Ian. Thanks for taking the time to give us some very good information. Especially for a person like me, who is new to the art of Leather working. Much appreciated.
Ian thank you so much for your videos I am disabled and have been looking for a hobby that i can learn and make useful things with . Your videos are very detailed and comprehensive ! cheers !
Great video. My father would say"I do not have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out." We here in Southern USA, thought that it meant that you could not afford a house or a pot that the rich used instead of going out to the out house in the 16th-19th centuries. Thanks for clearing that up & the information on leather.
Interesting note. There is a guy called AvE and he does the exact opposite style of video making you do. He does the "Mr Wilson" thing where you never see his face, only his hands and the work. Both of you are very informative though.
Love all your videos man. Just getting started, and every time I have a question that I search in UA-cam, you have a video with the answer. Really appreciate it.
Thank you very, very much for this awesome, informative video. It covered just what I needed to know. It obviously took you some time and forethought to put this together. I for one, really appreciate all of your efforts. I tip my hat to you sir. I am a new subscriber to your channel. Please keep making these awesome videos.
I bought some veg tanned leather (cow hide) and it was strange as hell. The main thing is, it's very hard. What causes this? Is it like really old leather or why is it so hard? It's a side piece. Any suggestions on where to order good/decent quality leather in Europe?
Hi, what kind of leather is that has flesh side somehow perforated? Its surface reminds cardstock paper and looks like its roled by some drums and has fabric coating. Usually this type of flesh side has leather wich is 2-3mm thick and is made for cheap leather belts. Also i have seen 3 mm veg tan leather with this flesh side. I searched internet and havent found any info on this leather. Maybe you know?
Hi, I followed your channel for a white now and I was Wondering if you could help me with a few questions, i have different kinds of leather and sincerly don't know what to use the m for, i have this thick leather 3mm and this extremly soft leather Like 2mm, what are the best projects based on the leather i have?
Now, this video presentation was absolutely wonderful! I am walking away having learned many facts I was not aware of but had thought-of during my reflection time.
Full-grain leather isn't necessarily the full natural hide thickness (which in the case of a cow is up to about 1/4" [6.35 mm] thick, a thickness which is only useful for stuff like e.g., traditional leather shoe soles). If that were the case, then you'd never be able to get full-grain leather in a variety of specific thicknesses. Full-grain leather is leather that has an unaltered skin-side. It may or may not have had layers split away from the flesh-side to make it thinner. The flesh-side splits are the junk, known as "split leather", and when it is made into a product, in some countries the product can be marked as being made from "genuine leather". Then there is top-grain leather, which starts out as full-grain leather, and then the skin-side is sanded down enough to remove defects (this is usually done to full-grain leather that has too many defects to be particularly desirable in full-grain form), and then has a finish applied to make it look like leather again, just like they do with split leather. But top-grain leather is way better than split leather, because even though they both have an artificial leather-look grain added to them, the top-grain leather is still the top/skin side, so it has a lot more strength than the splits. It does lose a bit of strength due to the sanding that was done on the strongest part of the leather, but it's still pretty close in strength to full-grain leather.
Thought the video was great. I'm looking to solve a problem of constant wear and tear on the tips of my mittens, from dragging my hands while snowboarding. I was thinking if getting a 2.5mm to 2.8mm thickness but I dont want to compromise any durability. Im looking for a nice finish either. Do you have any tips on types of finishes that are dull but provide a lot of durability.
A question: after i learned so much from this video and the others, I wanna know a detail. I bought some heavy tooling leather that said veg tanned, but when I got it, accept being exactely as I expected, when I cut it I could see a yellow line in the crosssection, not grey or blue. chrome tanned? why is it not just the same color all through like your natural veg tanned leathers? please help! cheers!
Hi Ian, from your home town :) Many thanks for the run-down. I'm looking to begin as a hobbyist, and while you (rightly) didn't give any categorical answers, you gave a whole load of answers to a ton of questions I've had arise from watching others actually making projects. Absolutely great vid - thanks, fella!
Won’t go on about how fantastic and informative your videos are. But just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge with us all. Absolutely fantastic. Thanks Ian
Hi Ian, I love your videos. May I ask if the vegetable tanned leather you're using has some kind of finish on it? Or is it a full grain, a corrected grain leather, or any other type? I purchase veg tanned leather but there are so many range marks/fat wrinkles. Thanks!
