I’ve been leathercrafting for 7? years?? Maybe it’s 8 idk. I didn’t set out keeping track and I measure based upon a move to a new home lol it’s always been a hobby. I’ve had offers to buy things that I always turn down. I’ve done that with a hobby before and destroyed my love for it. I didn’t pick up a hobby for it’s satisfaction, enjoyment and challenge to press it into a side job that sucks all the enjoyment from it. That aside, yes it is horrendously expensive but I consider it immensely cheaper than therapy. I use it as my creative outlet, my therapy, stress management tool. 🤷🏼♀️ I’ve still made a crap ton of mistakes in tools, leather, builds, etc. I have stuff in there that will NEVER be used again and I have no idea why I keep it. Whatever it’s organized. 😂 I am also one who derived immense joy in giving. As such, family have been recipients of my therapy ;) they mostly have no idea how long or expensive it is to make the item they’ve received and that’s okay. Some of them buy high quality leather when purchasing for themselves, others amazon it and are clueless. Either way I don’t care. One year when out of work but with a decent leather supply, everyone got leather for Christmas. They loved it of course but the value was well above what I could have afforded to gift a retail purchased item. I’m rambling. Sorry. I really wanted to just share an insight from another crafter. I don’t have your enormous setup, my craft shares a home office with another craft and my makeup studio, that is the tiniest thing ever for all of that lol I’ve finally really upped my quality by moving to veg tanned for some things over chrome. I understood the longevity of veg but the softness of chromes were a real draw and they just don’t work the same way. At all! I’ve come to terms with the requirements of chrome finally but dang it took a long time! I also broke down and bought patterns. I was making my own but just didn’t have the understanding for the various allowances for the weights and qualities of each leather to accommodate them when creating my own nor had I dig into YT and learned the various tricks and nuances of leathering. I spent most of those years applying my decades of seamstress work to leather which you’d think would work but apparently not how I went about it, not entirely anyway lol yeah, the last 2 years is where my quality took a huge jump. Veg tans ease and forgiveness and buying my patterns. Imma stop rambling now. Hang in there. Massage the love for the craftsmanship:)
Thanks for sharing. I agree with just keeping as a hobby. I do it for whole different reason and give most of my products away to family and a few friends. We do sell some items but that’s through a referral or something. We don’t do any type of advertising. I’m in the same boat. I have bought tools that I’ll never use and wasted a whole bunch of money on hardware and leather by mistake. All and all I love the craft. Thanks for watching 😀
Watch Chartermade to learn the basics. You don't need expensive tools, I bought all mine from Amazon, you just need around 10 that will do everything. I hand stitch all my projects no need for expensive sewing machine. Edge beveler #2 will do the trick. Forget about the guys with a bunch of expensive machines, never pay attention to that rather pay attention to technique. Sell everything you don't need and stick to one leather supplier. Veg-tanned is easy to work with but everything will stain it. Only buy chrome-tanned to learn the trade, it's cheap and, if you make mistakes, you won't lose much then when you perfect your own style start buying better quality leather. I started with leather scraps from Amazon. Don't be disappointed when making mistakes, that's how we all started and learned.
Hi Gary: Nice work and great confessional. Some folks don't share the downside. I just stumbled on your video and wanted to commiserate with you. Ive been crafting for around 27 years, always small scale. I made a lot of errors along the way and spent money I could have saved. I wanted to share a couple things with you that may or may not help your frustration. I don't consider myself an all knowing expert so please do have a salt shaker handy. Size: I have always kept my operation portable. Except for my sewing machine of course,(I don't think there is a portable stitcher). So, I have kept my tools to a minimum. Better a large space with a few useful tools, than a large space full of useless tools. Tools: There is a lot of versatility in a well maintained well made tool. Quality punches are a God send. Knowing how to sharpen edged tools is a must have skill. Leather: Chrome tanned leather is cheaper because of the lesser amount of time involved tanning it. It can be just as tough as veggie tan. Veg tan is as versatile as chrome, Its all about the tannery. Buy from the folks that do it best and there's precious few of them left in America. Your senses: Your eyes, nose and hands are the real money savers, If you can, touch, smell and feel before you buy your hide. with your cutting tools, have a gentle touch, edgers are the worst, they fool you into cutting to much. I reckon thats about it, you probable already know all this stuff, but I'm a busybody and I have 2 cents to share.
I’m about to start a leather business in Singapore too! I can definitely relate to the huge learning curve, thinking about what kinds of leather to get, the tools, finding your own style, not even mentioning the business end of it. But I’m 100% with you when you say you won’t give this up for anything, it’s such a fulfilling and exciting endeavour. I wish you all the best, and you’re not alone in the struggle to get all this going!
