Leatherworking

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Hey guys and gals, over the years this site has plunged me deep into the world of leather goods, to the point where it became a bit of an obsession. After awhile, I started wondering what it would be like to make my own leather jacket, but it always seemed like a bit of a pipe dream (and still does, though much less so). Anyway, when the pandemic came around, I decided that it was time to learn a new hobby. As such, I finally took up leatherworking. I'm by no means an expert (as you can plainly see), but I thought it would be fun on this third anniversary of the lockdown to share some of my completed projects with the community who first inspired me.

Many thanks to all of you. This place is an internet gem, and I hope it stays that way for many years to come.


All the best,

Max

 

[Peacoat]

Nice work.

You can occasionally list these in the Classifieds section if you wish to sell them.

 

[JB442]

Excellent work! I have wanted to get into leather working too but it can be a bit overwhelming.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Nice work.

You can occasionally list these in the Classifieds section if you wish to sell them.

Interesting. I usually just make stuff for the people in my life, but I'll keep that in mind.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Excellent work! I have wanted to get into leather working too but it can be a bit overwhelming.

I know what you mean, but I just chose a project and started from there. Then, whatever I needed for that one project, I bought. When the next project came around, most of the stuff I needed I had already purchased for the last project, etc. Before you know it, you have a bunch of tools and leather and a little bit of know-how. Anyway, good luck!

 

[Canuck Panda]

Very nice. The tooled leather belt is very special.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Very nice. The tooled leather belt is very special.

I wish I could take credit for the tooling, but the designs come already embosssed on the blanks when you order them from Springfield Leather. All I did was cut, dye, and finish them. I was going to include a link, but it looks like Springfield isn't selling them anymore (which sucks, because they had a lot of designs that have made for some pretty nice belts).

 

[Aloysius]

I know what you mean, but I just chose a project and started from there. Then, whatever I needed for that one project, I bought. When the next project came around, most of the stuff I needed I had already purchased for the last project, etc. Before you know it, you have a bunch of tools and leather and a little bit of know-how. Anyway, good luck!

Not unlike how the kitchen of a new place gets filled out.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Excellent work! I have wanted to get into leather working too but it can be a bit overwhelming.

I thought about what you said and wanted to show you an example of one of my first projects. The hardest part was waiting for the materials to arrive in the mail. Anyway, what happened is that I bought a crappy pair of sunglasses from Amazon, and along with them came an even crappier case. I hated it so much that I decided to make myself a better one out of quality leather (in this case (pun intended), I chose natural Horween Essex). Long story short, I dismantled the fake leather wrapping in one piece, took out the hard shell part that the glasses actually sit in, and then just completely copied the pattern of the fake leather wrapping. I really wish that I had taken pics of the process, but here are some of the final result.

The first pic shows the color change after one week of sun exposure in my car, and the second and third pic show patina/color change after another nine or ten months:

I by no means did an expert job, but it's still a lot better than having a cheap piece of fake leather garbage that was made God-knows-where. Plus it's just fun to see how it changes over time, especially in the Southern California sun.

 

[handymike]

Great work! If you are serious about the jacket-making process reach out to Regius. He has been making incredible ones.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Great work! If you are serious about the jacket-making process reach out to Regius. He has been making incredible ones.

Thank you! And that's a great idea. I will definitely reach out to him.

 

[JB442]

I thought about what you said and wanted to show you an example of one of my first projects. The hardest part was waiting for the materials to arrive in the mail. Anyway, what happened is that I bought a crappy pair of sunglasses from Amazon, and along with them came an even crappier case. I hated it so much that I decided to make myself a better one out of quality leather (in this case (pun intended), I chose natural Horween Essex). Long story short, I dismantled the fake leather wrapping in one piece, took out the hard shell part that the glasses actually sit in, and then just completely copied the pattern of the fake leather wrapping. I really wish that I had taken pics of the process, but here are some of the final result.

