How did you get into leather work?

[DarkGoku]

I started back in 06'(-ish) I walked into a leather armor shop at a Ren-fair and saw on a shelf, a pair of very nicely made gauntlets. I picked them up and tried them on, and very impressed now. Having a couple hundred bucks I felt confident enough to ask the price. $600 was the response. Not knowing anything about leather, I kinda scoffed and put them right back on the shelf, annoyed that they were asking so much, I turned around and walked out of the shop. I'm the type of person, if a cant buy it I will find a way to make it. So the next day I found a Tandy leather by my house and it happened to be a class day, so I stayed for the carving lesson. I have been doing it ever since, and love it today as I did when I got my first deluxe kit 

[DarkGoku]

11 hours ago, Rolandranch said:

Thanks, Ferg!

I agree most leather workers are there to help and I want to do the same. I appreciate your encouraging words. The credit for everything I am goes to God and my amazing parents. 

-Ryan

I agree with you there, I thank God first, and the support of my wife and family second

[Sheilajeanne]

I just realized I still have that knife sheathe I made out of the old gun belt. I was probably 11 or 12 at the time, and aside from an old awl, had no tools but regular sewing needles and button thread.

I also made the knife handle. The blade was a really nice Solingen steel blade from a hunting knife. The original handle on the knife was deer horn, and gave me wicked blisters when I tried to use it. So, I pressed two pieces of cedar together, and shaped the handle to fit my hand. I think a carpet tack was used to anchor the tang, and a piece of chamois leather was moistened and glued in place to wrap the hilt.

The knife was my favourite knife for carving/whittling until some idiot left it sitting ontop of a red-hot woodstove on a camping trip. The wood didn't catch fire, but it was badly charred, and I stopped using the knife after that, for fear the handle would just fall apart on me. Believe me, I  had some choice words for whoever left it on the stove, though the guilty party never 'fessed up! 

Ookay, let's remember to post the friggin' PICTURE this time! The leather thong I used to hold the knife in the sheathe has rotted over the years due to age.

Maybe one of these days, I'll replace the handle, and maybe the sheathe as well, or at least redo the stitching, which has worn out in a couple of places from friction. This was my first ever effort at saddle stitching, and I think it didn't turn out too badly, given the lack of proper tools!

Edited April 9, 2018 by Sheilajeanne

[bikermutt07]

This thread is turning into a great read. Thanks, Roland.

@DarkGoku, I bet you think that 600 dollars is a steal now?

The ongoing joke around here is... I can make that wallet, belt, holster, etc, it's just some leather and thread...

$3,000.00 later we have a belt or wallet we are willing to live with.

Edited April 10, 2018 by bikermutt07

[plinkercases]

I was also a child cowboy and secret agent... went to Tandy and got some scraps and a small beginner's kit, and the Stohlam holster book and set about to make a shoulder holster for my starter pistol, then a holster for my 1911 replica and then a holster from my Crosman 38T.

Then I fell down a rabbit hole for a bunch of years and almost all hobbies went on the back burner until...

2012 I was on a low pressure project and my son was also diagnosed with a insect venom allergy as am I. I was carrying Epipens in premade pouches etc. and he would not carry his at all...not cool... and at the same time my eldest daughter wanted to try a hobby that was "natural" and I got her a Tandy starter set.... and at the same time I found my old airguns and got back into that world.... perfect convergence.... so I made a leather Epipen case for my son... a few for me and then into holsters for me and the airgun community on the forums. thus was born Plinker Gunleather and Special Cases. continued as Jobbie (hobby that might pay for itself almost sorta..) for a few years but in the last 2.5 years I went from self employed to a company man and life has gotten more demanding of my time with commitments to family, church, volunteer work, work work and other service commitment so.... so for now a hobby more of dreams and plans than actions. But I have a whack of time off banked and think I will try to get some bench time in this year and see what I can make these days.... without having to work on things basically 20 minutes at a time...tired....

I am also keenly aware that anything I have success at is due to God's gifts and grace.... he prospers me with His assistance, receive all my works, and possess all my affections.... except in those times when I forget and go at life alone...ouch....

Ryan thanks for the thread... and I have no regrets but I wish I was you at your age! Keep on keeping on and watch out for the rabbit holes of life.

Here is the first Epipen case for my son and my first new generation holster (I actually found the old shoulder rig and Crosman holster but haven't taken pictures... maybe this weekend)

 

 

[DarkGoku]

16 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

This thread is turning into a great read. Thanks, Roland.

@DarkGoku, I bet you think that 600 dollars is a steal now?