Here are some beginner tips for people who's interested to start working with leather. -Leather All in all veg-tan is of higher quality than chrome tan but I suggest using the right leather for the right stuff, and depending on your budget, sure, there's good chrome tan, but a chrome item will never be a generational item because you can't care for that item the same way you can with a veg-tan. Veg-tan is ~2x+ more expensive compared to a comparable chrome-tan because it takes at least a month to manufacture compared to a couple of days to a week for chrome. You always want to use at least grade 2 leather, preferably grade 1 no matter what type of tannage. When it comes to leather colors and finishes it's more or less what you like. If the finish is "aniline" it will be a superb leather because you only do aniline finishes on really good leathers. Generally the tanneries explain what their different types of leather mean so just read if the leather is semi gloss, gloss, mat etc. Printed leathers doesn't mean it's bad, it only means they've taken a roller with a pattern on it when the leather is wet and pressed it in on the skin side of the leather. Always choose full grain or top grain leather for your exteriors and/or split leather for your reinforcements. Suede, pig, sheep or a thinner bovine (cow) leather is good as a liner. You can also use fabrics as liners, just make sure it's a fabric that doesn't bleed glue when you glue it to the leather. Be mindful of mixing veg-tan and chrome-tans, it's a completely different process to work with because of the two materials different traits which often clash with each other. Never EVER use bonded leather. That's the MDF version of leather and is of extremely bad quality. Keep in mind if the item only says "genuine leather" stay away. Genuine leather only means that it comes from some part of a hide, it says nothing about the quality, and the fact that they don't say "top grain" or "full grain" for example, which are the best leathers, probably means it's a bad leather. General thicknesses you can use for different items are as follows. (This is of course based on my opinion and experience). Wallets: 1-1.5mm. I prefer 1.2-1.3mm because then it's thick enough to not bend in your pocket but not thick enough to become bulky. I prefer a medium temper on wallets. Part of animal should be shoulder. Straps and/or belts: Minimum 3mm. These items take load and are prone to wear whereas you need a tougher leather. I would chose a stiff leather or medium temper. You can chose what ever part you like for straps, just keep in mind that the belly tend to be stretchy. Belts I would preferably go with butt, shoulder work fine too. The belly is not that good for belts because the belt tend to get bigger over time due to stretching. Bags: 2-3mm. I would go with a medium temper or stiff leather for handbags and soft or medium temper on duffle bags and totes. Pullup leathers are super nice for duffle bags just as a pointer. I would go for shoulders or butts for bags because the shoulder and butt has the least scars, wrinkles etc. Just keep clear of the neck area on the shoulder because it has a lot of wrinkles and irregularities. Bellies can be used for duffle bags and totes IMO. Briefcases: Minimum 3mm total (outer leather + lining). I would use a stiff leather for briefcases, or a thicker total thickness with a medium temper, ~4mm. Only use really nice leather from the shoulder and/or butt on briefcases, never use the belly. Miscellaneous (key chains, mouse pads etc.): Here you can use more or less whatever you want that fits the purpose. These projects are great for the scraps you get from your bigger items. -Tools The only tools you really need is a good knife, a steel ruler, a cutting mat, sandpaper, glue + applicator, dyes if you want to dye your own leather, some sort of edge beveller, French or Japanese stitching/pricking irons and/or a smaller hole punch, some sort of board to use when you punch holes, needle and some waxed thread, I prefer waxed nylon thread that's 0.65-1mm thick. Optional is some sort of burnishing compound. I can't emphasize this more. Good quality tools really makes a big difference, some are more important than others and I will list which ones below. Knives: You really only need a crafting knife/scalpel blade knife or a box cutter for cutting leather. There's some fancier knives that you could use like the traditional round knife or a pattern knife. These tend to be expensive though and takes some time to learn how to use so I would not recommend it for someone who's completely new without a mentor teaching them. The benefit with a round knife is that it's a cutting knife and a skiving knife in one. I would also recommend to get a good quality skiving knife from a reputable brand. Personally I use a Chartermade replacement blade for the Vergez Blanchard l'indispensable knife and a Japanese knife from Palosanto as a skiving knife. I also use a normal box cutter to cut out big panels because I find it easier to use for that purpose. Steel ruler: You need a straight ruler that's flat at a minimum. I would also recommend a flat square steel ruler. ZeeBee makes great rulers for leathercraft but they're expensive. Cutting mat: Any type of self healing cutting mat or a hard wooden surface that you don't mind getting scratched. Keep in mind that the wood surface can scuff the skin side of the leather. I use self healing cutting mats in the size A3 and A1 depending on the size of the project. Sandpaper: To sand your glued edges flush with each other. I use the grits 120-1200. Glue: You need some sort of contact cement/glue and maybe some white glue, though not necessary, I never use white glue. The glue I use is from a company called Renia and the glue is called Aquilim 315. It's a water based contact glue which means I can use it indoors without a problem. Get a silicone applicator/spatula and thank me later. Dyes: Edge dyes, dyes for dyeing leather etc. Chose whatever color you like. For you Americans I would use Weavers pro dye line, everyone else I like the ROC dyes. Edge beveller: This is the one tool you should not skimp out on. Get a good quality edge beveller. A bad edge beveller can literally destroy an entire project. You only need a size 1, it covers more or less everything. If you want to have some choices buy a size 0, 1 and 2. You don't need anything bigger than that. I personally buy all my bevellers from Palosanto. Stitching/pricking irons: If you go with French or Japanese is a matter of taste. The benefit of having a good iron is you get a neater stitching line. IMO you only need a 1, 2 and 6 pronged iron. There's a lot of good quality irons and IMO there's not a big difference in the same price classes,. If you want a cheaper option that's really good I would recommend Wuta. The different sizes gives different stiches so it's a matter of taste. Just remember that the smaller you go the more stiches you have to do per cm/inch and you have to decrease or increase the thickness of thread depending of the size of iron in order to make it look good. Hole punches: If you can't afford a set of stitching/pricking irons you can but a single hole punch that's 0.6-1.5mm depending on how you want the stitch to look like. Increase the thickness of thread if you use bigger holes. 1.5mm holes is good with 1mm thread. Punching board: This can be a plastic cutting board that you use in the kitchen or the one I prefer is to take some thick leather in whatever size you want and sandwich it together to get a really thick piece of leather. Needles: John James, don't buy anything else. Adjust the size of the needle depending on the thickness of the thread you want to use. Thread: Ritza tiger thread is more or less the best option but I like Amy Roke's thread too. Colors doesn't matter. Thickness depends on what irons you use and the look you're going for. The thread should be waxed or you have to wax it yourself with bees wax. Optional: Burnishing compounds: You can make due with just water when burnishing but the best out there is IMO Tokonole. Gum-trag is good, and smells really good, but it's a lot more work to get glass edges with gum-trag compared to Tokonole. Glycerin soap is also an option, doesn't however give the same result IMO. Marble plate: A thick piece of marble or stone plate with a polished surface to use when you skive and to have as a vice when you punch holes. Strap cutter: Cuts strap easier than by doing it with a ruler. Tooling tools: All sorts of tooling tools if you want to start to engrave/tool your leather. Skies the limit. Remember to case the leather before you tool for a crisper result (soak the leather in water and leave it to dry for ~20-30min). Tooling only works on veg-tan. There's a lot more than this but I'll end it there. Comment if there's any questions and/or suggestions on things to add.
Hey there! Just became a new subscriber and wanted to say thank you for the video and for sharing! I have been into the leather craft for about 2 years now and I know exactly what you’re saying in this video! I work 50+hrs a week as a project manager at a commercial glass shop, and have been trying to get more involved in the leather craft while also doing some wood working stuff and making wooden fishing lures. There is just so much to learn in leather and seems like there is never ending expensive mistakes that are inevitable without having all the knowledge needed!:/. I know I’ve learned a TON in the last two years and I am still just now coming across some tools that I am very pleased with! I hope things have continued to grow for you and that you are doing great with your craft in where you want it to be! Wish you all the best!