Is it just me this video starts out with audio then it cuts out completely. With no sound. Is anyone else having this problem? All the other videos are working fine. Ian, your videos are awesome! But it's a bummer this one isn't working. This video is one of the Important ones for me. :(
my life Anderson I had this same issue but realized I was listening to it with one headphone in, I switched ear buds and I could hear it. His vocal track is coming out the right speaker and the initial logo sound was stereo.
Thank you for your video's I have learn a great deal.. I would however like to know if you can do a saddle stitch on a 2oz piece of leather for a hand bag.
I find that sewing chromed tanned is not very good. Is it usual to only hand sew vegetable tanned leather? What is the best way to sew chromed tanned leather?
Hi Ian! I am just at the beginning of leather crafting....and I am self-taught. I have ordered leather from A & A Crack & Sons and I was quite pleased with it. They have product suggestions for each type of leather, so I know if I buy Horween Chromexcel, for example, I can use it to wallets, bags etc. I work only with finished leather as I love the creation process rather than leather preparation. Whar do you think about buying finished leather? Some think you're not a professional if you do it...but I'm really not into tooling & dyeing. Thanks!
+Carmina Andra there's nothing wrong with using finished leather at all as long as it's good quality and suitable for your projects and you understand any limitations that it brings. I certainly wouldn't call it unprofessional and I don't know why anyone would make a sweeping statement like that. Indeed you'll often find that more experienced leather workers tend to only work with finished leathers (maybe they get to the point where they can't be arsed with dye any more I don't know). From a business point of view it makes a lot more sense so maybe that drives the decision, it can tend to make your work look a little samey though in my opinion (some people seem to use the same brown for everything for example). I don't use a lot of finished leather currently simply because I don't have space to store it. I use 3 main weights of cowhide so if I wanted to offer say 4 colours I'd immediately need to store 12 hides at once which isn't going to happen as I simply have no room. I wouldn't put too much stock in the categories on website's like Crack's, they're a good guideline but not a 'this will definitely work for this' type of thing. After all they're leather merchants rather than leather workers and won't be sat making lots of things from every leather they stock just to check it!
Hi Ian, I am from England as well.I am looking into jackets specifically - would you happen to know anything at all about that side? can you recommend resources to look into - books , sites etc
Hello, My name is Randy Kernus. I am a stroke survivor and I have a language disability. I live in Virginia. I am in 4 years post stroke. I am very interested in creating a bracelet and my thought is to understand if I can write on leather.
Herman Oak leather from the US is the best veg tanned leather you can get. It's greats for tooling and stamping. It also dyes really well, it's so good that the best finish is just using oil it takes oil very well and enriches the color.
I wouldn't say Herman Oak is the best veg tanned leather you can get at all to be honest. I've got some here as Tandy UK had it for a brief while and it's not as good quality as the European leather that I normally use. I wouldn't buy any more of it given the opportunity.
Tandy doesn't push Herman Oak due to their brand of leather. You may have gotten a dry/old piece. If I were to get some Euro veg tan leather what and where would I get it. I'd love to try it. Thanks.
you can't use it for 'anything', it's specifically unsuitable for any sheaths or holsters as the chromium will react badly with metal and spoil guns or knives. It's also no good for tooling and it often not firm enough for some projects.
My only gripe with your video is when you say full grain leather with some scars and marks is not high quality, to me it's even more beautiful you can see the life of the cow and besides full grain is going to age it get even more scars and take on more character as you use it.
I would draw attention to your comments use of the phrase "to me...". You like scars, marks and other imperfections. Most people don't. And when it comes to the marketplace of buying/selling leather, what is used as the grading system (which is what Ian is referring to when he says high/low quality) is what most people would prefer, not what you do. Also, how would you grade imperfectedness in a consistent way, or in a way that would be useful to someone trying to buy the product? Your gripe appears to me to be that the world does not revolve around your preferences, not with Ian's excellent video.
This is SO USEFUL for me. Thank you so so much for all the information. I love the detail you go to in your videos. It totally helps me, as a beginner.
Hi Ian, I make handbags (well I am learning). I have seen some high end handbags made with something called Stefano Leather, what do you know about this type of leather? Thanks!
I am 77 and never thought of leather. Just watching your videos makes me want to try.Thank You
Tony Sedona happy 80ty B'day
Tony Sedona of
Happy 81st birthday Tony Sedona!
Ian. Thanks for taking the time to give us some very good information. Especially for a person like me, who is new to the art of Leather working. Much appreciated.
