Leathercraft Mistakes and How to Fix Them
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
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Leathercraft Mistakes and How to Fix Them
There are a lot of mistakes to be made in starting a leather business - not just the craft type! We talk through the biggest mistakes we made in starting up our leather craft business, how we fixed them, and how we'd do them differently a second time if we had the chance. Happy crafting :)
Listen to the man. When my birth parents died I had a complete, brutal breakdown. I had to accept I couldn’t push through burnout for another 18 years.
I realized I hadn’t had a vacation since I started working. 40 years without a vacation.
I changed my life after that, starting with two days off a week.
This vid has reminded me to set goals, and to slow down and appreciate milestones.
Thanks, dude and dudessa.
I've been loving these business oriented videos. As a person who's on the cusp of launching his own leather business after years of being inspired by you're work, the timing is perfect.
The reason these videos have gotten such great response is because your message and delivery are fantastic. I have watched countless videos and attended seminars put on by professional business consultants whose message was nowhere near as polished, understandable, and actionable. The things you are talking about apply to ANY entrepreneurial activity, not just this craft that we all love. Write a book, man. This is excellent.
Amazing advice. Learning from mistakes is important, but learning from others mistakes is a gift. Thanks for the info.
this is the most realistic expectations type of video i've seen from the craft and i love it! no pandering saying stuff like "do this to gain more buyers" or "all you gotta do is market to succeed" but more of a realistic approach like setting good work and home life balance and reminding yourself that while you may be an artist/craftsman you still have a business to run. This video helps out a lot.
There is no account for the wisdom in this video. Very impressive and well done. Congratulations on being able to work your passion.
You have no idea how pertinent this was to my immediate situation... wow, thanks for saying everything ive been thinking, love these business-side videos!
Good solid advice for many entrepreneurs and small business owners. That being said there is a special sauce that comes from letting your business consume your life....for a little while. Knowing when to balance that is the magic.
Absolutely! There's a true magic to letting yourself follow an all-consuming thought strand that turns into a big project. It's a big part of both Kayleena and my process. But you have to keep to it a week or two, maybe a month - not years at a time :)
That first tip is absolute gold, about having creative freedom
So, yeah, a lot of good points. One thing I 'd add is a lot of folks are thinking that the primary deal is being the maker, and the secondary deal is being the business. No. No, nope, uh-uh. Unless you have some basic grasp of how businesses work, you are doomed to fail. Doing this (or any art or craft) as a hobby/side gig is one thing; you aren't depending on it, as you say. Once you become a full on business, things change rapidly. I'm sure that everyone has heard the saying of the person who loves what they do never goes to work a day in their life. Let me tell you a secret though: one of the best way to hate a hobby is to try and make a business out of it. Something you enjoy doing casually is not necessarily something you'll enjoy doing for a living. You need to be very passionate about the craft, but you need to have a real desire to run a business. And let me tell you, as a former self-employed business owner, the biggest dick you will ever have for a boss is you. That boss will never let up on you, they'll make you work hurt, sick, nights, weekends, holidays, and long hours without breaks or meals. The boss pays pennies and benefits are thin on the ground. Understand I'm not discouraging people wanting to try, but like you, I'm trying to make sure people understand what they are letting themselves in for. It's not easy, it's rarely fun, and if you do it wrong the specter of failure is always hanging around just outside your range of vision. So just be aware people, it can be very rewarding, but it's not going to be easy and success isn't going to happen overnight.
As someone who has been learning different skills required to try and make a leather business that i plan to expand to more things these have been very helpful thank you very much for sharing your experience with all of us and i hope you continue to do so
That shell 😍 That's one of my goals, to develop my skills/make enough so that i can try out cordovan.
I love that you put so much emphasis on mental health and building your life around your business. American hustle culture is not it!
Love the video! I remember years ago making things out of the legendary red patent that Weaver used to sell and dunking them in the black dye bath to get the most interesting red.
This was an amazingly helpful video its really nice to have someone who's already done these things speak so candidly about the good and bad and help us newer crafters who are working our way up to having our own leather business
Don't think we don't still love the project videos, but these are great and inspiring. Wish I could give it more than 1 👍
What an clear and honest video you guys made, I'm a beginner at leather crafting I am sewing my first wet mold compass pouch as I watched your video, was inspiring to hear your honesty in sharing all those ups and downs specially those personal issues with panic attacks,and for all of that I thank you!
true i learn alot from this guy.