I plan to keep this leather craft more hobby and only sell things I make (not on a production level). If I don't feel like making anything this month, I'm not pressured to get it finished.
hey onelonelyplumber, name is rob, work construction and have been doing leather crafting on and off for about 6yrs now. i understand everything you said, so much just starting how to leathercraft, then try and make videos, etc,etc. i am 62 with a learning disability which makes learning so much harder, i make alot of the same mistakes over and over. but i have not stop yet, and like you i have learned almost everything from watching youtube. i could never learn this from a book, i also did screen printing for a year or so before leathercrafting, which i also learned from youtube. as the kids say these days i feel you, . i am working on making leather patches for caps these days and hand stitching. thanks for your video. rob
I’m a retired doctor and took up leather crafting about 2 years ago. I can identify with the learning curve, cost of investment ($$$$) and other challenges. I’ve been able to sell some of my goods and have began recouping some of that cost. Interestingly, like you I’ve found that most of my clients prefer chrome tan to veg tan. I don’t ever plan to make a living on this but, like you, do feel it would be nice to pay for my hobby/addiction. My biggest challenge has been pricing. I have clients that never flinch at my proposed price but, they buy for quality. I have others that have the “Amazon” mentality and want my products to compete in price. I’ve been able to educate a few of them and had to tell others to buy what their wallets dictate. Best of luck!
Thanks for sharing. I love the craft as well. Not to sound like a nut but I was lead to this craft after loosing my granddaughter Emma Ray. I believe god has giving me this opportunity to honor my granddaughter through this leather craft. It gives so much happiness that when I heat press or stamp her name on each piece and knowing that this will touch someones heart and will be carried by so many that supports my new found journey long after I’m gone.
Hi from Ontario Canada. First of all my condolences over the loss of your granddaughter. I raised four kids and now have six grandkids ( a ready market for my leather). I watched a few of your videos and subscribed. I think you have expressed most of the thoughts that I have been knocking around since I started leather work four years ago. I've sold a few things, primarily belts, and only looked to cover my cost plus a few bucks toward the thousand or so I've spent on tools. I retired 16 years ago after working for 40 (I'm 72). Like you, I'm hooked. I'll keep watching, keep up the good work ..... Steve
I see this is done in 2020 and this is now 2022. First I want to say I'm sorry for your loss. Your granddaughter must have been very young. My wife and I lost our grandson when he was 22y.o. and all we can do is thank God for the time we had him with us. As for the cost of Leather Crafting, I think you do know. You told us that it is highly expensive and seeing what you have invested in I see you may never recoup you investment. Like someone else below said, It's still cheaper than therapy. I'm getting back into it, but even buying basically what I need for my current project I am close to 300 bucks in expenses and I already have my leather tooling tools. I believe the only way to make money in the Leather craft business is to sell the supplies to crafters. Tandy and such have to be making a killing off of us.
I'm glad I found you. I almost feel the same way you do. I don't feel overwhelmed. Because I only started about five months ago and we had a newborn who's got some health issues. So most of my time has been spending with him. . But as I listened to you. And you telling me that you're still learning your leather & Different kinds of leather different weights what I've learnt from watching and listening reading is just to start small with basic tools. You can't go out and buy a bunch of equipment. If you don't have the basics down a little bit at least. And I don't see a problem in selling both Chrome tanned and veg tan. You're offering choices. That's not the issue. You just have to find your niche. Which is what I'm trying to look for now is my niche. Don't even know how to go about selling the items I have right now. Everything is just practice. I'm at the point where I'm going to start duplicating some of the items that have already made. Just to perfect them to come up with a much more durable. Template I don't like buying other people's templates. I'm not an artist, but I would rather make my own templates. And eventually learn how to make them from a computer program. But I wish you the best of luck I'm going to follow you for a little bit to see how you progress. Maybe I can learn something from another beginner. Good luck, brother.
Hi there, my name is Ivan and live in South Africa in the northern province called Limpopo. I wanted to thank you for this discussion. I understand your thoughts and feel the same way. Almost anything I want I have to order from overseas. I'm trying to find my feet in this craft and your candid answers resonated with me. So I hope to chat with you in the future. Best of luck.
Thanks for this honest account of the craft/business. I am unemployed and have been thinking about learning leather craft more and opening a shop to try and support myself. It's scary because I have no support system or money to lose. So this was great to listen to and you have a great perspective. *Subscribed
Hello Bro, I am a leather crafter from Morocco I started leather crafting last year during the confinement, all this year i sold 250 dollars and i am still doing what i like to do, you have the chance to find veg tanned leather here in my country its very very very difficult to find it, you can buy good accessories for your leather crafting here there is only one store that sells accessories made in china not the top of the top accessories to work with, but i try and i try and i do my best, and here people do not value handmade things but i try to make good designs to sell my products, i dont have a machine to embosse my logo over leather products because it cost a lot of money, i think you have to manage your time and to focus on a good communication by creating a good website first and link it to social medias the logo is important to its the image of the brand and another thing to be patient very patient nothing comes easily, beleive and Focus on what you like to do, i hope you the best just keep doing what you like to do
I understand this only so well, I am more a woodworker and the tools for woodworking are so expensive, I started off on a cheap basic set off leather hand tools literally cost about £50 English pounds but Iv not put enough time in to it yet
Thanks Chuck. I think of you often and I hope your wallet is working out. Your continuing support doesn’t go unseen. I really do appreciate that you are sticking around with my channel and with your encouraging comments. It truly means a lot.
Onelonelyplumber I love my wallet and the fact that it was handmade and for such a noble reason. Keep doing what you do to wherever it takes you. God bless.
Gary your doing a wonderful thing I am not into leather but enjoy this very much but still miss you doing things with your Kubota we will keep watching God Bless PaK
Peter thank you for continuing on supporting me. I can’t tell how much I appreciate you sticking around and for all the great comments. I been hoping to do a few snow removal videos but just haven’t had the snow this year. Maybe soon. Thanks
Here's the real truth for you. The leather craft community is awesome. Most everyone is super friendly and willing to share their knowledge. The problem with the leather "business" is that everyone is making leather products. Due to the internet and UA-cam especially you no longer have to devote yourself as an apprentice or have it passed onto you as a family skill. Look up handmade leather wallets on etsy and you'll probably find 5000 of them. The byproduct of the internet craftsman is now the leather craft art is watered down. Someone watches a video, they make the item, they think hey I can sell these. People wouldn't know a well made leather item if you hit them in the face with it. We also live in a throw-away-world, most people aren't interested in hanging onto something for 30 years and price usually beats out skilled craftsmanship, sad but true.
It takes time to learn leather crafting.If possible try to find a leather crafter near you and apprentice under him.Im new to it and in the same boat your in.Or maybe check out leather Masterclasses.
