An Odyssey of Patience

Below is a blog post written by Neil Ghosh of Whiskey Straps. Neil is one of the many great people I've met through the leather craft subreddit. If you haven't been over there yet, seriously go check it out. The community is extremely helpful and supportive. One of the things that I really appreciate about Neil is how thoughtful he is. It comes through in the way he treats people on reddit. It showed during our conversations planning this post. And it definitely shows in his work. Neil's not even a year into leatherworking and I think the extreme thoughtfulness he gives his work is what makes it stand out even early on. Check out what he has to say:

One of the most important activities in a person’s life is creating something.

Not everyone considers themselves a “creative” per se, but as children, we all played pretend and built legos, and used our imaginations to create new worlds and characters. Creating something novel is a deeply intrinsically fulfilling process. 

For many years music was my creative outlet, but in the recent years I have been steeped in the responsibilities of adulthood and have not had performing to give me that outlet so I needed a new craft to devote myself to learning.

I discovered leather as a medium about a year ago. Leather is a very unique medium of expression since there are so many facets and qualities to it; the smell, the feel and temper, the depth of color and pullup, the story of both the animal’s life and scars, marks, and imperfections, as well as the story of the item’s owner and the contributions and creases of use and wear. No other type of item in a person’s life has this same type of emotional connection and storytelling ability – one does not grow attached to a pair of socks or a hat the way they become deeply fond of a handmade wallet or a great pair of leather boots. 

But despite the fulfillment one gets from creating things using this once-living medium, there are early frustrations that can easily derail the passion from really developing. When I first started working with leather, I was, as most are, somewhat averse to the cost of materials and tools. “After all”, I reasoned, “how much difference can a rotary cutter make vs a utility knife? Why would I pay $30 for a Bob Douglas awl blade when Tandy has them for $5? Why in the world are head knives so expensive?” The truth is, the “buy nice or buy twice” rule isn’t the easiest to follow when “buying nice” can mean a several hundred dollar difference in start-up costs. 

My first set of tools purchased:

Neil's First Project

Neil's First Project

  • A Stanley Utility knife
  • An exacto knife
  • A pair of kitchen scissors
  • A couple harness needles
  • A spool of Speedy Stitcher waxed thread 
  • A round scratch awl
  • A Tandy thonging chisel set
  • A bottle of black edge-kote
  • Some chrome-tanned garment leather scraps

I’m cringing just making this list. 

My first project was a watch strap. As you can see, my lines were far from straight since they were cut with scissors, the edges could not be finished as they were chrome-tanned and too soft to bevel or burnish. Stitching was minimal, and I had no idea what a saddle-stitch was. In addition, the thread I was using was intended for use with a stitching awl, which I did not have, and the thonging chisel I was using was meant for lacing edges, not saddle-stitching. 

It helps to know what your target items are early on, spending time learning what the different types of leather are, and what type of aesthetic you want to go for can really help choosing the right tools the first time. There are already good resources on the basic tools to buy and what types of leather to use for a given project, but what then? Let’s assume you have purchased the correct basic set of tools – what next?

More Recent Work.

More Recent Work.

I have always been a big believer in the idea that inexperience is a poor excuse for bad quality. I really believe in learning something right the first time, and cutting down that learning curve. My thought process was, if I start with the best materials, then that variable is taken out of the equation and I only need to focus on technique.  So I bought some Horween Chromexcel scraps and Ritza tiger thread, both considered premium materials and commonly used for handmade items. At that point I was able to more specifically focus on my shortcomings or the shortcomings of specific tools, rather than worry that maybe the material was the problem (like it was with the chrome-tanned pieces). 

I gradually solved one issue at a time – cutting straight lines, marking stitch lines, stitching straight lines, making sure my backside stitching was lining up, getting edges nicely sanded and rounded, trying various burnishing methods and finishers – until finally my end product was really starting to improve. Today I feel confident enough in my technique that I could employ it even on lower quality materials and get satisfactory results. 

