I've restored an old brace and have accumulated a collection of bits, and was thinking about a roll. You've just designed it for me, thank you very much!
Thank you for an excellent presentation, with very clear narration. Exactly what I was searching for. We are moving into a retirement apartment, so have to rethink how I store all my tools, and bibs and bobs. The tool roll is an excellent solution. Fortunately my wife loves Festool Systainers, so that will be the basic storage, with stacks of Systainers on the Festool mobile carts.
Ohh I got it! at first i thought "Leather craft needs many chisels and you have many Japanese tools" LOL you are woodworker. Thank you I want to learn Leather craft and Smith work too.
Really impressed with how sharp that looks! Very practical. I made a small one for my four wood chisels a while ago.. didn't come out near as good! I like the blade out orientation and double row of pockets.
Thanks James. I've taken a docent position at the Folsom Forge and need to make a leather apron. I'll take this info and apply it, but I do have a sewing machine that will sew the leather. Hitting the leather store for rivets tomorrow!
That is one amazing project, i wouldv'e thought that was factory made you did so good! Great job, i think i might be making one for my drill bits, and/ or files. Great video, keep up the fabulous work!
I have made something similar a long time ago and the issues I had with it included the chrome tanned leather I used reacted with the brass ferrules initially and later with the blades of the chisels making them rust where it contacted them. That was apparently due to the chromium salts used in the tanning process. The pattern of stitching you have used was the same as the first one I made, it works but can be improved. I was fortunate to have a look at the tool rolls of a professional carver and the pockets were made with two rows of stitching between each handle pocket around 3/4" apart. The pockets were formed buy running a a 4 1/2" wide strip of fabric over the chisel handle so that each pocket had a pleat on each side that had to be gathered at the bottom and sewn. The strip already had a rolled edge sewn on the end that was to be the opening of the pocket.The edges were bound by adding an extra flap along each edge that covered the blades and prevented any chisels sliding out. The second attempt I made was a copy of those tool rolls and was not of leather but of very high quality synthetic fabric that was used in waterproof outdoor clothes and equipment. It was aprox double the cost of leather and has the benefit of not attracting and holding moisture. I also had a very skilled canvas worker advise me and carry out the work. That was some of the best money I ever spent.
Very cool. these can get really fancy really fast. One of my other chisel rolls is much like that,b ut I wanted to show a basic design for the beginner on this one.
Yes, chrome tanned leather has a reputation for rusting tools :( But Tannin - in for example oak tanned leather - on the other hand is used in rust converters and has a reputation for protecting tools against rust :) Also, I would highly recommend punching a single breathing hole in each compartment. I originally got this idea from Mora's plastic sheaths; I noticed that their wonderful carbon steel knives don't rust in their plastic sheaths in my damp garage. The reason appears to be a single breathing hole half way down the sheath. I have been using this idea with considerable success for several years now on all manner of sheaths and edge guards that I have made for axes, knives, leather tools, drawknives, etc. Oil the tools too though, 3-in-1 oil seems ideal for this.
Wood By Wright just checked and my closest one is about six hours drive if we don't stop, considering I could drive to the other end of the UK in about ten hours I think it may be a little out of my way lol
I was just about to buy a leather chisel roll, I think now I may have a go at making one (but whilst I can cut a good dovetail I think my leather skills may be a bit sub par). Great vid as usual.
I just made a tool roll from canvas which seems to be working well so I may copy it in leather. However, I sewed it on my heavy duty sewing machine, much quicker. My dimensions were much the same although I left some pockets bigger for a strop, diamond card etc. All I need now is sufficient money to buy enough chisels to populate the pockets.
Not glad that you measured wrong, but the double stitch really adds to it. I have been looking into doing some leather projects, but so far I have just made a strop. Also I think the chisel out approach makes more sense to me as well, with all those chisels it would be a PITA to find one. Great job
thanks! I was sad to see the miss measure but I too like the look of it. I stopped putting blades into the pocket the day I was stabbed by one that punched through the bottom of the pocket. still have a scar from that.
Looks great James. I would say, that as a leather craftsman with 30 years of experience you should never use metal hammers on your leather tools. It causes the ends to mushroom and ruins the plating on the tools. You should use your cabinet mallet or your carving mallet. From a safety point of view pieces of metal and plating can break off using metal hammers and get in your eyes or those of the small ones around you.
ya I could not find my rawhide mallet for this one still packed from moving. and I did not care about these punches as they were cheap. But I was not going to use a wooden mallet on them as I value the mallet far more than the punches.
