Basic leather work kit

[stooboy]

Inspired by all the recent leatherwork posts im intrested in setting up a little kit.

from the leprovo howto section it recomends

http://www.leprevo.co.uk/sew.htm

A basic kit would be an awl blade 2” (T11), a sewing awl handle (T10), a packet of needles no 2 or 3 (T26), a reel of 18/3 linen thread (TR14), a block of beeswax (C10). To this could be added an overstitch wheel 6 to 1”(T47) and then a pricking iron 1” 6 to 1” (T134).

Would this be sufficient ? ive got an old leather hand bag i want to play around with to get me started, and is usually leather in the charity shops.

 

[Kerne]

Equally inspired by what I'd seen on this site, I bought:

Awl
harness needles
edge beveller
a revolving punch
a stitch groover
stitching wheel with chageable wheels (5, 6 and 7)
Linen Thread (brown)
Beeswax
Dark Brown dye
Carnuba cream

I use an old marking knife as a skiver and I also made myself a clamp from an old beech drawer. Most other stuff you might need to get started you've probably got - pliers, scissors etc. I also bought a load of bulldog clips and some impact adhesive to glue stuff together prior to sewing.

Probably a bit over the top but I'm a bit of a tool junkie.

 

[rancid badger]

Inspired by all the recent leatherwork posts im intrested in setting up a little kit.

from the leprovo howto section it recomends

http://www.leprevo.co.uk/sew.htm


Would this be sufficient ? ive got an old leather hand bag i want to play around with to get me started, and is usually leather in the charity shops.

I wouldn't bother with the pricking iron, unless you want to get a bit more serious, then it can save a lot of time and effort ( I still don't have one :11doh: )
Get the 6 - 1 overstitch wheel and get at least 2 awl blades, you will almost certainly snap one.

Other suggestions if your looking at soft leatherwork, would be a pack of glovers needles and maybe an adjustable stitch groover, ( particularly for thick leather work like belts and boxy pouches etc)

cheers
R.B.

 

[rancid badger]

Equally inspired by what I'd seen on this site, I bought:

Awl
harness needles
edge beveller
a revolving punch
a stitch groover
stitching wheel with chageable wheels (5, 6 and 7)
Linen Thread (brown)
Beeswax
Dark Brown dye
Carnuba cream

I use an old marking knife as a skiver and I also made myself a clamp from an old beech drawer. Most other stuff you might need to get started you've probably got - pliers, scissors etc. I also bought a load of bulldog clips and some impact adhesive to glue stuff together prior to sewing.

Probably a bit over the top but I'm a bit of a tool junkie.

Blimey! I havent got much more than this lot, myself!
The job is a lot easier with the right gear but often it's trial and error and you can end up with tools you don't use, I know I did!

That said; none of the above is surplus, in fact it's a really good list
cheers
R.B.

 

[Kerne]

Blimey! I havent got much more than this lot, myself

The problem with leatherwork tools is that none of them are, individually, very expensive - but they add up...

To cut the leather I either use a stanley knife (about £5 with umpteen blades) or a CO2 laser cutter - (about £15,000). I reckon you should go for the stanley knife!

 

[Wayland]

I do 95% of my leatherwork with a scalpel, an awl, harness needles, linen thread and a ball of wax.

Just about every other tool I ever bought was a luxury and can be dispensed with when traveling light.

If I really had to have something else, it would be blunt fid but that's about all you need really.

 

[ASLAN]

Having similarly got interested in leatherwork recently it was thanks to this forum that I discovered Le Prevo for supplies. I was even more delighted to discover that they are located in Newcastle and about 15 minutes from my work! What's not obvious from their web site is that their workshop is open to customers wanting to buy supplies. Open weekdays 9.30 - 5.30. An Aladins Cave of resources.

 

[stooboy]

Having similarly got interested in leatherwork recently it was thanks to this forum that I discovered Le Prevo for supplies. I was even more delighted to discover that they are located in Newcastle and about 15 minutes from my work! What's not obvious from their web site is that their workshop is open to customers wanting to buy supplies. Open weekdays 9.30 - 5.30. An Aladins Cave of resources.

pitty their website is one of theeee worst ive ever had to use in my life, almost not worth the bother, started placing the order earlier on but got fed up to-ing and frowing to the order form so will do it later when im more in a faffing about mood.

stoo

 

[verloc]

pitty their website is one of theeee worst ive ever had to use in my life, almost not worth the bother, started placing the order earlier on but got fed up to-ing and frowing to the order form so will do it later when im more in a faffing about mood.

stoo

Come on Stoo - get them ordered - I have a sheath to try and make

 

[Barney]

Stooboy,
I found myself in a similar predicament. The most pain free way I found was to download and print the postal order form, write all me bits and bobs in the right format and layout and then fill in the online version. However, I am sorry to say the faffing about unfortunately does not end there.

 

[Kerne]

I've bought stuff from Bowstock as well - good for tools and belt straps but not the range of stuff that Le Prevo stock.

http://www.bowstock.co.uk/

They do, however, let you pay online.

 

[stooboy]

I've bought stuff from Bowstock as well - good for tools and belt straps but not the range of stuff that Le Prevo stock.

http://www.bowstock.co.uk/

They do, however, let you pay online.

Cheers ill keep them in mind for the future, put in an order to leprovo today though.

Stoo.

 

[Shewie]

Have you discovered the Craft / Leathercraft section on ebay yet Stoo ?

There`s some good bargains to be had if you look hard enough, especially off cuts and hides for a few pounds.

Just started having a play myself so I`m looking forward to seeing your efforts aswell mate.

 

[stooboy]

Have you discovered the Craft / Leathercraft section on ebay yet Stoo ?

There`s some good bargains to be had if you look hard enough, especially off cuts and hides for a few pounds.

Just started having a play myself so I`m looking forward to seeing your efforts aswell mate.

No not looked on ebay for that yet.

I left work early today and had a look in the charity shops, was a few leather hand bags to be had for new lease of life. Didnt take one to the counter yet though feels a bit odd giving a hand bag a good once over and then "teetering" over to the counter to purchase

ive got a brown hand bag from my mum to butcher up/experiment with first.

Stoo.

 

[Kerne]

You can also get decent belt buckles, sometimes, from charity shops. I got a couple of brass ones for £1 a couple of months back. All I had to do was cut them off the completely naff belts they were attached to.

 

[stooboy]

How do I insert my awl blade into my sewing awl handle without damaging the tip ?

 

[Wayland]

I normally clamp it in a vice with the tail sticking out and then hammer the handle onto the tail.

 

[Barney]

clamp the blade between two pennies in a vice, just a bit so the taper bites the copper as you drive on the handle, copper doesn't harm the blade edge.

 

[stooboy]

thanks, ill take it into work tomorrow and sort it

 

[Mesquite]

clamp the blade between two pennies in a vice, just a bit so the taper bites the copper as you drive on the handle, copper doesn't harm the blade edge.

On that note make sure you use the full copper pennies.... not a couple of copper plated steel cored ones. Can't remember the date they became steel cored but a magnet will soon sort the 2 kinds out