@@padoco73 dead blows work great! Used cheap harbor freight dead blows for the first two years of my leather craft life. The faces get chewed up but they are cheap to replace!
This is probably the FIRST instructional video that anyone should view. Basics of leathers are explained, tools that are used, simple things, all easy to understand. A true start point for beginners.
I am retired now. I have the time and opportunity to learn leathercrafting. I have been thinking and dreaming of leathercrafting for years. I will watch all of your videos then go back and rewatch parts to get a better understanding of what is taking place. Thanks for a new adventure.
The most useful thing to me in this video is the run down of the tools, because I have been having a horrid time finding a good list of the basic tools for leather working, the different options, and what they're used for.
I appreciate how this video makes this craft seem more accessible than I previously thought it was. You created something fairly complex with basic techniques.
I've been doing leather work as a hobby for roughly 3 years now, built a big bag this year and this video still had lots of little tips in it which are super useful! Thanks so much!
I always find it amazing how something that looks super complex and intimidating breaks down into just a series of fairly straightforward steps. Don't get me wrong, leather working in an art and I'm sure getting good results isn't in any way easy it's just cool to see it in an approachable way.
110% agreed! Nothing I ever do with leather is magic, it is just years of trial and error coming together to figure out what to do when and how. Leathercraft turned out to be way more approachable than I had realized when I first started.
This is probably one of the best all in one tutorials (if you don't do any stitching) you can find on youtube. Most of the basic skills are well explained
I'll probably never have the need to do any leather working, but that didn't stop me from watching and enjoying this entire video. Gregg is a fabulous teacher, and I hope to see more collabs with him in the future. Great work!
@@bjornsworkshop9288 Well sir, i am excited to see what you learn and pass on to the rest of us. Leather work is something I have always wanted to learn, and now you and Bill have made it much easier to dive in. I've already joined you on Instagram and twitter!
Absolutely fantastic, I've been thinking of trying my hand at leather work for a very long time and had no idea where to start, watching this has just given me the push to have a go, I've learnt so much from this video, thank you both of you.
I work with leather a bit and I must say, this is amazing. I've seen many videos here on TH-cam about basic leatherworking, but this is porbably the best video a beginner needs. Hack... Even an advanced leatherworker might learn something new. Great job!
I find brown paper yard waste bags work well for making patterns... up to a pretty large size! Also, that "compass" is actually a set of "dividers." A compass has a pen or pencil on one of its legs.
Hey Karl! One of the challenging things about tools is that over time they tend to gain multiple names in multiple industries. You are absolutely correct that generally speaking a compass has a pen or pencil on one leg, but the purpose of that is simply to be able to draw your circle. in leathercraft, metalworking, and several other fields, a metal point is more functional for scribing the circle and as such the dividers have been given the name compass as well. (See first sentence of the "Divider Caliper" section of the "Calipers" page on wikipedia for reference)
I just got interested on leather crafts and I've watch a lot of youtube videos, but this one, is the most clear and easy to follow. Other channels give you a really loooong list of "starter" supplies and it gets really confusing. Awesome video.
A compass can be used as an impromptu stitching groover along the edge of a piece of leather. Can also be used to mark the stitching hole locations as well and they would be the same distance apart.
I have watched a lot of Leather Working Videos, you are the first to link Hot water forming and shrink/deform, Thank you! If you do form to the project, using hot water, you MAY need to re wet the leather to get the project out. This can help for projects that you really want a snug fit, like ejection port or trigger guard detail will really help with retention.
interesting thing to note when using a shoulder holster. The arm that the firearm is under should be fully raised when drawing the pistol or re-holstering, this is to avoid sweeping your own arm. Imaging you are making a wing with your fist against shoulder as you raise it.
Thank you for putting out a video showing the correct way to work with leather. I watch a lot of cosplay and woodworking videos and end up cringing through most of it any time they get out some leather. And yes, there are many different and equally correct ways to do most of the steps, but there are even more incorrect ways to do them. The shafts on those rivets looked way too long but I've never used the ones that are nice domes on both sides and they didn't skew diagonal when you fastened them so I assume they're just different than the single sided ones, or maybe it doesn't matter as much if you have a fancy press, I've always done it the old fashioned way. I agree that the finishing is very important and really sets the piece apart from an amateur job. I like to punch holes in belts and straps before applying the antique/stain so the inside edges of the holes are dark instead of light, looks a little better to my eyes but that's more personal preference.
Oh you might want to glue a piece of thin suede/felt/foam over the back of the snaps inside so it doesn't scratch your gun with repeated use. Barge will work fine.
Thank you for the kind words! The posts on the rivets are definitely left long because of the press. It has a collar on either side that prevents any side to side shift and guarantees a straight crush. If I were using a hand setter I would definitely trim the posts.
Greg's teaching is amazing stuff. Having watched countless hours of leather working tutorials Gregg really gives out some solid tips. Some real gems wisdom too that you only learn after time.
Thank you for the kind words! I do my best to share what I've learned through trial and error so hopefully a few people can advance without having to spend quite so much time/materials figuring it all out! If you've ever got questions never hesitate to reach out and ask!
