How did you get into leather work?

[bikermutt07]

33 minutes ago, Rockoboy said:

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.

Sadly, it wasn't until I was a few years in before I heard about that process. I learned it from @NVLeatherWorx. Even more sadly, he doesn't come around here anymore. He is one of those virtual fountains of knowledge.

[thePassenger]

My girlfriend had a bag of which the thread holding the zipper had come loose...

After 3 days of youtube watching on stitching I decided to give it a go... been "hooked" since

Top line was my first ever stitching

The bag is still in use today.

[BDAZ]

On 4/6/2018 at 4:25 PM, Rolandranch said:

I was just a little curious about how you all began as leather workers. 

I started 2 years ago when I made a cheesy knife and wanted to make a leather sheath for it (I was 14). My dad took me to Tandy to get some leather and tools. I thought I was just getting enough material to make a sheath... but dad said I should make a bunch of leather products and try to sell them. We walked out with $300 worth of materials.  I made the sheath and was hooked with leather ever since. I started doing custom leather projects for friends and made enough money to buy a cb4500 sewing machine so I could up the production... and here I am enjoying leather work and learning something new from every project I do.

Here is that knife sheath. 

What's your story and first leather project?

-Ryan

I bought a belt with a Zuni buckle around 1980 when I was in Phoenix on business. I went up to Jerome, a decaying mining town at the time, to play some music and found a store selling turquoise stuff out in the middle of nowhere. Around 2013, the belt, an embossed western belt and worn daily, was done, and I tried to find a decent replacement. Because the original belt was 1 1/4" I was not able to find one off the shelf, so I went down to Tandy (Broadway store) and asked if they knew anyone that could make one and how much.. They said I'd bee looking at $200 plus for a custom, carved belt but they showed me a kit for $60 and that was the start of a long slippery slope. I next made a wallet which I still use daily. After hand stitching a few belts I ordered a CB 3200 and the rest is history. I started making musical instrument cases and instrument straps and now produce semi custom items on a wholesale basis and have shipped items to over 20 countries world wide.

I was a former competitive handgunner but decided that market was saturated. I did design, what I think is the most practical pocket holster, custom made for the pocket, but I have only made them for friends. I am afraid of liability issues. I am also getting work with local architects decorating new bars and offices.

I have pretty much converted my house to a workshop, the dining room is now a cutting room with a custom table with leather storage, the family room is loaded with benches and tools including 3 presses, and a bunch of other bench power tools. I still have other businesses so this is a part time venture, but I am usually backed up with orders. I definitely want to get back to carving. Below is the first step on that long slippery slope:

Bob

 

On 4/10/2018 at 7:51 PM, rodneywt1180b said:

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.

Ever been to Slushers rare coin?? One of my favorite stores in the whole world!

Bob

[rodneywt1180b]

Only once.  I sold off my childhood coin collection to pay some bills.

Rodney

[BDAZ]

I was playing at an Old Time Gathering in Centralia last summer. Slusher has 90,000 authentic Hawaiian shirts and at least 5,000 in the store. I bought 10!

Bob

[Reddturtle]

Did it as kid in 4H, then in 2009 I went to Sturgis and saw a very nice solo seat. Couldn't afford the price, so i got back into it. I do a wide range of things from biker to cowboy, big or small. Do a lot of wall pix. I'm designing my own saddle, will be making my own tree as well. Now that l just inherited a bigger sewing machine, 1919 Bauer machine company harness stitcher. I can now start expanding and bigger projects that I've wanted to do, but didn't want to hand stitch.

[Rolandranch]

27 minutes ago, Reddturtle said:

Did it as kid in 4H, then in 2009 I went to Sturgis and saw a very nice solo seat. Couldn't afford the price, so i got back into it. I do a wide range of things from biker to cowboy, big or small. Do a lot of wall pix. I'm designing my own saddle, will be making my own tree as well. Now that l just inherited a bigger sewing machine, 1919 Bauer machine company harness stitcher. I can now start expanding and bigger projects that I've wanted to do, but didn't want to hand stitch.

That's great! Where are you in Arizona?

[Reddturtle]

Glendale for now.

[kyrrk]

A year ago, I was looking for a watch strap for my apple watch. It was really interesting to see how handmade leather straps are made until I came across a Youtuber's video of having a Louis Vuitton watch strap.

So me not having a spare buckle laying around, it got me to browse other handmade items, then I ended up watching some tooling videos. I don't remember which of it made me to buy tools and stuff but heres one of my first item. Just got some starter tools for leather crafting

P.S. 

I still haven't made myself a watch strap lol

[karlova]

On 5/28/2018 at 10:08 AM, kyrrk said:

P.S. 

I still haven't made myself a watch strap lol

I guess the watch strap was exactly my first hand stitched project.

*****

Thanks for the interesting thread, so many stories here. 

I was just looking for some quiet hobby…. LOL just kiddin
I guess I had mentioned that in my thread in Members Gallery, it was about 2 years ago when I got a tiny little puppy, and I couldn’t find a harness for her, she was too little, everything I could find was too big. 

So I found a tiny little sewing machine on my boat and my neighbor brought me a veg tanned sheepskin from Tandy and also gave me some supplies like snaps, rivets, setters, some other tools, it was scary but after some experiments with fabrics I decided to try, and actually she used this harness for over a year until it started stinking like hell so I made her a few new ones. 

So, before this year I was sewing some bags out of fabric, and then I ordered 3 sides from Acadia which none of my two machines could sew properly (because they were all 5-5.5 oz) and I decided to try hand stitching and got addicted to it. 

Actually, I loved the leather since I can remember myself, I just thought that I would never be able to make anything decent and it would only result in wasting expensive materials :D 

Well, sometimes I do waste some expensive materials due to some failed projects but now I'm OK with that! 

I’d say I am jealous when I read about the people who have real leather stores nearby, I can only order online - there is just nothing here! Tho, this might have saved me a lot of money LOL!