Ian thank you so much for your videos I am disabled and have been looking for a hobby that i can learn and make useful things with . Your videos are very detailed and comprehensive ! cheers !
I must say. you are very easy to follow steps with. Thanks for clarifying everything so well!
Great video.
My father would say"I do not have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out."
We here in Southern USA, thought that it meant that you could not afford a house or a pot that the rich used instead of going out to the out house in the 16th-19th centuries.
Thanks for clearing that up & the information on leather.
Interesting note.
There is a guy called AvE and he does the exact opposite style of video making you do.
He does the "Mr Wilson" thing where you never see his face, only his hands and the work.
Both of you are very informative though.
+archangel20031 if I'm making things you'll just be looking at my hands.
UNCLE BUMBLEFUCK! lol
Love all your videos man. Just getting started, and every time I have a question that I search in UA-cam, you have a video with the answer. Really appreciate it.
Thank you very, very much for this awesome, informative video. It covered just what I needed to know. It obviously took you some time and forethought to put this together. I for one, really appreciate all of your efforts. I tip my hat to you sir. I am a new subscriber to your channel. Please keep making these awesome videos.
I bought some veg tanned leather (cow hide) and it was strange as hell. The main thing is, it's very hard. What causes this? Is it like really old leather or why is it so hard? It's a side piece. Any suggestions on where to order good/decent quality leather in Europe?
It sounds like rawhide.
Thanks for your effort and sharing of knowledge. (RSA)
LOLZ, we say that (pot to piss in) never knew that was the origin! BTW, thanks for all your vids, they're helping me a lot.
Hi, what kind of leather is that has flesh side somehow perforated? Its surface reminds cardstock paper and looks like its roled by some drums and has fabric coating. Usually this type of flesh side has leather wich is 2-3mm thick and is made for cheap leather belts. Also i have seen 3 mm veg tan leather with this flesh side. I searched internet and havent found any info on this leather. Maybe you know?
Hi, I followed your channel for a white now and I was Wondering if you could help me with a few questions, i have different kinds of leather and sincerly don't know what to use the m for, i have this thick leather 3mm and this extremly soft leather Like 2mm, what are the best projects based on the leather i have?
For shoe upper 1.3-1.5 mm.
For leather goods , bags 1.2-1.3mm.
For belts-2.5-3mm
For shoe sole-3 mm.
For garments, wallets- 0.6-0.8 mm
DUDE .......lol.........i like your videos ....very informative .....keep up the good work !
From where can I buy a leathers? Any recommendations website.
Now, this video presentation was absolutely wonderful! I am walking away having learned many facts I was not aware of but had thought-of during my reflection time.
Full-grain leather isn't necessarily the full natural hide thickness (which in the case of a cow is up to about 1/4" [6.35 mm] thick, a thickness which is only useful for stuff like e.g., traditional leather shoe soles). If that were the case, then you'd never be able to get full-grain leather in a variety of specific thicknesses. Full-grain leather is leather that has an unaltered skin-side. It may or may not have had layers split away from the flesh-side to make it thinner. The flesh-side splits are the junk, known as "split leather", and when it is made into a product, in some countries the product can be marked as being made from "genuine leather".
Then there is top-grain leather, which starts out as full-grain leather, and then the skin-side is sanded down enough to remove defects (this is usually done to full-grain leather that has too many defects to be particularly desirable in full-grain form), and then has a finish applied to make it look like leather again, just like they do with split leather. But top-grain leather is way better than split leather, because even though they both have an artificial leather-look grain added to them, the top-grain leather is still the top/skin side, so it has a lot more strength than the splits. It does lose a bit of strength due to the sanding that was done on the strongest part of the leather, but it's still pretty close in strength to full-grain leather.
Dude, not all americans talk like that. Thanks for the video.
Thought the video was great. I'm looking to solve a problem of constant wear and tear on the tips of my mittens, from dragging my hands while snowboarding.
I was thinking if getting a 2.5mm to 2.8mm thickness but I dont want to compromise any durability. Im looking for a nice finish either. Do you have any tips on types of finishes that are dull but provide a lot of durability.
I'd get something hard wearing and designed for outdoors like a bridle leather
Thank you for taking the time to make this very informative video.
excellent video. lots of information well explained. thanks
Thank you . This what I was looking for. Amazing video.
Brilliant Video, very informative, thanks Ian.
Weirdly, this video's audio is not in stereo--it only comes out of my right head phone
it's from the olden days.
