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Anyone do leather craft?

2,107 Views | 14 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by chris1515
chris1515
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AG
Does anyone on here do leather craft/carving?

I recently decided that might be fun to play around with. And after watching hours of videos on youtube, I ordered a starter kit and some scrap leather from Tandy and have played around with that for a couple of hours. I thought by now I'd be nearing expert level...I mean the guys online make it look so damn easy...can't be that hard right?

Just thought I'd ask on here and see if anyone was involved in that.

I stumbled across some videos by an Aggie, Don Gonzales...that guy is greatness.
TwoMarksHand
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AG
I was in your exact shoes 4 years ago and never pulled the trigger. I got bit by the bug and watch just about every vid on YouTube.

Hope you get good at it.
jtp01
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AG
I suggest going to an area I town where homes are being built and ask a builder for a sink cutout for a base to work on.

They are really flat, solid and smooth so you won't mark up both sides.

My boys got me a starter set for Father's Day a few years ago. It can get into your blood and you are constantly seeing new tools you'd like to try. Can be fairly therapeutic. I'm not as proficient as I would like, but like anything, the more you practice, the better the results.
rfvgy12
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I do leather work.
Every project try a new aspect of the craft.
Basic projects to improve dyeing, finishing, edge work.

I do mostly basic stamping Tooling and shading is hard. You do need a good piece of granite.
GottaRide
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It takes a lot of patience. My dad was very good. He fully tooled two of my saddles and made several fully tooled gunbelt/holster combinations for me. I really tried as a kid to learn but I just didn't have the patience.

He didn't free hand much. He had pattern books and I remember him using wax paper to trace from the book and then onto the leather.
Aggieangler93
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That's a really nice rig! Such an awesome thing to be given by Dad.
Class of '93 - proud Dad of a '22 grad and a '26 student!
marcel ledbetter
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I once had the pleasure of of knowing a retired custom trophy/parade saddle maker give me some leather working lessons. I can make wallets, checkbook covers, belts that hold up well. Mrs. Ledbetter needed a holster for a pistol I bought her so I made one. It turned out nice for something I made in a time crunch. I think I'm going to make a couple more holsters and at least one IWB type holster. It's a fun hobby and the stitching/riveting part of leather work has taught me how to repair a lot of outdoor gear.
GottaRide
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Thanks. Yes, I treasure them. They are kept in my safe. There are so many things that I miss about him. He had so many talents and a brilliant mind. He could build anything but never spent money if extra sweat would get it done. I'm sure most of you think the same of your fathers. It was a different generation. I know that I don't measure up to him. I never will be able to.
chris1515
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rfvgy12 said:

I do leather work.
Every project try a new aspect of the craft.
Basic projects to improve dyeing, finishing, edge work.

I do mostly basic stamping Tooling and shading is hard. You do need a good piece of granite.


I'd like to hear more about how you got started and what lessons you learned the "hard way"...
rfvgy12
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I have been doing it for about a year. I wanted a leather satchel style leather bag. I could not find what I wanted and the pricing was $800 to $1200. No bueno for the old lady.

I watched a lot of YouTube and started with some wallets. I learned to design and work out the details on paper.
The real difference in my first crap wallet and better versions is in edge finishing. All first projects were stitching,dyeing and edge prep.

Saddle stitching is all about repeatability. If the first needle in is your left hand it always needs to be left hand first
Dyeing keep all your scrap and try different types of dye (water versus oil). I am now mixing my own shades. Mainly water based. Every piece of leather reacts differently.

Edge prep all done by hand. I use gum tragacanth. Over cut stacked pieces trim down and embrace sand paper to get all edges even.

Buy your first tools in a starter kit. Then add on.
I like 4-5 oz leathering thickness and line with pigskin when needed.

Always dye leather before you assemble. ANY glue on the leather ruins the dyeing process.

Do small projects and ignore your family when they say "dad will make it out of leather" in a smart ass way.


GottaRide
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A couple more pictures. This is a rig that he made for himself a year or so before he died. It has a straight drop holster and a crossdraw holster. We both liked the oak leaf pattern.


I never could figure out how to do this stitch:



For those of you that are able to do this stuff, your kids will likely appreciate it long after you are gone.
Serious Lee
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i have a leather jacket with a broken zipper. its the very bottom piece of the track (part that slides into the zipper) that is broken but was told i need to have the an entirely new track stitched on. is that something that can be replaced, or would it just be more practical to replace the jacket (was ~ $400)
Aggieangler93
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I think replacing a zipper should be about $25 bucks at most tailors....I could be off my $20, but even so, if you like the jacket that seems like a way to keep it in play.
Class of '93 - proud Dad of a '22 grad and a '26 student!
CE Lounge Lizzard
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I was hoping that GottaRide was gonna post in this thread and I was not disappointed. Nice stuff.
BigCountryAg
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jtp01 said:

(I suggest going to an area I town where homes are being built and ask a builder for a sink cutout for a base to work on.

They are really flat, solid and smooth so you won't mark up both sides.

My boys got me a starter set for Father's Day a few years ago. It can get into your blood and you are constantly seeing new tools you'd like to try. Can be fairly therapeutic. I'm not as proficient as I would like, but like anything, the more you practice, the better the results. )


My sons and I do leatherwork and also highly recommend getting a good working block. It will make your leather stamping much cleaner.

My recommendation for a working block is to go to a monument maker's shop (ie. gravemarker/headstone). They routinely have 3"-4" thick cast-off blocks that were broken during production that would be just fine size for leather stamping. You can use a wheel grinder with a diamond wheel to knock off any sharp edges and cut to the size you need in just a few minutes. We picked ours up from a scrap pile for free.

We much prefer the 3-4" thick blocks to tool on vs. a 1.5"-2" granite counter top thickness. Deaden's the blow much better and plus we've broken quite a few of the thinner blocks.

Don Gonzales and Bruce Cheney are saddle-makers and great teachers when it comes to leatherwork. They have a lot of great videos on youtube.

Learn to punch and hand-stitch so that you'll fully appreciate a stitching machine as you progress. Lol, we have a Cobra machine that makes stitching belts and stuff a breeze. Cowboy stitching machines are great too. Life-changing.

Enjoy the craft...it will get it's hooks in you.


"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day...DON'T teach a man to fish, and you feed yourself. He's a grown man...and fishing's not that hard" - Ron Swanson
chris1515
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What type of stuff do you make?

Are there any other pieces of equipment that were "game changers" for you?
Swivel knife, maul/hammer?

Did you ever just buy a large hide (or a half...I forget the exact term), and practice carving on that, or did you just dive in to making things?
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