I know this was posted a while ago but this is an excellent video. This didn’t feel like information given to me by some random person I’ve never met online- This felt like a very personal and close friend who’s been there done that, and is trying to give me the best advice and support he can before I try and do it myself. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Thank you for your inside on the business point of view. You are an inspiration. I have been doing leather craft as a parttime job and work a regular job, I just retired after work for 30 years and I still improving on my leather craft thanks to and some other who really career about other so once again thank you for your advice. I wish you more and happy success in your business and career.
please continue your videos they are very helpful.
Well....I never seen such a masterpiece of Cordovan leather. Absolutely gorgeous. Would love to have one.
I am looking into getting a business started that will help me retire earlier. Leather working is part of it. Your take on never using debt unless you need to and how to avoid it is so reinforcing to my view on how to do that is helpful. Thank you
The "E Myth" is so well worth the time!
Corter, your absolutely right, making something someone else has made or what you think sells and is not specific to you and your brand it will be a run to the bottom price. Plus starting your leather business while still working until you get the hang of everything, bringing up quality and making pretty good money running at part time, paying for tools, extra on hand leather and then when your brand is out there and return customers are happy and buying more. Then thats a good time to start without getting a loan. I did mine the same way you did slowly and without debt. Also IMO hand made does not mean you cannot use dyes, sewing machine I draw the line. When I was active in the business I always made things others did not, very specific to my brand and top quality. Don't forget to mention to details and quality, ie. hand-stitching vs machine stitch. Plus enjoying your craft is the most important. Also I did not mean to bust your balls too bad on the last money making video, I was just saying on the $100 per hour takes a little time . But you are a great leathersmith, very smart and have a great business, take care and keep on sewing.
The type of leather-craft matters very much as well. When your a leather tooler it changes the game for any of this advice.
I love your project videos! Please keep those coming. That being said, I also appreciate your mixing in some business discussions along the way. I am at the hobby level, but I would like my hobby to pay for itself and maybe a little more. Thanks for what you do!
This makes more sense than what most business savvy people say
I am loving your business videos as what your talking about relates to other hoboes besides leather as well. I love that you don’t recommend quitting a day job right away, so much advise out there is just fluffy follow your dream and it will all work out.. your providing a very valuable perspective.
Thank you for this. I really needed this today.
Awesome video. Really appreciate connecting with someone else suffering from anxiety issues in the craft as well.
I find your videos very poignant and helpful every time.
Also, very interested in those stitching chisels and you're a madlad for the shell wallets.
Absolutely, incredibly awesome thing to do.
Thank you for the insight. I plan to start slow and hope to build up a clientele to supplement my retirement. Thanks again!
Excellent knowledge man! I honesty didn't realize you're so young! Good for you!
Wish I had this video 10 years ago. Good advice here!
This has been so informative! I've had a hard time trying to price my pieces, and I have been seriously undervaluing my work. I have not taken out a loan, and have been building from the ground up. So at least I'm doing something right. Thank you for making your videos, and that new leather looks amazing!!
I usually never comment on a video because generally I feel the folks I subscribe to never really look at the comments. However, I feel the desire the comment here. I don't know the name of the people at Corter Leather but I wanted to tell you this video was so informative. I actually am watching it again and taking notes in Evernote. I have been involved in various businesses over my 63 years of life and now that I am retired I started trying my hand with leather work and found not only is it therapeutical but I enjoy doing it immensely. Kudos to Corter Leather because as a former business owner your suggestions are spot on.
Changing gears, I have a set of the Weaver stitching chisels and I was wondering what makes Corter's chisels unique that leather crafters would want to get a set of these. Sorry for the long comment :)
I don't know why my name didn't show up because it always has in the past but my name is Aaron and just now had to go to my channel and edit it :)
This is the exact video I needed right now, thank you
Brilliant content. I watch your leather making videos to learn and as asmr. But this type of video can be applied to all aspects of my life. Kudos.
i also absoltely love these videos, im in the process of building my business up right now
Happy youre talking in your vids now. Nice turtle.
