My very first project

[Loudcherokee]

Hello all! This is my first dive into leather. I printed the template from here for a basic wallet. This was interesting, and I definitely learned some things along the way. I found saddle stitching to be quite relaxing once I got onto a rhythm. 

Please critique my work and point out anything I need to improve on. A few things I struggled with -

I need to let my glue set up longer before burnishing and stitching. 

My stitching groover may possibly be junk. I could not get it to cut. But, it may also be this leather. I had a hard time with my beveling tools also getting a good bite. The leather wanted to wrinkle and fold, and kind of "push out of the way" instead of the beveler taking bite. 

I've no idea how to burnish such thin leather as seen in the slots. 

When lining up the tabs for the card slots, do they need to overlap or do they rest right under the first tab? 

Neats foot kind of ruined the pull-up look of the exterior. It did look like the inside pockets. 

Thats just a few things I learned for my next project. Please point out any other areas for improvement and don't hold back! My skin is a good 14/15 ounce thick! Haha. 

 

LC

Well, I have more pictures but can't seem to figure out how to upload them. I keep getting hit with a 1.46mb upload message. 

LC

[Loudcherokee]

Ok try this - 

My first project https://imgur.com/a/IcW9fvD

 

LC

[mike02130]

It may help if you tell us what you did wrong rather than what is wrong.

Your cuts look wonky and stich line is not equally spaced from the edge.  I suggest you cut your outer piece to size and cut the outsides of your pockets oversized by an 1/8" and glue it all together.  Place it slot side down and using the back as a guide trim the overlapping pockets.  This will give you clean even cuts all around. 

Get rid of the stitch groover and use a wing divider to scribe a stitch line.

I use contact cement and a small glue paddle rather than a brush and only use a little bit. 

If you are using veg tanned it ought to burnish.  If the leather is chrome tanned it won't burnish.

No overlap on the slots.

The thread looks big and chunky, use smaller and better thread.

Hammer down your stitches.

When asking for advice it would behoove you to be more specific of the tools and materials used.  It will assist us to help you and won't waste our time.  What are you using to punch the holes and size, what brand, type and size thread are you using and what type and weight leather are you using, how are you burnishing?   Which side are you punching from?  

 

[Loudcherokee]

1 hour ago, mike02130 said:

It may help if you tell us what you did wrong rather than what is wrong.

Your cuts look wonky and stich line is not equally spaced from the edge.  I suggest you cut your outer piece to size and cut the outsides of your pockets oversized by an 1/8" and glue it all together.  Place it slot side down and using the back as a guide trim the overlapping pockets.  This will give you clean even cuts all around. 

Get rid of the stitch groover and use a wing divider to scribe a stitch line.

I use contact cement and a small glue paddle rather than a brush and only use a little bit. 

If you are using veg tanned it ought to burnish.  If the leather is chrome tanned it won't burnish.

No overlap on the slots.

The thread looks big and chunky, use smaller and better thread.

Hammer down your stitches.

When asking for advice it would behoove you to be more specific of the tools and materials used.  It will assist us to help you and won't waste our time.  What are you using to punch the holes and size, what brand, type and size thread are you using and what type and weight leather are you using, how are you burnishing?   Which side are you punching from?  

 

Thank you for the tips! Let me see if I can answer your questions. 

The leather is from upon and is 3-4 ounce. I got it from Amazon cheap because I didn't want to get higher quality leather while just learning. I believe its oil tanned? Here is a link. https://uponleather.com/pull-up-leather-2-3-sq-feet/

Yes, I've realized my cuts are wonky. I'm trying to learn how to use a round knife and I'm figuring out it takes some skill for sure. I made a second wallet today that turned out much better in some ways, as I used a straight edge and exacto blade to cut those pieces. 

The thread im using is some of unknown variety that came with my stitching pony. It is waxed thread. I've ordered some ritza tiger thread in .6mm and 1mm, and also some 207. It just hasn't gotten here yet so while I was messing around I used what I had available. 

The stitch groover worked better the second time around, but I've also ordered a wing divider that should be here tomorrow. I will be using that going forward. 

I will look for a glue paddle as the brush in the contact cement jar wants to put way too much glue down, and the acid brushes i bought are way to stiff to apply correctly. My wife suggested using craft sticks or orange sticks. 

I'm using stitching chisels and the size used on this wallet was 3mm, and I'm punching from the outside of the wallet. I do realize my thread was too big for this wallet but it is what I had on hand and I was anxious to try and make something. 

I burnished with bees wax, as my tokonole, gum trag, and saddle soap are also in the mail. Im using a hand burnisher that is either rosewood or cocobolo i cant remember. 

I also used a Japanese skiving knife on the slot tabs. Man that thing will take some practice to master. Thats what happened to that slot on the top right side of the wallet. 

Hope that covers most of it. 