Dude…. For only being 7 months in, and selling what sounds to be a minimal amount of products, you’re about 10x or more better equipped with tools than I am…. You have a dedicated shop and some seriously high dollar investment type productivity based tools when you’re still trying to figure out what type of leather to use on your projects. You have a sewing macuhine. You don’t need a sewing machine. You could easily hand stitch everything you produce without negatively impacting production. Hell, there are legit established leather rafters out there who sell products in a dozen or so countries and stock remade catalog items to service incoming orders, and have sold millions of dollars worth of merchandise over the years who hand stitch everything and don’t own a sewing machine. You’ve got snap presses that cost hundreds with all the dies and supplies etc. they give you a little steel anvil plate and a setting tool for free when you buy a box of snaps…. If you’re cranking out hundreds, or even dozens of small products to fill corporate orders, then yes tools like these that can be seen as assets, are useful and worth the investment if they cut production time in order to turn profit. But if you’re using these things because it’s easier when knocking out single products now and then when there’s a cheap or even free manual alternative, you should be “paying your dues” and doing these things by hand. If you don’t have the base skills to do things by hand, you’re going to have a rough time if you’re only able to produce product if you use the fancy expensive equipment. Hell, I make a lot of the tools I use. They may not be quite as refined or perform flawlessly but they get the job done. And I know that honing my skills and reaching a level where I can make something beautiful using something ugly and homemade, I’ll always have that skill and won’t ever be reliant upon fancy shortcuts. Don’t overthink and slow down…stop getting ahead of yourself.
Found this video randomly. I'm not even into leather stuff. I think almost all of crafting/creative sectors are suffering the same problems as leather crafting. Too many players on the game field, followed with rising cost of investement (tools & materials) due the rise of "players", etc. My take is, we're in the age where mastering one trade is not enough anymore. At the very least, one have to master three different skills at the same time, if you want to survive.
If it wasn't challenging, it wouldn't be rewarding. Any craft that inspires you to strive to improve will also bring you so much positive strength that will help you with the trials that life sets us. As for moving the table, admit it - the real reason was you wanted more space to spin and zip around in your chair! ;-)
Hey brother, I just wanted to say thank you for bearing yourself to us. I have been doing leather working for a long time and I can relate (STILL) to a lot of what you said. If you were going to make this a business it would be easier but "fitting it in is hard. I dont know where in the country you live but if you could find a like minded person close to your area that you felt comfortable sharing with would make it easier in some ways but harder in others. (time, trust, and many other regards. In any case brother I will pray for you and your family. My suggestion would be to stop doing leather craft for 2 weeks. You will ether get over it and sell your stuff or you will become more focused. Keep in touch.
Hey Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated. I love this craft with all my heart. Gives me a new meaning in life after loosing my granddaughter. I’m not going anywhere love it to much. I was just venting 😁
New sub. Question. Real newbie here, and doing the research before I even dip my toes in. Any books you can recommend? Few suppliers in my area, some crafters but I do not know any of them, so its from a beginners standpoint, and I am going slow. That is unusual for me. I usually dive in head first and smash on the bottom, then give up. Don't want to do that, so reading and research is my first step. Thanks for the video.
I reckon the real truth about leather craft is that leather crafts people don't make a good living out of it,and supplement it by being a leather craft creator on UA-cam,I know if I was successful I sure would'nt need to make UA-cam videos,some of the videos I have watched are really high quality productions,how on earth do you do both,yes I get that it's a way of getting your name out there and people seeing your work, I was watching someones Channel,wont mention his name,he's a saddle maker, and how on earth do you have time to make saddles,and he wants to run classes in leather work,saddle making,painting leather sewing leather,and even a podcast channel,I mean common,you cannot be making money out of your trade as a saddle maker.
Hello Gary and Emma , I'm in need of a leather knife sheath for a fixed blade knife , is this something you do ? I've inquired on several you-tubers videos but have gotten no reply's , the sheath I want made would be like the Ontario Knife Airman survival knife sheath without the metal back plate , but still have the front pouch for a sharpening stone , also looking at the sheath the belt goes through the sheath itself , and I would like to add two loops near top and bottom so sheath cab be mounted vertical or horizontal , any ideas ? Thanks Tom
A lot of us feel overwhelmed like you and it's not easy.Do what your comfortable and happy with.Check out Stock and Barrel co.Owner : Parker does slot of UA-cam videos that help.He recently came out with a class to help people going into business.Honestly....talk to Parker.....thanks for sharing ,glad I'm not alone.
Is that headlamp an Olite? I'm asking, because it looked like you took the light out of the head gear and if there's another brand that does that (that doesn't cost $100), I'd like to look into that.
Well yes it is. I have several of them. The one in the video is the small version. They’re expensive but work great. Use the small everyday for work. I do have to carry an extra battery. Thanks for watching my friend
go to Nigel Armitage and possible he can help. he has been in the leather business 32 years go to the one on you tube on Q AND ANSWERS jusy a thought PRESTON GRIFFIN
Where do you live? I live in wauconda,ILLinois....sometimes leather companies will send you an assortment of leather to choose from.Some will charge some are free.
cuz we North American doesn't have enough resources.and its horrible experience. I bought tools from china, the quality is actually better than here. and way... cheaper. people who sell me that they even educate you with what you really need, and help you save your money.
This is the most brutally honest video I've seen in quite some time. Thanks for sharing - you're an inspiration sir!