Rawhide might be too soft, might damage you mallet. Why spend money? I use simple wooden clubs that I make. They are the cut-down left=overs of larger clubs/"beatles" that I use to rive green wood (with a froe). I make them quickly & crudely using a drawknife, usually from green ash and then let them dry for a few weeks or months. When the big club gets worn down, I cut the worn top off and use the remaining short club as a bench mallet. I have at least 4 floating around the workshop currently, very useful. They are round, like a sculptors mallet, which I like.
Wood By Wright Your joiner or carving mallets would work, too. Basically anything softer than the metal of the tool. For the same reason as (ideally) using mallets of softer wood than what you're hitting- the mallet will take the damage, not the tool or project. Thanks for the video!
very true! I just had a bad experience with one finally working out when it was in the pocket and jabbing me when carying it. I still have a scar from it.
Wood By Wright keep up the great videos I really appreciate you taking the time to post them. Plus your helping me with my hand tool woodworking journey. 👍🏻
I’m a leather worker with no experience with wood yet but this is exactly the type of video I’ve been looking for! Your channel is awesome. Can you give a bit more info on size and spacing of the slots please? I’d like to make this as a gift for someone who does woodworking but since I don’t, and don’t even own any chisels, I wasn’t sure how to size or space the slots or how many would be best to add. Are most chisels pretty standard when it comes to sizing? Sorry if these are dumb questions, but despite my leather experience I had no idea where to start with making a tool roll for tools I neither know how to use or own any of. Thanks!
Unfortunately there is no standard size. though most go From about 1" diameter to around 1.5" diameter. I made my pockets about 2.25" X 4.5" though to err on the side of caution if you made the slots 2.75" wide it should be able to comfortably hold all but the biggest handles and still not be too lose for the small ones. But if he just has carving chisels the 2.25" slot will work fine. it is the bench chisels that get bigger. hope that helps
I want to get in some leather crafting, any advise in how to start on a budget? I see many kinds of starting sets, but they have very diverse priorities on what to offer.
first thing is to pick a project. Every project will need different tools. most things the big tool purchase is a set of punches and those can be less then $10. for this project you could get it all for under $30 under $15 if you look around. I have links to what I used in the description.
Wood By Wright My first leather projects would be a pencil case (kind of like the tool roll) and a ring binder based leather notebook. Also it is possible that I would make a smartphone wallet case, but that all depends on if my phone seems to be able last a long time (I almost maxed out my storage space on my iPhone, so it is getting to the frustration level that I am looking out for a replacement). One thing I would also like to make is leather suspenders but for that I would need to find some good inspiration since I don't want to use electric band or such. I did forget to check out the description, I will check out those links. Thanks for answering!
Nice list. a nice set of punches and a threading pick would get you a long way. one of the best places to learn is youtube. I will often just search for "Leather Phone case" and com up with dozens of videos. then find a method you like and give it a try. it is a lot easier then it looks.
Wood By Wright I think it is quite easy, when I was young I've learn to stitch fabric over a tear in one of my pants. It was as ugly as it could be, no even spacing and such. But I think with leather, if you have the tools and the patience it can get almost as easy, hence why I am thinking to do some leather craft. I have already seen a lot of leather craft videos and learned the basics (except telling the difference between good and less good leather quality), I just need to get the materials now. And some spare time. If I get confident enough, I will put it on UA-cam, so that it can inspire others as well. Just need a decent camera where the battery last longer than half an hour of FHD filming.
I would highly recommend getting Al Stohlman's brilliant (pictorial) booklet on handstitching leather. It will save you money and help prevent accidents. It really is a classic masterpiece that has not been surpassed. That will provide an excellent starting point. Later, I would recommend you get his tool book too. Also, Nigel Armitage's youtube videos (e.g. saddle stitching). Tool-wise, you really don't need much to start: A pricking iron (Chinese off ebay), a saddler's awl (with a proper diamond or leaf profile blade) which you will need to prepare (sharpening parts, blunting other parts), suitably sized needles (by John James or Osbourne) & thread for you project (e.g. Ritza Tiger polyester braid or Barbour linen thread are excellent choices). For saddle stitch, you'll use 2 needles at a time. Beeswax or paraffin wax (e.g. candle wax) are traditionally use on the thread. A Stanley/X-acto/modelling knife is more than adequate to start with. I have many leather knives of many shapes & sizes now but an old Stanley knife with a thick hooked bladed (made in Sheffield) is often my first choice. If dealing with multiple layer of thick leather (e.g. 3x 4-5mm), a Dremel-like tool can be used to drill holes, instead of using an awl. Later, a burnisher (can make or improvise these quite easily or cheap from ebay), an edge beveler. I prefer the #2 English *hollow* edge beveler for most things - like this: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SADDLERS-LEATHER-WORK-TOOL-HOLLOW-EDGE-SHAVE-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-DIXON-STYLE-/381933612885 - but there are cheaper & easier to find options. Caveat: my interest is mainly in heavier leathers, making heavy duty safety guards for very sharp tools, such as axes and adzes.
that is even easier just a needle and thread. the only big difference is hemming all the edges. you may still want to put a rivet at the top of each line of stitching.
you would not need the threading punch. as you can just force a needle through the fabric. and you would want lighter thread but other then that it would be the same.
the pockets are about 2" wide. some makers make them as wide as 2.5" but it depends on your chisel handles. measure half the diameter of your handles and make it a bit larger then that.