Bjornsworkshop If you add rivers to reinforce corner of pockets and places it makes the most sense do you let the stitching go into the rivet holes? So it locks the end of stitching or is the stitching ended and the river just sits against it. Any tips of how you mix stitching and rivets would be great. Thank you :)
@@FearsomeWarrior when hands stitching I will usually both start and stop lines with a 4 stitches of 3 pass (forward-backward-forward) backstitching. This locks everything into place really well and resists wear considerably better than a 2 pass (backwards-forwards) backstitch. If I included rivets I will usually use the rivet hole as a stitch hole to loop through in order to have the rivet lock the threads down. If the rivet is in the middle of a line of stitching, the stronger way is to stop the stitch with backstitching and start a new line on the other side... That said, that is also overkill for many situations. I am a huge fan of overbuilt nigh indestructible things, so make the judgement call based on how much wear and tear you think that area will get. Another noteworthy point is that rivets stand proud where stitches are usually flush or inset, so mixing some rivets can reduce outer wear on your stitch lines especially on smaller projects like sheaths
Bjorn is just as great on cam as he is with leather, extremely informative video and makes leatherwork a lot less intimidating and much easier to approach
Thank you for the kind words!!! One of my goals in life is to help push people to try it. It isn't nearly as scary as it may seem at first! Just gotta give it a shot!
I shit you not! I had just started researching this very topic very recently. Then BAM! Punished props releases a video that condenses all the info into one place.
"That leather is beefy. Pun intended." Literally laughed out loud. And I am LOVING that hexagon stamp! Now I really want to learn ALL the leather stuff! I've personally worked with Kydex, carbon fiber, Cordura, and nylon blends to make synthetic holsters but after seeing that stamp collection now I REALLY want to learn hand stamping leather.
So, Bjorn brought a strap end cutter with him, but you guys marked the strap ends with the dividers and cut them with the utility knife... (No judgement here. Whatever works, babe.) Suggestions: A) Add a modular panel to the right side, and make the right strap adjustable like the left strap, to both make the rig ambidextrous and give you a place to add another item, like a second blaster, Crocodile Dundee knife, cell phone, ammo pouch, whiskey flask, autograph book, cup holder, hand grenade, GoPro, or anything else you might think of. 2) Think about adding a vertical strap to the bottom of the modular panel, running straight down to the waist, with a snap loop on the end to wrap around your belt. This adds stability and holds the holster or other item steady while inserting and removing, and helps to prevent the shoulder straps from slipping backward on the shoulders. D) Think about adding a non-slip lining to the shoulder straps in the areas where they go over the tops of the shoulders. This will both limit the slippage of the straps (if you happen to be wearing a slick shirt like 100% polyester), and allow you to add some soft padding to take up the weight of the blaster or other items supported by the rig.
A cuticle I think it's called it goes in between your nail and your finger when you pushed out there and clean stuff out it works as an edge finisher to and you may already have it does take some while you might be able to sharpen it and it would go faster
I worked with stamping leather in scouts, it was probably my favourite part of working with leather. I loved using all the different stamps to make different designs in the leather. I still have the badges that we made out of leather.
You should I once saw a big collection at a garage for $20 but didn’t buy it at the time mainly because I didn’t have the money for leather to use it on, or a vehicle to go buy leather.
A little advice to those without the handstrength for the hole punch. There is a special iron out there used to punch in holes, you need a hammer for it but it works just as effective and allows you to place holes where you need them. Also for stitiching you can use an awl!
Great call! Drive punches are absolutely a great option for punching holes, and honestly the better bet if you ever plan on working on anything large. The plier punches are great for doing holes around the edges, but don't work well for something more than a couple inches in from the edge!
Bjorn is actually moving to Houston to work with Prince Armory, but I'm sure he'd be more than willing to answer on his Twitch stream when he gets settled and back to his new/normal schedule. His channel is Bjorn's Workshop. From my knowledge working with both, it really depends on the application. You can do a lot with real leather, but it depends on your skill-set and experience. It's also a lot more expensive than faux leather. However, watching people like Kamui cosplay and Lightning cosplay, you can do a lot with faux leather and get a fairly convincing "real leather" look.
Try trimming the stems of your rivets. If you have much more than 2mm sticking up, you'll have a lot of shifting issues. Some wire cutters to clip then some pliers to round out the pinch will go a long way in fixing that
if you don't have an edge beveller yet, you can get away with a torn knife from your sewing kit (the capped double pointed thingy with the shorter point having a plastic droplet covering the tip, the longer point being blunt and the edge between the point being razor sharp). And if you want to practise your cutting techniques with that knife before you ruin the bevels of your leather, you can take that torn knife to your fingernails because they behave very similar when being cut in that way...
I actually started doing traditional leatherwork a couple months ago but I haven't been able to make any cool prop / cosplay stuff yet so this is awesome!
Furniture Refinisher in sunny Florida, thanking you for such an amazingly informative video! You both have increased my knowledge and value as a fellow maker and craftsman! Cheers!
Glad it helped! If you ever have questions about leathercraft please don't hesitate to ask! While I don't have super extensive experience with upholstery leather, I am happy to do my best to answer whatever I can!
This was really great. Grats on the big move Bjorn. I have been watching Prince for just a little bit and am in the process of making the knight helmet pattern they released out of foam.
This was very informative. I learned a lot. I’m very new to leather crafting and still learning what tools to use and what they do. It’d be cool to have video on coloring Leather
I liked it a lot; you did really well on your tooling which helped your finished product a lot, though I prefer to use a richer color dye. The antique leaves it really close to the natural vegetan color, which is not my favorite, though the contrast in color between the tooled leather and the natural leather that the paste provided was nice. I find that I like the warmer tones provided by Tandy's eco-flo dyes best, for how vibrant they are, especially if you use an acrylic seal on it; really makes that color pop. And the moment Bjorn pulled out his stamp kit, I started salivating. Then I got it under control, but he pulled out that rivet setter and the drool started up again. I've had one on my list for years, but I can never talk myself into the expense.
rily8329 ha! Thanks. I’m going to need it. I have experience with leather, sculpture, sewing, and design. I will not make great boots, but they might look okay.