Here is one of my more recent projects: a combination journal and address book. On this project you can see that my preferred aesthetic is a clean, luxury look. I don’t personally do a lot of tooling, though I am dabbling in dyes next to create some custom colors. My stitching is probably where I feel my technique is strongest, getting consistent slanted saddle-stitch both front and back. My edges are improving but I do feel I have just about hit the wall on natural finished edges; I will likely start playing around with edge paints to really achieve the polished edge look I am going for. 

The bottom line is this: good things take time and practice. But practice alone does not make perfect - it makes permanent. To really improve you have to look at the flaws in each project and think about how to improve upon it for next time. By taking this critical thinking approach, you can ensure that your money is spent on the right tools, and your time is spent working on the right techniques to keep your projects moving forward and your sense of accomplishment high. Also, don’t be afraid to work outside your comfort zone, you may be surprised what type of projects you are able to create if you take your time and plan, and give it a solid shot. 

“I have always been a big believer in the idea that inexperience is a poor excuse for bad quality.”
— Neil Ghosh of Whiskey Straps

It's Justin again. I want to bring attention to this quote from Neil that I really sums up why this article is so great. In it, he highlights two of the most important things to learning leather working quickly and learning it well: challenge and review. A lot of big projects seem scary, but the best way to learn is by just trying to make them. If you have something you've been dreaming of making, go make it. But don't go into it haphazardly. Like Neil suggests, really put thought into how you make it and do your research. Don't dream big only with the overall project, but dream big with the excellence of your details. If you do this, you too can have achieve this kind of quality of work.

If you haven't already, you absolutely need to check out more of Neil's great work at his website: http://www.whiskeystraps.com

Thanks for reading guys, and if you would like to write a guest post, or have your work featured don't be afraid to ask. Just contact me.

Cutting Corners

This title is literal.

Corners are some of the most difficult cuts you’ll make in leatherworking, both rounded and sharp. One problem that I had early on is that I would cut my corners at the same speed and with the same presence of mind that I gave my straight cuts. The bad part is, I needed to be giving my straight cuts more than I was giving them... so you can imagine how bad my corners looked. I’ve since slowed down, and have really given some thought to how I’m making my cuts. Hopefully checking out a few of the methods and tricks people use to cut corners, will help you make that transition from rushing to giving all your details attention.

 

Method One: Cutting a Sharp Corner

This is the easiest corner to cut. And you could just use a ruler and make the cut with a rotary cutter. Your corner will look good doing this, but you’ll inevitably cut past where the corner ends and into the rest of your leather. When you’re using inexpensive leathers this may not seem like a big deal, but it’s better to learn how to do this prior to switching to more expensive leathers than while you’re making the transition. To make sure your cut ends right at the corner, set the point of your blade (either head/round knife or x-acto knife) in the corner. Then, lay your ruler along one of the lines and make your cut. Once you’ve completed that cut, go back and again set the point of your blade on the corner. Now set down your ruler along the other line and make that cut.

First mark out your corner (click to enlarge).

Set the point of your blade in the corner (click to enlarge).

Line up your ruler and make the cut (click to enlarge).

 

Method Two: Washer CorneRS

Washers are cheap, available in many sizes, and are (obviously) round. All this makes them great guides for cutting rounded corners. My one suggestion for this is not to use an expensive knife while doing it, and instead use something disposable, like an x-acto, to make the cut. This way you avoid nicking and damaging good knives. To do this, I usually cut out the piece of leather using the previous method, leaving the corner sharp. Then, I set the wash in the corner. If you notice in the picture, I leave a very small space between the edge and the washer to leave room for the blade. From my experience, if you put the washer right on the edge, the cut will look a little jagged where the curve meets the straight line. Once you’ve set the washer in the correct spot, press down and make your cut, pulling into the washer to keep the blade from drifting. I really love the results I get using this method. As you can see from the picture, the curve turns out very smooth.

I usually cut out a piece with a 90 degree corner. Then I place the washer. Notice the small gap (click to enlarge).

Press down and make the cut (click to enlarge).

This is the result (click to enlarge).

 

Method Three: Free Hand

This is, with out a doubt, the hardest way to do it, but it’s not a bad skill to develop. To do this, place your left hand (assuming your cutting with the right) inside the curve. Place your blade at the end of the curve closest to you. Then, while slowly pushing your blade forward, rotate your left hand to slowly move the leather. The trick is making sure both motions are smooth and uninterrupted. It’s definitely hard to do and I’m still on the early stages of learning this one.

