How did you get into leather work?

[rodneywt1180b]

I haven't been involved in leather long.  I mainly got into it as another option I can add to my canes-leather grips and wrist straps.  I've only made a few so far and have a long way to go before I I'll be completely satisfied with my work.  There are a few other leather projects I may attempt at some point, like a decent harness for our dog, but right now my focus is canes.

[Retswerb]

Thanks for the fun thread, @Rolandranch.

Like so many, I had a brief taste of stamping and lacing from a Tandy kit as a kid (in the 80s). I don’t remember much but I think I did some coasters, etc.

I'm not much into cowboy/western stuff so didn’t pay any attention to leather goods for years, I had only that association in mind. Ran across a (crappy) tutorial online a couple of years ago for a leather wallet and it got me interested again. Wife bought me a Tandy starter set in 2016 and I dove in. First project was a simple journal cover. Of course that was immediately followed by more covers, coin purses, keychains, knife sheath, etc, just finished a dog collar and working on my first belt. Love it! And now of course I have a huge appreciation for all that beautiful Sheridan & floral work I thought I didn’t like. 

Trying to figure out now how to begin selling some stuff to pay for more leather and tools. Not interested in making a living from it, just can’t afford to keep buying leather!

[Sheilajeanne]

Retswerb, how true is that! LOL!

[immiketoo]

On 4/9/2018 at 7:03 PM, DarkGoku said:

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 

Would have been cheaper than the original 600 bucks I'll bet!  But the journey is priceless.

I got my start from a career in law enforcement and carrying crappy holsters.  My family is filled with creative people, and all I had ever been was a consumer.  I got tired on not being able to do anything other than buy things, and so after having a conversation with my dad about the "holsters" he made when I was a kid, I was encouraged to go to Tandy near my house.  A few thousand dollars later, I had my first beginner kit  and a new passion.  Like Jeff, I mangled hide after hide, trying to figure out this craft.  Leatherworker.net was a huge help as were many of my friends in the leather world.  I was so inspired by what I saw here that it drove me to improve my skills.

I focused mostly on carving, because I love that aspect the most, but I have tried all sorts of things since then , and I love the camaraderie amongst leather folks.  Some of the best people on the plant I say!

[Boriqua]

Wow wow wowwwwwww ... Mike that is some amazing carving!! You may have inspired me to do some carving this week just because!!

[immiketoo]

Thank you sir.  I hope that I have!  Show us what you do!

 

[HaloJones]

I have allways been slightly arty, mostly in painting minis & scenery making, many of my friends are crafty, I wanted a new hobby where I could make things that I could share, so had to pick a skill that none of my friends did (or how else can I trade), the construction nature of LW appealed, the whole measure twice cut once & the process of deconstructing an object mentally to work out the pattern was a mental challenge that I needed to distract me at that point in life. I had some capital from an inheritance so after some research I decided leatherwork.

i went to Tandy & pretty much brought one of everything, my 1st project was some Mocs that’s fell apart, the 2nd was a top hat that is so solid it could be a dangerous weapon, but I was hooked and have tried a few various things, each project teaches something new.

and yes I swap / trade with friends, my current project is a suit of armour!

My mum would have approved. 

[Rockoboy]

On ‎23‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 4:52 AM, HaloJones said:

My mum would have approved. 

I bet she would have, you are killing it, by the sound of things! Well done.

[GMHLeather]

I love this post!  I just started a tack and western shop with my wife and daughter and I am in the very beginning stage of leather craft to make basic strap goods - latigos, billets, spur straps, key chain fobs, and so on - nothing heavy.  Weaver is about 50 minutes south of me so I've been going there to pick up some materials and trying to figure out sewing, stamping and so on.  It is hard as I have arthritis in nearly all of my body and my hands require me to take a break every 10 minutes to relax my pain-ridden hands but I am hoping this will strengthen my hands and it will get easier.  I love this craft and what it entails, but it is a challenge.  But I am a firm believer that everyone needs a passion and right now this is mine - I just have to make something that I think is worthy to offer to the public.  This is yet to happen but I am early into this and I have a lot of hope and determination.  this is a very inspiring site and I am on it nearly every day just looking and reading.  Wonderful.

 

Cheers, Mike

[Rockoboy]

2 hours ago, GMHLeather said:

I just have to make something that I think is worthy to offer to the public

One of the best ideas I have heard hereabouts, comes from @bikermutt07. He suggests making a bunch of identical small items for practice. Start off with key fobs or drink coasters or wrist bands etc.

Get about 10 or 30 or 50 cut out, there's your knife practice.

Do some stamping or simple carving, small pieces like those mentioned above, will not take much. It gets your toe in the water for a start. Plus they won't be real expensive. If you make a mess of one, put it aside and try another one.

I always keep the blunders test pieces, to try out some dye or test a stamp or any other small thing, rather than using good new leather for those things.

Try out some edging processes, dye some pieces, oil some, try other finish techniques, play with it, learn some stuff and have fun with it.