@@designatscale9224 I have a little bit of sewing and leather experiance. I have faith in you. Let me know how you get on. Do you post your progress anywhere?
Really nice video on beginning leather working! Adding weighted mags to the other side would keep it from pulling the other side up into the armpit and changing the angle of the gun holster fwiw
Hey Bjorn where did you get that metal strapcutter and your nice slick burnisher? It took a long time to get my burnisher broken in to where it was performing well and was initially discouraged when I was a newbie because quite honestly, my burnishing looked terrible. Word of advice to anyone taking this up (including Bill), if you have a way to chuck that new burnisher into a lathe or other spinning tool, pre-burninsh it as much as you can with a handful of wood shavings or strips of canvas. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble when you put it to leather.
As Bacon said, they were from the 70s or 80s. Keep an eye on eBay, they pop up here and there. They are wonderful!! The edge slicker was made for me by a friend that does some lathe work. Absolutely love it.
The metal strap cutter is an old Tandy tool. They stopped selling them in the 80s or so. Keep an eye on eBay. They pop up every once in a while. 10/10 would recommend.
The challenge is that rubbing alcohol will dry out the leather really badly. If you are okay with oiling the piece after shaping that may work, but oil will soften the leather so pressure fit parts (like this holster) won't hold as tightly.
@@jameshamaker9321 virtually all methods of coloring leather work by filling in pores and getting into/between the leather fibers then drying. This reduces the leathers ability to absorb water and increases its resistance to taking new shapes. Dyeing/antiquing before stamping is doable, but only very rarely beneficial to the process.
Hey guys, Great video with a lot of knowledge and I thank you for that. Anyway there is one significant mishap - any holster to be safe has to cover all trigger guard area to prevent accidental trigger squeeze - either by finger by unholstering "dynamically" or randomly by other items...
@@punishedprops I enjoy all your videos. Rarely comment though. But when it comes to leather and Bjorn, I wanted to say hello. Very cool intro by the way.
@@RedSmithWorkshop This year I am planning on focusing all of my efforts on getting settled and skilled up with Prince Armory. Hoping to figure out a lineup of shows and events for 2020 though... Need to figure out the process for the Prince Armory shop applying/reaching out to be a guest at events like that
I thought a compass was a navigational instrument and what you are talking about was normally called a pair of compasses, but which was actually a pair of dividers.
You are correct! I have heard them called dividers, compasses, a compass, wing dividers, pointy circle drawing things, and many others. I just default to what I have heard them called most often. The joys and sorrows of being self taught is that I often miss out on technical terms.
I can't speak for UK terminology, but skiving is usually done with a flat blade (or a flat blade held into a curve if using one of the Tandy skivers) to thin the leather at the edges. The edge beveller just rounds off the corners a bit to make the edges a bit softer when handled
@@bjornsworkshop9288 . Many thanks. I gather that it was just me mixing things up again, due to my severe impressedness. (That means great work, and I'm just a twit).
When Bill says 'if you weren't born in the 80's, you probably won't know this' and I was literally just like "dunununu nunu nunu can't touch this" right after he said "Stop Hammer time" and i'm born in the late 90's
I've just started this journey into leather work, been doing it for about six months or so now, and this has been quite the useful video. I do have some questions though, mostly in regards to a project that I have in the works. I've got a fabric pattern for a long duster style coat that I'd like to make in leather to replicate a prop from a show and have been trying to find tools for translating fabric yards into square feet for leather, and have had mixed results. Any tips on that would be greatly appreciated. That holster looks pretty darn amazing by the way, now I'm gonna need to find a kit for the blade runner blaster just to build one. Oh, yes...one more question, that aluminum strap cutter, is that one that was purchased somewhere or was it made custom?
You can purchase a strap cutter from most leather vendors - we have one linked in the description of the video! As to your question about yards to square footage, you just have to do the math. You only need to worry about making sure you have enough material to transfer your patterns. Fabric bolts typically have a set width like 56". You can take that combined with the estimated yardage you'll need and get a rough square foot estimate for leather.
thanks! I'm going to be getting a whole bunch of stuff over the next few months from a place called springfield leather, they're really good folks there with some darn good prices and leather. got a project lined up for a friend that'll have to come well before that coat gets anywhere near to being ready. still need to figure out which version I'm doing and where to get the quilted lining for the one version, since that's important for the look of it.
I found the statement about suede not being the best load bearing material interesting, as I had noticed at one time that John Wayne's gun belts were usually suede. And they were rarely the drop loop Hollywood style, they were usually the more practical higher riding belt loop style.
It's possible they were made of a different material with suede on the outside to make them look the part. Suede is usually pretty thin and soft, which is why it's not great for weight-bearing projects.
@@punishedprops I took a look at one of the pictures of the rig and it looks like the suede was folded over and sewn at the bottom, so they probably has something a bit stiffer inside the fold. Thanks for the reply.
I know this reply is late to the party, and I apologize for that, but I just wanted to weigh in here. A lot of quick draw rigs are built with the flesh (rough) side of the leather facing towards the body so that the belt/holster will grip the body and allow for less movement of the rig to help the gun clear the holster faster. My guess is that John Wayne's belt was probably a layer of stiffer veg tan wrapped in suede for a combination of aesthetic and quick-draw functionality.
Great job! I love when sb is going to exploring a bit more than his core area. Using other materials eg leather, wood, metal and maybe even stones you could create awesome things far much better than anybody can create from only one material.
Know I'm a year late to this project but as someone who is starting to with leather I have no hand strength for the punch. It makes punching holes into a belt hard. As in I just threw my weight onto it.
