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Leathercrafting Creations: PYC


OptimaDies

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i have actually just bought an antique one a couple of days from an older saddler. I'm waiting for it to arrive.

I need to put some leather on the top ends and add some varnish, but other than that it looks good.

My stitching horse is way too tight for many projects, which has sometimes made small indentations, if I'm not careful.

Sounds good man...! Remember to post pictures of it..!

Yeah but that's some heavy leather, wallet weight leather just gets beat up if you try to saddle stitch like that without the pre-punch. Or my awl blades just suck :/

Really..? Hmm... I use pretty lightweight stuff for my wallets cause i don't like them bulky. I don't seem the have any problems stitching like him..?

Maybe you can try stropping your awl with jeweller's rouge. Just take a strip of leather. Rough up the surface with lotsa shallow knife cuts. Then rub jeweller's rouge into the cuts and strop with that.

Or u can clamp the edge of your work piece closer to the edge of the clamp. The leather wont bend away from you as much.

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Yeah when I first saw their work popping up I was interested but man they are charging a bit much for everything.

I can kinda understand the premium for using special deerskin and old old pristine fabrics but still.

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Hi, I want to make this : http://blog.leathercraftlibrary.com/2011/03/24/new-project-carson-credit-card-case-with-charlie-davenport/

However, I'm looking at the 'required' supplies, and it seems completely overkill.

Would the following list be the bare minimum I need to make this, input appreciated!

> Stitching Awl 1-1/4" blade

> Petite Tooling Calf Leather (2-3oz),

Question here – would it be wiser to get a 4-5oz for versatility and other projects?

> Stitching Needle (10-pk)

> Overstitch Wheel Sz 6

> Waxed Thread

And for edging, would I need only a beveler? I feel like some of the options they suggest : the cutting board + glass burnisher seem way too pricy to just make a simple card holder.

Thanks for your help.

edit: Also, would I need a 'groover' as well, to establish my stitching lines?

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I get the thing about getting only the essential tools and using only very basic, however you need to understand, that it takes a lot of tools and a lot of time consuming steps to make something, that looks good.

It's that simple. Or actually complicated.

@Hollows: I get, what you are saying, however I think Barrett Alley has been around for a long time.

And pricing is totally individual. Price as you want.

@Marinebilly: VERY NICE WORK! I hope, I can rep!

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.....

what are you planning on cutting on? your kitchen table?

obviously some of it is purely common sense, if you don't feel you need to purchase a cutting board then don't. If you want to use the awl and a straight edge to score your stitching line then you wouldn't need a stitch groover. Clearly all of the tools recommended serve legitimate functions. The more tools you work with the more specific tasks you can accomplish. You might not even need an awl, you could just use a nail and a hammer?

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Yeah when I first saw their work popping up I was interested but man they are charging a bit much for everything.

I can kinda understand the premium for using special deerskin and old old pristine fabrics but still.

I can't understand it.

As someone who has looked at pricing for about every distributor and tannery in the usa, and goes through 200-300 square feet of leather a month, shit don't cost that much. Thats straight rape

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what are you planning on cutting on? your kitchen table?

obviously some of it is purely common sense, if you don't feel you need to purchase a cutting board then don't. If you want to use the awl and a straight edge to score your stitching line then you wouldn't need a stitch groover. Clearly all of the tools recommended serve legitimate functions. The more tools you work with the more specific tasks you can accomplish. You might not even need an awl, you could just use a nail and a hammer?

I already have a cutting board, knife, etc. I suppose I'm looking for extremely introductory books / sites on leather-working : I tried reading through leatherworker.net and most of the links were down.

I've looked at the Tandy Leather 'beginner' kits, and most of it seems filled with dross that I don't need to do basic leatherworking. I understand simontundeler's point that each tool does have its necessary function, but for a beginner leatherworker, it's easy to get overwhelmed over all the things needed.

I will definitely be purchasing more tools eventually, but for someone who's looking to establish mere basics, sewing and putting leather scraps together – am I barking up the wrong tree / where should I look at for introduction?

Thanks. :)

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When I first saw this on tumblr I thought that it was a Corter wallet. Turns out it's not, and it costs $460. Just let that sink in for a sec.

Devilish-Deerskin-No-4-04.jpg

I really don't mean to speak badly about those wallets, they look beautiful in photos. However, a friend of mine bought one, and I saw it after a month of use. He told me he had it a month, I thought he said a year it had aged so quickly. 6 months later it's literally falling apart including the stitching, which I've never ever seen (and I have customers still using things I've made 4 years later). The concept is great, craftsmanship is nice, however the materials need to be bulked up. The price is very high, I agree

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I can't understand it.

As someone who has looked at pricing for about every distributor and tannery in the usa, and goes through 200-300 square feet of leather a month, shit don't cost that much. Thats straight rape

You also sell independently (as do most of us). I think when you factor in your labor, then the 2.2x markup most brick and mortars want, you can understand it a bit more. Say there's $40 in material there, maybe 5 hours work. That makes an understandable $200 wallet, and when you're aiming for wholesale price you've gotta double your cost to get into shops.

That being said, I don't think it's reasonable at all after seeing how one has aged. Thing should look new or beautiful for years at that price.

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I can't understand it.

As someone who has looked at pricing for about every distributor and tannery in the usa, and goes through 200-300 square feet of leather a month, shit don't cost that much. Thats straight rape

Barret alley has been around for some time, and alll his simple designs are his original ideas. From the leather choices to the fabric inlays.