This is a fantastic Series. It should be annual - Right after Bagtober its Bizember, leading up to Head Down December, January, February, and MINIVAN MARCH.
this is some great value points
Leatherworking is firmly a hobby for me, but this kind of video is relevant to my day job, too. Really appreciate this kind of content.
I'm finding important lessons here as a jeweler.
Great information Eric. Very much appreciated.
my wife and i are working on different home business ideas but this was very helpful nonetheless, thank you. 👍✌🖖
Thank you
This was extremely informative, thank you!
Would you do a video on how to go about designing the pattern for a clicker die.
Great sharing, great message and best 30 minutes of my time spent.
Hope I will be able to start something in 4 years time. Something means to have a brand started, stock product lines up and being able to start selling.
Since you have been in business for 15 years (congratulations) , can you do a video on health issues related to doing hand made leather items and how to avoid them for those newer to the craft? Carpal tunnel comes to mind, watching the older leather Crafters one sees (say doing leather work for 30, 40 plus years. May sound simple, but not always obvious. Thanks for considering. Love the videos; you give so much info.
Not me researching leather working while at my day-job
I missed the leather craft mistakes and how to fix them...But as a 55 year old person I guess some people could use the life lessons. Please change the title of the video though.
He's referring to the actual craft (business) of making leather goods, not how to fix mistakes in projects.
Good for you man! You guys are my favorite. Awesome stuff you have worked for it
Thank you for the advice.
Nest step is a TED Talk!
Nice watch!
Good stuff brother
Thanks for the advice. The goals one I think is a very important one. I just wanted to work leather in my retirement to have something to do. But I've been getting into more of the artistic end then the wallet making type stuff. If i can make some money at it fantastic. But i just want to be creative
These are fascinating videos. I've just gotten interested in leatherwork (especially the tooling aspects) to elevate what I already do with chainmaille. I've had people tell me I should make things to sell but it's such a daunting idea. This information will be super helpful once I bring my leather and chainmaille together.
A question I always wonder about is how do you value your more custom items? How do you determine at what price you are comfortable selling? You are pretty much always going to make a loss on custom pieces because to sell it for even the hours you've put in could very put it beyond a price people are willing to pay. In that situation do you just say well if it sells it sells and if it doesn't it doesn't? Or do you find you have to take a loss in terms of cost of time to sell some items?
Great video. Thanks.
How were you able to acquire those ground floor contracts which helped sustain you?
I need to try a set of those chisels. Can I trade the big one for a single diamond punch,&2prong,then 4? 4 is about as big as I go. Breakage and all
there are a lot of customers who love the imperfections on leather work. and it's precisely why machinery don't really work.
Don't really work for whose who love these imperfections. In other case it works great.
This is great!! Any advice on setting prices? Using the key chain example, you with your brand behind you could sell it for 10 dollars, not sure me with no brand yet, at the local market could maybe get 5. Thanks again.
You are wonderful for talking about this. During the pandemic, I started a bicycle repair business and slowly invested in more tools and spare parts to make my throughput higher and faster... Thank you.
Hi! First of all, thank you for your videos, it's great content and very valable advice! Like many other viewer I really enjoyed your recent videos which are more "business oriented" and I would love to get your insight on the following topics (apologies if my english is not accurate, it's not my first language) :
1. How do you "test" a market? When leathercrafting is a hobby that you want to turn into a side hussle, you can't make a lot of stock, and you are more likely to sell "unique pieces" as you go and make them. What would be your advice here? Maybe try and get in contact with some company that could by a batch as "goodies"? But then you can't really test if your "creative" products are catching attention from the public?
2. What would be your advice on distribution network for beginner? I feel like it's really hard to get "visible", so should one just try to gifting to friends and waiting for friends of friends to notice and so on? Or maybe Etsy or subreddit such as r/leatherclassifieds? I'd love to get your opinion on this topic
3. How would you price your items when you start selling? I know you've already covered the topic on a dedicated video but I feel that it is different at first, because I've made the math, and if I wanted to sell at a fair price considering all my expenses (raw material, time spent on the craft, bills, rent etc...), it would be very hard since I don't have a reputation yet : no catalogue, no stock, no reviews, no distribution network. And it seems fair to me that a potential buyer would want to ensure that the item he's buying is worth its price, but he'd have no way to check that. On the other hand, selling low because I still have a day job would not be fair to other crafters trying to make a living.
