From Russia with love

[AlexMayer]

Here is another project: vintage-looking long zipper wallet.

The most unpleasant and depressing part of the work is gluing in the round zipper. I use handmade mould from plywood to attach a zipper.

To those who can attach zipper without any additional fittings - my  respect! and envy...

 

 

[navyrob74]

Really nice work, really clean.  Did you make the template for you long zipper wallet or bifold walker or was it someone else's. I am new to leather work and want to be able to make wallets like that. Again great work

[AlexMayer]

5 hours ago, navyrob74 said:

Really nice work, really clean.

Hi, thank you very much.

IMHO This is definitely not the best project to strike up an acquaintance with leatherworking.

There are couple of videos in youtube from japan leatherworker describing procedure step-by step. Let me know if you fail to find them, I'll search them for you.

The keyitem all this - a mould for gluing the round zipper. Like this:

http://www.lzpattern.com/Leather-tools/leathercraft-tools-zipper-installing-mold-mould 

It is a bit costly here, that is why I made such mould myself.

 

[GirlFromScandinavia]

Hi Alex! Your back pack is beautifull, I especially like the colours that you chose! Since you live in Moscow, I have a question. I live near Viborg, just across the border from Svetogorsk, on the Finnish side. I have always thought about looking for vegetable tanned leather from the Russian side. Where do you get your leather from? Are there leather suppliers in Moscow? I have some Russian friends from Saint Petersburg that can help me out with the language.

[AlexMayer]

5 minutes ago, GirlFromScandinavia said:

Hi Alex!

Hi GirlFromScandinavia. Thanks you for comment! I personaly like the combination of colors as well.

Good to hear that we are almost neighbors 
There is a dosen of suppliers in Moscow, and in Saint Petersburg as well, they are all targeted at foreign-made leather (Italian is most popular particular). Someone sells leather from Baltics.

For example in backpack i used: 1) black leather - Italian leather - I bought it online shop in Orenburg - citi 1250 km away from Moscow.

the "red" one - in offline shop in Mocsow - this leather is apparently from Latvia.

May I know what is the background of your willingness to buy russian leather?
price? quality?

[AlexMayer]

Lets keep on:

Currently working on a sleve for passport, documents for vehicle and cards.

[plinkercases]

And you sleep and eat when?..... more great looking stuff thanks for the inspiration.

[AlexMayer]

On 21.12.2017 at 1:52 AM, plinkercases said:

And you sleep and eat when?.

Haha. right. Leatherworking for me is a rest after my day work. 

When I have inspiration I could start several projects at the same time. I do them in parallel switching from one to onother. Sometimes when I feel that a project bores me and I want to finish it as quickly as possible that is signal for me to lay this workpiece aside.

Otherwise I'll finish it in a slipshod way. I will return to it sometime. May be in couple of months but with good mood and pashion.

I'm from those who believe that a handmade item soaks up piece of your mood. So the more happy you are while crafting - the more your piece of work will be charged by positive energy. That is what differs handmade items from mass production stuff.

 

Sorry for probable mistakes or may be not quite appropriate words - english is not my native.

 

 

[KingsCountyLeather]

1 hour ago, AlexMayer said:

When I have inspiration I could start several projects at the same time. I do them in parallel switching from one to onother. Sometimes when I feel that a project bores me and I want to finish it as quickly as possible that is signal for me to lay this workpiece aside.

Otherwise I'll finish it in a slipshod way. I will return to it sometime. May be in couple of months but with good mood and pashion.

I'm from those who believe that a handmade item soaks up piece of your mood. So the more happy you are while crafting - the more your piece of work will be charged by positive energy. That is what differs handmade items from mass production stuff.

 

Sorry for probable mistakes or may be not quite appropriate words - english is not my native.

 

 

Love your work ethic, I will try to remember to use in my work. Only problem is your customers must have a lot of patience having to wait?

[AlexMayer]

1 minute ago, KingsCountyLeather said:

Love your work ethic, I will try to remember to use in my work. Only problem is your customers must have a lot of patience having to wait?

Well, this makes sense either for stuff which I make for my relatives or for my portfolio or for custorems who can wait. 

Of course for made-to-order items requested urgently or to some certain date I can not ask people wait couple of months. 

Trying to follow the rule: not to do favourite occupation in bad mood - most likely the result will go to trashbox.

For bad mood I have my main day job .