@@punishedprops And if that still gives you trouble, or you don't have a drive punch handy... you can always grab a drill! It may not be the "Authentic" way to do it, but it sure as heck works!
I'm looking to Foil Emboss a (fake) leather iPad case. What are some affordable tools I can use to do this? A previous video I watched said you can use letter stamps, heat them to about 200 degrees, and them stamp it through the foil. Is this the best method that won't break the bank?
I have seen and heard of people using regular letter stamps to pretty decent effect, but most of the people I have talked to about it say it is a pain in the ass and takes some trial and error to get right. If you give it a whack I hope it goes well and would love to see your results!
Check out Progress photos, links, and a full tools/materials list on our website! punishedprops.com/2019/02/25/leather-basics/
yesssss
HE needs a YT Channel
I'm actually curious if a dead blow hammer, which doesn't bounce, might work in lieu of a mallet?
@@padoco73 dead blows work great! Used cheap harbor freight dead blows for the first two years of my leather craft life. The faces get chewed up but they are cheap to replace!
@@xscitobor1233 Soon(tm). I will be helping Prince Armory with videos, tutorials, and web lessons for Leathercraft!
This is probably the FIRST instructional video that anyone should view. Basics of leathers are explained, tools that are used, simple things, all easy to understand. A true start point for beginners.
Thank you so much!
I am retired now. I have the time and opportunity to learn leathercrafting. I have been thinking and dreaming of leathercrafting for years.
I will watch all of your videos then go back and rewatch parts to get a better understanding of what is taking place. Thanks for a new adventure.
I love your videos
thanks a lot.
The most useful thing to me in this video is the run down of the tools, because I have been having a horrid time finding a good list of the basic tools for leather working, the different options, and what they're used for.
Also learning the qualities of the leather depending on it's location on the animal
We're so glad you found it helpful!
Bjorn's an especially clear teacher, making this my favorite installment yet!
Yeah he's really fantastic!
Went looking for leatherworking videos, saw you had one, and knew what I was watching first. Great work as always.
I appreciate how this video makes this craft seem more accessible than I previously thought it was. You created something fairly complex with basic techniques.
Exactly! Most of prop and costume making is about illusion of complexity!
I've been doing leather work as a hobby for roughly 3 years now, built a big bag this year and this video still had lots of little tips in it which are super useful! Thanks so much!
Fantastic, you're so very welcome!
I always find it amazing how something that looks super complex and intimidating breaks down into just a series of fairly straightforward steps. Don't get me wrong, leather working in an art and I'm sure getting good results isn't in any way easy it's just cool to see it in an approachable way.
Pretty great, right? =D
110% agreed! Nothing I ever do with leather is magic, it is just years of trial and error coming together to figure out what to do when and how. Leathercraft turned out to be way more approachable than I had realized when I first started.
Bjorn is a natural lecturer/teacher... a very entertaining and educational video. Thanks a lot guys...
You're so very welcome!
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it and hopefully learned a thing or two!
This is probably one of the best all in one tutorials (if you don't do any stitching) you can find on youtube.
Most of the basic skills are well explained
Hey we're so glad you liked the video! Thanks for watching :)
I'll probably never have the need to do any leather working, but that didn't stop me from watching and enjoying this entire video. Gregg is a fabulous teacher, and I hope to see more collabs with him in the future. Great work!
Thank you for the kind words!
Thank you guys for this! Bjorn has some leather skills for sure. The guests you are having on the show are great!
Yay! We have some more upcoming collabs that should be super fun!
Thank you for the kind words!! I am excited to learn as much as I can over the coming years, and to share as much of that as I can!
@@bjornsworkshop9288 Well sir, i am excited to see what you learn and pass on to the rest of us. Leather work is something I have always wanted to learn, and now you and Bill have made it much easier to dive in. I've already joined you on Instagram and twitter!
Absolutely fantastic, I've been thinking of trying my hand at leather work for a very long time and had no idea where to start, watching this has just given me the push to have a go, I've learnt so much from this video, thank you both of you.
If you have any questions along the way don't hesitate to shoot me a message. Always happy to help where i can!
I work with leather a bit and I must say, this is amazing. I've seen many videos here on TH-cam about basic leatherworking, but this is porbably the best video a beginner needs. Hack... Even an advanced leatherworker might learn something new. Great job!
Thank you Errol! I'm always glad to have an opportunity to get to share some tips and tricks!
I find brown paper yard waste bags work well for making patterns... up to a pretty large size! Also, that "compass" is actually a set of "dividers." A compass has a pen or pencil on one of its legs.
Yeah I also caught that and wondered. Dividers! I use soda pop boxes for templates. I have a lot of Mountain Dew branded templates.
Hey Karl! One of the challenging things about tools is that over time they tend to gain multiple names in multiple industries. You are absolutely correct that generally speaking a compass has a pen or pencil on one leg, but the purpose of that is simply to be able to draw your circle. in leathercraft, metalworking, and several other fields, a metal point is more functional for scribing the circle and as such the dividers have been given the name compass as well. (See first sentence of the "Divider Caliper" section of the "Calipers" page on wikipedia for reference)
I'm sad Bjørn doesn't have a YT. He really have the ability to teach like a teacher should teach.
I just got interested on leather crafts and I've watch a lot of youtube videos, but this one, is the most clear and easy to follow. Other channels give you a really loooong list of "starter" supplies and it gets really confusing. Awesome video.
Fantastic!!
A compass can be used as an impromptu stitching groover along the edge of a piece of leather. Can also be used to mark the stitching hole locations as well and they would be the same distance apart.
The sheer amount of new knowledge imparted in this video is quite astonishing. Jam packed! Fantastic!