4. If you feel comfortable with it, it would be very interesting to know how your income is split between sales, sponsoring, videos, and maybe other activities. I mean just an overall pictures, no need to get into details but knowing how it is and maybe how it have evolved along the past few years would be very very interesting!
Thank you for reading and thanks again to you both for your videos!
Cheers
Excellent video! Really puts things into perspective. I have a panic attacks and anxiety as well. The idea of working from home and crafting things is very enticing. Would you say that leathercraft work in general is good for someone who has panic attacks or anxiety?
This came at the perfect time for me, wishing and praying to escape my full time job and make leathercraft my career to support my family. Remaining humble in the beginning and focusing on small goals while having consistent income is where I’m at now, and hearing you mention the creative freedom that this brings hit home. Super excited and proud of y’all for the chisels and Rocado shell collab! Best wishes as always,
-Kenny of Son’s Moon Leather
Who makes your dye thanks don
What's the name of that press
Thanks for the vids! I'm a knifemaker myself always drooling at the dream of quitting my day job haha. If I wanted to get into wallet making, is that a market where inventory is key, or is more about building a brand and fulfilling orders? I never pre-produce my knives because they're all custom ordered, so I've never really had an issue with investing in tooling and materials because i always goes to good use. However if I go invest in a few good sides and maybe even a clicker press with dies, will wallets sell in today's market from an unknown leather maker, or will it take me years to get them to move?
"Fast nickles beat slow dimes"
This is my hobby, my morning job has been costing and pricing.
The deadly, suicidal mistake that I keep seeing leatherworkers make, time and again, is calculating the cost to make an item and then adding a margin to come up with a price.
Nope. Nothing can drive you out of business faster than that, you're either going to leave money on the table, or you're gonna price yourself out of the market.
What you should do is the opposite: First find the price that people actually pay for something like your product, check Etsy, check online shops, check your local shops, ask your wife, check as many sources as you can find. Soon a predominant market price will start to take shape in your mind. And that is your price, not a cent more or less. Only once you have found that price you should THEN calculate your cost. And If your product leaves you 0% margin, don't make it at all. If it leaves you 90% margin, so much the better. There's nothing unethical about making 90% margin on a product, trust me you'll need that money, getting a small business off the ground is tough (and to be honest, statistics say that they usually fail. I'm sure at least partly they fail due to pricing mistakes, among other things).
And most importantly: understand your product. A wallet made by me in my back yard is absolutely not the same product as the exact same wallet made by Hermes, even if they are identical, and it is not the same product as the exact same wallet made by Corter Leather. Three different products, three different prices. Your product is not what you're holding in your hands when you're finished stitching, but it's everything: your face, your logo, your apron, your beard, your locations, your name, your packaging, your website, your youtube videos, everything. For the same wallet people are willing to pay different prices based on those things, so keep that in mind when you're comparing market prices to your own.
Whether you're selling mobile phones, fighter jets of potato chips, it's always the same: Fist you figure out the price and then figure out the cost. If the iphone price was based on the cost it would be $300, but it's not.
Burnout is such a real thing and can kill any 🔥
A saying comes to mind. "A fast nickel is better than a slow dime." Something like that.
Истины прописные. Разговорный жанр очень развит. Мог бы попробовать себя в амплуа конфераньсе...😆
I wish i could view the video and hear it, but i can't do either
Why didn't I watch this 6 months ago? Oooof.
like any craft it hard to make money in it
Nice Sekio watch! 6105?
It's a custom piece I had made for our 15th anniversary based around a 6105, yep! I have a real one too but this one's a bit more robust to wear around the shop :)
No offense but there are way better stitching chisels out there for similar prices. Really nice though.
👍👍👍
👍👍👍
I have been watching u long before you have a voice in your vid..and make me sometimes wondering your gender😂. And also make me thinking that this person has a gold voice.. now i know im thinking the right thing. Well said.
I really do love your channel but 900 dollar in materials? Maybe 200-300... and for you to sell it at 8000 dollars. Even 3000 dollars is way to much. You just made up your mind right there at the spot. You could maybe sell it for 1250-1500 dollars if you are lucky and that would take a good while. Be realistic.. you are not a world famous brand with a luxury marketing neither are you a world famous single person atelier. You probably earn more from youtube than sellin leather items tbh.