I always wanted a nice set of carving tools, but they were too dear. The other day I was at a yard sale and found a cardboard box with tools in it for $30. It had 26 Hirsch gouges ( about $1200 worth). I am a blessed person but not necessarily "lucky". I went to Woodcraft and bought a canvas tool roll. Time to carve a project!
Another good video. Nice leather. . Cool tool roll :) Personally I would only use a rivet at each outside edge - if at all - and I would use saddle stitching, which is more secure (& traditional). If you get a much wider pricking iron (now available cheaply on ebay from China, c. £7), it would speed up the punching process & give nice straight lines. On the downside, you'd need to use a saddler's awl to open up the holes when stitching. I would vary the pocket widths too (like the excellent & reasonably priced Faithfull tool rolls) as I prefer to put the (various width) sharp ends in the pockets, rather than the handles. Caveat: My gouges are not a set, so the handles vary and each tool has a set, position - according to blade width. Interesting to see your width correction. Your design reminds me of that used by the Swedish Sloyd master, Wille Sundqvist (I highly recommend his book) - so it is probably a very good one ;) Although I think at least one of his is made of denim or heavy cloth rather than leather.
Some of these are shorter then others but most all chisels are within 4" of each other. If it is a problem then I would see up the pockets for the shorter chisels so they can not go down as far.
In another leather-tool-roll video by "The Minimalist Maker", she cuts a non-square parallelogram so that the lengths of the pockets vary when she folds it into a rectangle.
Yup. That can be faster and easer. Especially if you have a sticking vice. But I wanted to show the simpeler methoud to do the same thing that does not need the vice.
Very nice indeed. Doesnt the leather need some wax or oil as protection to prevent it getting dry? That might also protect against staining. I know these leather punching tools are sold cheap in the china shopping sites. Wouldnt the addition of some sort of buckle make fastening the leather belt easier? Hand made buckle project?
the problem of a buckle or strap is the diameter of the roll keeps changing drastically. and it just takes more time to latch it and feed it through the long strap. the tucking it under method has never come loose on me.
Awesome video. Why choose that style of stitching rather than the dual needle method that you see primarily in leathercraft? How long have you been doing leathercraft?
Thanks. for long stitch lines it is far easier to do a saddle stitch, but for short lines I find it easier to just go down and back. there is just less to think about. I have been working with leather for over 16 years. I got most of the way through college making full suits of roman armor in the dorm.
+Michael Railley I have no idea what it is. I got a variety pack a while back and chose something that feels good. If you have a Randy leather near by you can go and play with the hides before you buy.
That came out beautifully, James! I noticed that you have some Two Cherries, Pfeil, and Ramelson (?) carving gouges - how do they compare? It seems like everyone recommends the Pfeil chisels, but they are expensive! Looking to get into carving and would love to hear your opinions. Thanks for an awesome video! Keep up the great work!
I have a few antique chisels from different makers. if I buy new it is either Two Cherries or Pfeil. I think Two Cherries is a better bang for the buck. but for starting out you will not feel a difference till you have a few years working with them.
ya I could not find my rawhide mallet for this and I was not going to use my woodworking mallets on it. and these were all cheap punches I do not mind replaceing.
Your "mistake" gave me an idea for future use. If instead of stitching the two halves together, you used a series of snaps. Then you could separate the two halves and use the snaps as a way to hang the two halves on the wall, etc.
eventually, the tool roll will wear out but that won't happen for a long time. my last one the stitching lasted for over 20 years as it belonged to my father. even then there were only 2-4 pockets with bad stitching. and when that happens I can re stitch it.
lol thanks. I did change the settings on the camera to match the second camera shots. but I have dropped about 20lb in the last month too. so yes both!
KarlBunker all the respect for vegetarians and such, but consider the environmental impact of these vinyl materials that are made in polluting factories from oil and the hole process causes a lot of co2 and waste. Not trying to start a flame war, i just like to show there are multiple ways of looking at these things, and that there really isnt an all ideal solution.