Glad you enjoyed it! Always happy to share as much insight as I can!
Good tip on the call out of the marble slab....
I learned so much! I love Bjorn's work.
Thank you friend!!!!
I have watched a lot of Leather Working Videos, you are the first to link Hot water forming and shrink/deform, Thank you! If you do form to the project, using hot water, you MAY need to re wet the leather to get the project out. This can help for projects that you really want a snug fit, like ejection port or trigger guard detail will really help with retention.
Excellent point!! Definitely one of those things that you can use to your advantage as long as you plan ahead and know what to expect
That bearded boss' beautifully buttery smooth voice is some next level radio DJ typa awesome. Respect.
Very awesome to see Bjorn on here working with ya. Very informative! Thanks for sharing
interesting thing to note when using a shoulder holster. The arm that the firearm is under should be fully raised when drawing the pistol or re-holstering, this is to avoid sweeping your own arm. Imaging you are making a wing with your fist against shoulder as you raise it.
Great insight! Thanks Will!
Thank you for putting out a video showing the correct way to work with leather. I watch a lot of cosplay and woodworking videos and end up cringing through most of it any time they get out some leather. And yes, there are many different and equally correct ways to do most of the steps, but there are even more incorrect ways to do them. The shafts on those rivets looked way too long but I've never used the ones that are nice domes on both sides and they didn't skew diagonal when you fastened them so I assume they're just different than the single sided ones, or maybe it doesn't matter as much if you have a fancy press, I've always done it the old fashioned way. I agree that the finishing is very important and really sets the piece apart from an amateur job. I like to punch holes in belts and straps before applying the antique/stain so the inside edges of the holes are dark instead of light, looks a little better to my eyes but that's more personal preference.
Oh you might want to glue a piece of thin suede/felt/foam over the back of the snaps inside so it doesn't scratch your gun with repeated use. Barge will work fine.
Thank you for the kind words! The posts on the rivets are definitely left long because of the press. It has a collar on either side that prevents any side to side shift and guarantees a straight crush. If I were using a hand setter I would definitely trim the posts.
Greg's teaching is amazing stuff. Having watched countless hours of leather working tutorials Gregg really gives out some solid tips. Some real gems wisdom too that you only learn after time.
Yes he's a truly fantastic teacher, we're so glad to be able to share this information for people!
Thank you for the kind words! I do my best to share what I've learned through trial and error so hopefully a few people can advance without having to spend quite so much time/materials figuring it all out! If you've ever got questions never hesitate to reach out and ask!
Bjornsworkshop If you add rivers to reinforce corner of pockets and places it makes the most sense do you let the stitching go into the rivet holes? So it locks the end of stitching or is the stitching ended and the river just sits against it. Any tips of how you mix stitching and rivets would be great. Thank you :)
@@FearsomeWarrior when hands stitching I will usually both start and stop lines with a 4 stitches of 3 pass (forward-backward-forward) backstitching. This locks everything into place really well and resists wear considerably better than a 2 pass (backwards-forwards) backstitch. If I included rivets I will usually use the rivet hole as a stitch hole to loop through in order to have the rivet lock the threads down. If the rivet is in the middle of a line of stitching, the stronger way is to stop the stitch with backstitching and start a new line on the other side... That said, that is also overkill for many situations. I am a huge fan of overbuilt nigh indestructible things, so make the judgement call based on how much wear and tear you think that area will get. Another noteworthy point is that rivets stand proud where stitches are usually flush or inset, so mixing some rivets can reduce outer wear on your stitch lines especially on smaller projects like sheaths
@@FearsomeWarrior sorry for the novel length post. Hope it helps. Let me know if I need to elaborate or reword anything that doesn't make sense!
So Awesome to see Bjorn on with you here. I hope he does well down in the warm south
I think he's gonna take off like some kind of leather craft rock star. =)
@@punishedprops Well with his Plague Bringer Cosplay for the Ebon Blade group, I'd say he already is a Rock Star. That mask cloak was phenomenal.
That's so true!
Y'all are making me blush... Haha! Thank you!!! Some biiiig things coming up!
carefully put a thin blade on the compass and you could use it to cut circle grooves into foam or cut circles out of paper
This might help me with some ideas for my costume. awesome video love it
Heck yeah! So happy to hear that!
Me: *about to do a project with a fair bit of leatherwork - PP Team: Here's a video on basic leatherwork....... :D :D :D
Taaah-daaah!
Bjorn is just as great on cam as he is with leather, extremely informative video and makes leatherwork a lot less intimidating and much easier to approach
Thank you for the kind words!!! One of my goals in life is to help push people to try it. It isn't nearly as scary as it may seem at first! Just gotta give it a shot!
I shit you not! I had just started researching this very topic very recently. Then BAM! Punished props releases a video that condenses all the info into one place.
Great timing!
Great time on a great video
"That leather is beefy. Pun intended." Literally laughed out loud. And I am LOVING that hexagon stamp! Now I really want to learn ALL the leather stuff! I've personally worked with Kydex, carbon fiber, Cordura, and nylon blends to make synthetic holsters but after seeing that stamp collection now I REALLY want to learn hand stamping leather.
Glad we inspired you, and made you laugh! :D
Probably the best leatherworking tutorial video I've seen! Congrats on the Prince Armory gig, they definitely make some fantastic stuff!
Thanks Noah! I'm really excited about it. Many great things to be made!!!
Awesome you are going to AP for PA. How awesome is that? Many blessed days. Turbo
It's a dream come true! Thank you for the well wishes!!!
Very informative and something I've always wanted to know more about. The fuse has been lit! Best of luck to Bjorn with his new enterprise.