The first pic shows the color change after one week of sun exposure in my car, and the second and third pic show patina/color change after another nine or ten months:

View attachment 501424 View attachment 501425 View attachment 501426
I by no means did an expert job, but it's still a lot better than having a cheap piece of fake leather garbage that was made God-knows-where. Plus it's just fun to see how it changes over time, especially in the Southern California sun.

Thanks for showing your first project! I have a Carhartt wallet my wife got me a few years ago and it has seen better days. I have grown to really despise modern junk, and being such I really don't want to buy a cheap starter kit from Amazon that has a bunch of sub par quality tools. I would like to buy higher quality basics. The problem is I don't know enough to know what is quality, and I have no experience to know what size stitching chisels I need or if I should use a pricking iron or etc, etc. I have been trying to do research but a lot of the YouTube videos or instruction articles all have differing opinions on what's best which only adds to the confusion. Then there is patterns, what ounce leather to buy for what pieces of the wallet, what size thread to use, the spacing of stitches, and so on.

Maybe I should break down and buy a basic set before investing in higher quality tools so I know what I will need after a project or two, but I don't want to be wasteful either.

I guess that's why I say I'm overwhelmed. I'm at the paralysis by analysis stage.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

Thanks for showing your first project! I have a Carhartt wallet my wife got me a few years ago and it has seen better days. I have grown to really despise modern junk, and being such I really don't want to buy a cheap starter kit from Amazon that has a bunch of sub par quality tools. I would like to buy higher quality basics. The problem is I don't know enough to know what is quality, and I have no experience to know what size stitching chisels I need or if I should use a pricking iron or etc, etc. I have been trying to do research but a lot of the YouTube videos or instruction articles all have differing opinions on what's best which only adds to the confusion. Then there is patterns, what ounce leather to buy for what pieces of the wallet, what size thread to use, the spacing of stitches, and so on.

Maybe I should break down and buy a basic set before investing in higher quality tools so I know what I will need after a project or two, but I don't want to be wasteful either.

I guess that's why I say I'm overwhelmed. I'm at the paralysis by analysis stage.

Trust me, I get it. And I'm no expert, and opinions run rampant in the leatherworking hobby just like they do anywhere else, but here's my two cents:

Yes, you'll want pricking irons. That's what will allow you to make a stitching line that is nice and straight. The size of the pricking irons will determine the spacing of the stitches for you and take all of the thinking out of it, which in my case is nice, because I'm not very smart. I use these, and the price has literally doubled on them in less than a year, but I honestly think they're still worth it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SL9QX45/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They make a very clean-looking stitch. That said, don't be afraid to buy cheaper ones like this (same brand, so I assume the quality is similar). At the end of the day, you're just punching sharp steel through leather, so it's kind of hard for the companies that make these things to get it wrong:

https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Diam...sprefix=pricking+irons,arts-crafts,152&sr=1-5

As you can see, the tips of those second ones are shaped differently, so the end result in regards to stitch "shape" will be different. There's no right or wrong, it's all just preference. As for a hammer/maul, I use this for pretty much everything, whether it's pricking irons or tooling or whatever. There are plenty that are cheaper, and plenty that are more expensive (Barry King seems to be the brand that most people consider the best, but I'm too cheap for that). The main thing is that it's heavy and you can swing it comfortably. Some people recommend rawhide mallets for this, too, but I've never used one.

https://www.amazon.com/OWDEN-Profes...leatherwork+maul+heavy,arts-crafts,133&sr=1-3

As for the leather itself, I'm lucky enough to just by total coincidence live within walking distance of a Tandy Leather store in North Hollywood. I honestly wish I had gotten into this hobby years ago, because I feel like just the proximity to this store would have made me far more proficient by now. But it is what it is, better late than never. I buy all of my actual leather there and on the website Buckleguy.com. That website has tons of interesting leathers for sale at what seem to me to be decent enough prices. Plus, you can order them in various sizes and thicknesses. That brings me to the leather weights. Again, a lot of it is preference, but for a wallet, I'd say stick in the 4/5oz range. Here's one of many handy guides you'll find with a quick Google search:

https://www.allthewallets.com/how-to-choose-leather-thickness/

Anyway, this post is probably too long already, but like anything else, taking the first step is usually the hardest part. I say just go for it, and feel free to ask me any questions as they come along. I'm sure we'll end up learning from each other in the end.

