BUY ALL THE THINGS!!!! Or "All the crap I wish I didn't waste money on."

[immiketoo]

When I first started, I went to Tandy bought the basic kit, and about 1000 dollars worth of other stuff in the first few months of my leather career.  It didn't take long for me to learn about pro tools, high quality leather, custom knives and a certified tool whore was born.  In my first two years, I probably spent 20 grand on associated tools, machines, leather and supplies.  I found out that I had a liking for swivel knives and black crack.

Fast forward to a few years later.  Met a girl here, fell in love and moved to Greece where the lifestyle is decidedly less materialistic and consumerism based.  In reality, its the economy, but it shed new light.  As did meeting a few of my mentors who have a more minimalist approach to leather working.  As I finally fell into my "style," I realized that I have little need for most of the stuff I bought along the way.

What's the point?  I hope that I can help you avoid spending a lot of unnecessary cash at the beginning of your career and to help you focus what you do spend on high quality tools that will last a lifetime.

So, what do I find to be essential.  These are MY opinions based on trying nearly everything on the market and your mileage may vary.

High quality bevelers.  Of all my tools, beveler get 90 percent of the work.  I probably have 50 different bevelers, and I use most of them all the time.  Stainless steel, tool steel, steep, standard and figure all are in my stable.

A top level round knife.  Yes you can use a craft knife for most things, but there's a reason the round knife has been used for thousands of years.  Skimping on cutting tools is an exercise in frustration and a good tool can ease your workload tremendously.  

A good maul.  For tooling, I find a maul to be the weapon of choice.  It took me a while to find the size I like but my main one is 17 oz.  I have a 12 and a 24 that see occasional use, but I could get by with only the 17.  I also have a BMFM thats about 8 lbs for bag punches.  Essential IMO.

One good swivel knife.  Two is nice if you have specialty blades and don't feel like switching blades, but I could get by with one.  

The perfect SK blade.  This will depend on your style of carving, but a top blade by a pro maker will outperform nearly any kit blade and give you years of love and affection.  Blade choice will also partially dictate the style of your carving, at least until you decide consciously you want to do it differently.

Granite tooling surface.  Stop buying one inch thick tooling surfaces.  Look at a surface plate.  They're solid, heavy, smooth and they make your tooling more crisp, reduce noise and generally last longer.  Old headstones are fine too, if you can find/lift one.  Sharstools.com sells a wide variety of sizes of surface plate for reasonable money especially if you go with B grade which is FINE for leatherwork.

Edgers.  Buy good ones.  They will change your life.  Barry King, Ron's Tools, old refurbished Gomph etc.  The box of unused crappy edgers is my shame.

Lights.  Good lighting is essential, especially if you're a little older.  Dazor or OTT light both make great lights for the desktop and good room lighting is essential for other tasks.  Student desk lamps generally suck, and the color of the light isn't good.  Look for daylight bulbs if you use standard lights.

Work surfaces.  Old kitchen tables are fine, but the lack solidity and the height can be uncomfortable.  Work benches are usually taller and allow more work options.  I like to sit while tooling and stand for most other tasks.  Talk benches allow this.  

Work area.  The bigger the better, unless you're extremely good at modulizing(?) your work space.  I have a single spare room at the moment and its filled with stuff.  I have to change configurations to change tasks whether its cutting, sewing, painting, tooling or whatever.  Ideally I'll have separate stations for each task.  NEVER put dye on your cutting or tooling surfaces if you can help it.  Nothing hurts worse than that rogue blue streak on your freshly tooled project that is supposed to remain natural.  Don't mix metal and cutting surfaces.  If you work with metal, it should be away from your leather, tooling and cutting areas.  Spots on leather and the lovely crunch of metal killing the edge of you're awesome round knife sucks.  Been there, done that.

Buying vs Making:  I think its awesome that some people can make their own stuff.  Whether its tools, benches or whatever, here's the deal.  I don't have a lot of power tools.  For me to make my own anything, the cost of buying tools to make tools is stupid.  I will just buy the tool and be done with it.  However, if you are handy, use it.  Make an amazing work area.  Shape your own bevelers, or make the SK you can't find anywhere else.  Make tool racks and other fine things.  Then call me, I'll probably need them.  

What are your thoughts?  Did I miss anything?  Probably.  Chime in!

[Sheilajeanne]

My mother did knitting and crocheting as a hobby. She passed away in November of 2016. Last summer, after the sale of her house, I brought back a trailer load of her stuff to sell at a yard sale. This included some of the things she'd knitted or crocheted.

