Fine Leatherworking

Sometimes when making leather goods for production, I feel the crunch of deadlines and spend way too much time on a piece for what we’d like it to cost. Like any business, it can be long hours and hard on the body. There are parts of this craft, though, that can seem like a little break in the day. Waxing thread is one of those things....

Waxing Thread for Handsewing Leather | Fine Leatherworking Sometimes when making leather goods for production, I feel the crunch of deadlines and spend way too much time on a piece for what we’d like it to cost. Like any business, it can be long hours and …

We’re still working on our new course and have another brief video post this week. This time, I thought I’d share a sample ASMR style. In this short, I’m cutting the leather for the project. I use an upright knife, which we cover in Refining Your Technique. In our new course, I’ll show you additional cutting styles intended for beginners who are trying out leatherworking.

SFS: Cutting Leather | Fine Leatherworking We’re still working on our new course and have another brief video post this week. This time, I thought I’d share a sample ASMR style. In this short, I’m cutting the leather for the project. I use …

We’re busy working on shooting video for our next course. So today is a short post highlighting our studio’s splitter. A leather band knife splitter thins a piece of leather. In this case, I’m taking pieces that are ~1.8mm thick and reducing them to 1.4mm. This might not seem like a lot, but the thicknesses can add up quickly when you’re stacking pieces together, like for a wallet....

SFS: Leather Splitter | Fine Leatherworking We’re busy working on shooting video for our next course. So today is a short post highlighting our studio’s splitter. A leather band knife splitter thins a piece of leather. In this case, I’m taki…

Last week, I posted about a new zippered wallet. What I didn’t say was that it was actually a Mother’s Day gift for my wife. It was an opportunity to make a very nice gift and revisit the last wallet I made for her over 10 years ago. Although looking at old work often makes me wince, it reminds me how far I’ve come....

Lessons From an Old Wallet | Fine Leatherworking Last week, I posted about a new zippered wallet. What I didn’t say was that it was actually a Mother’s Day gift for my wife. It was an opportunity to make a very nice gift and revisit the last wall…

Last year, we launched an online course, The Zippered Wallet, which helps students tackle the challenge of making this complex project. The most challenging aspects are related to the zipper, including sizing, placement, and alignment. There are other formidable steps, such as cutting all the pieces correctly and in the right sequence, so they all fit together. We intentionally chose a simple interior design because the rest of the construction is complex....

Expanding on the Zippered Wallet | Fine Leatherworking Last year, we launched an online course, The Zippered Wallet, which helps students tackle the challenge of making this complex project. The most challenging aspects are related to the zipper, inclu…

I have several machines in my studio: three sewing machines, a skiver, a splitter, and many other smaller machines. If you’re like me, you accumulate a mixture of new and used tools and equipment. You know every moment of use of the ones you get new, but the used machines could have gone through hell and back, and you’d never know the difference....

Praise the Sewing Machine Repair Person | Fine Leatherworking I have several machines in my studio: three sewing machines, a skiver, a splitter, and many other smaller machines. If you’re like me, you accumulate a mixture of new and used tools and equipment. …

Last week, I mentioned that I bought a home sewing machine for our family. My kids expressed interest in sewing, specifically in making stuffed animals and clothes. I have several industrial sewing machines for leatherworking, but they require adjustments for sewing thinner fabrics and can be a little intimidating for children. These sewing beasts in my studio could easily blast through several layers of leather, but adjustments were needed for the lighter stuff....

Testing Leather on a Home Sewing Machine | Fine Leatherworking Last week, I mentioned that I bought a home sewing machine for our family. My kids expressed interest in sewing, specifically in making stuffed animals and clothes. I have several industrial sewing…

This mid-century modern campaign chair, also known as a safari chair, was designed by Kaare Klint, the father of modern Danish furniture design. He is considered so because he adopted and applied German Bauhaus principles to his furniture designs and architectural work. Those fundamental ideas include making furniture according to the proportions and needs of the human body and using the best materials and craftspeople available....

Restoring a Leather Campaign Chair | Fine Leatherworking This mid-century modern campaign chair, also known as a safari chair, was designed by Kaare Klint, the father of modern Danish furniture design. He is considered so because he adopted and applied G…

Back in stock: contact and rubber cement for leather.
https://www.fineleatherworking.com/adhesives/

Recently, I bought a home sewing machine to use for some fabric projects and for several other reasons, which I’ll go into in a future post. People regularly ask about using home sewing machines on leather, so it’s an area I can cover more if there’s interest. In my leatherworking studio, I have several industrial sewing machines meant for leather, and I wanted a lighter machine for sewing fabric....

Home Sewing Machine Thread vs. Leatherworking Thread | Fine Leatherworking Recently, I bought a home sewing machine to use for some fabric projects and for several other reasons, which I’ll go into in a future post.  People regularly ask about using home sewing machi…

When you try a new skill on your own, it can be difficult to troubleshoot. Edge finishing methods, for example, can be particularly nuanced. Did you apply enough pressure? Not enough pressure? Was the sanding at the right angle? There are a host of questions to ask. It can be even more complicated if you use different materials. Maybe your method is sound, but not for the leather you picked....

Material Bundles | Fine Leatherworking When you try a new skill on your own, it can be difficult to troubleshoot. Edge finishing methods, for example, can be particularly nuanced. Did you apply enough pressure? Not enough pressure? Was …

https://www.fineleatherworking.com/blog/material-bundles-for-courses/
We added a material bundle for Refining Your Technique. Now, you can build the course project using the same materials as the demonstration.