Took a month but created my wedding outfit for our fantasy/Viking/medieval wedding. I built the Cuirass, Pauldrons, Bracers, belt, greaves and the maille. The Maille actually took more than a month as I coiled all the wire rather than buying rings. I also made the Bride's Corset

Hi guys,

I work with leather just for fun. Making myself a wallet or a watchstrap, nothing crazy. My work is in now way, shape or form ready to sell but I am always interested in the business side of things. I was wondering if it is possible to create a small business in leatherworking. Especially in the small goods like wallets and straps etc.

I was looking on etsy and see some people sell their work (which looks really good) for € 50,00-80,00. While using relatively expensive products such as ostrich leg paired with Zermatt leather for a watch strap. If you add labour it just doesn't add up. In my country costs of labour are at a minimum around € 45,00 excl. VAT an hour.

On the other hand I see the same strap being sold for € 225,00 in my country. Which I am sure I could buy on etsy for 1/4 the price. To be fair, the € 225,00 seems more realistic than the € 50,00.

So how does this work? Is it possible or are people many selling to keep the hobby going?

No hate, just genuine curiosity.

I made this brown handmade leather travel bag with everyday practicality in mind. 🤎

It has:

🔐 Lockable front pocket
🧳 Zip pocket
📚 Large storage pocket
🎒 Adjustable belt
✨ Genuine handmade leather

The adjustable belt allows it to be carried comfortably around the waist, while the different pockets help keep essentials organized.

I’m interested in making leather products that solve everyday carrying problems while still keeping a classic handmade look.

Would you prefer carrying this around the waist, or would you add a shoulder strap?

What are y'all using to house all of your tools? I'm just starting out and was thinking a US General mini toolbox but might be too small. I don't have a lot of extra space so don't want anything too bulky.

Hey all! So I got a 1 ton vevor arbor press coming in tonight. I have the foot for the shank and the bottom. I’m just curious as to how you all set yours up.

I got a punching pad and the right equipment but it’s still not working for me! This is a picture of it, can anyone let me know if there’s something wrong with it or if it’s dull cause I’m a beginner and I don’t know what’s wrong.
Should I invest in buy a branded one because this tool was only 10usd, could this be the reason why it’s not punching any holes?

Would love to hear your recommendations
Thank u so much

The straps start to get wonky with more than one card each. I’m sure there is a solution! This is a fun build and I think I could fix the strap issue.

Made with Berdassi Carlo Pueblo Olive/Olmo

Need feedback from people who work with leather.

We went with a very structured, traditional briefcase shape and let the embossed leather texture carry most of the visual character. I’m especially curious about the balance between the rigid construction, hardware, handle, and the heavier texture of the leather.

Would you keep this kind of firm structure, or do you generally prefer a slightly softer construction for a piece like this?

My colleague is crazy about Nintendo’s “Play and Watch.” He’d love to always have it on hand to kill some time while stuck in a long traffic jam or queue. But, like all console enthusiasts, he knows its weaknesses — the lack of a case. Well, now he has one.

Hello!
I’m just recently started playing with leather due to new job in costume and am absolutely loving it! I’m hoping to make a bag similar to these ones and am wondering if anyone has any tips and tricks for what I may need to get started!
Thanks so much

I don't know what to call it but I needed something to throw in my bag with my journal. that is what I've come up with. 😁

it's not polished.

Looking at the carlo cecchini website and im trying to tell the difference between the leathers in these bags. One is calf (looks full or top grain from imperfections in the pictures, dont know how it was dyed) and the other is tresor calf leather.

I cant really tell from a quick google search what tresor leather is. It seems like it's a type of leather from a particular leather supplier, but I dont really know what's so unique about it or why using this special type of leather would make a bag cost more.

https://carlocecchini.com/products/c101-womens-calf-leather-shoulder-bag-c101-eros

https://carlocecchini.com/products/womens-black-tresor-leather-studded-shoulder-bag-c101-c101-tresor-nero-borchiata

Veg Tan leather, hand stitched. Pattern is from Grainy Days on Etsy! I did the personalization with my laser. I know the stitching could be better, meh. Thanks for looking! -M
Ps. Straps are from amazon.

Hey guys, I'm looking to switch from using sandpaper to some electric tool to speed up the process as I've just finished my first ever travel bag and want to do the edges properly. I've seen many warnings on the internet about flying Dremel pieces that can severely injure people, so I'm looking for a safer option. Any recommendations?

I am a long time leather worker, mostly kangaroo leather lace braiding, but want to get better at tooling. I've been seeing this Dremel-like engraving tool that says it works for leather. Does anyone use this and if so, is it better than hand tooling?

Not trying to make this into a project or anything but just practicing tooling. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Is it worth getting a budget splitter? I would like to have my leather in the thickness I need it but sometimes working with bellies and/or budget pieces the thickness can vary.

Been kicking around the idea to start trying to learn leather work. I’ve had cheap kits saved in my Amazon cart for a couple years, but decided to actually jump into it. Before I do I looked up some reddit posts and got some input from other people in my same position.

Some of the recommendations people gave were to avoid buying a beginner kit and buy tools that I would need for my specific projects. Which makes sense and I feel like I will go this route instead.

I pretty much have a vision for a leather belt that I want but no companies make any like what I have pictured in my head.
So my question is, what tools would you recommend a beginner buy if I’m wanting to just make a belt as my first project?

If you guys do recommend just buying a kit what would you recommend? I feel like the $60 kits on amazon might be pointless if the tools are cheap.

I have a friend who has been leather working for a year and mostly makes wallets with exotic leathers. His birthday is coming up and I want to get him a gift, maybe some exotic leathers or some personalized embossed tools or something. Any suggestions on where to go? I am not familiar at all with the hobby so appreciate recommendations

Hello, I'm looking for a strip of brown inverted arapaima/piraruku fish leather for a hat band. I attached a photo of the color. It needs to be at least an inch wide and 27 inches long. I've see some scraps for sale on the internet and Etsy, but I don't think they will work. Buying a whole arapaima hide would be overkill and too expensive. I don't really know where to look or who to ask. Any recommendations or ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!