Check out S-T Leather in St.Louis they will probably have much better prices than Tandy as they wholesale to Tandy or they used to I have know idea if they still do. www.stleather.com/
LOL I used to buy from Tandy here in the St. Louis area, but when most of the stuff I was buying from Tandy was 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper from S-T I started going there. Granted they are both in driving distance for me, but the price difference was huge. Now Tandy is closed here so it is all I have. :) I can't tell you how many belt blanks and hides I have purchased from Tandy over the years, but when I got into Historical Reenactment my need for leather went way up, I was very happy to find S-T Leather. Having an outlet at hand is great, you don't have to put a project on hold while you get supplies shipped to be sure, but if you can not having to pay sales tax and the cheaper price off sets the cost of shipping and then some.
I do 1750s Early American and also I do some with the SCA and the Middle Ages. I have made some plate, but mostly i made mail as far as armor goes. I did do a set of hardened leather once. Mostly the Leather work had been arrow quivers, belts, haversacks and shooting bags for black powder.
Case for chisels turned out great! A better brand.
thanks. I love it!
Beautifully done, clear instructions. Your grandkids will be enjoying that roll one day.
thanks! I still have one from my grand father.
Thanks!
I've restored an old brace and have accumulated a collection of bits, and was thinking about a roll. You've just designed it for me, thank you very much!
that is on my list too. want to make one of these for files and Brace bits!
I think the endeavor will turn me into a much more organized person:-)
Thank you for an excellent presentation, with very clear narration. Exactly what I was searching for.
We are moving into a retirement apartment, so have to rethink how I store all my tools, and bibs and bobs. The tool roll is an excellent solution.
Fortunately my wife loves Festool Systainers, so that will be the basic storage, with stacks of Systainers on the Festool mobile carts.
Watching you hammer a punch with a metal hammer is sending shivers down my spine. It gives me so much anxiety hahahaha
Ohh I got it! at first i thought "Leather craft needs many chisels and you have many Japanese tools" LOL you are woodworker. Thank you I want to learn Leather craft and Smith work too.
Nice. It is a fun craft.
Nice and tidy, James.... that'll serve you well for decades.
I am looking forward to it!
It looks great, and is made smart so you see your shisels. Have a great week
thanks!
Great work, James! We need to talk leather on the podcast this week!
Yes! that would be fun!
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )
it would be like playing russian roulette but with chisels....lol. Nice job James love it. and the explanation of your steps were spot on.
thanks man! this was a fun one!
Really impressed with how sharp that looks! Very practical. I made a small one for my four wood chisels a while ago.. didn't come out near as good! I like the blade out orientation and double row of pockets.
Thanks. I wish I could take credit for the design.
Nice roll James.
God Bless my friend.
thanks Frank!
Excellent design and innovation.
Thanks. I wish I could take credit for the design. it is an OLD one!
Wow that's a beautiful tool wrap. Awesome video I didn't even know you could buy the stitching tools that I also didn't know exciting.
Thanks Thom! glad I could help out. I love leather work.
Hah, looking up leatherworking stuff and guess who I stumble upon-- Great info!
+ZH Fabrications lol. Glad I make the list.
Nice work James!
thanks Fred.
We will need to make one for when I get my chisel sets! :)
sounds like a plan!
Thanks James. I've taken a docent position at the Folsom Forge and need to make a leather apron. I'll take this info and apply it, but I do have a sewing machine that will sew the leather. Hitting the leather store for rivets tomorrow!
congrats on the job! I too am going to be making an apron here soon. looking forward to what you come up with!
Killer tool roll. I just got an old canvas one from a family member and it's quite handy!
such a useful tool!
That is one amazing project, i wouldv'e thought that was factory made you did so good! Great job, i think i might be making one for my drill bits, and/ or files. Great video, keep up the fabulous work!
Great idea! I would love to see what you came up with!
Very nice James ! I'm sure it will see a lot of great use.
thanks man! looking forward to doing a few carving videos soon.
Great job James...You did that when you were SICK?
bravo...rr
lol it is easy to sit on a couch and stitch for hours. or I am just odd. LOL
How many hours of stitching?
this project was about 4 hours.
nice job James that really turned out great.
thanks Opa
Nice work. And very good choice of leather.
thanks! I was happy to find this side in the discount bin!
Your uploads perfectly align with when i get out of uni
Love it!
LOL thanks! glad I could time that right!
Wow! Very nice James!
Thanks Donny!
Nice job. Looks great! I love the design.
Thanks, Thanks and thanks!
Beautiful, good job!
thanks!
Ok!!! That was amazing! I love the stitch hole punch! I can think of a lot of projects in our past where that would have come in handy!!! ;)
maybe we should do some leather work next time you are here.