 

LC

Edited January 4, 2021 by Loudcherokee

[mike02130]

Do not buy leather from Amazon (seems expensive to me).  Your leather is chrome tanned and will not burnish.  I suggest you stick to veg tanned shoulders.  There are a lot of discount leather stores that sell undyed leather but most of it is hit and miss.  I suppose it's okay for practice and proto types.  I've had good success with Zack White.  If you can afford quality dyed leather I suggest Rocky Mountain Leather or District leather supply, both offer free skiving.  Between the two all your leather needs will be covered.

I suggest you put the round knife aside for now and concentrate on improving your skills.  A round knife is a specialized tool and takes some practice to get to the point of proficiency.  It is a popular knife with the UK crowd and in the USA it is used mainly by holster and saddle and tack makers.  I have a couple that I use mainly for cutting large double shoulders and belt work.  I know of no new knife in the USA that is worth a damn under $200 plus.  One can get a good used carbon steel round knife off of eBay for under fifty bucks.  You also need to be more than proficient at sharpening to maintain the knife.  A green cutting mat is not recommended with a round knife because it creates a lot of drag on the knife.  I use HDPE as a cutting surface.

Ritza is a quality thread and has it's purposes but I do not recommend it for wallets. It is a flat thread and the colors are solid and look unnatural. For serious work I believe you are better off with something in the .45 mm range.  Brands such as Vinymo and Meisi polyester are popular with high-end products.  You are not ready for linen thread.  Rocky Mountain leather carries a brand called Twist.  It is a braided thread but does not lay as nicely as the others but it is good quality and they offer free shipping.  District Leather carries Vinymo (size #5).  It doesn't seem like much difference between .6 mm and .45 but when compared side by side it is quite noticeable.  One mm thread is quite large. Your 3 mm irons are too small.  What do you plan on making with such a large thread?

I see no need for a stitch groover unless you are making saddles or holsters and the like.  When saddle stitching in a groove the stitching lays straight rather than getting the angle that is so indicative of saddle stitching.

Sticks are not good for gluing, you want something that is flexible.  The two shops I mentioned sell glue spreaders.

For you now punching ought to be done from the inside of the wallet.  You missed stitching over a few card pockets because you punched from the outside.

I wet my edges and sand, repeat and repeat again using finer grit paper then Tokonole and burnish with a wood slicker.  Maybe again, and maybe again again.  I prefer paraffin wax over bee's wax. I believe it gives a better looking edge than bee's and is easier to use.  Finish burnishing with a canvas or jeans cloth.  

What is this Japanese knife you speak of?  If it is the ubiquitous cheap red handled Chinese knife from Amazon throw it away right now.  Rocky mountain has a good one that is real for $60.  The Japanese knives are great for both skiving, chopping and cutting.  If I were to only have one knife, that is what I would choose.  To get an idea of various knives side by side see https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/91489-a-few-leather-knives/?tab=comments#comment-626814

Edited January 4, 2021 by mike02130
added an indefinite article

[Loudcherokee]

8 hours ago, mike02130 said:

Do not buy leather from Amazon (seems expensive to me).  Your leather is chrome tanned and will not burnish.  I suggest you stick to veg tanned shoulders.  There are a lot of discount leather stores that sell undyed leather but most of it is hit and miss.  I suppose it's okay for practice and proto types.  I've had good success with Zack White.  If you can afford quality dyed leather I suggest Rocky Mountain Leather or District leather supply, both offer free skiving.  Between the two all your leather needs will be covered.

I suggest you put the round knife aside for now and concentrate on improving your skills.  A round knife is a specialized tool and takes some practice to get to the point of proficiency.  It is a popular knife with the UK crowd and in the USA it is used mainly by holster and saddle and tack makers.  I have a couple that I use mainly for cutting large double shoulders and belt work.  I know of no new knife in the USA that is worth a damn under $200 plus.  One can get a good used carbon steel round knife off of eBay for under fifty bucks.  You also need to be more than proficient at sharpening to maintain the knife.  A green cutting mat is not recommended with a round knife because it creates a lot of drag on the knife.  I use HDPE as a cutting surface.

Ritza is a quality thread and has it's purposes but I do not recommend it for wallets. It is a flat thread and the colors are solid and look unnatural. For serious work I believe you are better off with something in the .45 mm range.  Brands such as Vinymo and Meisi polyester are popular with high-end products.  You are not ready for linen thread.  Rocky Mountain leather carries a brand called Twist.  It is a braided thread but does not lay as nicely as the others but it is good quality and they offer free shipping.  District Leather carries Vinymo (size #5).  It doesn't seem like much difference between .6 mm and .45 but when compared side by side it is quite noticeable.  One mm thread is quite large. Your 3 mm irons are too small.  What do you plan on making with such a large thread?

I see no need for a stitch groover unless you are making saddles or holsters and the like.  When saddle stitching in a groove the stitching lays straight rather than getting the angle that is so indicative of saddle stitching.

Sticks are not good for gluing, you want something that is flexible.  The two shops I mentioned sell glue spreaders.

For you now punching ought to be done from the inside of the wallet.  You missed stitching over a few card pockets because you punched from the outside.