We're so glad you liked the video!
So, Bjorn brought a strap end cutter with him, but you guys marked the strap ends with the dividers and cut them with the utility knife... (No judgement here. Whatever works, babe.)
Suggestions:
A) Add a modular panel to the right side, and make the right strap adjustable like the left strap, to both make the rig ambidextrous and give you a place to add another item, like a second blaster, Crocodile Dundee knife, cell phone, ammo pouch, whiskey flask, autograph book, cup holder, hand grenade, GoPro, or anything else you might think of.
2) Think about adding a vertical strap to the bottom of the modular panel, running straight down to the waist, with a snap loop on the end to wrap around your belt. This adds stability and holds the holster or other item steady while inserting and removing, and helps to prevent the shoulder straps from slipping backward on the shoulders.
D) Think about adding a non-slip lining to the shoulder straps in the areas where they go over the tops of the shoulders. This will both limit the slippage of the straps (if you happen to be wearing a slick shirt like 100% polyester), and allow you to add some soft padding to take up the weight of the blaster or other items supported by the rig.
A cuticle I think it's called it goes in between your nail and your finger when you pushed out there and clean stuff out it works as an edge finisher to and you may already have it does take some while you might be able to sharpen it and it would go faster
The compass can be used for marking equal spacing for holes.
It's so handy!
I worked with stamping leather in scouts, it was probably my favourite part of working with leather. I loved using all the different stamps to make different designs in the leather. I still have the badges that we made out of leather.
That's really fantastic. I'm looking forward to buying more stamps for my collection.
You should I once saw a big collection at a garage for $20 but didn’t buy it at the time mainly because I didn’t have the money for leather to use it on, or a vehicle to go buy leather.
Bill finally get's the real Bjorn star, Bjornsworkshop! Much love!!
bahahaha Thanks Bill!
I didn't even know I was interested in different types of leather til I started watching. LEARNED SO MUCH. Thanks Guys
Taah-daah!
So great to see my friends making something cool together! Love these guys and gal behind the camera!😊
Back at you!! Bummed we didn't get to hang out before I headed south, but hopefully we'll be able to catch up soon at a con sometime!
Bjornsworkshop I hope so!
nice video @bjornsworkshop hope the move goes well!!
Thanks Cullen! So far so good, one adventure at a time!
A little advice to those without the handstrength for the hole punch. There is a special iron out there used to punch in holes, you need a hammer for it but it works just as effective and allows you to place holes where you need them. Also for stitiching you can use an awl!
Great call! Drive punches are absolutely a great option for punching holes, and honestly the better bet if you ever plan on working on anything large. The plier punches are great for doing holes around the edges, but don't work well for something more than a couple inches in from the edge!
Thanks for naming them, my vocabularies are often limited and i couldn't think of the term on top of my head. Thanks @@bjornsworkshop9288 !
is it possible for you guys to do a video on real leather and fake leather on how workable they both are just to see which weather is better
Bjorn is actually moving to Houston to work with Prince Armory, but I'm sure he'd be more than willing to answer on his Twitch stream when he gets settled and back to his new/normal schedule. His channel is Bjorn's Workshop. From my knowledge working with both, it really depends on the application. You can do a lot with real leather, but it depends on your skill-set and experience. It's also a lot more expensive than faux leather. However, watching people like Kamui cosplay and Lightning cosplay, you can do a lot with faux leather and get a fairly convincing "real leather" look.
Excellent build video, great guest he really does a great job of explaining the how and why of the process.
Isn't he just fantastic? So much learning!
Thank you! Glad to get to share some of the stuff rattling around in the old noggin every now and again!
I NEED one of those rivet presses. I hate using a regular mallet and the cap slumps off to the side and needs removal.
Try trimming the stems of your rivets. If you have much more than 2mm sticking up, you'll have a lot of shifting issues. Some wire cutters to clip then some pliers to round out the pinch will go a long way in fixing that
That said... The press makes life SOOOO much easier. Just expensive :(
if you don't have an edge beveller yet, you can get away with a torn knife from your sewing kit (the capped double pointed thingy with the shorter point having a plastic droplet covering the tip, the longer point being blunt and the edge between the point being razor sharp). And if you want to practise your cutting techniques with that knife before you ruin the bevels of your leather, you can take that torn knife to your fingernails because they behave very similar when being cut in that way...
You can also use the dividers to give a consistent distance along the edge when doing stitching as well...
I'm going to start learning leather working next month. Have about 12 Amazon orders incoming with tools. So hype. This video paved the way :)
Fantastic!
I actually started doing traditional leatherwork a couple months ago but I haven't been able to make any cool prop / cosplay stuff yet so this is awesome!
Can't wait to see what you make!
Thanks!! I'm planning to start making commission very soon so watch this space etc :D
Furniture Refinisher in sunny Florida, thanking you for such an amazingly informative video! You both have increased my knowledge and value as a fellow maker and craftsman! Cheers!
Glad it helped! If you ever have questions about leathercraft please don't hesitate to ask! While I don't have super extensive experience with upholstery leather, I am happy to do my best to answer whatever I can!
@@bjornsworkshop9288 Absolutely have many question's! And I won't hesitate to ask, very much appreciated and wish you the absolute best!
@@BombadStickyRen I look forward to hearing them as they come up!
Can’t wait to see what new exciting build is coming out next week. It alway satisfies my building itch to watch amazing and entertaining builds.
Glad you're enjoying the videos!
This was really great. Grats on the big move Bjorn. I have been watching Prince for just a little bit and am in the process of making the knight helmet pattern they released out of foam.