*Cool job! nice to watch. I made a tulle roll recently too, but out of denim and smaller)*
I have made something similar a long time ago and the issues I had with it included the chrome tanned leather I used reacted with the brass ferrules initially and later with the blades of the chisels making them rust where it contacted them. That was apparently due to the chromium salts used in the tanning process. The pattern of stitching you have used was the same as the first one I made, it works but can be improved. I was fortunate to have a look at the tool rolls of a professional carver and the pockets were made with two rows of stitching between each handle pocket around 3/4" apart. The pockets were formed buy running a a 4 1/2" wide strip of fabric over the chisel handle so that each pocket had a pleat on each side that had to be gathered at the bottom and sewn. The strip already had a rolled edge sewn on the end that was to be the opening of the pocket.The edges were bound by adding an extra flap along each edge that covered the blades and prevented any chisels sliding out.
The second attempt I made was a copy of those tool rolls and was not of leather but of very high quality synthetic fabric that was used in waterproof outdoor clothes and equipment. It was aprox double the cost of leather and has the benefit of not attracting and holding moisture. I also had a very skilled canvas worker advise me and carry out the work. That was some of the best money I ever spent.
Very cool. these can get really fancy really fast. One of my other chisel rolls is much like that,b ut I wanted to show a basic design for the beginner on this one.
Yes, chrome tanned leather has a reputation for rusting tools :( But Tannin - in for example oak tanned leather - on the other hand is used in rust converters and has a reputation for protecting tools against rust :)
Also, I would highly recommend punching a single breathing hole in each compartment. I originally got this idea from Mora's plastic sheaths; I noticed that their wonderful carbon steel knives don't rust in their plastic sheaths in my damp garage. The reason appears to be a single breathing hole half way down the sheath. I have been using this idea with considerable success for several years now on all manner of sheaths and edge guards that I have made for axes, knives, leather tools, drawknives, etc. Oil the tools too though, 3-in-1 oil seems ideal for this.
Excellent thank you for sharing video 👍🏼
thank you.
That turned out great, I have a reasonable collection of leather working tools so all I am missing is the money for the leather DOH!
LOL that whole money thing! that was why I was so happy to find this side in the discount bin!
Wood By Wright if only there was a Tandy near me so I could rummage through their scraps.
mine is about 1.5 hours away, but whenever I am in the local I try to swing in.
Wood By Wright just checked and my closest one is about six hours drive if we don't stop, considering I could drive to the other end of the UK in about ten hours I think it may be a little out of my way lol
I was just about to buy a leather chisel roll, I think now I may have a go at making one (but whilst I can cut a good dovetail I think my leather skills may be a bit sub par). Great vid as usual.
I would love to see what you make. leather work is surprisingly simple. and the best part is you can make it any way you want to.
Love it
thanks!
I just made a tool roll from canvas which seems to be working well so I may copy it in leather. However, I sewed it on my heavy duty sewing machine, much quicker. My dimensions were much the same although I left some pockets bigger for a strop, diamond card etc. All I need now is sufficient money to buy enough chisels to populate the pockets.
looks good
thanks!
Very nice man!!
thanks man!
Thanks, I need to make one for my wrench's
That would be a great one!
very nice thank you for the video
thanks Rob! glad you like it!
WOW! Really nice work! A nice veriety of things you do on your channel.
thanks you. I do enjoy leather work!
Anthony H. If you like leather work, you might also like the red smith channel.
love it bud
Hi there from Portugal,
Nice roll, I have some for brace bits, files and other stuff and they work great :D
Obrigado(Thanks)
OH ya! I want to do this with some brace bits too!
Not glad that you measured wrong, but the double stitch really adds to it. I have been looking into doing some leather projects, but so far I have just made a strop. Also I think the chisel out approach makes more sense to me as well, with all those chisels it would be a PITA to find one. Great job
thanks! I was sad to see the miss measure but I too like the look of it. I stopped putting blades into the pocket the day I was stabbed by one that punched through the bottom of the pocket. still have a scar from that.
Good job!
thanks man!
looking forward to the carving... I too caught that bug not too long ago :--)
it is a fun project and always a lot to learn
Looks great James. I would say, that as a leather craftsman with 30 years of experience you should never use metal hammers on your leather tools. It causes the ends to mushroom and ruins the plating on the tools. You should use your cabinet mallet or your carving mallet. From a safety point of view pieces of metal and plating can break off using metal hammers and get in your eyes or those of the small ones around you.
ya I could not find my rawhide mallet for this one still packed from moving. and I did not care about these punches as they were cheap. But I was not going to use a wooden mallet on them as I value the mallet far more than the punches.
Rawhide might be too soft, might damage you mallet. Why spend money? I use simple wooden clubs that I make. They are the cut-down left=overs of larger clubs/"beatles" that I use to rive green wood (with a froe). I make them quickly & crudely using a drawknife, usually from green ash and then let them dry for a few weeks or months. When the big club gets worn down, I cut the worn top off and use the remaining short club as a bench mallet. I have at least 4 floating around the workshop currently, very useful. They are round, like a sculptors mallet, which I like.
