You are most welcome! Generally chrome tanned leather is only edge painted or the edges are turned (folded over). The edge painting steps for both vegetable tanned leather and chrome tanned leather are the same and the steps in this video can be followed.
Yes there is a hidden stitch method you can use to craft wallets and other projects. It involves slicing the leather in half a bit beyond the stitching line, stitching, and then gluing down the sliced open section to hide the stitching. This is similar to how stitching can be hidden on the sole of a leather shoe.
Although my support here is not a pile of money, please keep it up on your contents. It helps me and the others a lot. The designs in my heads can now be expressed into a real prototype!
I really like your videos and your metod of work designs and patterns. I have learnt a lot from you. I wonder if you can render your designs using any software program
Thanks! Some types of software would not be as suitable for complex projects like bags but most will be fine for small items like wallets. I always use CAD software like as NanoCAD and AutoCAD as I am familiar with them and they are quite powerful.
I'm repairing a bag and search this video, my problem is leathee edge i wanted to coat is so fluff. The more I sand the more fluffy it gets. Do you any soilution for that?
Exactly the lesson I was looking for, actually. I haven't done any leather work in years, but, since we have the internet now, I decided to learn how to do things the "right way." So, after I saw a video of some guy hand stitching at incredible speed, I thought I would give that way a try. My hands went into cramps by the fifth stitch. The result was terrible, but I did remember having the same problem before. The first inch and a half of stitch was nice, then it lost all consistency on both sides. My old method, I was punching all of my holes against a board with an awl and then struggling to get the needle through and cutting my thread. The new method involved holding the awl in one hand and punching each hole as I went without any glue. Now that I've seen your video, I remember why I was doing it the way that I was. Most of my work in three layers of 8lb veg tanned. Although it might be possible to get oil tanned bridal leather to stop stretching as you stitch, veg tanned isn't going to do that. Fortunately, I decided to make sheaths for my tools as my first new project. So, as the cramps in my hands go away, I might get more consistent before I go back to my old habits. This will give me a nice way of looking at the difference as well as he durability. The "traditional" harness stitch" method might get the job done a lot faster, but, I think I'm going to switch to a round awl. (For one, not cutting the leather with a diamond, allows a few drops of water and small wooden mallet to close the holes to a perfect fit. Veg tanned can be brilliant in that way.)
great video, no frills, easy to understand, step by step manufacturing. by the way, I took a lot of useful and new things for myself. Like and inspiration to the author 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👌🏻
When drafting the pattern for curved edges, especially at the gussets of the bag you designed in this video, how would you calculate the amount of leather you’ll need? Is it good enough to round off the dimensions to the nearest decimal point or is there something I’m missing? I usually design my patterns with Illustrator
You will need to use the length of the gusset at the stitching line not its perimeter. Then match this length to the body of the project. With this method you will have an accurate matching lengths. Nearest decimal point is more than accurate enough when designing with leather.
It is easy to see if you have the full skin in front of you but might be more difficult if it is already part of a product. For the exotic hides with scales you should be able to see the 3D shape of each individual scale around their edges. Printed scales look flat under close inspection and it will be clear that the scale pattern is simply pressed into originally flat leather.
Thanks. The one I am using at the moment is a modified generic soldering iron. I use it with a good FN2 tip that I got separately which is connected using a short M5 thread bar. It does the job so I have not felt the need to upgrade to a proper edge creaser yet. I recommend it if you are looking for a budget option.
I so appreciate this...just one quick question, would stitching be any different, if we use reverse pricking iron on the other side so the slanted piercing on both sides of the leather be fully aligned, or it doesn't matter when the slanted pricks cross each other like what you showed? I have both obverse and reverse pricking irons...
Using reverse irons for the back piece would certainly make the holes look a bit nicer. When stitching you should use the first method similar to if you punched through the leather only from the front side. However, this method would add a lot of time compared to the just punching through the glued pieces from the front side and the asthetic benefits on the back side may only barely be noticeable.
There are often more kinds of leather in shoes than in bags or small goods, but several of the kinds you show often come from different parts of the same kind of tanned hide. For example, midsoles and heel lifts often come from the same hides. Stiffeners may also come from the bellies or other thinner parts of those same hides, or from upper leather hides. Makers will also choose which parts of hides from which to cut different upper pieces very carefully, considering not just thickness and blemishes but also grain direction and orientation of the pieces, so they stretch in the right directions. With such large pieces to cut, and two at a time, using whole hides becomes more important, even when using precut components like the "bottom stuff" you demonstrated.
Great info! But being new, I have punturer the thread and didn't know until pulling the threads. Now what to do! This part of correction step is missing, for us idiots who are new.
It is possible to thread the needle back through the punctured area but this can still leave the thread looking damaged. The best way is to incorporate into your stitching sequence, to pull the first thread in the same direction and same time you are passing the second needle through the hole. In this way it is not possible to puncture the thread.
Hi, would like to ask, im planning on customing an exotic bifold wallet, but my options are either getting ostrich leg leather bi fold or lizard leather bi fold. Would like to ask for ur opinion. 1. Which will last longer? 2. Which is more durable? 3. Which need to be less taken care off? Thank you, you make awesome videos🙏🏻
