Choosing a Work Surface and Cutting Mat for Leather
Mat, poly board, rubber or stone: what belongs under leather when you cut, punch and set hardware, how high the bench should stand, and where none of it helps.
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Kirby Allison Horsehair Brush Review: Is a Real Horsehair Brush Worth It for a Bridle Leather Briefcase?
A desk-research review of the Kirby Allison medium horsehair brush: what horsehair does for bridle leather, what the maker claims, and who should buy one.
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Small Projects From Leather Offcuts
Leather offcuts sorted by job: scrap boxes against your own bin, thick pieces for washers and handles, long strips for loops, and what is not worth keeping.
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Thimbles and Palm Guards for Hand Stitching
Thimbles, sewing palms, finger cots, tape and pliers for hand stitching leather: which part of the hand each one protects, and what it costs you in feel.
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A Leather Eyeglass Case
A hand-stitched leather eyeglass case from vegetable-tanned leather: what to buy, how to size it to the glasses, when to wet-form it, and how to finish it.
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Sharpening a Skiving Knife
Sharpening a skiving knife in working order: read the bevel, flatten the back, climb the grits to a burr, strop with care, then prove it on scrap leather.
