Inspiration

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 […]

I love Instagram. When I’m feeling stuck or uninspired in the middle of a project, scrolling through the feeds of some of the best leatherworkers in the world gives me a lot of motivation to keep going. Some people use Instagram like any other social media account, but for me, a curated feed of high-end […]

Today’s post is a video that really made me think a little more about the benefits of exploring new designs, in addition to the satisfaction that comes in working with your hands. Neil MacGregor and Valerie Michael began their leatherworking careers in the early 70’s, setting out with a clear intention to create fine leather […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]