It's 3 full shells of cordovan and a full hide of shinki glazed veg tan - actually over $900 in materials. So while I did say in the video I'm not of any mind I'll sell the bag at a true profit, or even at a $50/hr labor rate, the material cost is objective. I wasn't making up how much the leather cost.
Brilliant content. I watch your leather making videos to learn and as asmr. But this type of video can be applied to all aspects of my life. Kudos.
Thank you
I started leathercraft as a hobby after retirement. It filled a void and allowed me to relax and be creative. Your advice on starting a business is great but also fantastic advice for any career and for life. Thank you for being so open and willing to share your mistakes and successes! I wish you continued success and I'll keep watching!
I've got 5 more years till retirement and can't wait to go full time
Great job explaining passion projects VS profit projects
I am 78 years old and just recently got into leather work as a way too enjoy my days of retirement. I bought way more tools than I really needed too get started but It did not break the bank as far as tools go. I only use hand tools for everything and I watched your videos on hand stitching since then I no longer use my stitching pony at all. I find it more comfortable to sit back and just hand sew leather. Thanks for your help. Great videos.
Very informative video. Thanks for making this. I have to do both to make it. Amd working with leather is a passion I have.
-zone34 here😉🤠🙋🏻♀️
Please yall stop telling people all we need is some stitching chisels and a mallet! LOL How about What do you want to make? Get the tools NEEDED to make that ... That would be wise advice because lot of us go to the grocery store and we don't get all the ingredients we need to make 1 meal let alone 1 wk worth of meals.. Same goes for shopping for clothes Buy what you need to make one complete outfit ...
Same is true with leather work... I catch myself getting excited about this project or that project and then i have to remind myself what I'm building presently and to. stick to that for now LOL.
Holy whack. Thank you for this information. I was wondering how to quantify certain decisions, and then I stumbled across this video?
See and this is why I could never open the stuff I craft up to a broader audience, trying to make a buck. Right now I have a steady income from a normal job and as a form of calming myself down and keep me busy, I have leathercraft. I sell one piece a month, sometimes two months, because that's how long I take to finish it. I put love into every cut, stitch and finish and that only when my mood aligns with the work I'm doing. I take pride in it too. I love that every piece has small failures that show that it's been done by a human, not a machine. I work with a natural ressource, with my natural hands, using natural tools and making natural mistakes. That's why each piece is unique. I could never set aside everything of that, just so I could make a living out of it. If I start a product, it's because I loved every second of what I've created. I'm not born to be a salesman. That's for sure 😛
Totally NOT what i was looking for in mistakes with leather!😠
Thank you so much. When ever you can help someone else avoid a struggle(s) that you've already gone through - like a parent to a child - it is a gift of incredibly high value. So much wasted time, pain, and suffering will not be experienced because of such a gift.
This is a life lesson video not just leather crafting/ business.
God bless you guys for what you do, and congratulation on the anniversary.
The thumbnail... biro on veg tan?😮
Everything changes when it becomes a business where mass production begins. Expensive machinery, tools and time management becomes the business and sometimes we forget about the love of the craft. I can appreciate this video and the wisdom, but I really want to keep the love of the craft at heart and keep my day job because I do not want the pressure of orders drivning my time.
Precisely. We all have different goals, as well as the type of leathercraft matters immensely. I am a tooler more than an assembler. Making plain leather items is just not my thing, but that increases my time in each piece, but also increases my profits.
Thanks a ton !!! 😊
I've been watching several videos on leather working a day for the past few days and I very much appreciate all you share with us. This topic is the most valuable to me because I tend to overdo things I'm interested in. Thank you for this! I'm planning on learning the craft, I'm super excited and can't wait for all the learning and mistakes. Your content is so valuable to me and the more I watch the more I'm falling in love with the craft. Again, thank you!
I really appreciate hearing how u tackled business challenges early on in yr career. I find doing anything arty with my hands is distracting and soothing. Being appreciated for yr skills and making money from a job u love is very cool.
I do appreciate the passion that you have in your craftsmanship. Leatherworking has been an intrigue until I purchased one of those cheap kits to dip my toe into leatherworking. Wish me luck and keep up with the TH-cams!