scooby074
Well-known member
Wondering if anyone does leatherworking? I just picked up a basic belt building kit from a local leather supply to try my hand at it. What have you done? Looking for project ideas as well
Anyone do Leatherworking?
- Thread starter scooby074
- Start date
Wouldn't say I do leather work but I've picked up several mostly antique leather tools and have made a lot of repairs mostly belts, bags, pouches etc. I mostly use one stitch not sure what it's called but I'd describe it as a figure 8 where you come into same hole from both sides this requires a needle on each end of the thread. Works really well. I've made a couple of sheaths and a pouch for a Leatherman tool that I wore daily for a few years but unfortunately lost the tool. I picked up a bag full of leather scraps from a hobby shop years ago and have used that for most projects that needed some leather. It was pretty inexpensive. Everyone should have some leather working tools IMO. Good skill to learn good luck!
You could look at Diresta's site for some ideas. Ask This Old House was there recently and made a tote (starts at 10:00)
www.weaverleathersupply.com
www.pbs.org
Jimmy DiResta Leather Projects - Weaver Leather Supply
Check out these cool leather projects from Jimmy DiResta.
www.weaverleathersupply.com
Ask This Old House | E12 | Hot Water, DiResta Leather Tote | Ask This Old House | Season 22 | Episode 12 | PBS
Richard troubleshoots a shower with no hot water; Jimmy DiResta makes a leather tote bag.
www.pbs.org
Nick Rivers
Well-known member
I ride motorcycles. I wear leather jackets, leather belts, leather gloves, a leather neck warmer and leather boots.
Plus I have leather saddle bags and a few leather knife sheaths.
Leather work is a maintenance and repair thing. My better half often needs leather purse/strap repairs.
We had a Tandy Leather place near us for years, so I have most of the tools I need to fix and build stuff.
What is nice is most of the simple leather sewing and snap tools also work on tactical and non-tactical nylon gear including web belts, straps, pouches, vests, combat boots, Velcro items, harnesses, holsters, Kydex sheaths, and tactical key clips.
Plus I have leather saddle bags and a few leather knife sheaths.
Leather work is a maintenance and repair thing. My better half often needs leather purse/strap repairs.
We had a Tandy Leather place near us for years, so I have most of the tools I need to fix and build stuff.
What is nice is most of the simple leather sewing and snap tools also work on tactical and non-tactical nylon gear including web belts, straps, pouches, vests, combat boots, Velcro items, harnesses, holsters, Kydex sheaths, and tactical key clips.
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
My first trade was sheetmetal. With that experience, I thought I could do the leather upholstery for my 84 year old Ford. I bought a JUKI sewing machine and got at it. I am very pleased with the finished project.
I was quoted $32,000 for the upholstery. My DIY project, materials and the JUKI sewing machine topped out at around $7000. This included the German square weave wool carpet and Mercedes style headliner material. The headliner was a tough bit of work,
I was quoted $32,000 for the upholstery. My DIY project, materials and the JUKI sewing machine topped out at around $7000. This included the German square weave wool carpet and Mercedes style headliner material. The headliner was a tough bit of work,
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BigMike782
Well-known member
I guess I'm lucky, I have a phenomenal leather guy near me so I don't need to learn another skill and buy more tools I would rarely use.
isb cornbinder
Well-known member
Maybe if you had the tools, you might like the leather experience. It is a very profitable trade.
The tools are not expensive. I paid $500 for a perfectly running JUKI sewing machine. You will need a straight edge and a variety of OLFA cutters. I bought 100 0f those paper clips at Staples. The clips were 15 cents each in bulk bags.
One of the minor challenges is to change the muscle memory in your hands. Don't pull your hands out of your pockets, empty. Grab some thing to pay a few starter tools.
Careful withat hole in the bottom of your pocket. You may grab something else.
A little imagination and curiosity will take you a long way toward success.
The beautiful lady who started PHOENIX POWDER COATINGS changed from a successful career in a white collar job to the business she has now. She is easy on the eyes, also,
Phoenix Specialty Coatings ~ Exceptional Custom Powder Coating
Metal Finisher and Industry Pioneer of Multi-Color Powder Coating. Custom one-offs, Mopar parts restorations, custom metal art, all makes and metals welcome (no used aluminum rims please). Est. 2007
phoenixspecialtycoatings.com
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Nortonscustom
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2008
- Messages
- 375
Being left handed I always had a hard time finding a CCW holster I liked. So started making my own. It's fun.
Yes I just looked it up. Saddle stitch.
Maybe if you had the tools, you might like the leather experience. It is a very profitable trade.
