Excellent tips. I used to go into the local saddler after school as the bus took over half an hour to arrive as it was a service bus. He had me doing halters for cows, horses and I would make a few before the bus came, then he started to trust me with leather making bits for saddles and sturips etc. It was a disaster when I had to go to another school as it was a school bus and I missed dropping in past his shop with the small of leather, rope and some other things he worked with. I think I might have ended up working with leather and making sadles if I had not changed schools. He died a few years back, but he has a display and a video runs in Glasgow showing some of his work. He said back then that he couldn't get quality buckles, they were either to big or the tongues were to long and to soft and would bend. I remember (don't remember to much of what we did now) but he trusted me to sew leather round a ball for a gear know and stearing wheel, all stitched in a special way with two needles from each side. He left these two items for me to work on each night. When I finished it I was so proud of the work I did. He closely suppervised me while I was doing it. I think if I had asked, he might have gave me a job, though he always said to me that you never finish learning doing this. When the gear know and the stearing wheel was finished the owner came to pick them up when i was there after school. The owner turned out to be the local land owner and a big whisky share holder and owner. He was very impressed when the sadler told him I had done it in my own time. I got a run home in a Rolls Royce that night, though the gear know and the stearing wheel was for another car that I never saw. I was told it was for his own personal car that he took joy in. The landowner said to the sadler "A new apprentice Charles?" When I left school we moved to another area, we might not have moved if I had asked him if he needed someone. It might have set me up for working on my own, but it was not to be. Shame, he was a bit of a slave driver, but a sense of houmor that I found funny, but he had a way of showing me how to do things. When you are young, you just don't think "I could do this all my life" but I had other deas back then and never persued it. I used to enjoy the hald hour I spent with him, mostly making small things and bridals etc. Horses were not all that strong up here back then, but it kept him going. Now there is a demand for hand made personilised sadles. A missed opertunity I think for me. I digress, an excellent vidoe and some good tips. All of them I have forgotten! Thank you for another great video.
Wow..thanks that is a lovely recollection of yours, thanks very much for sharing it. Perhaps you should go back to doing a little leatherwork for friends! Best regards Harry
Good show Mr. Rogers. Very useful tips. You are so correct "it is all in the detail". This applies to all crafts whether leather, wood, iron or whatever. Detailed workmanship demonstrates respect for the material and effort of production and the honesty of the craftsman. Shoddy workmanship is not only dishonest to the project it is a lie to the craftsman's own self. My Daddy, who has passed, told me: "If you ain't gonna do it right, don't do it. Find something else to do." Thank you!
Yes, but as craftsmen/women we are not making the 100's, 1.000's like a China product so some notice of hand made one may see a slight "imperfection". A stitch a bit off or other. As I cut by hand and have a Die Press, those products are spot on straight.
@@RAMPHD Yes, all unique pieces of work. If I had a workshop and the tools and could remember how to do some leather work, I would spend hours making things. It is the smell of the leather i love and seeing something that is hand made finnished. Way back then I had the patience to sit and make things. It is lacking a lot these days though. I love seeing a master craftsman/woman at work. If I bump into one I will watch for hours, it drives the wife nuts!
Excellent tip on the length of the skiving! I have always skived the back end tip to fit smooth but more is better as the gradual taper makes sense. Thank you for sharing all the good tips! Richard, RAM Leatherwork
Really nice that you share your knowledge like this. I pretty much all what U do, but I did not polish my hammers. I will now cuz I do know that the more detail we use the happier our customers are. It shows pride in ourselves and appretiation to the people who spend good earned money on our products. GREAT VIDEO MR ROGERS. Hi from Montana, Ron D.
Hello, Mr. Harry, I would like some advice from you. What should I put as a padding for a waxed men’s belt? I want a cheap padding. What do you advise me to do? Greetings to you,🌹🌹
Thanks for the tips, Harry. I found all ten of them useful. I love those copper rivets. When I use them for belts I insert them from the bottom, with the washer and the dubbed-over part facing up. That way, I figure, there is less chance of the rougher part of the rivet doing damage to the trousers waistband. I'm wondering if you have a reason for doing it just the opposite. Keep the great films coming!
Thanks for the excellent video @Harry Rogers. Do you wet the back side where it bends before you put the buckle in, to help when you manipulate the leather around? It looks like that at 12:37.
Harry, have you thought of trying a Bissonnette Edge Beveler instead of the clickers knife for those slotted holes? Much safer for your fingers and produces a similar affect.
Metropolitan are fortunate in their ambassador! Could those rivet heads be loaded in batches into a simple drilled wooden holder for polishing? Might be quicker and easier on the fingers.
I use different sizes depending on the thickness of the leather and buckle parts...a Dixon 23 equivalent for the punch is a good starting point and a 39 for the crew...but I use several different sizes.