I wet my edges and sand, repeat and repeat again using finer grit paper then Tokonole and burnish with a wood slicker.  Maybe again, and maybe again again.  I prefer paraffin wax over bee's wax. I believe it gives a better looking edge than bee's and is easier to use.  Finish burnishing with a canvas or jeans cloth.  

What is this Japanese knife you speak of?  If it is the ubiquitous cheap red handled Chinese knife from Amazon throw it away right now.  Rocky mountain has a good one that is real for $60.  The Japanese knives are great for both skiving, chopping and cutting.  If I were to only have one knife, that is what I would choose.  To get an idea of various knives side by side see https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/91489-a-few-leather-knives/?tab=comments#comment-626814

Good to know about the cutting mat and round knife. I will keep that in mind. I do have a 24"x36" black cutting mat on order, but it has not yet arrived. 

I will look up those threads you mentioned. But a question, is there no standard for size on this stuff? It seems like each brand has a different way of listing their size. Ive seen the actual diameter listed, ie .6mm, 1mm, etc. Then I've seen a 3 digit number, such as 207, 277, 138, then one with a T, ie T70, also one with a D, 150D, and now you throw out simple numbers at me like #5. This part i find very confusing. 

I went with the Ritza because it is listed under supplies on a few of the videos I've watched of projects id like to do. Wallets, laptop bags, satchels, etc. I chose the 1mm for holsters and knife sheaths. I do also have a set of 4mm pricking irons. 

I will ditch the stitch groover for these projects, and stick to the wing divider for them. I will try the stitch groover again on some veg tanned, which arrived today. I just want to see if its the groover or my technique or this leather. I would like to use it for holsters and sheaths though. 

I found some flexible glue spreaders. I will purchase them as I really like the idea of having a precision way to apply my glue. 

I like the idea of punching from the inside, but I've definitely got to get my cuts straightened up or I'll just have awful stitch lines on the outside of my projects. My straight edges arrived today id been using a clear acrylic ruler and even with that was having difficulty cutting straight, I believe due to being able to see the line through the ruler and not having it lined up correctly. Im at the age where some reading glasses may find their way into my tool box, unfortunately. 

The Japanese skiving knife im referring to is this one, yes from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/BANYOUR-Leather-Cutting-Working-Leathercraft/dp/B07LD4PC2D/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=leather+skiving+knife&qid=1609805246&sprefix=leather+skiv&sr=8-4

 

It actually worked really well at first, but dulled very quickly. I was honestly surprised at how easy it was to thin down an edge, but then once the fresh razor edge was gone it started taking chunks out. I will look for a higher quality knife, and also look up how to strop and sharpen my tools. 

As for burnishing, my second project turned out MUCH better. I don't have any pictures at the moment but I think what I did wrong on the first one was rush through it. I let the glue set up only about 5 minutes before joining the two pieces, and after hammering the glue i immediately went out to the shop and hit all my edges with a sanding drum on my dremel to level them. I then used a wool dobber to apply fiebings pro chocolate dye on the edges, and only let this dry about 8 minutes before hitting it with bees wax to try and burnish. The glue became separated and my layers turned to mush at the edges, and look like they do in the pictures. 

On my second wallet, I used the sanding drum, then beveled the edges with a #2, applied bees wax, and then burnished with my hand slicker. It came out so much better. I have a nice, rounded, smooth edge that looks like one layer. I did not use any die this time. 

LC

[Rylando]

Just as an aside, if you're looking for cheap leather to practice on, Springfield Leather Company sells $20 and $30 a SIDE ( half the cow ) oil tanned (chrome tan) good quality leather in that 4-5oz range. It's random brown colors but I really like it for trying new designs and ideas with before I move to a veg-tan.

If you stick with chrome tan, in my experience, the best way to finish the edges is to cut everything a little big and trim it with one final cut once it's sewn or glued together well, that gives really clean edges and you can ditch sanding. Could also use that method with edge-paint, just don't bevel the edges.

I wouldn't bevel the edges of oil-tan leather, I'd just focus on clean cuts. But that may just be my personal taste in chrome-tanned goods. But if you do decide to bevel, use Tokonole to burnish the edges. 

Otherwise it looks alot better than my first attempt!  
 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Rylando

[Loudcherokee]

10 minutes ago, Rylando said:

Just as an aside, if you're looking for cheap leather to practice on, Springfield Leather Company sells $20 and $30 a SIDE ( half the cow ) oil tanned (chrome tan) good quality leather in that 4-5oz range. It's random brown colors but I really like it for trying new designs and ideas with before I move to a veg-tan.

If you stick with chrome tan, in my experience, the best way to finish the edges is to cut everything a little big and trim it with one final cut once it's sewn or glued together well, that gives really clean edges and you can ditch sanding. Could also use that method with edge-paint, just don't bevel the edges.

I wouldn't bevel the edges of oil-tan leather, I'd just focus on clean cuts. But that may just be my personal taste in chrome-tanned goods. But if you do decide to bevel, use Tokonole to burnish the edges. 

Otherwise it looks alot better than my first attempt!  
 

Funny you mention that, as I ordered 2 of their $30 sides just the other night! 

LC