Mark out your curve (click to enlarge).

Slowly push the blade forward while rotating the leather with your left hand (click to enlarge).

Not the best corner, but it's getting there (click to enlarge).

Method Four: Curve by 1000 Cuts

The last, and most popular way is to take a blade (usually I see rotary cutters, and I do think they work best for this method) and make many straight cuts along the curve. The trick to this is to make sure not to cut too much at once. It’s a lot of little straight cuts that will make a curve, not three or four. Make sure to keep your blade perpendicular to the leather, otherwise you may accidentally tilt the blade inward while making the cuts. This is a really easy mistake to make. When this happens, the top side of the leather will look good, but because you cut at an angle, the bottom will not be the same shape. If you make this mistake, you can always go back with the rotary cutter and clean it up by repeating this method.

Cut out the piece of leather and leave the corner on (click to enlarge).

Then make cuts along the curve like the ones marked here (click to enlarge).

This is how the edges turned out. A little jagged, but round. Sanding will smooth this out (click to enlarge)

Here are the three methods side by side. The left is the multiple cuts, the middle is free hand, and the right was made using the washer. For me, the washer edge turned out the best (click to enlarge).

Don’t Forget to Sand

All edges should be sanded anyway during the burnishing process, but it helps to sand right after cutting a curve. This way, when you go to glue to pieces of together, the edges will be similar and only need a little more sanding. I sand curves by pulling 150 grit sandpaper around the curve in one direction only. With a grit that low, it doesn’t take long get them smoothed out.

Slowing down and really giving attention to every detail is what makes a project great. So here’s to developing skills and thoughtfulness at the most basic levels of leatherworking.

And as always if you have another method, or questions for me, please contact me. I’ve had some great conversations with people who have reached out so far!

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Making Your Stitching Holes Perfect

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I’ve mentioned this before, but using diamond chisels will make a huge difference in your stitching early on.

They create consistent, accurate, and evenly spaced/sized holes. When learning, this is great because it puts all the attention on your stitching, not the holes. If you’re not happy with your how your stitching looks after using a chisel, you know it has something to do with the way you’re stitching and you can focus in on that. When trying both at the same time, it’s hard to know what is at fault because there are too many variables.

And even though diamond chisels make such great stitching lines, there are still are few circumstances where it is easy to mess them up. Unfortunately, with the great accuracy chisels offer, when you make these mistakes they stick out pretty noticeably, so here are a few tips to make sure your entire stitching line looks perfect.

I'll use this piece of scrap leather, that I've already created a stitching channel on, to help explain these three problems.

The most common places you will run into a problem is when starting your stitching line, creating holes approaching a sharp corner, and creating holes when going around a curve.

 

How to Start your Stitching Line

Generally, knowing where to start your stitching line is pretty simple. In some projects however, you want the stitching to go over the edge to prevent two pieces of leather from coming apart at a seam. Sometimes you can start the stitch too far away from the edge or too close, creating an uniform look when compared to the rest of the stitching. To fix this problem, you need to find where to place the first hole. To do this, set the diamond chisel in the channel you’ve already created with your groover, leaving the last tooth on the chisel just over the edge. Notice where the second tooth rests in the channel, now move the first tooth to this point. You've found your starting point.
 

Place the first tooth over the edge to find out where to start your stitching holes. (click to enlarge)

Move the first tooth over to where the second tooth was. This is where you want to start. (click to enlarge)

How to Create Stitching Holes Approaching a Sharp Corner

You always want the the stitching hole to rest in the corner of a 90 degree turn. If you do not do this, your thread will not follow the shape of your edges. But sometimes, when approaching a corner you realize that the natural spacing of your chisel is not going to create a hole that sits in that corner. So you have to adjust the spacing while still making it look natural. To do this, punch within three or four holes of the corner and then punch a hole at the corner. Using chisels with different amount of teeth, find out how many holes is too many. Then using a chisel with only one tooth, evenly space out the number of holes that is one less than what you decided was too many (i.e. if four was too many, create three holes) between the last hole you made and the hole at the corner.