Thanks for watching 😀
I’ve been leathercrafting for 7? years?? Maybe it’s 8 idk. I didn’t set out keeping track and I measure based upon a move to a new home lol it’s always been a hobby. I’ve had offers to buy things that I always turn down. I’ve done that with a hobby before and destroyed my love for it. I didn’t pick up a hobby for it’s satisfaction, enjoyment and challenge to press it into a side job that sucks all the enjoyment from it. That aside, yes it is horrendously expensive but I consider it immensely cheaper than therapy. I use it as my creative outlet, my therapy, stress management tool. 🤷🏼♀️ I’ve still made a crap ton of mistakes in tools, leather, builds, etc. I have stuff in there that will NEVER be used again and I have no idea why I keep it. Whatever it’s organized. 😂 I am also one who derived immense joy in giving. As such, family have been recipients of my therapy ;) they mostly have no idea how long or expensive it is to make the item they’ve received and that’s okay. Some of them buy high quality leather when purchasing for themselves, others amazon it and are clueless. Either way I don’t care. One year when out of work but with a decent leather supply, everyone got leather for Christmas. They loved it of course but the value was well above what I could have afforded to gift a retail purchased item. I’m rambling. Sorry. I really wanted to just share an insight from another crafter. I don’t have your enormous setup, my craft shares a home office with another craft and my makeup studio, that is the tiniest thing ever for all of that lol I’ve finally really upped my quality by moving to veg tanned for some things over chrome. I understood the longevity of veg but the softness of chromes were a real draw and they just don’t work the same way. At all! I’ve come to terms with the requirements of chrome finally but dang it took a long time! I also broke down and bought patterns. I was making my own but just didn’t have the understanding for the various allowances for the weights and qualities of each leather to accommodate them when creating my own nor had I dig into YT and learned the various tricks and nuances of leathering. I spent most of those years applying my decades of seamstress work to leather which you’d think would work but apparently not how I went about it, not entirely anyway lol yeah, the last 2 years is where my quality took a huge jump. Veg tans ease and forgiveness and buying my patterns. Imma stop rambling now. Hang in there. Massage the love for the craftsmanship:)
Thanks for sharing. I agree with just keeping as a hobby. I do it for whole different reason and give most of my products away to family and a few friends. We do sell some items but that’s through a referral or something. We don’t do any type of advertising.
I’m in the same boat. I have bought tools that I’ll never use and wasted a whole bunch of money on hardware and leather by mistake.
All and all I love the craft.
Thanks for watching 😀
Watch Chartermade to learn the basics. You don't need expensive tools, I bought all mine from Amazon, you just need around 10 that will do everything. I hand stitch all my projects no need for expensive sewing machine. Edge beveler #2 will do the trick. Forget about the guys with a bunch of expensive machines, never pay attention to that rather pay attention to technique. Sell everything you don't need and stick to one leather supplier. Veg-tanned is easy to work with but everything will stain it. Only buy chrome-tanned to learn the trade, it's cheap and, if you make mistakes, you won't lose much then when you perfect your own style start buying better quality leather. I started with leather scraps from Amazon. Don't be disappointed when making mistakes, that's how we all started and learned.
Thanks for the feedback and sharing 😀
Hi Gary:
Nice work and great confessional. Some folks don't share the downside.
I just stumbled on your video and wanted to commiserate with you. Ive been crafting for around 27 years, always small scale. I made a lot of errors along the way and spent money I could have saved.
I wanted to share a couple things with you that may or may not help your frustration. I don't consider myself an all knowing expert so please do have a salt shaker handy.
Size: I have always kept my operation portable. Except for my sewing machine of course,(I don't think there is a portable stitcher).
So, I have kept my tools to a minimum. Better a large space with a few useful tools, than a large space full of useless tools.
Tools: There is a lot of versatility in a well maintained well made tool. Quality punches are a God send.
Knowing how to sharpen edged tools is a must have skill.
Leather: Chrome tanned leather is cheaper because of the lesser amount of time involved tanning it. It can be just as tough as veggie tan.
Veg tan is as versatile as chrome, Its all about the tannery. Buy from the folks that do it best and there's precious few of them left in America.
Your senses: Your eyes, nose and hands are the real money savers, If you can, touch, smell and feel before you buy your hide. with your cutting tools, have a gentle touch, edgers are the worst, they fool you into cutting to much.
I reckon thats about it, you probable already know all this stuff, but I'm a busybody and I have 2 cents to share.
I’m about to start a leather business in Singapore too! I can definitely relate to the huge learning curve, thinking about what kinds of leather to get, the tools, finding your own style, not even mentioning the business end of it. But I’m 100% with you when you say you won’t give this up for anything, it’s such a fulfilling and exciting endeavour. I wish you all the best, and you’re not alone in the struggle to get all this going!
Hi Joel, thanks for sharing. It’s a rewarding craft. You’ll love it. Be careful it’s addicting haha.
Here are some beginner tips for people who's interested to start working with leather.
-Leather
All in all veg-tan is of higher quality than chrome tan but I suggest using the right leather for the right stuff, and depending on your budget, sure, there's good chrome tan, but a chrome item will never be a generational item because you can't care for that item the same way you can with a veg-tan. Veg-tan is ~2x+ more expensive compared to a comparable chrome-tan because it takes at least a month to manufacture compared to a couple of days to a week for chrome. You always want to use at least grade 2 leather, preferably grade 1 no matter what type of tannage.
When it comes to leather colors and finishes it's more or less what you like. If the finish is "aniline" it will be a superb leather because you only do aniline finishes on really good leathers. Generally the tanneries explain what their different types of leather mean so just read if the leather is semi gloss, gloss, mat etc. Printed leathers doesn't mean it's bad, it only means they've taken a roller with a pattern on it when the leather is wet and pressed it in on the skin side of the leather. Always choose full grain or top grain leather for your exteriors and/or split leather for your reinforcements. Suede, pig, sheep or a thinner bovine (cow) leather is good as a liner. You can also use fabrics as liners, just make sure it's a fabric that doesn't bleed glue when you glue it to the leather. Be mindful of mixing veg-tan and chrome-tans, it's a completely different process to work with because of the two materials different traits which often clash with each other. Never EVER use bonded leather. That's the MDF version of leather and is of extremely bad quality. Keep in mind if the item only says "genuine leather" stay away. Genuine leather only means that it comes from some part of a hide, it says nothing about the quality, and the fact that they don't say "top grain" or "full grain" for example, which are the best leathers, probably means it's a bad leather.
General thicknesses you can use for different items are as follows. (This is of course based on my opinion and experience).
Wallets: 1-1.5mm. I prefer 1.2-1.3mm because then it's thick enough to not bend in your pocket but not thick enough to become bulky. I prefer a medium temper on wallets. Part of animal should be shoulder.
Straps and/or belts: Minimum 3mm. These items take load and are prone to wear whereas you need a tougher leather. I would chose a stiff leather or medium temper. You can chose what ever part you like for straps, just keep in mind that the belly tend to be stretchy. Belts I would preferably go with butt, shoulder work fine too. The belly is not that good for belts because the belt tend to get bigger over time due to stretching.
Bags: 2-3mm. I would go with a medium temper or stiff leather for handbags and soft or medium temper on duffle bags and totes. Pullup leathers are super nice for duffle bags just as a pointer. I would go for shoulders or butts for bags because the shoulder and butt has the least scars, wrinkles etc. Just keep clear of the neck area on the shoulder because it has a lot of wrinkles and irregularities. Bellies can be used for duffle bags and totes IMO.
