I have been thinking about making a chair with a leather seat and back for many years and was again spured into action by reading Otis Ingram’s book ‘Leatherworks’ which feature a similar chair and a stool/bench. I say similar is as much as both his and mine use dowel as the main woodwork component … Read more
I first got interested in the Japanese style leatherworkers knife after I caught something on YouTube showing the Olfa BTC-1 tool being used as a leatherworkers knife. It is available online but in the UK it is sold as a paint scraper (getting paint off windows) so I purchased mine from the Deluxe Trade Centre … Read more
Inspired but the book ‘Leatherworkes’ by Otis Ingrams I set too and made a waste basket which has a 300mm diameter x 30mm Ash disc as its base with the total bin height of 380mm. Playing with the concept led me to downsizing the concept to the much smaller pen pot and then catch … Read more
For a long long time I used standard side cutters/wire cutters to cut copper saddlers rivets to the correct length, with some difficulty! What a revelation to find that the correct tool to use is End Nippers from Maun Industries which cut through them like a hot knife through butter – highly recommended. You can … Read more
Little did I appreciate when Carolyn sent me the above picture of a book she had acquired what a whopper it was until she brought it over for me to have a look at. The pages are on a thick cartridge paper with the biggest being some 4ft long as you can see in the … Read more
Last week when I heard the thump on the mat below my letterbox and realised that the second issue of a specialist leatherwork magazine had arrived I was delighted to look forward to a treat. ‘Waxing the Thread’ is a courageous dream realised for Gaynor Howell of GDH leatherwork who has, like many of us, … Read more
Generally I have been applying glue using cotton buds and throwing them straight in the bin which, as we all know is a terrible waste. As an alternative I have just discovered how good silicone is for applying latex glue to anything, including leather. You can apply the wet glue and just wipe the brush … Read more
So my motorbike mad student Karen wants to make bags to hang on the side of petrol tanks which would be somewhat weather resistant. I started off thinking of using plastic food containers as the inner waterproof box but plastic didn’t quite have the right feel for a biker or many people who dislike plastic … Read more
A recent client wanted an anniversary gift for her husband who is a notebook and pen aficionado. The brief was a sturdy pen case for three pens plus a pocket and a no frill journal cover with a business card pocket.
A friend got in touch to explain that he had hunted high and low to find a belt to match his sandy coloured suede shoes and could I oblige. I used virtually matching chap suede from Le Prevo along with one of their raised keep buckles and hand stitched the whole thing with tiger thread. … Read more