Members SilverForgeStudio Posted October 12, 2018 Members Report Posted October 12, 2018 New to leather in general- always liked working with my hands. Im in SE Virginia. I would love to meet and grab a coffee with anyone from Richmond to Raleigh and learn- as well as horse trade and be cheap shop labor if they need a hand. My interests are mostly metal related- and now Im branching out into leather, kydex, wood and other mediums to go with the metals. In honesty Im a 25+year paramedic looking to slow down and have some fun as I explore my next adventure. (Main hobbies are casting/foundry and forging/blacksmithing (Metal detecting IS a hobby- but its metal related as well... soooooo- metals it is!) Specific to leather Im looking to learn bags/wallets, holsters, belts (gun/casual/dress), and general strapping, wet-molding and whatever else my "Jobbies" throw at me. Im looking to do a few projects for my family and myself to continue learning and let this thing grow. Yes, Im a long time reader and lurker- Ive digested the Wiz's sewing machine threads and Aurthur Paynes vidoes, and just about every pattern making thread here. Why did I join? Glad you asked- Im at a point I need some help and guidance as well as I think I can contribute as well to some areas. This is a great place to chew on ideas, perspectives and some downright funny happenings- as well as serious advice and business outlooks too! Thank you for allowing me to share what you folks have created- I hope to add something to these pages positive as well in the process and grow. Thank you- Duncan Quote
bikermutt07 Posted October 13, 2018 Report Posted October 13, 2018 Welcome to the most fun frustration available on planet Earth. A simple suggestion. Start things in batches. Small bracelets, card holder wallets, keychains, something small that won't require a lot of leather. Take your group thru the whole process as a batch. This will yield greater improvement with each step in the process with less material. If you build one thing at a time and screw up, you have to start over. But, by doing batches you can continue forward and use the discard pile for tests along the way. I didn't hear about this learning method until I was doing this for two years. Grrrrrr!!! Have fun. Quote I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with. Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day. From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.
Members ScoobyNewbie Posted October 13, 2018 Members Report Posted October 13, 2018 Great advice! Quote
NVLeatherWorx Posted October 13, 2018 Report Posted October 13, 2018 15 hours ago, bikermutt07 said: Welcome to the most fun frustration available on planet Earth. A simple suggestion. Start things in batches. Small bracelets, card holder wallets, keychains, something small that won't require a lot of leather. Take your group thru the whole process as a batch. This will yield greater improvement with each step in the process with less material. If you build one thing at a time and screw up, you have to start over. But, by doing batches you can continue forward and use the discard pile for tests along the way. I didn't hear about this learning method until I was doing this for two years. Grrrrrr!!! Have fun. Hello Mutt, You have learned well young Grasshopper. And I know that you always will. You have also been a provider of some hard learned wisdom as a result of your learning and that is what these forums are all about. Quote Richard Hardie R. P. Hardie Leather Co. R. P. Hardie Leather Co. - OnlineR. P. Hardie Leather Co on Facebook
NVLeatherWorx Posted October 13, 2018 Report Posted October 13, 2018 20 hours ago, SilverForgeStudio said: New to leather in general- always liked working with my hands. Im in SE Virginia. I would love to meet and grab a coffee with anyone from Richmond to Raleigh and learn- as well as horse trade and be cheap shop labor if they need a hand. My interests are mostly metal related- and now Im branching out into leather, kydex, wood and other mediums to go with the metals. In honesty Im a 25+year paramedic looking to slow down and have some fun as I explore my next adventure. (Main hobbies are casting/foundry and forging/blacksmithing (Metal detecting IS a hobby- but its metal related as well... soooooo- metals it is!) Specific to leather Im looking to learn bags/wallets, holsters, belts (gun/casual/dress), and general strapping, wet-molding and whatever else my "Jobbies" throw at me. Im looking to do a few projects for my family and myself to continue learning and let this thing grow. Yes, Im a long time reader and lurker- Ive digested the Wiz's sewing machine threads and Aurthur Paynes vidoes, and just about every pattern making thread here. Why did I join? Glad you asked- Im at a point I need some help and guidance as well as I think I can contribute as well to some areas. This is a great place to chew on ideas, perspectives and some downright funny happenings- as well as serious advice and business outlooks too! Thank you for allowing me to share what you folks have created- I hope to add something to these pages positive as well in the process and grow. Thank