One of the things that wasn't really part of the sale was a hand crocheted queen sized bedspread. I could only imagine how much work had gone into that beautiful piece!

In the final hours of any yard sale, you get the bargain hunters dropping by. A lady came past who had been there earlier in the day. She crocheted, so had bought some of the yarn I was selling for a very cheap price (fill a shopping bag for $2.00.) She had also looked at the quilt earlier in the day, but I told her I really hadn't planned to sell it, and was unwilling to put a price on it.

When she  came back, she wanted that quilt. Problem was, she wanted it for $20.00. To me, that was an insult to my mom's memory, and all the hard work that had gone into it. I gave her a firm 'no', and she walked away.

As I already have a beautiful handmade quilt on my own bed, and the quilt was white, very heavy and difficult to wash (and I have a black cat that sleeps on my bed) I gave the quilt away to a cousin.

At least it's still in the family, cherished by someone who knew my mom personally. 

[KingsCountyLeather]

I am a new leather worker and truthfully I am in the hole for about 5000 euro already. And only yesterday I was thinking that I don’t need a lot of the cheap tools I started with and if I selected the better tools I have I could make more room to work in.

when you buy a really good or sharp tool you take better care of them and your work seems to be neater because you’re more aware of the quality of the cut or bevel...

i often think ill make a knife from tooling steel or ill turn a burnisher in a lathe or ill make something else but the truth is I’m always happier when I buy a really good quality tool.

i follow lots of leather workers on instragram for inspiration but there one outstanding leather worker of them all and his workshop has only the essential leather tools but you can tell they are of real quality (and old) and the quality of his work is amazing.

As they say... Less is more! Sometimes. 

[Sheilajeanne]

Sorry, the above post about my mom's quilt is in the WRONG THREAD! If it seems off topic, now you know WHY!  

[KingsCountyLeather]

40 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

Sorry, the above post about my mom's quilt is in the WRONG THREAD! If it seems off topic, now you know WHY!  

Lol. I did wonder about that... was a good story though! 

[Dave Richardson]

2 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

Sorry, the above post about my mom's quilt is in the WRONG THREAD! If it seems off topic, now you know WHY!  

LOL..was really trying to make the make the connection...glad you explained before my head exploded. Very captivating story though

[Sheilajeanne]

It was supposed to go in this thread: 

 

[immiketoo]

2 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

Sorry, the above post about my mom's quilt is in the WRONG THREAD! If it seems off topic, now you know WHY!  

Glad it wasn't just me!  I like that you shared your story so I just let it be, but now it makes more sense!

[brmax]

Thanks!

This is just the information a lot of us appreciate.  Many times these tips we miss because of other silly choices through our day. 

I could easily hear more in this topic. Say slightly toward separate stamping and a dye areas, stations or whatever ya call it. 

 

Good day

Floyd

[JLSleather]

FREE of charge but not always available, just can't beat natural light when ya kin gittit.

[immiketoo]

1 hour ago, brmax said:

Thanks!

This is just the information a lot of us appreciate.  Many times these tips we miss because of other silly choices through our day. 

I could easily hear more in this topic. Say slightly toward separate stamping and a dye areas, stations or whatever ya call it. 

 

Good day

Floyd

Hey Floyd,

If you're like most of us, you started in your kitchen or basement or wherever you had space.  Entire projects are built in one tiny space.  Great for conserving living areas but potentially bad for leatherwork.  For example, you finish tooling, and now its time to color.  You clean up your tools (or push them off to the side most likely) an break out your dyes.  You begin coloring your piece and all of a sudden you knock over a bottle of dye ALL over you finished piece.  After the appropriate cuss words are spoken, you clean up your space, the floor as best you can and you try and save your piece.  Then, you realize you can't save it so you start over.

Whilst tooling, you begin to see little spots of color you spilled showing up all over.  On your hands, on your leather, even on your face.  How did THIS happen?  Answer.  Dyestuffs are insidious, vile beasts that must be kept caged and properly harnessed.  The are a powdery substance suspended in water or alcohol that when dry can sit, invisible to the eye, on any surface, including tools.  When moisture is added, they activate and stain whatever they come in contact with.  That's their job.  The problem is what they are in contact with.

Off the leash, they lie dormant until you put a big red fingerprint on a piece that was supposed to be natural.  Or black where it was supposed to be tan.  You get the idea.

So, the rule of separation is formed.  NEVER shall dye touch my tooling surface again.  NEVER shall dye touch my cutting surface again.  Dye, being the asshole that it is shouldn't even know the rest of your shop exists until its time to place it directly on the piece you want.  