Briefcases: Minimum 3mm total (outer leather + lining). I would use a stiff leather for briefcases, or a thicker total thickness with a medium temper, ~4mm. Only use really nice leather from the shoulder and/or butt on briefcases, never use the belly.
Miscellaneous (key chains, mouse pads etc.): Here you can use more or less whatever you want that fits the purpose. These projects are great for the scraps you get from your bigger items.
-Tools
The only tools you really need is a good knife, a steel ruler, a cutting mat, sandpaper, glue + applicator, dyes if you want to dye your own leather, some sort of edge beveller, French or Japanese stitching/pricking irons and/or a smaller hole punch, some sort of board to use when you punch holes, needle and some waxed thread, I prefer waxed nylon thread that's 0.65-1mm thick. Optional is some sort of burnishing compound. I can't emphasize this more. Good quality tools really makes a big difference, some are more important than others and I will list which ones below.
Knives: You really only need a crafting knife/scalpel blade knife or a box cutter for cutting leather. There's some fancier knives that you could use like the traditional round knife or a pattern knife. These tend to be expensive though and takes some time to learn how to use so I would not recommend it for someone who's completely new without a mentor teaching them. The benefit with a round knife is that it's a cutting knife and a skiving knife in one. I would also recommend to get a good quality skiving knife from a reputable brand. Personally I use a Chartermade replacement blade for the Vergez Blanchard l'indispensable knife and a Japanese knife from Palosanto as a skiving knife. I also use a normal box cutter to cut out big panels because I find it easier to use for that purpose.
Steel ruler: You need a straight ruler that's flat at a minimum. I would also recommend a flat square steel ruler. ZeeBee makes great rulers for leathercraft but they're expensive.
Cutting mat: Any type of self healing cutting mat or a hard wooden surface that you don't mind getting scratched. Keep in mind that the wood surface can scuff the skin side of the leather. I use self healing cutting mats in the size A3 and A1 depending on the size of the project.
Sandpaper: To sand your glued edges flush with each other. I use the grits 120-1200.
Glue: You need some sort of contact cement/glue and maybe some white glue, though not necessary, I never use white glue. The glue I use is from a company called Renia and the glue is called Aquilim 315. It's a water based contact glue which means I can use it indoors without a problem. Get a silicone applicator/spatula and thank me later.
Dyes: Edge dyes, dyes for dyeing leather etc. Chose whatever color you like. For you Americans I would use Weavers pro dye line, everyone else I like the ROC dyes.
Edge beveller: This is the one tool you should not skimp out on. Get a good quality edge beveller. A bad edge beveller can literally destroy an entire project. You only need a size 1, it covers more or less everything. If you want to have some choices buy a size 0, 1 and 2. You don't need anything bigger than that. I personally buy all my bevellers from Palosanto.
Stitching/pricking irons: If you go with French or Japanese is a matter of taste. The benefit of having a good iron is you get a neater stitching line. IMO you only need a 1, 2 and 6 pronged iron. There's a lot of good quality irons and IMO there's not a big difference in the same price classes,. If you want a cheaper option that's really good I would recommend Wuta. The different sizes gives different stiches so it's a matter of taste. Just remember that the smaller you go the more stiches you have to do per cm/inch and you have to decrease or increase the thickness of thread depending of the size of iron in order to make it look good.
Hole punches: If you can't afford a set of stitching/pricking irons you can but a single hole punch that's 0.6-1.5mm depending on how you want the stitch to look like. Increase the thickness of thread if you use bigger holes. 1.5mm holes is good with 1mm thread.
Punching board: This can be a plastic cutting board that you use in the kitchen or the one I prefer is to take some thick leather in whatever size you want and sandwich it together to get a really thick piece of leather.
Needles: John James, don't buy anything else. Adjust the size of the needle depending on the thickness of the thread you want to use.
Thread: Ritza tiger thread is more or less the best option but I like Amy Roke's thread too. Colors doesn't matter. Thickness depends on what irons you use and the look you're going for. The thread should be waxed or you have to wax it yourself with bees wax.
Optional:
Burnishing compounds: You can make due with just water when burnishing but the best out there is IMO Tokonole. Gum-trag is good, and smells really good, but it's a lot more work to get glass edges with gum-trag compared to Tokonole. Glycerin soap is also an option, doesn't however give the same result IMO.
Marble plate: A thick piece of marble or stone plate with a polished surface to use when you skive and to have as a vice when you punch holes.
Strap cutter: Cuts strap easier than by doing it with a ruler.
Tooling tools: All sorts of tooling tools if you want to start to engrave/tool your leather. Skies the limit. Remember to case the leather before you tool for a crisper result (soak the leather in water and leave it to dry for ~20-30min). Tooling only works on veg-tan.
There's a lot more than this but I'll end it there. Comment if there's any questions and/or suggestions on things to add.
Hey there!
Just became a new subscriber and wanted to say thank you for the video and for sharing!
I have been into the leather craft for about 2 years now and I know exactly what you’re saying in this video! I work 50+hrs a week as a project manager at a commercial glass shop, and have been trying to get more involved in the leather craft while also doing some wood working stuff and making wooden fishing lures.
There is just so much to learn in leather and seems like there is never ending expensive mistakes that are inevitable without having all the knowledge needed!:/.
I know I’ve learned a TON in the last two years and I am still just now coming across some tools that I am very pleased with!
I hope things have continued to grow for you and that you are doing great with your craft in where you want it to be!
Wish you all the best!
Hey Barrett, thanks for the kind words. Made so many mistakes in this craft lol but it’s so rewarding 😀 thanks again for sharing
I plan to keep this leather craft more hobby and only sell things I make (not on a production level). If I don't feel like making anything this month, I'm not pressured to get it finished.
hey onelonelyplumber, name is rob, work construction and have been doing leather crafting on and off for about 6yrs now. i understand everything you said, so much just starting how to leathercraft, then try and make videos, etc,etc. i am 62 with a learning disability which makes learning so much harder, i make alot of the same mistakes over and over. but i have not stop yet, and like you i have learned almost everything from watching youtube. i could never learn this from a book, i also did screen printing for a year or so before leathercrafting, which i also learned from youtube. as the kids say these days i feel you, . i am working on making leather patches for caps these days and hand stitching. thanks for your video.
rob
Hey Rob, Thanks for sharing. It’s such a rewarding craft. I believe that’s what’s keep us going.