you- Duncan Welcome aboard Duncan. Sounds like you have done some serious homework while lurking in the shadows and that is a very good thing. It also sounds like that lurking has helped you through some things that have made you want to continue down this path and that is even better. As @bikermutt07 has suggested start small and with batches to get the consistency down and you will find that as you move through the process it will be much easier to get a larger project done, on the first try, and taking on one-at-a-time items will just feel like another day. The smaller batch process gives you practice and allows you to make the adjustment from one piece to the next which also creates a collection of unique and one-of-kind items (neat little marketing trick there) when you enter the realm of selling to the public. We hope to see some great things from you as you continue down this road and you know by now that you have a large pool of minds to help you whenever you need it. Quote Richard Hardie R. P. Hardie Leather Co. R. P. Hardie Leather Co. - OnlineR. P. Hardie Leather Co on Facebook
bikermutt07 Posted October 13, 2018 Report Posted October 13, 2018 @NVLeatherWorx, I'm pretty sure it was you that informed me of that trick.... You said something to the nature of " Only build (keychains?) Until you have perfected keychains, then move on to the next thing. And build it over and over until it's perfect". That's pretty close to what I remember anyway. Quote I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with. Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day. From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.
bikermutt07 Posted October 13, 2018 Report Posted October 13, 2018 1 hour ago, NVLeatherWorx said: Hello Mutt, You have learned well young Grasshopper. And I know that you always will. You have also been a provider of some hard learned wisdom as a result of your learning and that is what these forums are all about. Thanks, I still consider myself a novice at most of the hands on stuff. Although, I think I have reached an intermediate level of understanding of the overall process. That's mostly to do with all the reading and listening I've done here. Quote I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with. Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day. From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.
Members SilverForgeStudio Posted October 14, 2018 Author Members Report Posted October 14, 2018 On 10/12/2018 at 8:47 PM, bikermutt07 said: Start things in batches. Small bracelets, card holder wallets, keychains, something small that won't require a lot of leather. Take your group thru the whole process as a batch. Great advice Biker- Right now Im trying to apply that advice- card holders, keychains and wallets to start- Thanks for the nod! On 10/13/2018 at 12:40 PM, NVLeatherWorx said: Welcome aboard Duncan. Sounds like you have done some serious homework while lurking in the shadows and that is a very good thing. It also sounds like that lurking has helped you through some things that have made you want to continue down this path and that is even better. As @bikermutt07 has suggested start small and with batches to get the consistency down and you will find that as you move through the process it will be much easier to get a larger project done, on the first try, and taking on one-at-a-time items will just feel like another day. The smaller batch process gives you practice and allows you to make the adjustment from one piece to the next which also creates a collection of unique and one-of-kind items (neat little marketing trick there) when you enter the realm of selling to the public. We hope to see some great things from you as you continue down this road and you know by now that you have a large pool of minds to help you whenever you need it. Thanks Scooby and Biker and NV! I appreciate the invite to contribute- and look forward to giving you folks a few chuckles as my baby steps get a bit better also! Thats half the fun of things is looking back and going "WOW... I did THAT?!?" whether its good or not it will tell me where to go, and where to grow! Quote
Members Riem Posted October 14, 2018 Members Report Posted October 14, 2018 Welcome aboard! Hope it will be an exciting ride for you - it certainly is an absorbing one. Even more so, I wonder if there's one human being who can say "I know all there is to know about leather and the craft it has given the world". And for me it is humbling to see all the great things that members of this forum make - the collective experience here must be in the hundreds of years. For a hobbyist like me, being on the forum is truly an opportunity to sit at the feet of the giants. Enjoy the learning! Quote "People are more violently opposed to fur than to leather because it's safer to harass people in coats than to try being nasty to motorcycle gangs." ~Anonymous
Members SilverForgeStudio Posted October 14, 2018 Author Members Report Posted October 14, 2018 Reim- good info and I share your respect for the wisdom here! I am enjoying the resources and the fellowship Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.