If it takes him 6 hours to make a nice clean billfold at $40 a hour ( which is what any skilled craftsmen should be getting paid) thats $240 in labor. Then tack on leather cost plus %15 percent. I thinks its quite fair.

These handmade wallets and leathergoods. It takes time, design, and craftsmanship to put together. (As we all know!)

I would not knock the guy for charging as much as he does. Somebody is buying it! And good for him!!!!!

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I agree. If he can sell them for that, that's great for him.

I guess I'm way undercharging for labor on my stuff. The good thing though is it makes the guys that don't charge that look more inviting to the buyer.

I like his website. It's very clean.

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There's certainly a measure of jealousy in my sticker shock, I don't think I could ever get that much for a similar bifold.

On the flipside, I think I would feel bad for charging that much. I wouldn't be able to afford my own product!

I know man! It takes some big ballz to charge that much! I have envy too!!!

And like you said! I couldn't afford it too!

The whole reason I got into leathercrafting, is cause I couldn't afford a flat head or kurobane, or iron heart wallet.......and now, thousands of dollars later........I am barely too that standard or craftsmanship!!! Hahah! But its been fun and a challenge trying to achieve it :)

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The reason why Barret alley can charge so much for a wallet and still get people to buy it is because of effective marketing. Its the reason why luxury brands can charge exorbitant prices for something that takes little time, money and effort to produce from a craftsman's point of view.

But that is no reason to go around accusing Barret alley for ripping their customers off. They had obviously spent vast amounts of time money and effort to build and design their website, spread their brand etc in order to achieve that level of marketing. All these costs are and should be factored into the price of the final product.

This why most craftsmen who operate on a small or individual scale will find it extremely difficult to push the prices of their products to such a high level. If you operate on such a small scale, who will do the marketing, website building, handling of the vendors etc etc? Before you know it, you will realize that you have no more time and energy left for the actual leathercrafting itself.

I don't believe in bashing people who buy such products at exorbitant prices either. Even though they pay more from their pockets, they save the time and energy spent searching for smaller lower profile workshops (which are obviously harder to find) that could have made them a similar product for a much lower price. They are also buying the prestige established by the brand after all. In a way its a matter of choice.

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I seriously don't think, anybody here should be talking negatively about another craftsman's work. At least not in public. Especially, when you have nothing bad to say about his work.

What I mean is that you can charge whatever you like for a product. You charge according to the customers, you want to attract also. If you want to sell -what is supposed to be perceived as a luxury product- then you don't price it at $10. If you set the price for your wallet at $1000, then you might not sell anything, but if you sold one to one happy customer, then I don't see the problem.

But I think, that many of you probably feel a bit insufficient, when it comes to your work. This could be because most of you are self-taught. Because you know the limitations of your current skills. Because you see all the tiny mistakes in your product. Or because you just don't realize how talented you are. Therefore you don't dare setting the price, that your product really deserves.

I know this is the case with myself.

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I'm not knocking the work, they are very nice wallets, I guess from my perspective its just different markets. As we all work more or less by word of mout, I would rather sell five wallets for 100 than one for 450. I guess you are paying for marketing either way. I understand that he is trying to appeal to people who buy 2000 dollar handbags without blinking an eye, where as most of us are trying to appeal to us. Id like to see what his sales figures are like though, as by appealing to a smaller market it may even out. It is shocking to see a simple billfold like that for that much money though. But I guess its not rape compared to louis v or coach ho sells at a similar pricepoint or higher without the level of craftsmanship.

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Hey guys,

Here is an experimentation i do with hardware. It's the beginning and still in progress but i'm so excited i can't wait to show you

For many year, i'm collecting antique railroad spike i found in an disused railroad section next to my backyard.

img0996vo.jpg

[/url]

Each spike is made of hand forged steel and has a beautiful head stamped with different numbers or letter.

img0990mx.jpg

[/url]

Idea was to make button stud from them. So,

cutting the head....

img0999o.jpg

[/url]

Drilling an hole in the head. Diameter is slightly smaller than the shaft of the cooper rivet

img1000ml.jpg

button stud ready to be settled. It just had to be hammered.

img1004qs.jpg

img1005vkx.jpg

and finally. Please note that the cooper part you see at the base of the spike head is a washer, not the head of the rivet. I tough it was useful but it didn't really match the color of the spike head so i got to found and antique steel washer.

img1009ow.jpg

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Hey guys,

Here is an experimentation i do with hardware. It's the beginning and still in progress but i'm so excited i can't wait to show you

For many year, i'm collecting antique railroad spike i found in an disused railroad section next to my backyard.

img0996vo.jpg

[/url]

Each spike is made of hand forged steel and has a beautiful head stamped with different numbers or letter.

img0990mx.jpg

[/url]

Idea was to make button stud from them. So,

cutting the head....

img0999o.jpg

[/url]

Drilling an hole in the head. Diameter is slightly smaller than the shaft of the cooper rivet

img1000ml.jpg

button stud ready to be settled. It just had to be hammered.

img1004qs.jpg

img1005vkx.jpg

and finally. Please note that the cooper part you see at the base of the spike head is a washer, not the head of the rivet. I tough it was useful but it didn't really match the color of the spike head so i got to found and antique steel washer.

img1009ow.jpg

Seriously awesome. Way to drop some next level shit!

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