It is nice thing to have a hifi amplifier old enough with a "Mono" switch :)
A question: after i learned so much from this video and the others, I wanna know a detail. I bought some heavy tooling leather that said veg tanned, but when I got it, accept being exactely as I expected, when I cut it I could see a yellow line in the crosssection, not grey or blue. chrome tanned? why is it not just the same color all through like your natural veg tanned leathers? please help! cheers!
I'm late to your channel, but this was an excellent tutorial on the quality of leather and what to avoid. Thanks for putting this out for us.
I learned a lot about the hole leather craft from your video, thank You for sharing your knowledge and I have enjoyed many of your videos.
Hi Ian, from your home town :) Many thanks for the run-down. I'm looking to begin as a hobbyist, and while you (rightly) didn't give any categorical answers, you gave a whole load of answers to a ton of questions I've had arise from watching others actually making projects. Absolutely great vid - thanks, fella!
Won’t go on about how fantastic and informative your videos are.
But just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge with us all.
Absolutely fantastic.
Thanks Ian
Hi Ian, I love your videos. May I ask if the vegetable tanned leather you're using has some kind of finish on it? Or is it a full grain, a corrected grain leather, or any other type? I purchase veg tanned leather but there are so many range marks/fat wrinkles. Thanks!
Is it just me this video starts out with audio then it cuts out completely. With no sound. Is anyone else having this problem? All the other videos are working fine.
Ian, your videos are awesome!
But it's a bummer this one isn't working. This video is one of the Important ones for me. :(
my life Anderson works fine, it's your computer.
my life Anderson I had this same issue but realized I was listening to it with one headphone in, I switched ear buds and I could hear it. His vocal track is coming out the right speaker and the initial logo sound was stereo.
😂😂😂 shity leather.
Just wondering what tanneries do you think makes the best leather. What is your opinion on the quality of horween leathers.
Thanks for the priceless info. I am going to replace the bellows on my forge myself. Many thanks.
If you get Tandy leather it's usually imported from Brazil. The best quality of Tandy leather is Oak Leaf.
Hi. Top grain, full grain, genuine leather, how thick is a leather anyway, to have 3 layers? That's cool.
Thank you for your video's I have learn a great deal.. I would however like to know if you can do a saddle stitch on a 2oz piece of leather for a hand bag.
Brilliant video.....what's a good thickness for an iPad sized satchel?
I find that sewing chromed tanned is not very good. Is it usual to only hand sew vegetable tanned leather? What is the best way to sew chromed tanned leather?
Thanks for the videos! Do you re-purpose old leather? Are baseball mitts and tool pouches made from veg tan leather? Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge Ian, I can go away and make some sheaths for my Japanese chisels with more confidence thanks to you..cheers buddy
What does he say in the grade leather section about Tandy's catalog? Livehook, craft hook and oak leaf? Did I hear that right?
great videos by the way!
is "settie" a british thing?
A settee is a couch or sofa.
Thanks Ian ..i'm from indonesia and your video so helpfull & valuable for leather worker :))
Hi Ian! I am just at the beginning of leather crafting....and I am self-taught. I have ordered leather from A & A Crack & Sons and I was quite pleased with it. They have product suggestions for each type of leather, so I know if I buy Horween Chromexcel, for example, I can use it to wallets, bags etc. I work only with finished leather as I love the creation process rather than leather preparation. Whar do you think about buying finished leather? Some think you're not a professional if you do it...but I'm really not into tooling & dyeing. Thanks!
+Carmina Andra there's nothing wrong with using finished leather at all as long as it's good quality and suitable for your projects and you understand any limitations that it brings. I certainly wouldn't call it unprofessional and I don't know why anyone would make a sweeping statement like that.
Indeed you'll often find that more experienced leather workers tend to only work with finished leathers (maybe they get to the point where they can't be arsed with dye any more I don't know). From a business point of view it makes a lot more sense so maybe that drives the decision, it can tend to make your work look a little samey though in my opinion (some people seem to use the same brown for everything for example).
I don't use a lot of finished leather currently simply because I don't have space to store it. I use 3 main weights of cowhide so if I wanted to offer say 4 colours I'd immediately need to store 12 hides at once which isn't going to happen as I simply have no room.
I wouldn't put too much stock in the categories on website's like Crack's, they're a good guideline but not a 'this will definitely work for this' type of thing. After all they're leather merchants rather than leather workers and won't be sat making lots of things from every leather they stock just to check it!
