Suggest a first project for a beginner

[BorisBaddenov]

Previet !

Thank you for allowing me to introduce my self.  I am Boris Baddenov, world's greatest No-Goodnik.    Please inform me if you seeing Moose and Squirrel.

 

HA!

Obviously I am not really BB      I live in Central WA, and I am very much interested in getting into the Leatherworking Hobby.   I don't have much experience working with leather, but I do have extensive craft and hobby skills.  I grew up in my parents Hobby Shop.   I understand the patience and attention to detail that it takes to produce good looking craft work.

I'm interested in making knife sheaths, wallets, belts, card holders, other simple trinkets to use up scrap (key rings?).  Oh, I'm sure that eventually Mrs. Boris demands, err asks me to make her something.   I am not real keen on learning stamping or carving straight away - at least not much beyond simple things along borders (for now).   I don't have any Leatherworking specific tools, so I will purchase them as needed for specific projects.   

I'm asking for two pieces of advice -

First - are there common mistakes that beginners make that you can help me avoid?

Second - what would you suggest I select as a first project?   I'd like it to be useful to me, so that even if it turns our icky I can at least get use out of the item. 

 

Peace-

Boris

 

[immiketoo]

The single best piece of advice I can give you is be patient.  Let things like dye, glue and finishes DRY completely before moving on to the next step.  Read a lot, and practice before committing to a project.  Maybe run down to Tandy and buy a few kits that catch your eye/.  Good way to get started without breaking the bank.

[BorisBaddenov]

3 minutes ago, immiketoo said:

The single best piece of advice I can give you is be patient.  Let things like dye, glue and finishes DRY completely before moving on to the next step.  Read a lot, and practice before committing to a project.  Maybe run down to Tandy and buy a few kits that catch your eye/.  Good way to get started without breaking the bank.

Thanks for the hints

Tandy is an all day trip -- 3 hours minimum, one way.   I can choose to brave the mountain passes of the Cascades to Tacoma, or can I trek through endless dry-land wheat farms on my way to Spokane.  Third options is a drive through the Columbia Gorge on my way to Portland/Beaverton.

 

Peace-

Boris

[immiketoo]

You can always order online as well.

[TomWisc]

You can look at Tandy online and order items to be shipped to you. An easy but useful item to make is a simple belt. You can order a belt blank & buckle from Tandy. There are several good youtube videos out there on simple belt making. I like Ian Atkinson's videos. You don't even need to dye your first belt. I used Neetsfoot oil from Tandy for my firstbelt. You will need to sew the buckle end or use rivets. 

To start with you can use a utility knife with new blades, a punch for the holes in the belt, a slicker stick to burnish the edges. rivets & rivet tool, skiving tool & blades, an edging tool, a nylon cutting board, piece of granite or marble. I got a 12" square of marble from a cabinet shop. It was a discontinued color and $10.

I am probably forgetting something and others will give more advice but don't get carried away with tool many tools and finishes for your first project.

Good luck and enjoy!

[chrisash]

If you are not in a hurry, you can buy many low cost leather tools on "Etsy.com" just enter leather tools, for $150 you will be able to get a good selection of basic tools which will give you a good introduction after that its up to you if you want to pay the more expensive brands, (when you are learning the quality of the tools is probably less aparent than when you are more experienced) remember the tools from the past were probably made far less acuratly than CNC tools made today and only the steel may have been better quality

[SilverForgeStudio]

9 minutes ago, BorisBaddenov said:

Tandy is an all day trip -- 3 hours minimum, one way.   I can choose to brave the mountain passes of the Cascades to Tacoma, or can I trek through endless dry-land wheat farms on my way to Spokane.  Third options is a drive through the Columbia Gorge on my way to Portland/Beaverton.

Miketoo had it spot on- PATIENCE... As for projects- you sound like me- where do I start...? EASY- something for YOURSELF... you will find you are your own worst critic- build it, use it and pick the flaws out... Mine was an ID card holder for work- Ive beat the tar outta that little guy... and I will be fixing things I dont like about it when I re-do it...  cost me about 2 sq ft of 2oz leather and 3x new sewing machine needles... and about 2 hours of frustrated joy.

