Blog

A family trip on an unusually warm autumn day recently took us to Bakewell in Derbyshire.  In Bakewell we came across a clothing store named Sea Salt where I met a lovely sales woman who informed me that their mini cross body bags were selling like hotcakes (potential pun since the original Bakewell Tart shop is located directly opposite to the Sea Salt store).  She strongly suggested that I come up with a completely handmade version.  I have come across several people at the Walsall Leather Museum who have also expressed an interest in such a bag.  This is what… Read More »A New Bag Design

Occasionally visitors come to the Walsall Leather Museum, where I and a demonstrator on Tuesdays, with leather possessions that require some kind of repair or restoration.  The projects have been very varied and perhaps I should write a blog about all of the interesting repairs and restorations I have done. A few months ago a lady named Irene from Birmingham, visited the Museum seeking help with a Mulberry bag she bought about 12 years ago.  Unfortunately she visited on a day other than Tuesday and she left with my telephone number.  After a telephone conversation I agreed to carry out… Read More »Repaired and Restored – A Mulberry Bag

Some weeks ago I offered to make a bespoke watch strap for a Rolex.  I had never made a strap like this before and I decided to make a prototype for testing.  This is a brief narrative about the journey of the prototype Rolex watch strap and some hiccups along the way. The original was a crocodile skin strap that the owner wanted to replace due to the original showing signs of wear.  It was not the usual Rolex watch I was used to seeing and so the strap needed a different approach. The owner found me through the Walsall… Read More »Rolex Meets Sailors – The Prototype Strap

So this one’s for me.  Here’s how it happened. I wanted to make myself a small tool bag inspired by the saddlery trainer at the Walsall Saddlery Training Centre.  Christer (the trainer and a friend) had made himself a tool case when he was studying saddlery some years ago and I really liked the design.  I had been thinking about it but as often is the case I didn’t really have any serious plans to make the tool case any time soon.  Too much else to do.  However I was invited to use some of the Walsall Leather Museum workspace… Read More »Tool Bag – This One’s For Me!

This is my 30 year old Casio diver watch, gifted to me on my birthday.  Since I started leather craft it has been dressed with a number of hand stitched watch straps.  This is the latest.  Made with scraps of the replica Russia leather from Baker tannery, pure linen thread and natural russet leather lining.  The edges are creased giving deep grooves between the stitch line and the edge of the straps.  The edges are also burnished lightly and then sealed and finished with beeswax.  I didn’t want to go for glossy side with this one.  The major difference with… Read More »Scraps to Straps – Making of A New Watch Strap

Recently a customer asked me if it would be possible to attach a handle to one of his two folios.  Specifically the Sedgwick leather one.  My response was that it could be done and that I would prefer not to.  Mainly because I didn’t want to disturb the lovely goat kid suede lining.  It would have meant either stitching or riveting a handle onto the top of the front flap.  So I asked him to leave it with me to think about and the photographs below show the results. The first thought was to use a strap system to attach… Read More »How To Upgrade A Folio

One may wonder what is the charm in walking around a factory that produces bridal leather.  It may well be true that most people would take minimal interest in such a thing.  For someone who loves leather though, this is a dream.  Especially when the factory belongs to one of the biggest names in hand finished traditional English bridal leather.  Sedgwick leather enjoys worldwide recognition and I got to spend the day walking around the factory with Phil who kindly permitted me to take lots of photographs while explaining the various stages in the production of bridal leather the Sedgwick… Read More »A Dreamy Voyage Of Discovery Through A Factory

The brown folio case with red lining is complete.  It took a while due to some supply line issues.  It was completed some weeks ago and is now for sale on the website and via Etsy. The whole case is completely hand cut, hand stitched using traditional saddle stitching and hand finished using the finest natural materials available. The out leather is from Sedgwick’s in Walsall.  It is their brown bridal shoulder which is lightly corrected and fully aniline.  It is not through dyed (officially) but the way it is dyed in large rolling drums ensures an even penetration so… Read More »Brown Folio Complete

The summer clutch bag is complete!  Saddle stitched completely by hand using the luxurious Fil au Chinois Lin Cable thread.  Lined with the exquisite double dyed goat kid suede lining.  Embellished with un-lacquered solid brass hardware made here in Walsall.  And of course the beautiful, fragrant and carefully produced replica Russia leather from Baker tannery in the South.  This was a customer commission that took many hours of discussion for design and search for materials.  A lot of careful consideration went into this project and the results are quite satisfying if I might say so.  The bag has been shipped… Read More »Replica Russia Leather Summer Bag Complete

Having completed the summer bag it is time to step back and reflect briefly about the project.  usually this reflection revolves around the ideas of what went well and what didn’t?  Improvement comes with critical analysis after all.  It is also nice to reflect on the journey.  Each project takes a different journey.  The weather, the mood, the sounds, the light and any ‘events’ that stand out.  Like the time when I spilt a tin of impact glue all over my hands and then automatically tried to wipe the glue off using my hands.  A story for another day!  In… Read More »Scraps

In the early days when I was just starting with leathercraft I made some of my own tools.  It was partly out of trying to minimise my expenses and partly out of a desire to make things myself.  I had a bit more time then than I do now and I had been learning and practicing wood craft for a couple of years on and off.  The wood craft only went as far as making a bits and bobs for myself which still happens.  Basic, simple, functional.  Nothing fancy.  Yet the satisfaction of making and using something one has made… Read More »Handmade and Homemade

Whilst at the museum this week we received a planned visit from an over 55s club from Shorpshire/ Staffordshire.  A lovely group of ladies and gentlemen they were.  During the guided tour, which ends in the light leather goods room (my room), the guide mentioned something briefly about skiving.  He mentioned that the origin of the work ‘skiver’ is actually from the process of skiving leather.  The person who had the job of skiving leather had the pleasure of being seated as opposed to most other leather craftsmen and craftswomen who would have had to mostly stand while working.  Hence… Read More »There’s A Time and A Place To Skive

By the last blog I had cut out the main pieces of the summer bag, skived (thinned down) some edges and attached the lining to the gussets and skived the lining.  Since then I have stitched and burnished the top of the center divider and the tops of the gussets.  The two gussets have been attached to the center divider, the edges have been beveled.  The initial edge burnishing has been done.  Please see the photographs of my progress below.  The next stage is to do lots of edge skiving, attach the goat suede lining to the two main panels,… Read More »A First Time for Everything – Part 2

A new project in the pipelines.  An item that my customer used to be able to find easily and one that is not so easily available in the style and quality required.  A clutch bag or summer bag for use by both men and women.  The video clip shows some of the cutting while the photographs show the skived edges, the lining attached and the top of the panel lined and stitched. The bag will be double gusseted with flap and a solid brass lock for the closure.  This variation has been specified to have a hand carry strap.  The… Read More »A First Time for Everything

A warm sunny day.  What do you do?  Shopping, picnic, blog. The plan this morning was to pop over to a monthly antiques market and then return home to get on with some work.  The weather being so nice the plans soon changed.  We ended up traveling to Penkridge and then to Much Wenlock and we unexpectedly found some bargains, a new place to hunt for old tools and a lovely quiet, secluded picnic spot in the heart of the Shropshire countryside. The hoard. Four antique and modern pure wool veg dyed and hand knotted rugs A vintage heavy wool… Read More »Today’s Finds