The tools are not expensive. I paid $500 for a perfectly running JUKI sewing machine. You will need a straight edge and a variety of OLFA cutters. I bought 100 0f those paper clips at Staples. The clips were 15 cents each in bulk bags.
One of the minor challenges is to change the muscle memory in your hands. Don't pull your hands out of your pockets, empty. Grab some thing to pay a few starter tools.
Careful withat hole in the bottom of your pocket. You may grab something else.
A little imagination and curiosity will take you a long way toward success.
The beautiful lady who started PHOENIX POWDER COATINGS changed from a successful career in a white collar job to the business she has now. She is easy on the eyes, also,
Phoenix Specialty Coatings ~ Exceptional Custom Powder Coating
Metal Finisher and Industry Pioneer of Multi-Color Powder Coating. Custom one-offs, Mopar parts restorations, custom metal art, all makes and metals welcome (no used aluminum rims please). Est. 2007
You do know she's an active member here, right??
ObnoxiousFumes
Well-known member
I used to do quite a bit, but I kinda quit over 10 years ago so I don’t have pics on this phone. I got to work with an old cowboy saddlemaker when I was 14, helped him build a saddle and he let me do a bit of tooling on it too. That dude was cool, used to work for Douglas Lake Cattle Co. and was cowboss on the Gang Ranch for a time too.
Then I got a job and kinda forgot about it but I still have all the tools. I should really take it up again.
Belts, wallets, knife sheaths, all great items to start with. I liked looking through old Tandy Leather catalogues for ideas.
Then I got a job and kinda forgot about it but I still have all the tools. I should really take it up again.
Belts, wallets, knife sheaths, all great items to start with. I liked looking through old Tandy Leather catalogues for ideas.
Douglas Lake Cattle Co. , Gang Ranch, woohoo does that strike a cord.
16 yrs old hitchin across Canada and got picked up by a cowpoke near Merrit somewhere. This guy had a thick leather face but with lots of whiskers pokin out and lots of dirt and oh yeah, only one arm. He picked up another hitcher and said he'd get us jobs on the Gang Ranch so when we got to Merrit we went into a bar where we sat with beers at the table (drinkin age was 21), while he went to call the cowboss for the jobs. After 10 minutes we go lookin and his car's gone with both our packs in it. Cops caught him halfway to Kamloops (40 mi or so away).
Sorry, the only thing relating to leather here was his face but the one take away I remember so well was the windy road in to Merrit along the banks of the Coldwater River and how the full moon looked like it was sitting right on top the mountains on the opposite bank when he told us "legend has it if you sleep on the banks of the Coldwater River with a squaw on the night of a full moon, you'll never leave Merrit".
Now, late in life that memory of the full moon lighting the Coldwater and that legend has made that whole experience so rich and worthwhile.
and oh yeah, I too have been stalking up on leather and tooling with the intention of making some things. Here are some tools I made:
Skivers & Moon Knives
16 yrs old hitchin across Canada and got picked up by a cowpoke near Merrit somewhere. This guy had a thick leather face but with lots of whiskers pokin out and lots of dirt and oh yeah, only one arm. He picked up another hitcher and said he'd get us jobs on the Gang Ranch so when we got to Merrit we went into a bar where we sat with beers at the table (drinkin age was 21), while he went to call the cowboss for the jobs. After 10 minutes we go lookin and his car's gone with both our packs in it. Cops caught him halfway to Kamloops (40 mi or so away).
Sorry, the only thing relating to leather here was his face but the one take away I remember so well was the windy road in to Merrit along the banks of the Coldwater River and how the full moon looked like it was sitting right on top the mountains on the opposite bank when he told us "legend has it if you sleep on the banks of the Coldwater River with a squaw on the night of a full moon, you'll never leave Merrit".
Now, late in life that memory of the full moon lighting the Coldwater and that legend has made that whole experience so rich and worthwhile.
and oh yeah, I too have been stalking up on leather and tooling with the intention of making some things. Here are some tools I made:
Skivers & Moon Knives
Keyblazer
Well-known member
Show us your sewing projects!
With all the recent mentions of sewing and GJ'ers making things with sewing machines, a couple great guys twisted my arm into starting a sewing projects thread. If anyone has any hand sewn or machine sewn projects or questions, please post up! To kick it off, I will post a pic of some seat...
www.garagejournal.com
johnethan372023
New member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2025
- Messages
- 1
That’s awesome I’m the same way with leather gear jackets, gloves, boots, saddle bags plus I mix in a denim motorcycle vest and do little repairs myself too.
rkevins
Well-known member
I have made a couple of phone pouches, key chain few other things. check out Weaver on youtube, Chuck Dorset is great many step by step videos. also Joe Meling.