Journeys into Leathercraft….

[MrEd]

I have been on and off trying leather work for years and years now, pretty much since about 2008/09 since I discovered my grandfather (died before I was born) was a leather worker after his WW1 Service.

These are the first two things I ever made, very crude and naive as I didn’t know then the first thing about proper saddle stitching, how to punch holes, cut squarely or finish edges! But I am quite fond of them and use them for storing leather tools to this day.



These are the most recent few items I have made in the past month, mostly in the evenings after work. The stitching is quite different now! I really like the
headspace it gives me and enjoy the process of experimenting and learning.

Here are some notebooks covers and my first go at a possibles pouch with some basket weave stamping!



A note book cover I made for my sister-in-law, and a couple valet trays, a golf ball holder and a couple of minimalist wallets for some Christmas presents.








I have also recently tried learning tooling but after being given a whole boxful of tools, and it is *hard* but again I like the process. Can’t do it in the evenings as the ‘tappety-tap-tap’ drives the rest of the family nuts!


I don’t get out as much as I used to for various reasons, but would like to post projects and items I make here in lieu
Ed

 

[Broch]

Fantastic improvement! It is a very rewarding pastime.

 

[Toddy]

That is such a clear record of how determined practice really does develop our skills

Lovely work

M

 

[Brizzlebush]

I think you've improved!
Really good to see your progression there. They're looking very professional, nice one!

 

[GeoffWood]

Nice work coming through, and everything 100% usable.

 

[MrEd]

Thanks all

Things I want to experiment with are:
- wet forming using a mould and surround (to make pouches and trays etc). My brother is making some forms for me

- clicker press cutting - I have ordered a small of dies to cut a pouch and am going to try it with my hydraulic press.

For sewing I sewed this over the last few days so I can try think a bit more about hole size vs thread size, I think I like the top two and the second down on the left. I also sewed another bit experimenting casting forwards and backwards and pulling the thread tight in different directions to see how it affected the thread layout. Casting correctly gets the thread stacked on the front and rear, which is nice

 

[HillBill]

Nicely done. I'm quite fond of the 'rustic-ness' of the first pouches you made.

 

[MrEd]

Nicely done. I'm quite fond of the 'rustic-ness' of the first pouches you made.

I also think it shows that just because it isnt ‘polished’ that it isn’t capable. These have stood up well to a decade and a half of use for various purposes.
I remember being continually deflated as I couldn’t, no matter hard I tried, get near to the PERFECT items I was seeing others made. With time that became less of an issue, as in I didn’t let it bother me I just enjoyed the craft.
I hope others thinking about leatherwork g realise even with very simple tools (a sharp knife, an awl or hole punch and a needle and thread) you can produce perfectly usable items and start a leathercraft journey.

 

[MrEd]

I have modified (not really any modification!) my heating press to use as a clicker press for accurate repeatable cutting of patterns. Ordered some cheap dies from aliexpress which came way faster than anything else I have ever ordered from there, to give it a go.
I got a small horizontal card wallet, a small vertical wallet, a larger purse type card/coin/ general purpose pouch and a smaller card/coin/general purpose pouch.

Cut out a test piece last night, not very fast but it works

DIY leather clicker with a 10 ton bearing press? Slow but cheap and effective!

 

[MrEd]

Few things cut out with it, now gluing (or about to be glued!)

2 general purpose type pocket pouches and a horizontal and a vertical card holder

 

[Keith_Beef]

I have modified (not really any modification!) my heating press to use as a clicker press for accurate repeatable cutting of patterns. Ordered some cheap dies from aliexpress which came way faster than anything else I have ever ordered from there, to give it a go.
I got a small horizontal card wallet, a small vertical wallet, a larger purse type card/coin/ general purpose pouch and a smaller card/coin/general purpose pouch.

Cut out a test piece last night, not very fast but it works

DIY leather clicker with a 10 ton bearing press? Slow but cheap and effective!

A little over a year ago I ordered a couple of leather discs that were described as replicas of those from arrow quivers find on the Mary Rose.

Each one has stitching holes around the perimeter and a number of larger holes that keep the arrows spaced nicely. This near the top end of a tapering quiver stops the fletching of each arrow from pressing against that of ours neighbours.

When they arrived I was a bit surprised, pleasantly, to notice from the finish of the holes that the thing has been laser-cut.

I did some research (for months) and kept an eye on prices (more months) and finally got myself a small LED laser cutter.

Yes, it's slow. And yes, some people don't like the smell of scorched leather (OH also hates the smell when I'm working with bone, antler or ivory). But it gives great results, burnished edges without the need for friction, and I'm not limited to the shapes of commercially available clicker dies.

 

[MrEd]

A little over a year ago I ordered a couple of leather discs that were described as replicas of those from arrow quivers find on the Mary Rose.

Each one has stitching holes around the perimeter and a number of larger holes that keep the arrows spaced nicely. This near the top end of a tapering quiver stops the fletching of each arrow from pressing against that of ours neighbours.

When they arrived I was a bit surprised, pleasantly, to notice from the finish of the holes that the thing has been laser-cut.

I did some research (for months) and kept an eye on prices (more months) and finally got myself a small LED laser cutter.

Yes, it's slow. And yes, some people don't like the smell of scorched leather (OH also hates the smell when I'm working with bone, antler or ivory). But it gives great results, burnished edges without the need for friction, and I'm not limited to the shapes of commercially available clicker dies.

What sort of sizes can you cut up to? I have come across laser cutters and have been curious about them. Could you post some photos of how the edges end up finished?
How difficult is it to ‘program’ to cut out shapes. I can use a computer fine just not sure about the complexities !

 

[MrEd]

Been practising more. Making small wallets and pouches, practising sewing, cutting, different leather types and thicknesses (spilts, top grain, full grain, pull up, veg tan, veg-re-tan and chrome), and also tweaking designs - for example I am going to omit the hollow rivets on the poppet pouches and I am going to make some changes to the vertical wallets.

Enjoying the process.