Wood By Wright Your joiner or carving mallets would work, too. Basically anything softer than the metal of the tool. For the same reason as (ideally) using mallets of softer wood than what you're hitting- the mallet will take the damage, not the tool or project. Thanks for the video!
Great work. Also if the blade is within the sheath it will be more likely to rust as leather holds moisture.
very true! I just had a bad experience with one finally working out when it was in the pocket and jabbing me when carying it. I still have a scar from it.
Wood By Wright keep up the great videos I really appreciate you taking the time to post them. Plus your helping me with my hand tool woodworking journey. 👍🏻
thanks! I am just having fun.
BRAVO
thanks man! your ebony will be used in Saturday's video.
I’m a leather worker with no experience with wood yet but this is exactly the type of video I’ve been looking for! Your channel is awesome. Can you give a bit more info on size and spacing of the slots please? I’d like to make this as a gift for someone who does woodworking but since I don’t, and don’t even own any chisels, I wasn’t sure how to size or space the slots or how many would be best to add. Are most chisels pretty standard when it comes to sizing? Sorry if these are dumb questions, but despite my leather experience I had no idea where to start with making a tool roll for tools I neither know how to use or own any of. Thanks!
Unfortunately there is no standard size. though most go From about 1" diameter to around 1.5" diameter. I made my pockets about 2.25" X 4.5" though to err on the side of caution if you made the slots 2.75" wide it should be able to comfortably hold all but the biggest handles and still not be too lose for the small ones. But if he just has carving chisels the 2.25" slot will work fine. it is the bench chisels that get bigger. hope that helps
Nnnice!!! WAI 2018 Wood by Wright marketplace booth!
LOL. I don't sell what I make. But thanks. that means a lot that people like them.
I want to get in some leather crafting, any advise in how to start on a budget? I see many kinds of starting sets, but they have very diverse priorities on what to offer.
first thing is to pick a project. Every project will need different tools. most things the big tool purchase is a set of punches and those can be less then $10. for this project you could get it all for under $30 under $15 if you look around. I have links to what I used in the description.
Wood By Wright My first leather projects would be a pencil case (kind of like the tool roll) and a ring binder based leather notebook. Also it is possible that I would make a smartphone wallet case, but that all depends on if my phone seems to be able last a long time (I almost maxed out my storage space on my iPhone, so it is getting to the frustration level that I am looking out for a replacement). One thing I would also like to make is leather suspenders but for that I would need to find some good inspiration since I don't want to use electric band or such. I did forget to check out the description, I will check out those links. Thanks for answering!
Nice list. a nice set of punches and a threading pick would get you a long way. one of the best places to learn is youtube. I will often just search for "Leather Phone case" and com up with dozens of videos. then find a method you like and give it a try. it is a lot easier then it looks.
Wood By Wright I think it is quite easy, when I was young I've learn to stitch fabric over a tear in one of my pants. It was as ugly as it could be, no even spacing and such. But I think with leather, if you have the tools and the patience it can get almost as easy, hence why I am thinking to do some leather craft. I have already seen a lot of leather craft videos and learned the basics (except telling the difference between good and less good leather quality), I just need to get the materials now. And some spare time. If I get confident enough, I will put it on UA-cam, so that it can inspire others as well. Just need a decent camera where the battery last longer than half an hour of FHD filming.
I would highly recommend getting Al Stohlman's brilliant (pictorial) booklet on handstitching leather. It will save you money and help prevent accidents. It really is a classic masterpiece that has not been surpassed. That will provide an excellent starting point. Later, I would recommend you get his tool book too. Also, Nigel Armitage's youtube videos (e.g. saddle stitching).
Tool-wise, you really don't need much to start: A pricking iron (Chinese off ebay), a saddler's awl (with a proper diamond or leaf profile blade) which you will need to prepare (sharpening parts, blunting other parts), suitably sized needles (by John James or Osbourne) & thread for you project (e.g. Ritza Tiger polyester braid or Barbour linen thread are excellent choices). For saddle stitch, you'll use 2 needles at a time. Beeswax or paraffin wax (e.g. candle wax) are traditionally use on the thread.
A Stanley/X-acto/modelling knife is more than adequate to start with. I have many leather knives of many shapes & sizes now but an old Stanley knife with a thick hooked bladed (made in Sheffield) is often my first choice.
If dealing with multiple layer of thick leather (e.g. 3x 4-5mm), a Dremel-like tool can be used to drill holes, instead of using an awl.