You're so very welcome! Share what you make with us on Twitter: twitter.com/chinbeard
Thanks Wayne!!! Good luck with the helmet! Can't wait to see how it turns out!
Excellent tutorial with a great teacher. Very useful and interesting vid.!
Thanks so much! Gregg is great!
Thanks James! :D
This is one of the videos that pushed me down the leather rabbit hole. I have forgotten about prop making though. LOL
That's okay! It's fun to try new things!
Hands downs one of my favorite videos!
Thank you!
Bjorn is the best bear I know
❤️💪
Indubitably!!!
There were some many individual learnings in this vid! Great job.
Thank you! We learned a ton, too.
Thank you!
This was very informative. I learned a lot. I’m very new to leather crafting and still learning what tools to use and what they do. It’d be cool to have video on coloring Leather
Glad you enjoyed the video!
I liked it a lot; you did really well on your tooling which helped your finished product a lot, though I prefer to use a richer color dye. The antique leaves it really close to the natural vegetan color, which is not my favorite, though the contrast in color between the tooled leather and the natural leather that the paste provided was nice. I find that I like the warmer tones provided by Tandy's eco-flo dyes best, for how vibrant they are, especially if you use an acrylic seal on it; really makes that color pop. And the moment Bjorn pulled out his stamp kit, I started salivating. Then I got it under control, but he pulled out that rivet setter and the drool started up again. I've had one on my list for years, but I can never talk myself into the expense.
Yeah he has an impressive collection!
Yes! I needed this to get some tips on making leather boots this summer! Thank you guys for all of your awesomeness.
Is making leather boots easy or should it I have it done by someone with a decent amount of experiance?
rily8329 I’m just making them as practice for me. Learning new skills this summer.
Well good luck to you
rily8329 ha! Thanks. I’m going to need it. I have experience with leather, sculpture, sewing, and design. I will not make great boots, but they might look okay.
@@designatscale9224 I have a little bit of sewing and leather experiance. I have faith in you. Let me know how you get on. Do you post your progress anywhere?
That hexagon stamp is so nice, i was looking for one like that like a month ago, ended up just 3D printing one. works pretty good.
Really nice video on beginning leather working! Adding weighted mags to the other side would keep it from pulling the other side up into the armpit and changing the angle of the gun holster fwiw
Thanks so much for watching!
Just what I need this week. Thank you!
Very nice clear, detailed, and comprehensive presentation. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
You can use that compass as a "Eating with Chopsticks" trainer :)
You could use a compass as a makeshift caliper assuming it's a high quality compass
Dude! Thank you. I have been wanting to get into leatherworking for a minute.
You're very welcome!
if/when you decide to take the leap into leathercraft please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions! I'm here to help!
Love these long videos. Loved this. Learned a lot of new stuff
We're so glad you're enjoying them!
Hey Bjorn where did you get that metal strapcutter and your nice slick burnisher?
It took a long time to get my burnisher broken in to where it was performing well and was initially discouraged when I was a newbie because quite honestly, my burnishing looked terrible. Word of advice to anyone taking this up (including Bill), if you have a way to chuck that new burnisher into a lathe or other spinning tool, pre-burninsh it as much as you can with a handful of wood shavings or strips of canvas. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble when you put it to leather.
The strap cutter is an older Tandy Craft tool one, definitely harder to find now.
As Bacon said, they were from the 70s or 80s. Keep an eye on eBay, they pop up here and there. They are wonderful!! The edge slicker was made for me by a friend that does some lathe work. Absolutely love it.
I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO KNOW WHERE YOU FOUND THAT STRAP CUTTER!
The metal strap cutter is an old Tandy tool. They stopped selling them in the 80s or so. Keep an eye on eBay. They pop up every once in a while. 10/10 would recommend.
@@bjornsworkshop9288 cool beans man, thanks! I'll keep an eye out for one
Rubbing alcohol works great for wet-forming, too. Dries a lot faster than water.
The challenge is that rubbing alcohol will dry out the leather really badly. If you are okay with oiling the piece after shaping that may work, but oil will soften the leather so pressure fit parts (like this holster) won't hold as tightly.
@@jameshamaker9321 virtually all methods of coloring leather work by filling in pores and getting into/between the leather fibers then drying. This reduces the leathers ability to absorb water and increases its resistance to taking new shapes. Dyeing/antiquing before stamping is doable, but only very rarely beneficial to the process.
I've been thinking about doing some leather work again so the timing of this video was perfect for me. Thanks for a great one!
Hey guys,
Great video with a lot of knowledge and I thank you for that.
Anyway there is one significant mishap - any holster to be safe has to cover all trigger guard area to prevent accidental trigger squeeze - either by finger by unholstering "dynamically" or randomly by other items...
It's not a real gun so I think we'll be just fine :)
@@punishedprops This one is not, you are right. :) But people may use your lesson to create their own holsters without even realising such thing ;)
The burnishing tool looks quite useful in other areas of the house too. Like the bedroom. :3
Great video. I look forward to meeting Bjornn in Houston.
Woooot! I'm excited to be here! Planning on hitting Sherwood on the 30th!
Bees wax is used for waxing bees, right?
😂😂😂😂😂
Guess again on the marble or granite slab sink cutouts.The stone companies are asking $40--$65 for a raw cutout.
Depends on your area I guess. I've gotten a few free & my primary work slab (Double sink cutout about 14x24 inches) i paid 12 bucks for.
Oh god, will they find the murderer?! Lol loved the info, He was really Bjorn to do this, really glad to see his knowledge
I give up. What kind of revolver is that?
Very good intro to leatherworking. And it was super cool to see Bjorn!!
So glad you enjoyed it!