Great video, I'm just about to start my first bits. (I used to have that same jumper)
good vid very well explained i make custom leather products wish i had this info wheni started thanks
Best on UA-cam regarding leather work!! Thanks for all the videos and all the great help!!!! #1
Hi Ian, I am from England as well.I am looking into jackets specifically - would you happen to know anything at all about that side? can you recommend resources to look into - books , sites etc
+Maria R no, I don't do clothing!
i live in derby uk and i want to make a quiver and know where to buy a leather and where to get the material to make it i wish to stamp it
👍😉
Hello,
My name is Randy Kernus. I am a stroke survivor and I have a language disability. I live in Virginia. I am in 4 years post stroke.
I am very interested in creating a bracelet and my thought is to understand if I can write on leather.
Randy Kernus you can write on leather using a normal pen (with a finish over the top), using pyrography or you can stamp letters with an alphabet set.
I want to make a 3ds travel case. Which leather should I use?
Can you Help one thats in Germany, who looking to make a Dog Lease
"Duuude, where can i buy some leather???" Haha You get the archetype....... But seriously, where can I buy some leather... dude?
Start with Tandy leather
Hi, thanks for the video. Could you please explain how to identify 100% veg tanned leather?
+rahulankit15 this is covered in the video, if you want to be 100% sure buy new leather and buy the right leather.
What would you recomend to use for making a leather cape for a 18 inch batman statue, want the material to hang nicely.
Some black clothing weight sheepskin nappa Master Wayne.
You can use gum tragacanth to smooth down the flesh side of the leather.
Excellent, educated me top man ! Thanks.
Great video, very informative. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you.
An excellent video for anyone beginning to work with leather.
Herman Oak leather from the US is the best veg tanned leather you can get. It's greats for tooling and stamping. It also dyes really well, it's so good that the best finish is just using oil it takes oil very well and enriches the color.
I wouldn't say Herman Oak is the best veg tanned leather you can get at all to be honest. I've got some here as Tandy UK had it for a brief while and it's not as good quality as the European leather that I normally use. I wouldn't buy any more of it given the opportunity.
Tandy doesn't push Herman Oak due to their brand of leather. You may have gotten a dry/old piece. If I were to get some Euro veg tan leather what and where would I get it. I'd love to try it. Thanks.
Typical north country down to earth straight talking ,you know your stuff and it was enjoyable and informative to listen to you ,thank you.
Thank you so much for this informative video...
I^m a beginner , could you give me some tips where to order leather for a good price/ quality ?
Start with Tandy leather
Excellent advice thank you!
Love the video watched it twice to take all the info in thank you
Thank you so much for your valuable information!
Very helpful. Thanks.
Where do you good quality leather in the U.K.?
There are links on my website
Very helpful. Thank you.
Very informative video with lots of answers for those interested.
Great job Ian! I appretiate a lot your videos
Nevermind about my other comment lol
Thank you so much... good information....
do you teach or run any workshops?
and you can use chromium tanned leather for anything.
you can't use it for 'anything', it's specifically unsuitable for any sheaths or holsters as the chromium will react badly with metal and spoil guns or knives. It's also no good for tooling and it often not firm enough for some projects.
Very helpful thank you!
Duuuuuude! What's leather?
Which is, in your honest opinion, the best type of leather for women gloves ?
+marcoperiotto glove leather.
Do you know where i can find detailed informations about glove leather ?
Thank you
Thanks Ian
My only gripe with your video is when you say full grain leather with some scars and marks is not high quality, to me it's even more beautiful you can see the life of the cow and besides full grain is going to age it get even more scars and take on more character as you use it.
I would draw attention to your comments use of the phrase "to me...". You like scars, marks and other imperfections. Most people don't. And when it comes to the marketplace of buying/selling leather, what is used as the grading system (which is what Ian is referring to when he says high/low quality) is what most people would prefer, not what you do. Also, how would you grade imperfectedness in a consistent way, or in a way that would be useful to someone trying to buy the product? Your gripe appears to me to be that the world does not revolve around your preferences, not with Ian's excellent video.
This is SO USEFUL for me. Thank you so so much for all the information. I love the detail you go to in your videos. It totally helps me, as a beginner.
Very usable information ! tnx !!
Hi Ian, I make handbags (well I am learning). I have seen some high end handbags made with something called Stefano Leather, what do you know about this type of leather? Thanks!