What you wish you had known when you were getting started

[bigsig11010]

For those who have been at it for a while. What kind of tips or advice do you wish you had known or gotten when you were first getting started??

[Rhale]

How much money I was going to have invested in tools, machines and inventory! Lol

[kgg]

Buy the best basic machine you can afford. If that is a new or used machine buy a brand name. When you go to sell the machine a brand name will be easier to sell, sell faster and command a better price. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish.

Buy Once, Cry Once.

kgg

[DJole]

How to finish edges, and how to do traditional stitching. There was no Internet when I wanted to learn all this in the mid 80s to mid 90s. I suppose I could have asked that Tandy store less than 1/4 mile away from me for instruction, or something, but it seemed like everything was Western themed, and that's not my interest.

[HaloJones]

  On 3/20/2021 at 11:02 PM, Rhale said:

How much money I was going to have invested in tools, machines and inventory! Lol

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Oh yes to this!

and I am just a hobbyist!

[chuck123wapati]

  On 3/21/2021 at 7:05 AM, DJole said:

How to finish edges, and how to do traditional stitching. There was no Internet when I wanted to learn all this in the mid 80s to mid 90s. 

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Ditto A forum like this would have been a godsend. Where i live if you didn't know someone you were on your own with the only help being Stohlman books.

[billybopp]

  On 3/20/2021 at 11:02 PM, Rhale said:

How much money I was going to have invested in tools, machines and inventory! Lol

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For sure!  LOL!   I wanted a GOOD belt but didn't want to pay $100 for it.   It would've been a bargain at that price, I don't really know how much it ended up costing - the $ is STILL adding up.  But then I wouldn't have had something that I really enjoy as a hobby, so no regrets.  

I wish I had known that you can do a HECK OF A LOT of leatherwork with tools that I already had, or were pretty inexpensive down at the hardware store.  

- Bill

[maxdaddy]

I wish I had known that $15 was a bargain price to pay for a well-designed pattern. 

Admittedly, initially I did learn a lot by struggling along trying to make hats, bags, and whatnot based on my own designs, but when Tony See (DieselpunkRO) had a 50% off discount a few years ago I bought a few hat patterns. My skills improved a lot once I had good patterns to start with. I also found that it made it easier to come up with my own designs for other custom pieces once I had cut and assembled some well-designed pieces. 

I've bought many patterns from other designers since then, including from some of the folks who contribute to this forum. 

[jcuk]

How much i hate edge staining.

JCUK

[Handstitched]

  On 3/20/2021 at 5:13 PM, bigsig11010 said:

What kind of tips or advice do you wish you had known or gotten when you were first getting started??

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Availability,   Where to get supplies, tools etc. and info ,  and just some  guidance,  advice on what tools etc. I needed to get started,I had none,    I was ' flying blind' mostly, with the exception of a ' lil ol' lady'  in the one shop I frequented .... over 2hrs away   and the only 1970's book on leather crafting from my  local library.

I started long before I had  this inter web thing. . There were only  2  leather suppliers in Perth ( Western Australia,  theres only 1 now in Perth  )   , so it was the Yellow Pages .

All of my ordering is online now.

HS