The ongoing joke around here is... I can make that wallet, belt, holster, etc, it's just some leather and thread...

$3,000.00 later we have a belt or wallet we are willing to live with.

LMAO!!!  oh man, over the stretch of time working with leather, I have learned the value of hard work, and quality in a product. I love it, that is a funny truth I seem to fall into so many times!

[Boriqua]

I had/have a thing for handmade knives. I purchased one from a maker who escapes me now sometime around 1990. I contacted a gentleman whose business name was "Treestump Leather" to ask about a sheath. I had very specific desires and he quoted me a price, if memory serves, of about $60.

I thought .. I don't need it made of gold .. just leather and decided to buy the materials and make it myself. I am a pretty handy guy and used to be fairly competitive so figured if there is a man on the planet that can do it .. I can do it too.

Ummmm turns out ... NO! I made a complete hunk of junk and by the time I expended all the material I spent at LEAST $60. It was bone stupid to put a $300 knife in a junk ugly sheath worth about $3.

I then ordered the sheath from him we had talked about.

What arrived was a thing of beauty and built like a tank. Just a fine fine piece of workmanship. It was stunning to me in every way. Being a motorcycle guy from the 70's I was an aficionado of leather work.

All it did was make me want to figure it out even more. If he could do it then it can be done!

I started selling my stuff early on to a well known saddlery shop in Manhattan and making biker bags but I was determined to figure out how that man made something so tight and beautiful. It helped pay for art supplies when I went to back to school at the School of Visual Arts.

I don't know if he is still in business or if someone here knows him. He appeared in some photos to be about mid forties early 50's at the time but if you know who I am talking about and he is still kicking .. tell him he cost me a fortune and led me down a rabbit hole that I am still working through!! If it weren't for his work .. I probably would have dropped it.

Tell him thank you!

That was 1990/91 .. I only hope that when people get stuff in the mail from me ... they feel 1/3 of what I felt when I got that damn sheath!!

 

Edited April 10, 2018 by Boriqua

[bikermutt07]

1 hour ago, Boriqua said:

I had/have a thing for handmade knives. I purchased one from a maker who escapes me now sometime around 1990. I contacted a gentleman whose business name was "Treestump Leather" to ask about a sheath. I had very specific desires and he quoted me a price, if memory serves, of about $60.

I thought .. I don't need it made of gold .. just leather and decided to buy the materials and make it myself. I am a pretty handy guy and used to be fairly competitive so figured if there is a man on the planet that can do it .. I can do it too.

Ummmm turns out ... NO! I made a complete hunk of junk and by the time I expended all the material I spent at LEAST $60. It was bone stupid to put a $300 knife in a junk ugly sheath worth about $3.

I then ordered the sheath from him we had talked about.

What arrived was a thing of beauty and built like a tank. Just a fine fine piece of workmanship. It was stunning to me in every way. Being a motorcycle guy from the 70's I was an aficionado of leather work.

All it did was make me want to figure it out even more. If he could do it then it can be done!

I started selling my stuff early on to a well known saddlery shop in Manhattan and making biker bags but I was determined to figure out how that man made something so tight and beautiful. It helped pay for art supplies when I went to back to school at the School of Visual Arts.

I don't know if he is still in business or if someone here knows him. He appeared in some photos to be about mid forties early 50's at the time but if you know who I am talking about and he is still kicking .. tell him he cost me a fortune and led me down a rabbit hole that I am still working through!! If it weren't for his work .. I probably would have dropped it.

Tell him thank you!

That was 1990/91 .. I only hope that when people get stuff in the mail from me ... they feel 1/3 of what I felt when I got that damn sheath!!

 

Love it!

[ljk]

It's been a fifty year adventure starting with upholstery and auto trim, followed by leather garments in the motorcycle industry.

Today I'm veg tanning deer and elk for use in boots, shoes, wallets and purses. All but the current hobby were for

profit businesses.  I've had to adjust to have any success    While looking for past info and pricing  I have some

evidence of an alarming pattern. Namely the continued effort too utilize subepidermal (split) leather) into top

grain product. This has happened with me, getting corrected product not as advertised.  The term full grain

was not in my info 25 years again.  Top grain was.  We should question any supplier that does not divulge all info.

[bikermutt07]

@ljk, it has been touched upon several times around in the last few years. Many suppliers even big ones use the terms  top and full grain interchangeably. 

I think anyone selling corrected grain should divulge such information, at least on the pieces that seem to appear natural. I wouldn't expect them to have to divulge that if we are talking about garment or printed leathers.