Stop creating stitching holes before you reach the corner. Then put a hole in the corner. (click to enlarge)

Determine how many holes is too many by using chisels with different amounts of teeth. In this case 3 is too many. (click to enlarge)

Place the appropriate amount of holes in the space you've left (one less than what you decided was too many). I only created 2 in this case. (click to enlarge)

How to Create Stitching Holes Around a Curve

Punch holes along your stitching line until your chisel no longer rest within the stitching groove as you approach the curve. At this point, switch to a chisel with only two teeth. Setting one tooth in the last stitching hole you made, place the stitching groove as it follows the curve of the edge. Instead of using a hammer to create a hole at this point, press down to leave only an impression. Continue this process until you’ve go all the way around the edge. Then go back and create the hole using a chisel with only one tooth, keeping the top and the bottom of the diamond shape in line with the edges of the groove.

Stop creating stitching holes before you hit the curve. (click to enlarge)

Use a chisel with two teeth to mark out the distance between holes without actually creating them. (click to enlarge)

Come back with a one tooth chisel to make the holes making sure the top and bottom of the diamond match the edges of the stitching channel. (click to enlarge)

Most of these holes have not been punched through to their entirety. The three highlighted holes have been, and the difference is noticeable. (click to enlarge)

An Extra Tip for Perfecting Your Stitching Line

Sometimes I notice that the front of my stitching looks angled, just like it should be, but the back side looks flat, like a machine stitch. And if I'm going to spend all that time hand stitching, I want people to know. One cause of this can be the way that you are using your chisel. Often times I will fail to punch my chisel far enough through the leather. If you take a look at your chisel you can see where the blade of the chisel gradually turns into the diamond shape. It is not until that diamond shape is past the other side of the leather that the hole has been properly created. If you don’t push the chisel far enough through, the holes will look more like slits and less like diamonds. You can see the difference in the picture.

 

Working around curves, approaching a corner well, punching your chisel all the way through the leather, and starting your stitching lines right, should all go a long way in improving the overall look of your stitching lines. As always, I’m still learning and I know there are many other tips out there for making your stitching even better. If you have your own tip and want to help everyone who is part of this community get better, I invite you to put it in the comments below. I’d really love to hear from you. 

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A Basic Guide to Burnishing

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There are literally hundreds of ways to clean up the edges of your leatherworking projects. And most established leatherworkers have their own unique way to do their edges. Some spend a really long time getting a nice glossy and smooth finish, others prefer a more matte look that usually comes with using some sort of heating and edge paint, while others just keep them the way they are for a rugged look (I generally steer people away from unfinished edges, while some like the look, those edges will quickly fray). To find what you like, I really encourage you to do some google/instagram searching on different leatherworkers' shops and find a product you like. A lot of leatherworkers have posted guides on how they do their edges, and if they haven’t, most are easily accessible. The leatherworking community is a extremely helpful and generally willing to offer advice to others learning the skill, so don’t be afraid to reach out. You wouldn’t believe the countless people I’ve asked for help, and the immense help I’ve gotten while learning.

Even though everyone has their own flavor, below is a basic guide to burnishing edges.  A lot of people will add to this process and some do less than it, but doing this when your starting will keep your edges looking great and ensure you’ll be developing the skills you need to have when making your own edge formula.

Step 1: Cut Correctly

When you don’t make good, clean, and well measured cuts, your pieces won’t line up when you go to glue them together. This is common sense, but when just starting, there is a big temptation to rush it because 'cutting things out should be easy' and you’re eager to see the finished project. I get it, I’ve been there. But slow down, endure the frustration that sometimes accompanies learning something new and make good cuts. This is going to save you a lot of time and frustration later. Here’s a post that has some good tips for getting clean cuts.