So now, I have a cutting table and tooling slab that don't ever get dyes placed on them.  I have holders for my dye bottles so I don't knock them over, and the problem is solved.  Dyes stay on the dye bench.  Sequestered.  Forever.

[Sheilajeanne]

Having a tiny perfect leather working station, I control dyes by carefully measuring them with a 1 ml. syringe into a heavy-bottomed shot glass that's hard to knock over. I also use lots of newspaper on my work area. Bottles are immediately tightly recapped, and moved back into a corner where they can't get knocked over. I also frequently wipe caps and the bottles themselves to help prevent drips, and make the caps easier to take off next time. Nothing pisses me off more than having to fight with the caps on these bottles to get them open! It's an accident looking for a place to happen when you have to use that much force on them!  Don't ya wish they could design these bottles better? I'd like to see bottles with a dropper tip, similar to a glue bottle, instead of the ones you have to press down and turn. 

 I also move bottles out of the work area as soon as I think I'm done with a particular colour of dye.

Worst accident I had was when my cat knocked one over. It leaked, he stepped in it, and tracked it all over the floor!  I've been more careful with the bottles since, and don't leave them where he can do that again. The one part of the floor I couldn't get the stain off of already had some burn marks from the wood stove, so at least the stains match!!  

[KingsCountyLeather]

2 hours ago, immiketoo said:

Hey Floyd,

If you're like most of us, you started in your kitchen or basement or wherever you had space.  Entire projects are built in one tiny space.  Great for conserving living areas but potentially bad for leatherwork.  For example, you finish tooling, and now its time to color.  You clean up your tools (or push them off to the side most likely) an break out your dyes.  You begin coloring your piece and all of a sudden you knock over a bottle of dye ALL over you finished piece.  After the appropriate cuss words are spoken, you clean up your space, the floor as best you can and you try and save your piece.  Then, you realize you can't save it so you start over.

Whilst tooling, you begin to see little spots of color you spilled showing up all over.  On your hands, on your leather, even on your face.  How did THIS happen?  Answer.  Dyestuffs are insidious, vile beasts that must be kept caged and properly harnessed.  The are a powdery substance suspended in water or alcohol that when dry can sit, invisible to the eye, on any surface, including tools.  When moisture is added, they activate and stain whatever they come in contact with.  That's their job.  The problem is what they are in contact with.

Off the leash, they lie dormant until you put a big red fingerprint on a piece that was supposed to be natural.  Or black where it was supposed to be tan.  You get the idea.

So, the rule of separation is formed.  NEVER shall dye touch my tooling surface again.  NEVER shall dye touch my cutting surface again.  Dye, being the asshole that it is shouldn't even know the rest of your shop exists until its time to place it directly on the piece you want.  

So now, I have a cutting table and tooling slab that don't ever get dyes placed on them.  I have holders for my dye bottles so I don't knock them over, and the problem is solved.  Dyes stay on the dye bench.  Sequestered.  Forever.

You sound like a very messy person indeed! 

[JLSleather]

These are quite good.

https://www.hobbylinc.com/paasche-jar-w:cover-gasket-3-oz-airbrush-accessory-h-193

 

 

[Sheilajeanne]

Thanks for the suggestion! They'd be hard to knock over with that shape, too.

[immiketoo]

32 minutes ago, KingsCountyLeather said:

You sound like a very messy person indeed! 

Hardly.  But when I first started, I was very enthusiastic and my supplies and projects quickly outdid my limited work area.

[rodneywt1180b]

Great tips!

Thank you!

[KingsCountyLeather]

53 minutes ago, immiketoo said:

Hardly.  But when I first started, I was very enthusiastic and my supplies and projects quickly outdid my limited work area.

Only kidding, your work looks perfect! 

[immiketoo]

The work doesn't mean I couldn't be a slob in my work area, and I WAS when I was on my kitchen table.  Not so much anymore.

[alpha2]

3 hours ago, Sheilajeanne said:

so at least the stains match!!  

Ah, yes! It's very important that the stains match! When Maynare the Wonder Cat was still with us, we became experts at matching stains. Didn't want to, HAD to. Now that he's gone on to his great reward, we've replaced the carpet throughout the house.

If I had room, I'd have a dedicated dye table too. I have to make do with what I have, and the spray "booth" is the rear deck, when it's "NON winter".

Jeff

 

Edited April 29, 2018 by alpha2

[Sheilajeanne]

I have an old table I salvaged from the garbage. Now that it's  not winter, I may set that up in the garage as a dedicated dye table.