Instagram is the place where many leather goods makers find inspiring photos of some of the best artists and designers working today. Some people use it like any other social media account, but I like to use Instagram as my own curated feed of leather goods making. Maybe even more important than the finished product […]
Leatherworking History Up Close
Pictured above: Don King Saddle. Here in my workshop, I have the old Al Stohlman books on leatherworking. When I was just starting out, these were my go-to books on how to make something new. Even now I refer to them for new (well… new to me) ways of constructing projects. If you’ve read these […]
Traditional Leather Carving With Unexpected Results
The other day I was looking at different ways of using leather and I came across this painting: What stood out to me was that it was actually carved leather. Ann-Maree Ager is an Australian artist who focuses on doing paintings using traditional leather carving techniques. She won several prizes at the 2017 Sydney Royal […]
Kids Hard at Play
Have you ever wondered if your kids would enjoy leatherworking as much as you do? Last week, one of our readers emailed us and happened to mention that she homeschools her three kids, and includes leatherworking as a part of the curriculum. In searching around on the internet to see if others were doing the […]
Short Film: The Old Tannery
This is the story of Barry Knight one of the few remaining tanners in the UK. Situated in the centre of Bristol, within the seemingly untouched grounds, lies an old Tannery. Thomas Ware & Sons dates back to the 1840’s, the beginning of the Victorian era, yet their technique and craftsmanship remains unchanged. This short […]
Video: A Day in the Life of a Shoemaker
Today’s post is a video from the workshop of John Lobb, a heritage, bespoke, leather shoe-making company from London that has been serving clients such as the the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales since the mid-19th century. What really strikes me about this quiet, intimate look at their family-run business is how […]
Leather Armor Fun
Even though I mostly make designer leather goods, I’m secretly a geek at heart. I recently came across a beautiful example of detailed leather armor made by the folks at Savagepunk Studio. What I love about this is the attention to detail and how the theme is pulled through the construction of the piece. It […]
The Life and Work of a Master Bush Craftsman
Today’s post is a story of a master bush craftsman, Doug Kite, who recently celebrated his 92nd birthday by donating the best of his life’s leatherwork to the Museum of Victoria collections. Although humble and modest in nature, Doug’s leather plaiting and braiding work is sought out by admirers and collectors around the world. His […]
Videos: Following Your Leatherworking Passion
Today’s post is a collection of two videos. The first is an inspirational video from Jan den Hartogh of Duke & Sons Leather. Jan used to spend all day sitting behind a computer and started to feel like something important was missing from his life. As a result, he decided to take up leatherworking and […]
Videos: Leather Goods Makers Old and New
Today’s post is a collection of four videos. The first two are from established leather goods companies. I love the words of wisdom that these guys reveal about the craft and business. The second two are from younger companies with equally younger founders. There are some equally valuable insights covered here but from a very […]