Step 2: Glue

This is another thing that seems simple because you’ve been doing it since the first grade. And don’t worry, it's as simple as it seems. There are few things to be mindful of when you’re glueing though. One is to glue all the way to the edge. If you haven’t done this, your edges will start splitting apart during the burnishing process. The second is to keep in mind that the glue dries pretty fast, so don’t glue the entire project, and then put it together. Do a bit of gluing at a time, then place the pieces together, and then glue some more. Finally make sure to keep your glue straight. If you’re sloppy and over glue the item you're making (especially if it’s something like a wallet or bag than opens up) will not have the dimensions you'd planned for. If you do accidentally do this, you can rip it back apart but it’s not great on the leather. Cement glue is used for glueing leather. I use Seiwa Leathercraft Glue. 

Step 3: Cut again

At this point check your edges to make sure everything pretty much lines up. If things aren’t perfect that is okay because it will be cleaned up during the sanding process. Do make sure there isn’t an edge where one piece is noticeably longer than the other. If you find one, now is the time to take a knife and cut it back so the edges are flat.

Step 4: Bevel

If I’m going to use a stitching groover I use it before I bevel, when the edges are flat and lined up well. After I’ve done that I use a beveler. This helps to round out your edges. They won’t be perfect at this point, but it preps the leather to be rounded out by sand paper. If you don’t use a beveler before you burnish, the edges will start to fold over on themselves during the burnishing process. If you’re not sure what these two tools are or you don’t know what they do, you can read more about them here.

Step 5: Sand like a Maniac

This is what glue looks like when it needs to be sanded off. Click to enlarge photo.

Some people are pretty fanatic about how much they sand their edges, using lots of different grits to create their edges.  I use three different grits and I’ve been pretty happy with the result. When sanding make sure to only sand a short distance. This will help to keep your hand flat while sanding. As with beveling and cutting, the further your hand gets from your chest the more it starts to roll. I start with a 150 grit sand paper to shape the edges. This takes your edges from being more angular (from the beveling) to a round shape. While using this grit of sand paper there are two things you need to focus on. First the two pieces of leather that make your edge are sanded down to the same level and that they are rounded out. The second is that you sand off any access glue. You can see the glue when sanding because it will darken the color of the edges. Make sure you sand until the glue is completely gone. Any glue that is left won’t take the dye. After that I use 600 grit to get rid of any fibers that are sticking up. And finally I use 800 grit to get it nice and smooth.

Step 6: Dye

Generally I use the same dye that I used on the top side of the leather because edges naturally darken when being burnished. Applying dye to edges is a bit tricky because you only want to hit the edges and not the already dyed leather. Tandy has wool daubers that work alright, but I find it hard to control where the dye goes sometimes. Alternatively you can cut a small square piece off a sponge and clamp it with a wooden clothespin. 

Step 7: Burnish with A Wood Slicker

This is the part that is going to take some practice. Don’t worry though, you’ll feel like a champ once you get it down! Wet a short distance of your edge with a small amount of gum tragacanth. Set the edge inside the notch on your burnisher, making sure the notch you choose doesn’t pinch the leather as you are trying to burnish. Then run the burnisher briskly back and forth across the edge with out over extending your hand. Make sure to not put too much pressure on the edge itself. All you are trying to do is create heat through friction, not mash your edges. Do this until you hear a tacky sound. The sound is hard to describe, but you will know it when you hear it. Once you hear it you’ll know your edges have been burnished well. They should look glossy at this point.

Step 8: Apply Beeswax

I find this last step adds a nice shine to your edges. It doesn’t take long to do it and beeswax is really inexpensive. All you need to do is rub beeswax on all the edges and then buff it out with a small piece of canvas. At this point you've finished and your edges should look similar to the picture below.

The edge of a card holder I recently made. You can still see imperfections on the edge, but they're getting there. My desk, however, is a complete mess. 

The edge of a card holder I recently made. You can still see imperfections on the edge, but they're getting there. My desk, however, is a complete mess. 

Burnishing edges are difficult and was definitely a source of disappointment on my early projects. Finding edges that I liked and keeping those in mind as I wrestled with my crappy looking edges really helped me push through to learn the skills I needed for good looking edges. Keep being mindful of the details as you practice and learn and you'll soon have impressive edges.

As I mentioned above, I know there are a lot of ways to do edges well. If you have your own unique edge process I’d really love to check it out. Send me a link through email or drop it in the comments below.

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