several months to produce. It is a small oval about 2.5 as.ft. The only price i have found for those is from an Italian tannery and the run almost 200.00 a piece. So, I haven't tried any.

I'm just moving into the better than Tandy leather world myself. Only in the last 6 or 8 months have I been seeing what better leather can do. But my pace moves in slug years. I work a physical job and have a young child, so not a lot of time at the bench.

Anywho cheers.

[Clintock]

Used to have a physical job. 12 hrs a day. Now I work 4-10s m-t running heavily equipment. Off fri sat sun. So now I have lots of time. Guess all double shoulders are around 90 bucks. Maybe I can keep researching and find some cheaper.