Reading a Leather Hide Before You Cut It
Six questions to settle at the cutting table before the knife goes in: laying the hide out, the backbone, stretch, marking flaws, and what to cut first.
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Why Bridle Leather Is a Hard First Leather
Waxy, thick, stiff and slow to soften. A briefcase maker’s opinion on why bridle leather is a hard first leather, and why he still would not cut anything else.
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Reading a Bend Before You Pay for It
Thickness first, then the hand, then the flesh side, then the marks. A briefcase maker on reading a leather bend at the rack, and why a spotless one can lie.
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Hand Stitching or Rivets: What a Beginner Should Learn First
A card slot carries a card. A handle carries the whole case. A maker on when a beginner should trust a saddle stitch and when a rivet is the sounder joint.
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Leather Terms a Beginner Hears First
Leather terms a beginner meets on the first supplier page: grain and flesh side, full grain, genuine leather, veg tan and chrome, bend, belly and ounces.