Thanks for watching my friend
Cheers
I’m a retired doctor and took up leather crafting about 2 years ago. I can identify with the learning curve, cost of investment ($$$$) and other challenges. I’ve been able to sell some of my goods and have began recouping some of that cost. Interestingly, like you I’ve found that most of my clients prefer chrome tan to veg tan. I don’t ever plan to make a living on this but, like you, do feel it would be nice to pay for my hobby/addiction. My biggest challenge has been pricing. I have clients that never flinch at my proposed price but, they buy for quality. I have others that have the “Amazon” mentality and want my products to compete in price. I’ve been able to educate a few of them and had to tell others to buy what their wallets dictate. Best of luck!
Thanks for sharing. I love the craft as well. Not to sound like a nut but I was lead to this craft after loosing my granddaughter Emma Ray. I believe god has giving me this opportunity to honor my granddaughter through this leather craft. It gives so much happiness that when I heat press or stamp her name on each piece and knowing that this will touch someones heart and will be carried by so many that supports my new found journey long after I’m gone.
Hi from Ontario Canada. First of all my condolences over the loss of your granddaughter. I raised four kids and now have six grandkids ( a ready market for my leather). I watched a few of your videos and subscribed. I think you have expressed most of the thoughts that I have been knocking around since I started leather work four years ago. I've sold a few things, primarily belts, and only looked to cover my cost plus a few bucks toward the thousand or so I've spent on tools. I retired 16 years ago after working for 40 (I'm 72). Like you, I'm hooked. I'll keep watching, keep up the good work ..... Steve
I see this is done in 2020 and this is now 2022. First I want to say I'm sorry for your loss. Your granddaughter must have been very young. My wife and I lost our grandson when he was 22y.o. and all we can do is thank God for the time we had him with us. As for the cost of Leather Crafting, I think you do know. You told us that it is highly expensive and seeing what you have invested in I see you may never recoup you investment. Like someone else below said, It's still cheaper than therapy. I'm getting back into it, but even buying basically what I need for my current project I am close to 300 bucks in expenses and I already have my leather tooling tools. I believe the only way to make money in the Leather craft business is to sell the supplies to crafters. Tandy and such have to be making a killing off of us.
I'm glad I found you. I almost feel the same way you do. I don't feel overwhelmed. Because I only started about five months ago and we had a newborn who's got some health issues. So most of my time has been spending with him. . But as I listened to you. And you telling me that you're still learning your leather & Different kinds of leather different weights what I've learnt from watching and listening reading is just to start small with basic tools. You can't go out and buy a bunch of equipment. If you don't have the basics down a little bit at least. And I don't see a problem in selling both Chrome tanned and veg tan. You're offering choices. That's not the issue. You just have to find your niche. Which is what I'm trying to look for now is my niche. Don't even know how to go about selling the items I have right now. Everything is just practice. I'm at the point where I'm going to start duplicating some of the items that have already made. Just to perfect them to come up with a much more durable. Template I don't like buying other people's templates. I'm not an artist, but I would rather make my own templates. And eventually learn how to make them from a computer program. But I wish you the best of luck I'm going to follow you for a little bit to see how you progress. Maybe I can learn something from another beginner. Good luck, brother.
Thanks watching Robert and I agree. It will take time to find our niche.
Hi there, my name is Ivan and live in South Africa in the northern province called Limpopo. I wanted to thank you for this discussion. I understand your thoughts and feel the same way. Almost anything I want I have to order from overseas. I'm trying to find my feet in this craft and your candid answers resonated with me. So I hope to chat with you in the future. Best of luck.
Hey Ivan. I'm from SA. Can I get hold of you somehow?
If it is such a hassle, than you must love it. ❤❤❤❤
Thanks for this honest account of the craft/business. I am unemployed and have been thinking about learning leather craft more and opening a shop to try and support myself. It's scary because I have no support system or money to lose. So this was great to listen to and you have a great perspective. *Subscribed
HunterOrock it’s definitely a rewarding craft. There’s a bunch out there making money at it so I wouldn’t be discouraged.
Thank for watching my friend
Hello Bro, I am a leather crafter from Morocco I started leather crafting last year during the confinement, all this year i sold 250 dollars and i am still doing what i like to do, you have the chance to find veg tanned leather here in my country its very very very difficult to find it, you can buy good accessories for your leather crafting here there is only one store that sells accessories made in china not the top of the top accessories to work with, but i try and i try and i do my best, and here people do not value handmade things but i try to make good designs to sell my products, i dont have a machine to embosse my logo over leather products because it cost a lot of money, i think you have to manage your time and to focus on a good communication by creating a good website first and link it to social medias the logo is important to its the image of the brand and another thing to be patient very patient nothing comes easily, beleive and Focus on what you like to do, i hope you the best just keep doing what you like to do
🙏🏾🔥 thank you needed to watch this
Hey Lefty, thanks for watching 😀
I understand this only so well,
I am more a woodworker and the tools for woodworking are so expensive, I started off on a cheap basic set off leather hand tools literally cost about £50 English pounds but Iv not put enough time in to it yet
Well stated, no worries.
Your products are great! Awesome job so far. Can’t wait to see you progress. Thanks for the video.
Thanks Chuck. I think of you often and I hope your wallet is working out. Your continuing support doesn’t go unseen. I really do appreciate that you are sticking around with my channel and with your encouraging comments. It truly means a lot.
Onelonelyplumber I love my wallet and the fact that it was handmade and for such a noble reason. Keep doing what you do to wherever it takes you. God bless.
Gary your doing a wonderful thing I am not into leather but enjoy this very much but still miss you doing things with your Kubota we will keep watching
God Bless
PaK
Peter thank you for continuing on supporting me. I can’t tell how much I appreciate you sticking around and for all the great comments. I been hoping to do a few snow removal videos but just haven’t had the snow this year. Maybe soon.
Thanks
Here's the real truth for you. The leather craft community is awesome. Most everyone is super friendly and willing to share their knowledge. The problem with the leather "business" is that everyone is making leather products. Due to the internet and UA-cam especially you no longer have to devote yourself as an apprentice or have it passed onto you as a family skill. Look up handmade leather wallets on etsy and you'll probably find 5000 of them. The byproduct of the internet craftsman is now the leather craft art is watered down. Someone watches a video, they make the item, they think hey I can sell these. People wouldn't know a well made leather item if you hit them in the face with it. We also live in a throw-away-world, most people aren't interested in hanging onto something for 30 years and price usually beats out skilled craftsmanship, sad but true.