@@punishedprops I enjoy all your videos. Rarely comment though. But when it comes to leather and Bjorn, I wanted to say hello. Very cool intro by the way.
Thanks man!!! It was so much fun getting to film this!
@@bjornsworkshop9288 I don't know if you will, but it would be very cool to have you both at Makers Central in May!
@@RedSmithWorkshop This year I am planning on focusing all of my efforts on getting settled and skilled up with Prince Armory. Hoping to figure out a lineup of shows and events for 2020 though... Need to figure out the process for the Prince Armory shop applying/reaching out to be a guest at events like that
FYI, in Canada, Tandy Leather is THE place to go to get Barge contact cement... the BEST!
Good to know!
wow blown away makes me want to do something for a prop i have, love the art and skill of the holster thanks
Fantastic! Have fun. =)
Great video as always guys, been loving these long videos of the more in depth looks at everything.
That's so wonderful to hear!
I thought a compass was a navigational instrument and what you are talking about was normally called a pair of compasses, but which was actually a pair of dividers.
You are correct! I have heard them called dividers, compasses, a compass, wing dividers, pointy circle drawing things, and many others. I just default to what I have heard them called most often. The joys and sorrows of being self taught is that I often miss out on technical terms.
This turned out so good. And looks like a good way to start leatherworking too!
Thanks so much!
The tool that Gregg called an "edge beveler". Is that what we in The U.K. would call a "skiving tool", or am I mixing my tools up?
I can't speak for UK terminology, but skiving is usually done with a flat blade (or a flat blade held into a curve if using one of the Tandy skivers) to thin the leather at the edges. The edge beveller just rounds off the corners a bit to make the edges a bit softer when handled
@@bjornsworkshop9288 . Many thanks. I gather that it was just me mixing things up again, due to my severe impressedness. (That means great work, and I'm just a twit).
@@AB-ku4my my pleasure!!! Just glad to have the opportunity to share a bit of knowledge and hopefully teach a thing or two!!
When Bill says 'if you weren't born in the 80's, you probably won't know this' and I was literally just like "dunununu nunu nunu can't touch this" right after he said "Stop Hammer time" and i'm born in the late 90's
I've just started this journey into leather work, been doing it for about six months or so now, and this has been quite the useful video. I do have some questions though, mostly in regards to a project that I have in the works. I've got a fabric pattern for a long duster style coat that I'd like to make in leather to replicate a prop from a show and have been trying to find tools for translating fabric yards into square feet for leather, and have had mixed results. Any tips on that would be greatly appreciated. That holster looks pretty darn amazing by the way, now I'm gonna need to find a kit for the blade runner blaster just to build one. Oh, yes...one more question, that aluminum strap cutter, is that one that was purchased somewhere or was it made custom?
You can purchase a strap cutter from most leather vendors - we have one linked in the description of the video! As to your question about yards to square footage, you just have to do the math. You only need to worry about making sure you have enough material to transfer your patterns. Fabric bolts typically have a set width like 56". You can take that combined with the estimated yardage you'll need and get a rough square foot estimate for leather.
thanks! I'm going to be getting a whole bunch of stuff over the next few months from a place called springfield leather, they're really good folks there with some darn good prices and leather. got a project lined up for a friend that'll have to come well before that coat gets anywhere near to being ready. still need to figure out which version I'm doing and where to get the quilted lining for the one version, since that's important for the look of it.
Nice! I like what Prince Armory makes, so it's nice to see them mentioned here.
Their work is so incredible!
@@punishedprops it is pretty epic, especially the Star Wars helmets...... wait, does that make it a..... Lord Helmet by default?
I found the statement about suede not being the best load bearing material interesting, as I had noticed at one time that John Wayne's gun belts were usually suede. And they were rarely the drop loop Hollywood style, they were usually the more practical higher riding belt loop style.
It's possible they were made of a different material with suede on the outside to make them look the part. Suede is usually pretty thin and soft, which is why it's not great for weight-bearing projects.
@@punishedprops I took a look at one of the pictures of the rig and it looks like the suede was folded over and sewn at the bottom, so they probably has something a bit stiffer inside the fold. Thanks for the reply.
I know this reply is late to the party, and I apologize for that, but I just wanted to weigh in here. A lot of quick draw rigs are built with the flesh (rough) side of the leather facing towards the body so that the belt/holster will grip the body and allow for less movement of the rig to help the gun clear the holster faster. My guess is that John Wayne's belt was probably a layer of stiffer veg tan wrapped in suede for a combination of aesthetic and quick-draw functionality.
Great job! I love when sb is going to exploring a bit more than his core area. Using other materials eg leather, wood, metal and maybe even stones you could create awesome things far much better than anybody can create from only one material.
Thanks so much for watching!
Know I'm a year late to this project but as someone who is starting to with leather I have no hand strength for the punch. It makes punching holes into a belt hard. As in I just threw my weight onto it.
It definitely takes some oomph. You may find using the traditional punch and a hammer may work better for you until you build up your strength.
@@punishedprops And if that still gives you trouble, or you don't have a drive punch handy... you can always grab a drill! It may not be the "Authentic" way to do it, but it sure as heck works!
I'm looking to Foil Emboss a (fake) leather iPad case. What are some affordable tools I can use to do this? A previous video I watched said you can use letter stamps, heat them to about 200 degrees, and them stamp it through the foil. Is this the best method that won't break the bank?
I have seen and heard of people using regular letter stamps to pretty decent effect, but most of the people I have talked to about it say it is a pain in the ass and takes some trial and error to get right. If you give it a whack I hope it goes well and would love to see your results!
The bees wax is also for waterproofing the thread
This is a great video. Yet another skill I want to try yet cannot afford.