A wonderful video as always Harry...I have a question... over the years I have bought leather belts that I really like... however they would stretch over time... how would I know what leather would not stretch... just asking the pro....thx again... John..
Hi John - A good bridle leather should not stretch significantly....a lot of high street belts are minced up leather glued to canvas backing and they certainly do stretch!
Depends also on the cut of the leather used. A piece from near the belly will stretch more than one cut from near the beasts spine. Similarly belts cut across a shoulder tend to stretch more than those cut along a butt, side or back. It’s all about grain. But nobody on the high street is going to tell you that.
Hi John..If you are refering to my belts there is a measuring diagram with each listing to show the exact length from buckle tip to the middle adjustment hole so you can check against an existing belt. Regards Harry
![[TH] VALORANT Champions Seoul - Grand Final - EDG vs TH](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WvObMc9VelI/mqdefault.jpg)
Another great video Harry. Thank you!
Harry, you are a class above. Thanks for the guidance.
Excellent tips. I used to go into the local saddler after school as the bus took over half an hour to arrive as it was a service bus. He had me doing halters for cows, horses and I would make a few before the bus came, then he started to trust me with leather making bits for saddles and sturips etc. It was a disaster when I had to go to another school as it was a school bus and I missed dropping in past his shop with the small of leather, rope and some other things he worked with. I think I might have ended up working with leather and making sadles if I had not changed schools. He died a few years back, but he has a display and a video runs in Glasgow showing some of his work. He said back then that he couldn't get quality buckles, they were either to big or the tongues were to long and to soft and would bend. I remember (don't remember to much of what we did now) but he trusted me to sew leather round a ball for a gear know and stearing wheel, all stitched in a special way with two needles from each side. He left these two items for me to work on each night. When I finished it I was so proud of the work I did. He closely suppervised me while I was doing it. I think if I had asked, he might have gave me a job, though he always said to me that you never finish learning doing this. When the gear know and the stearing wheel was finished the owner came to pick them up when i was there after school. The owner turned out to be the local land owner and a big whisky share holder and owner. He was very impressed when the sadler told him I had done it in my own time. I got a run home in a Rolls Royce that night, though the gear know and the stearing wheel was for another car that I never saw. I was told it was for his own personal car that he took joy in.
The landowner said to the sadler "A new apprentice Charles?" When I left school we moved to another area, we might not have moved if I had asked him if he needed someone. It might have set me up for working on my own, but it was not to be. Shame, he was a bit of a slave driver, but a sense of houmor that I found funny, but he had a way of showing me how to do things. When you are young, you just don't think "I could do this all my life" but I had other deas back then and never persued it.
I used to enjoy the hald hour I spent with him, mostly making small things and bridals etc. Horses were not all that strong up here back then, but it kept him going. Now there is a demand for hand made personilised sadles. A missed opertunity I think for me.
I digress, an excellent vidoe and some good tips. All of them I have forgotten! Thank you for another great video.
Wow..thanks that is a lovely recollection of yours, thanks very much for sharing it. Perhaps you should go back to doing a little leatherwork for friends! Best regards Harry
Good show Mr. Rogers. Very useful tips. You are so correct "it is all in the detail". This applies to all crafts whether leather, wood, iron or whatever. Detailed workmanship demonstrates respect for the material and effort of production and the honesty of the craftsman. Shoddy workmanship is not only dishonest to the project it is a lie to the craftsman's own self. My Daddy, who has passed, told me: "If you ain't gonna do it right, don't do it. Find something else to do." Thank you!
Well put Gerard...Thanks.
Yes, but as craftsmen/women we are not making the 100's, 1.000's like a China product so some notice of hand made one may see a slight "imperfection". A stitch a bit off or other.
As I cut by hand and have a Die Press, those products are spot on straight.
@@RAMPHD Yes, all unique pieces of work. If I had a workshop and the tools and could remember how to do some leather work, I would spend hours making things. It is the smell of the leather i love and seeing something that is hand made finnished. Way back then I had the patience to sit and make things. It is lacking a lot these days though. I love seeing a master craftsman/woman at work. If I bump into one I will watch for hours, it drives the wife nuts!
i have not watched a lot of your videos yet, but what I have watched have been very infornative and very entertaining. Thank-you.
Excellent tip on the length of the skiving! I have always skived the back end tip to fit smooth but more is better as the gradual taper makes sense. Thank you for sharing all the good tips! Richard, RAM Leatherwork
I love your attention to details, it's what makes your work such high quality
I admit I'm not a leather worker but it goes to show how much difference the details make!
It's a lovely way to start off Spring with a nice video from Mr. Harry Rogers. *starts polishing peening hammer* Thank so very much!