I can relate on so many levels. Thanks for sharing
It’s definitely tough at times and super rewarding. Thanks for watching Glendon.
It takes time to learn leather crafting.If possible try to find a leather crafter near you and apprentice under him.Im new to it and in the same boat your in.Or maybe check out leather Masterclasses.
Leather Masterclass is excellent! I highly recommend.
Do you have any advice establishing legal protection for any liability issues-for small scale leather craft people? Thank you,
Sorry I don’t.
Dude…. For only being 7 months in, and selling what sounds to be a minimal amount of products, you’re about 10x or more better equipped with tools than I am…. You have a dedicated shop and some seriously high dollar investment type productivity based tools when you’re still trying to figure out what type of leather to use on your projects. You have a sewing macuhine. You don’t need a sewing machine. You could easily hand stitch everything you produce without negatively impacting production. Hell, there are legit established leather rafters out there who sell products in a dozen or so countries and stock remade catalog items to service incoming orders, and have sold millions of dollars worth of merchandise over the years who hand stitch everything and don’t own a sewing machine. You’ve got snap presses that cost hundreds with all the dies and supplies etc. they give you a little steel anvil plate and a setting tool for free when you buy a box of snaps…. If you’re cranking out hundreds, or even dozens of small products to fill corporate orders, then yes tools like these that can be seen as assets, are useful and worth the investment if they cut production time in order to turn profit. But if you’re using these things because it’s easier when knocking out single products now and then when there’s a cheap or even free manual alternative, you should be “paying your dues” and doing these things by hand. If you don’t have the base skills to do things by hand, you’re going to have a rough time if you’re only able to produce product if you use the fancy expensive equipment. Hell, I make a lot of the tools I use. They may not be quite as refined or perform flawlessly but they get the job done. And I know that honing my skills and reaching a level where I can make something beautiful using something ugly and homemade, I’ll always have that skill and won’t ever be reliant upon fancy shortcuts.
Don’t overthink and slow down…stop getting ahead of yourself.
Found this video randomly. I'm not even into leather stuff. I think almost all of crafting/creative sectors are suffering the same problems as leather crafting. Too many players on the game field, followed with rising cost of investement (tools & materials) due the rise of "players", etc. My take is, we're in the age where mastering one trade is not enough anymore. At the very least, one have to master three different skills at the same time, if you want to survive.
I totally agree 👍
If it wasn't challenging, it wouldn't be rewarding. Any craft that inspires you to strive to improve will also bring you so much positive strength that will help you with the trials that life sets us. As for moving the table, admit it - the real reason was you wanted more space to spin and zip around in your chair! ;-)
Andrew Burton you had me laughing. Love flying and spinning around in my chair. lol
What pegboard bins did you use on the bench behind you? I have the same bench and I am looking for some bins
aaron estevez I bought the bins and hooks at Harbor Freight
Hey brother, I just wanted to say thank you for bearing yourself to us. I have been doing leather working for a long time and I can relate (STILL) to a lot of what you said. If you were going to make this a business it would be easier but "fitting it in is hard. I dont know where in the country you live but if you could find a like minded person close to your area that you felt comfortable sharing with would make it easier in some ways but harder in others. (time, trust, and many other regards. In any case brother I will pray for you and your family. My suggestion would be to stop doing leather craft for 2 weeks. You will ether get over it and sell your stuff or you will become more focused. Keep in touch.
Hey Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated. I love this craft with all my heart. Gives me a new meaning in life after loosing my granddaughter. I’m not going anywhere love it to much. I was just venting 😁
New sub. Question. Real newbie here, and doing the research before I even dip my toes in. Any books you can recommend? Few suppliers in my area, some crafters but I do not know any of them, so its from a beginners standpoint, and I am going slow. That is unusual for me. I usually dive in head first and smash on the bottom, then give up. Don't want to do that, so reading and research is my first step. Thanks for the video.
Look into Tandy leather supply. It’s a great place to start. You might even have one locally or somewhat close. They have stores everywhere it seems.
More power to ya man
Thanks 😀
I reckon the real truth about leather craft is that leather crafts people don't make a good living out of it,and supplement it by being a leather craft creator on UA-cam,I know if I was successful I sure would'nt need to make UA-cam videos,some of the videos I have watched are really high quality productions,how on earth do you do both,yes I get that it's a way of getting your name out there and people seeing your work, I was watching someones Channel,wont mention his name,he's a saddle maker, and how on earth do you have time to make saddles,and he wants to run classes in leather work,saddle making,painting leather sewing leather,and even a podcast channel,I mean common,you cannot be making money out of your trade as a saddle maker.
Hello Gary and Emma , I'm in need of a leather knife sheath for a fixed blade knife , is this something you do ?
I've inquired on several you-tubers videos but have gotten no reply's , the sheath I want made would be like the Ontario Knife Airman survival knife sheath without the metal back plate , but still have the front pouch for a sharpening stone , also looking at the sheath the belt goes through the sheath itself , and I would like to add two loops near top and bottom so sheath cab be mounted vertical or horizontal , any ideas ?
Thanks
Tom
A lot of us feel overwhelmed like you and it's not easy.Do what your comfortable and happy with.Check out Stock and Barrel co.Owner : Parker does slot of UA-cam videos that help.He recently came out with a class to help people going into business.Honestly....talk to Parker.....thanks for sharing ,glad I'm not alone.
Jim Jenkins Hi Jim, it’s all worth it. Definitely a rewarding craft 😀
Feel the same way... but I love the craft
Is that headlamp an Olite? I'm asking, because it looked like you took the light out of the head gear and if there's another brand that does that (that doesn't cost $100), I'd like to look into that.
Well yes it is. I have several of them. The one in the video is the small version. They’re expensive but work great. Use the small everyday for work. I do have to carry an extra battery.
Thanks for watching my friend
go to Nigel Armitage and possible he can help. he has been in the leather business 32 years go to the one on you tube on Q AND ANSWERS jusy a thought PRESTON GRIFFIN
wow, thanks for sharing
Where do you live? I live in wauconda,ILLinois....sometimes leather companies will send you an assortment of leather to choose from.Some will charge some are free.
I would say fishing is a good hobby. Leathercraft is a terrible hobby 😂
I totally agree Bill
cuz we North American doesn't have enough resources.and its horrible experience. I bought tools from china, the quality is actually better than here. and way... cheaper. people who sell me that they even educate you with what you really need, and help you save your money.
U must enter Islam