When I first started Fine Leatherworking, one of my motivations was to connect more with other leatherworkers. I had a lot detailed knowledge about how to do hand-stitching with linen thread and make fine leather edges with the help of an electric creaser, but I also knew I could expand my knowledge by continually learning. […]
Video: A History of Tools for the Trade
Today’s post is an educational video sent to us by one of our community members that highlights a little piece of leatherworking history. Specifically, it goes into some detail about the tools and techniques that have traditionally been used in making a dog collar. Many of these techniques will be familiar to you. Many of […]
Working Out Design Kinks By Prototyping Your Leather Project
In our last post, I talked a little bit about how creating a prototype for your next leatherworking project can save you time and lend more confidence to the final design. Having a vague notion of how you will build something before actually building it is an easy way to make time-consuming and expensive mistakes […]
Save Time By Prototyping Your Leather Project
I often get reader questions about getting stuck in the middle of project. Something like, ‘I created an edge by gluing these three layers together and now it looks too thick.’ Or ‘I’m almost done with my bag but I’m not sure how to install the feet.’ I also have gotten to this point many […]
What Makes a Good Apron for Leatherworking?
In one of our recent live courses, a participant asked me what apron I used for leatherworking. I use the same apron that I’ve had for years, which was a gift from my wood-carving teacher in Japan. It’s a simple kitchen apron and I really hadn’t given much thought to it. I work in a […]
Video: In Search of Original Craftsmanship
Today’s post is a video from MyVan’s new “Original Craftsmen” series, which follows one man’s travels around the world in search of true craftsmanship and the artisans behind it. This first episode in the series highlights leather craftsman Garvan De Bruir and his approach to a handmade messenger bag. While many readers will be familiar […]
Customer Creations: Clutches and Card Wallets
This week’s Customer Creations post includes an assortment of well-executed clutch bags and card wallets. Included are a women’s card wallet with creative dyeing, a few examples of some fine hand-carving, and a really elegant, high-end card wallet made from our Chevre Chagrin. Candace Sabers Rena Ragimova Mahesh Chauhan Phillip Price Weston Wiggins
Pinterest Highlights: Variations on Just One Type of Leather Bag Handle
There is an endless range of styles in leatherworking. It is especially apparent when you look for just one component of a bag and see how many ways it is varied. This week’s Pinterest highlights post isolates one type of leather bag handle and even more specifically the way it attached to the bag in […]
Recycling + Creativity = Vuitton Vader
I have a bin of leather scraps, odds and ends that I never know what to do with and loathe to simply throwaway. My hoader tendency made me particularly impressed by what artist Gabriel Dishaw was doing with old LV bags. I really like his ingenious use of materials and combination of patterns he is […]
An International Influence On A Shoemaker’s Craft
I recently came across an article on a Tokyo shoemaker, Yohei Fukuda, who creates some of the nicest men’s shoes I’ve seen. What struck me about his story was how Yohei created a style that is a mixture of his own roots as well as the source of his training in England. I love that […]