Later, a burnisher (can make or improvise these quite easily or cheap from ebay), an edge beveler. I prefer the #2 English *hollow* edge beveler for most things - like this: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SADDLERS-LEATHER-WORK-TOOL-HOLLOW-EDGE-SHAVE-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-DIXON-STYLE-/381933612885 - but there are cheaper & easier to find options.
Caveat: my interest is mainly in heavier leathers, making heavy duty safety guards for very sharp tools, such as axes and adzes.
What would you need to make a waxed canvas tool roll? How would you change the list of tools to deal with this different fabric?
that is even easier just a needle and thread. the only big difference is hemming all the edges. you may still want to put a rivet at the top of each line of stitching.
Would you still use the same tools as listed in the description?
you would not need the threading punch. as you can just force a needle through the fabric. and you would want lighter thread but other then that it would be the same.
Congratulations on a great job! I would like to ask what size, especially the width of the pockets would be important?
the pockets are about 2" wide. some makers make them as wide as 2.5" but it depends on your chisel handles. measure half the diameter of your handles and make it a bit larger then that.
I always wanted a nice set of carving tools, but they were too dear. The other day I was at a yard sale and found a cardboard box with tools in it for $30. It had 26 Hirsch gouges ( about $1200 worth). I am a blessed person but not necessarily "lucky". I went to Woodcraft and bought a canvas tool roll.
Time to carve a project!
+Frank B nice find! That would make a great day.
Did you think about putting flaps on each side, so there is no way the chisels came slide out? I'm searching for a nice tool role.
not on this style. the handles of the chisels on the opposite side keep it from sliding out.
Aaron ionta Waconia MN
Where did you get the rivets
+Aaron Ionta eather on Amazon or tandy leather. There is a link in the description below to them.
Another good video. Nice leather. . Cool tool roll :) Personally I would only use a rivet at each outside edge - if at all - and I would use saddle stitching, which is more secure (& traditional). If you get a much wider pricking iron (now available cheaply on ebay from China, c. £7), it would speed up the punching process & give nice straight lines. On the downside, you'd need to use a saddler's awl to open up the holes when stitching.
I would vary the pocket widths too (like the excellent & reasonably priced Faithfull tool rolls) as I prefer to put the (various width) sharp ends in the pockets, rather than the handles. Caveat: My gouges are not a set, so the handles vary and each tool has a set, position - according to blade width.
Interesting to see your width correction. Your design reminds me of that used by the Swedish Sloyd master, Wille Sundqvist (I highly recommend his book) - so it is probably a very good one ;) Although I think at least one of his is made of denim or heavy cloth rather than leather.
Thanks for the comment!
What would you do if you had chisels that were not all approximately the same length?
Some of these are shorter then others but most all chisels are within 4" of each other. If it is a problem then I would see up the pockets for the shorter chisels so they can not go down as far.
In another leather-tool-roll video by "The Minimalist Maker", she cuts a non-square parallelogram so that the lengths of the pockets vary when she folds it into a rectangle.
I’ve heard that saddlers and cobblers typically use two needles at once (one in each hand) to do the kind of double stitching you did here.
Yup. That can be faster and easer. Especially if you have a sticking vice. But I wanted to show the simpeler methoud to do the same thing that does not need the vice.
Very nice indeed.
Doesnt the leather need some wax or oil as protection to prevent it getting dry? That might also protect against staining.
I know these leather punching tools are sold cheap in the china shopping sites.
Wouldnt the addition of some sort of buckle make fastening the leather belt easier? Hand made buckle project?
I use a leather conditioner from time to time on it, but it came pre conditioned.
the problem of a buckle or strap is the diameter of the roll keeps changing drastically. and it just takes more time to latch it and feed it through the long strap. the tucking it under method has never come loose on me.
Awesome video. Why choose that style of stitching rather than the dual needle method that you see primarily in leathercraft? How long have you been doing leathercraft?
Thanks. for long stitch lines it is far easier to do a saddle stitch, but for short lines I find it easier to just go down and back. there is just less to think about. I have been working with leather for over 16 years. I got most of the way through college making full suits of roman armor in the dorm.
That is awesome, What sort of Leather did you use as I want to give this a go
+Michael Railley I have no idea what it is. I got a variety pack a while back and chose something that feels good. If you have a Randy leather near by you can go and play with the hides before you buy.
@@WoodByWright "If you have a Randy leather near by you can go and play with the hides before you buy."
Is that what you call a Freudian slip?
How is the roll today? Are there many marks cut by the chisels?
working great. still use it most every day. a couple scratches for normal wear and tear, but almost nothing on the inside.
Flaps to keep the tools in?
No need. The handles keep them from coming out.
Have you found tools rust in the leather?
