Leathercrafting Creations: PYC

[KevinG]

Couple iphone 5 cases. Tried out some spine cross stitching, yields a pretty cool unique look.

I actually just redesigned my iPhone wallet with the same stitching last week! I'm not to sure how the thread will hold up though.

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[onestar]

Agreed, we'll have to wait and see how the stitching holds up. Here is a pair I shipped today that photographed especially well. Too good not to share.

[KevinG]

Nice set!

[hollowsleather]

Here's a bit of what I've been up to lately:

[Moonshine]

Good stuff, Hollows! That black wallet is awesome! And I'm sure it will only get better with use!

[Moonshine]

Hey Guys,

Just finished a natural leather belt for a Homie in Canada! This one is going out with 2 coats of Obenaufs LP on it and boy does that stuff do wonders for natural leather! I love the color it brings out and the added protection it gives is just icing on the cake! Thanks for checking it out!

[xallanx]

hollows, the quality is superb. everything looks so even and pristine.

[JustinPHL]

hollows, the quality is superb. everything looks so even and pristine.

Agreed. Your stitching and detail is unbelievable!

[zissou]

Fantastic suspenders (and everythig else), Hollows. I have all of the pieces cut for a similar pair out of tan CXL, but I haven't quite figured out the final design. Can I ask where you get your elastic webbing from? I've only salvaged some from old suspenders.

Bang. Hit the nail on the thread head. Royalwood it is. They are very nice to deal with. The color swatch on that page you've linked to shows all the colors and thicknesses really well. I use their 4 ply and their 7 ply, although I wish they had a 5 or 6--the 4 sometimes is just a hair too thin. The spools in my photo are the 4 ply.

thread mini review: Love it. Not to waxy, threads easily, cool color selection - the aforementioned 5-6 ply size missing is my only gripe. 4-ply works great for finer work and the 7 ply is nice n meaty.

Glad to hear you like their thread. I got one of their sample cards about six months ago, and keep meaning to order several colors. The thread seems super strong, and like you said, not too waxy.

Edited October 7, 2012 by zissou

[hollowsleather]

Thanks guys. I've been scavenging the elastic from eBay, seems most traditional suppliers want you to buy massive quantities or none at all.

[JustinPHL]

So whats the deal with getting nice edges while working with Chromexcel? Is it all in the inital cuts being absolutely precise? I normally size my interior pieces a little bigger than outer and trim to fit. Veg tan is WAY more forgiving than this stuff because I can just wet sand any unevenness afterwards.

Edited October 9, 2012 by JustinPHL

[C0LE]

Hi guys, I really like this stuff, and I'd love to try it out. Sorry to ask a novice question but where should I start? I was considering purchasing one of the Tandy Leather Factory starter kits but I'm not quite sure. Any suggestions? Thanks.

[Gang Warily]

New the forum, but been crackin' at leather for about 5 years now.

This thread is amazing! To have all of you guy in one place, and see you interact....can I just say how happy that makes me feel!?!?

Thanks for the inspiration guys.

I really wish I could have found this forum years ago! There is such a wealth of information on here, wow. I've been following this thread for a month now, and my leatherwork has improved more during this time than in the past five years I've been at it.

Again, thanks folks.

I've got some heroes on here.

Edited October 15, 2012 by Gang Warily

[hollowsleather]

welcome GW

C0LE, I wouldn't really recommend getting a kit, as it's likely to have a bunch of tools you won't use in addition to the ones you will use.

Try starting off with an awl, thread, needles, a good knife, cutting surface, and some scrap. Make a few things and let those projects inform your next tool purchases.

[lazybum]

Been into necklace making recently. Here's one with a pewter feather pendant.

This one is inspired by God Gundam

Edited October 15, 2012 by lazybum

[zissou]

Anyone know where I might be able to pick up some nicer 4/5oz horsehide (preferably FQHH) without having to buy larger quantities?

[zissou]

How fortuitous. I just met a neighbor who makes his living restoring books in his home workshop just a block from my house. He said that his leather wholesaler can get virtually any leather and will sell in small quantities.

[simontuntelder]

Sounds like a great source. Just make sure, that the leather has the right firmness...

A tannery that I buy from told me, that they rarely make horsehides, but if they do, they usually turn it into furniture leathers and often tumble it, so it gets really soft and flexible.

[Moonshine]

Hey Guys,

Here's my latest project - a Field Notes cover that I made for my B-I-L for his birthday. He's a cop so this should get some use! Nothing fantastic as far as design, but I did use blue thread in honor of his profession. A nice, healthy coat of Obenauf's LP was applied as well to get him started off right! Hopefully my before/after pics are helpful to those of you who want to see the effects of LP on new natural, raw leather. As always, thanks for looking!

[onestar]

The Park Sloper II, a design tweak to The Original Park Sloper micro wallet/notebook/pen. Vertical card slots and an open billfold-like top make accessing your stuff much easier.

Stay crafty my friends.

[KevinG]

Just did up this card wallet out of some "Crazy Horse" leather with a natural interior. I'm going to make the leap in the world of Etsy very soon so I'm trying to get a few staples going. Yes, I'll have better pics for my shop.

[Moonshine]

Nice stamp, One Star!

Good stuff, KG!

[JustinPHL]

Natural Iphone slip case aged about a month. Weird stain right in the middle lol.

[sean_afk]

So whats the deal with getting nice edges while working with Chromexcel? Is it all in the inital cuts being absolutely precise? I normally size my interior pieces a little bigger than outer and trim to fit. Veg tan is WAY more forgiving than this stuff because I can just wet sand any unevenness afterwards.

edit:This is true for Chromexcel but also other difficult leathers (like calf) as well.

Not enough consistent pressure on the straight edge your cutting against is usually what makes for uneven cuts, especially at the beginning and end of the cut. You can see little 'wings' if you aren't holding down the leather.

Really holding the tool 90 degrees is obviously also key but I'll do two passes to cut rather than exert more pressure on the tool because when your hand is really tense, dexterity goes out the window (try holding a pen as hard as you can and writing something).

Other than that, super sharp tools and sanding. Hope this helps.

Edited October 23, 2012 by sean_afk

[basset]

Have been following this thread for a while, really amazed at the quality of work on here.

A small flap wallet I made recently.

[JAW]

Havent posted in a while, been up to some walletry. First two are cxl outside, dyed veg tan insides. Third is shell.

Also, been making some nifty little pen pouches lately:

Edited October 25, 2012 by JAW

[JustinPHL]

Saturday morning card wallet.

[Moonshine]

Saturday morning card wallet.

Nice burnishing, J!

[Moonshine]

Hey Guys,

Here is a watch strap I made for a friend. It’s made from the same hide that a friend gave me from his gator kill back in the summer. This one turned out great and my friend is very pleased with the end result, which is all I could ask for! The only thing that was tough/hard with this build was the thread – it’s not the usual diameter that I use, so I had to double it so the stitching would look right. Hand stitching with 2 times the usual amount of thread was a pain!

[Moonshine]

Hey Guys,

Here is my latest Field Notes cover. This one is constructed with dyed 4-5 oz. veg tan leather with 4-5 oz. veg tan horse hide pockets. The black stitching is hard to see, but it creates a subtle look that’s very “Darthâ€!