Boris- Im new as well- very new... one place you can start is YOUTUBE- digest every:

1. Arthur Porter video on patterns, hats and such
2. Nigel Armitage videos for stitching
3. Ian Anderson (Leodis Leather) His build along patterns are WORTH IT if you want to learn by doing and have a follow along. 
4. niteKore (dieselpunk) This is Tony- he is fast to respond to questions and his patterns are literally off the shelf awesome. 
5. ALL the Tandy, Springfield Leather and Weaver Leathercraft videos to learn WHAT tools or stuff you may want to look at. (no cheating here- seriously- watch not just the video- but HOW they use the tools as well- its like a post-game critique!)
6. DON GONZALEZ- know his name? You will... And please dont say NO TOOLING... just a friendly reminder the SKILL is not the issue- Tooling is as much a part of Leather craft as seats in your car... work an edge? "Technically" its tooling... Make friends with it- blank leather looks bland and is really "cookie cutter"... learn to embellish. (seriously- its not all western-rhinestones conchos and basket-weaving- Tooling is the way to personalize, customize and stand out from commercial made crap!)
7. Corter Leather
8. Harry Rodgers
9. Stock and Barrel Co (although not a big forum type supporter- he is a maker and promoting weekly sessions on getting your brand moving/built)

THESE ARE ONLY THE BEGINNING- Find a project you like- for your self... and build it.  Carry it, use it, and pick it apart- then build 10 more... Its not the "do it once and poof- you've got it" thing... Its do it till YOU like it- then move on- grow it.

USE FABRIC PATTERNS THAT ARE SIMPLE TO LEARN FROM! No need to go to leather exclusive stores- go to any fabric store and look around! Working with heavy denim is a LOT like working with the lighter weight leather (2 oz) for me.  Mock ups will avoid problems and pitfalls- as will good patterns (see references above!)

A simple "Dopp Kit" will serve you well for learning how to "turn" bags, sew zippers, and several measuring and allowance items... This is my first "Turned" bag in cloth I will be doing in leather- See the link below!

Hope this helps and I have found this forum is awesome as a resource- Be Patient, Be kind, and as always I hope this note reaches you safe, well and in good spirits!

 

DOPP KIT VIDEO:

 

[BorisBaddenov]

@immiketoo @TomWisc      I order a lot of stuff online, so Im not new to that!   I may also take a drive to Spokane, I have a buddy who lives there so we could meet up for lunch.  I think I'd like to walk the Tandy store and touch a few items before I buy.  Then again, winter is arriving soon so maybe I'll just stick with the e-commerce route.   

Tom - just a guess - but my family is from the Fox River Valley

@chrisash  Thanks, I had not considered etsy.com as a source for tools

@SilverForgeStudio  I am familiar with most of those YouTube channels.  In fact it was a video of Ian's that suggested this forum.  I am going to postpone much in the way of tooling as a way to keep costs down.   Those stamps (is that the correct term?) for tooling look like they could add up in price rather quickly.  I might get a few to do borders or something equally simple, but I have no desire at the time to get into "Sheridan".  I really dont understand how you can say that SKILL is not the issue when it comes to tooling.  No way I can match the work that Don does.  Thanks for the hint on looking for cloth patterns that can adapt to leather.

 

Peace-

Boris

[SilverForgeStudio]

1 minute ago, BorisBaddenov said:

Those stamps (is that the correct term?) for tooling look like they could add up in price rather quickly.  I might get a few to do borders or something equally simple, but I have no desire at the time to get into "Sheridan".  I really dont understand how you can say that SKILL is not the issue when it comes to tooling.  No way I can match the work that Don does.  Thanks for the hint on looking for cloth patterns that can adapt to leather.

Stamps are costly- but you already have a series of them lying about- Ive used a simple bolt-head to add a "Beehive" pattern to a scrap piece that wound up being appropriated by the wife for a lid-gripper (and I wasnt even done with it!) And getting a simple set that interchanges is the key.

Sheridan is only one style of tooling-  Start out by googling "Line art" with any graphic you want... and transfer it and begin lining it- you will be amazed what you can accomplish with a simple lining tool (By the way- I use a scavenged rod from a printer reshaped with a grinder as a liner... most simple tools can be made cheaper than bought)

As for the Skill comment- Skills are the accumulated combination of:

1. practice
2. tasteful design (this is a matter of personal perspective)
3. application
4. execution.

Where they intersect in a design or project- and over time your ability to apply these elements at will to suit either your own personal style or the client's desire are the culmination of "Skill"

DaVinci wasn't born a genius- he just kept asking questions... Rembrandt was not a master till he was old- and wise enough to see the things beyond his brush- Skills are nothing more than cumulative experiences, mistakes, failures and the ability to understand their impact on our knowledge base. And I'm SURE Don Gonzales has many hours of practice and failures over any of us new guys here! Heck Im struggling with trying to just GET my first project supplies lined up!

Dont over think it- just see what you have about and see what it will do- You may be pleasantly surprised- Looking forward to hearing what you choose for a first effort!

 

[BorisBaddenov]

@SilverForgeStudio   I took  your advice and googled "line art".  I had to adjust my search a bit, finally ending up with "line art on leather crafting".   Holy cow!   I saw some really cool stuff.   I was able to watch a video on how to use tracing paper to take the design from a book and transfer it to the leather.  Then how to use a swivel knife to cut the lines.  Yeah, I don't want to do that.  Maybe later, certainly not now.

 

Peace-

Boris