What great tips. Been doing hobby leatherwork and learning lots so these types of videos are great
Always very informative and enjoyable videos. Thank you!
Really nice that you share your knowledge like this.
I pretty much all what U do, but I did not polish my hammers. I will now cuz I do know that the more detail we use the happier our customers are. It shows pride in ourselves and appretiation to the people who spend good earned money on our products.
GREAT VIDEO MR ROGERS.
Hi from Montana, Ron D.
Hi Ron and thanks.
A brilliant video - I'll definitely use your buckle setting tips!
Top tips, thanks Harry x
A timely şey of tips as I begin to get back into some belt making. Ill be sure to check out metropolitan leather too, thanks Harry!
Great...Thanks.
Thanks for sharing your techniques! I am just starting out and need all the help I can get.
Hi Harry great tips, thanks for sharing, I learned a lot.
alright H not seen you in ages ,i liked watching youre videos ,not just the leather ones but the wood working videos,atb from glasgow
Great video thanks!. Some great tips, your 29k video helped me out a great deal too thanks Harry.
Very helpful vid, thank you for sharing your knowledge! 👍🏼👍🏼
I really love your inspiring video's!
Thank you so much!
For tip number 8, recessing the inside of a buckle tongue slot, you can do the same thing with an edge beveller
Hello, Mr. Harry, I would like some advice from you. What should I put as a padding for a waxed men’s belt? I want a cheap padding. What do you advise me to do? Greetings to you,🌹🌹
Thanks for the tips, Harry. I found all ten of them useful. I love those copper rivets. When I use them for belts I insert them from the bottom, with the washer and the dubbed-over part facing up. That way, I figure, there is less chance of the rougher part of the rivet doing damage to the trousers waistband. I'm wondering if you have a reason for doing it just the opposite. Keep the great films coming!
Hi Joe...I always run my finger over them to make sure they are smooth...I guess it's personal preference upsidevir downside. Rgds Harry
Good!
Lord of love for you.😍😍😍😍😍
Nice work. Thanks for sharing.
great tips, thanks for .your video I really enjoyed
Thanks for the excellent video @Harry Rogers. Do you wet the back side where it bends before you put the buckle in, to help when you manipulate the leather around? It looks like that at 12:37.
Yes that's right Will, the water makes it bend without cracking.
Harry, what ounce of leather do you use. Thanks.
Harry, have you thought of trying a Bissonnette Edge Beveler instead of the clickers knife for those slotted holes? Much safer for your fingers and produces a similar affect.
Thanks James, sounds a very good idea.
Metropolitan are fortunate in their ambassador!
Could those rivet heads be loaded in batches into a simple drilled wooden holder for polishing? Might be quicker and easier on the fingers.
Thanks and good idea!
Where do you get your UK Oak Bark Tanned leather? I can't find it on Metropolitan.
I liked your video I really enjoyed
Thanks very much
Great tips Harry, what size are the oval punch and the crew punch that you use?
I use different sizes depending on the thickness of the leather and buckle parts...a Dixon 23 equivalent for the punch is a good starting point and a 39 for the crew...but I use several different sizes.
Hi Harry Great job very professional. Interested in what you would charge for a belt. I am in the USA
Please see my website Bucklehurstleather...Thanks. Harry
A wonderful video as always Harry...I have a question... over the years I have bought leather belts that I really like... however they would stretch over time... how would I know what leather would not stretch... just asking the pro....thx again... John..
Hi John - A good bridle leather should not stretch significantly....a lot of high street belts are minced up leather glued to canvas backing and they certainly do stretch!
@@harryrogers thx Harry.. so I need to look closer and see if there is two layers of leather...or a backer of sort...
Depends also on the cut of the leather used. A piece from near the belly will stretch more than one cut from near the beasts spine. Similarly belts cut across a shoulder tend to stretch more than those cut along a butt, side or back. It’s all about grain. But nobody on the high street is going to tell you that.
👍
Harry - I've have a basic question. Say your buying a 36" belt, what hole lines up with the clasp (pin)? The hone in the middle?
Hi John..If you are refering to my belts there is a measuring diagram with each listing to show the exact length from buckle tip to the middle adjustment hole so you can check against an existing belt. Regards Harry
@@harryrogers
hi
What weight leather do you request when you purchase your Bridle Backs
It depends but most are either 3.5 or 4.5mm
@@harryrogers response is much appreciated thank you. Love your videos
👍😉
Amazing we shall link you with our government to develop our beautiful leather in Uganda eastafrica
Greats tips but please bolt your burnisher down...that is an accident waiting to happen...It's never IF but WHEN it will happen.bolt it down be safe.
Yes fair point, I am setting a bad example.
I can't afford a bench top skiving machine, so I skive the back of my belts with a razor plane. Find one via Google.