Waxing Thread for Handsewing Leather
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...
View ArticleSFS: Cutting Leather
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...
View ArticleSFS: Leather Splitter
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...
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Lessons From an Old Wallet
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...
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Expanding on the Zippered Wallet
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,...
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Praise the Sewing Machine Repair Person
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...
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Testing Leather on a Home Sewing Machine
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...
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Restoring a Leather Campaign Chair
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...
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Home Sewing Machine Thread vs. Leatherworking Thread
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...
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Material Bundles
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...
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Adding Even More Detail
When I started production for our second online course last year, I had no idea how detailed it would become. Our first collaboration with Hajime Niwa yielded a remarkable online course, Refining Your...
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Reinforcements for Leathercrafting
In my last posts, I shared some tips and tricks for working with zippers. Reinforcements are another challenge that many leatherworkers find confusing. When do you use them, what thickness do you use,...
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More How-To’s for Leathercraft Zippers
Last week, I went over some tips for improving how you install zippers. They can be challenging to work with, especially when trying to get them right. Most customers, especially older ones, will say...
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Tips for Zippers in Leatherworking
Last week, I posted about the idea of (tsudzukete) “keep going.” When sharpening knives for leatherworking, a common mistake is to stop too early, resulting in your knife never getting sharp enough....
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Keep Going
I’m in the process of updating our online course, “Refining Your Technique.” At Fine Leatherworking, we adhere to the practice of continuous improvement. For example, I update the content to...
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SFS: Making Sewing Awls
We are busily preparing for the in-person courses Refining Your Technique and the Zippered Wallet next week. Part of that preparation is making more tools. I started making tools a while back using my...
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Moving Beyond the Basics
Last week, in my post on Getting Lost in Translation, I wrote about how you can use leatherworking to unplug and practice being present. When you can focus, you’ll notice more nuance in your practice....
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Getting Lost in Translation
Recently, I was traveling in Japan and struggling with the language. I lived in Japan for two years and have visited numerous times. Sadly, I don’t practice Japanese very much day-to-day, so my first...
View ArticleThe Small Details: Threading Your Needles for Sewing Leather
Threading your needles for hand-sewing leather is a simple technique that shows how paying attention to the details pays off. Properly set needles make it easier to sew and help you speed through your...
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SFS: Making +100 Watch Straps
I did a production run of over a hundred leather watch straps a while back. I made many of the same items, but not this many all at once. Before, I’d stretch it out over a few weeks. The experience...
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