 

[Drzdave58]

When my brother passed away a few years ago he left all his leather making tools and a good chunk of leather, so I thought I would try my hand at making a few items.

 

[Maxwell Von Chesapeake]

When my brother passed away a few years ago he left all his leather making tools and a good chunk of leather, so I thought I would try my hand at making a few items.
View attachment 502440 View attachment 502441 View attachment 502442 View attachment 502443 View attachment 502444 View attachment 502445 View attachment 502446 View attachment 502448 View attachment 502449

Whoa! Those looks awesome. I love that stitch you're using. What size thread? It looks like some seriously heavy-duty stuff.

 

[Drzdave58]

Hey thx. It’s a thick thread but I’m not sure of the size. I used glue and stitching to hold it together. Im happy with how they turned out.

 

[JB442]

Trust me, I get it. And I'm no expert, and opinions run rampant in the leatherworking hobby just like they do anywhere else, but here's my two cents:

Yes, you'll want pricking irons. That's what will allow you to make a stitching line that is nice and straight. The size of the pricking irons will determine the spacing of the stitches for you and take all of the thinking out of it, which in my case is nice, because I'm not very smart. I use these, and the price has literally doubled on them in less than a year, but I honestly think they're still worth it:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SL9QX45/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They make a very clean-looking stitch. That said, don't be afraid to buy cheaper ones like this (same brand, so I assume the quality is similar). At the end of the day, you're just punching sharp steel through leather, so it's kind of hard for the companies that make these things to get it wrong:

https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Diamond-Chisel-Polished-Stitching/dp/B01MZHB61T/ref=sr_1_5?crid=SOSTJ5JYFD6G&keywords=pricking+irons&qid=1679992424&s=arts-crafts&sprefix=pricking+irons,arts-crafts,152&sr=1-5

As you can see, the tips of those second ones are shaped differently, so the end result in regards to stitch "shape" will be different. There's no right or wrong, it's all just preference. As for a hammer/maul, I use this for pretty much everything, whether it's pricking irons or tooling or whatever. There are plenty that are cheaper, and plenty that are more expensive (Barry King seems to be the brand that most people consider the best, but I'm too cheap for that). The main thing is that it's heavy and you can swing it comfortably. Some people recommend rawhide mallets for this, too, but I've never used one.

https://www.amazon.com/OWDEN-Professional-Leather-leathercraft-Handmade/dp/B07C82DJ1Z/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1O7ETB3UG1A3V&keywords=leatherwork+maul+heavy&qid=1679992608&s=arts-crafts&sprefix=leatherwork+maul+heavy,arts-crafts,133&sr=1-3

As for the leather itself, I'm lucky enough to just by total coincidence live within walking distance of a Tandy Leather store in North Hollywood. I honestly wish I had gotten into this hobby years ago, because I feel like just the proximity to this store would have made me far more proficient by now. But it is what it is, better late than never. I buy all of my actual leather there and on the website Buckleguy.com. That website has tons of interesting leathers for sale at what seem to me to be decent enough prices. Plus, you can order them in various sizes and thicknesses. That brings me to the leather weights. Again, a lot of it is preference, but for a wallet, I'd say stick in the 4/5oz range. Here's one of many handy guides you'll find with a quick Google search:

https://www.allthewallets.com/how-to-choose-leather-thickness/

Anyway, this post is probably too long already, but like anything else, taking the first step is usually the hardest part. I say just go for it, and feel free to ask me any questions as they come along. I'm sure we'll end up learning from each other in the end.

No it's not too long. Thanks for the tips. I going to have to make a wallet and start learning.