Chèvre leather is one of my favorite kinds of leather because it is so easy to use, and it looks great. It is a very distinctive hide that stands out when you see it. Many high-end handbags, as well as beloved home projects, use chèvre. In a similar way to cow and horse hides, different […]
Videos: A Glimpse Into the Leather Tanning Process
Today’s post highlights the leather tanning process and sheds some light on how leather is made. In watching these videos, I really started to think more about the craftsmanship that goes not only into a finished leather piece, but also the artistry behind turning raw materials into beautiful leather hides. In the first video, you […]
Customer Creations: Projects from our Students
This week’s Customer Creations post includes an assortment of different projects from some of our regular course students. We feel lucky to be working with so many talented people! Included are some colorful card wallets, a small alligator clutch and a lovely, blue bag made during one of our bag-making classes. Angelita Fabiani Upstate Handmade […]
The Traditional French Saddle Stitch (And How to Watch Youtube Videos in Another Language)
I’ve posted a few times on saddle stitching for leather and, if you’re like me, it’s interesting to see all of the subtle variations on the technique. One leatherworking tradition can do things one way while another will do something slightly different or even the complete opposite. I love learning about the differences because it […]
Vintage Article: How to Make a Golf Bag
One of my favorite parts about working on Fine Leatherworking business is reading the stories, tips and questions that we get from our readers. Together, we have so much collective leatherworking knowledge and wisdom, and it excites me to see us all learning and developing our skills together! To start this post, I just wanted […]
Customer Creations: A Bag for Every Purpose
This week’s Customer Creations post includes a variety of bags designed with every purpose in mind. Whether it’s a bag for your everyday carry, or you’re off to the office with a stack of paperwork, or you’re packing for a long weekend or extended vacation, these bags designed and constructed by our readers will have […]
From the Streets to the Smithsonian: The Life and Work of Soumana Saley
Today’s post tells the story of Soumana Saley, a respected leather craftsmen from Niamey, Niger. His life represents a unique mix of passion and hard work that I found really inspiring, and it served as a reminder about the opportunity that we all have as leatherworkers in an ever-growing field. At the age of 11, […]
Videos: Design with Yourself in Mind
Today’s post is a pair of videos that inspired me to think more about how important it is to bring our own individual tastes, talents and gifts to our leatherworking projects. For those of us who own our own leatherworking businesses, we’ve all heard things like: “It’s important to keep the customer in mind at […]
Make Unique Leather Goods One Detail at a Time
It can seem difficult to develop your own style when you are creating your own leather goods. You look at iconic product designs both large and small and think, “I’ll never be able to come up with something that creative.” Great designs can seem like they came out of thin air, fully formed and completely […]
Customer Creations: A Collage of Colors
This week’s Customer Creations post includes an assortment of colorful pieces made by a number of truly talented artisans. Included are a gorgeous purse in mallard made from shrunken calf, a couple of high-end handbags, some lovely hard cases from an ex-Hermes craftsman and an awesome English bridle/shrunken calf dog-collar stitched with Lin Cable! Patrick […]