No. As long as long as you maintain them like any other tool. There is no issue.
Beautimus. Any finish on the leather?
nope. I will occasionally oil it down with this stuff. amzn.to/2kzfLRo but nothing off the bat.
sweet
thanks!
Hey my brother you got to get some for the Lathe to bro :)
Oh ya. I am looking forward to making a few tools for that.
Awesome man sounds good bro :)
It looks easy. But it also looks time-consuming. Can you tell us how long this took you?
That was around 4 hours.
nice work! who made your branding logo?
+Scott Waterfall I have a friend with a stainless steel 3d Printer and he made the head for me.
That came out beautifully, James! I noticed that you have some Two Cherries, Pfeil, and Ramelson (?) carving gouges - how do they compare? It seems like everyone recommends the Pfeil chisels, but they are expensive! Looking to get into carving and would love to hear your opinions. Thanks for an awesome video! Keep up the great work!
I have a few antique chisels from different makers. if I buy new it is either Two Cherries or Pfeil. I think Two Cherries is a better bang for the buck. but for starting out you will not feel a difference till you have a few years working with them.
I have noticed that you can find carving chisels for a good bargain on eBay. Have you had decent luck with your antiques? Which brands have you liked?
I have not gotten any off of ebay. I prefer to feel them first. I do not look at brand in older ones as much as feel in the hand.
Good to know. Thanks!
awesome roll! although i sugjest using a mallet instead of a hammer so you dont mushroom the hole punch
ya I could not find my rawhide mallet for this and I was not going to use my woodworking mallets on it. and these were all cheap punches I do not mind replaceing.
Your "mistake" gave me an idea for future use. If instead of stitching the two halves together, you used a series of snaps. Then you could separate the two halves and use the snaps as a way to hang the two halves on the wall, etc.
now that would be a fantastic idea!
mmmm, that's different!
Won't the chisels not dig into the stitching and cut the threads?
eventually, the tool roll will wear out but that won't happen for a long time. my last one the stitching lasted for over 20 years as it belonged to my father. even then there were only 2-4 pockets with bad stitching. and when that happens I can re stitch it.
FYI: The stitch you are using is called a double running stitch.
Nice.
Nice piece!!! //OT:¿new camera?... you look thinner ;-))//
lol thanks. I did change the settings on the camera to match the second camera shots. but I have dropped about 20lb in the last month too. so yes both!
make me one please
LOL thanks. If I did make something for sale this would be one of the things I made.
looks great, as a leather worker i just cringed when i saw a metal hammer hitting the pricking irons lol.
LOL yup.
It is a sexy tool holder...
Robert Evans its only sexy if the chisel wears nothing underneath. ;)
thanks Robert.
Hmm, I see Amazon has a wide selection of faux leather; a nice option for us vegetarian/vegan woodworkers...
+KarlBunker lol yup.
KarlBunker all the respect for vegetarians and such, but consider the environmental impact of these vinyl materials that are made in polluting factories from oil and the hole process causes a lot of co2 and waste.
Not trying to start a flame war, i just like to show there are multiple ways of looking at these things, and that there really isnt an all ideal solution.
Happy little accident having to cut it down the middle and resew it.
LOL yup. I do like the look with more stitching. just added an extra hour of work.
Check out S-T Leather in St.Louis they will probably have much better prices than Tandy as they wholesale to Tandy or they used to I have know idea if they still do. www.stleather.com/
I use to order from them but as I have a Tandy leather store just a bit away it is easier to drive over there.
LOL I used to buy from Tandy here in the St. Louis area, but when most of the stuff I was buying from Tandy was 1/3 to 1/2 cheaper from S-T I started going there. Granted they are both in driving distance for me, but the price difference was huge. Now Tandy is closed here so it is all I have. :) I can't tell you how many belt blanks and hides I have purchased from Tandy over the years, but when I got into Historical Reenactment my need for leather went way up, I was very happy to find S-T Leather. Having an outlet at hand is great, you don't have to put a project on hold while you get supplies shipped to be sure, but if you can not having to pay sales tax and the cheaper price off sets the cost of shipping and then some.
what kind of reenactment did you make it for? that was how I got through college selling suits of armor.
I do 1750s Early American and also I do some with the SCA and the Middle
Ages. I have made some plate, but mostly i made mail as far as armor
goes. I did do a set of hardened leather once. Mostly the Leather work
had been arrow quivers, belts, haversacks and shooting bags for black
powder.
sweet. most of mine was Roman and greek work. I love making molded leather breastplates with a pile of carving!
Hey daddy...
lol thanks Jett!
Ya.... Just go get yourself a side of cow..... Click.
I know right. I love going to the leather store! such a good smell, always brings back memories.
Fantastic work James!
thanks man!