I have a couple of friends who have asked me for bags and are waiting (very patiently, bless them) for me to get back to them with a price. My stumbling block, if you will, is what tools do I actually NEED to make them? I have a good pair of scissors, a craft knife, a 60mm rotary cutter, and a burnisher (well, I have a few other things I think, but those are the main tools that are worth using). My goal is to make leatherworking a full time gig in the near future, so I want to do these bags right. I also want to do them hand stitched, so I suppose a mallet and pricking irons of some sort are in order.....If y'all had to choose just a couple of tools to have the bare minimum and still make a bag "right" (I have a couple bags that I've made years ago that were NOT done "right" even if they do look kinda cool......from a distance haha), what would you be buying?
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Here are three of my favorite tools. The pattern weight and French skiving knife are Phil's fault (thank you!). I bet you already have these. If you don't you will probably get them. You can see the blue on the knife. It took some hours of practice but using Phil's video I was able to put a very sharp edge on it.
@zoomer0056 Fair enough! Thanks for the reply :) @Fadi Ideally I'd like to tackle just about every kind of bag (I know, probably biting off more than I can chew), but for starters totes and messenger/computer styles cuz those are what I have requests for. I'll also try to dig up a couple pictures of what I've made in the past. @Leathercraft Masterclass To be fair, I worked on and off with leather, but I've actually done 99% of it by hand......just not well haha. I have a cheap 4-hole round punch from....Tandy? Maybe? I'm not even sure. I just started watching the Masterclass videos this week (they are awesome!), so now hopefully I can get some real practice stitching in a more "real" way, instead of just making a hole that's WAY too big and shoving thread through it! And no discouragement taken. Gotta learn somewhere, and practice and corrective criticism is a good way! :)
@ClogCraft Hey there.
Taking a look at your bio, you have been working with leather for about 7-8 years. I take it that you have been machine stitching up until now?
Personally I would not learn how to hand stitch on a customers order without setting aside a considerable amount of time in meaningful hand stitching practice.
How long depends on when you hit a point where you are happy with the results. But note that bag making will really test your hand stitching abilities due to the awkward shape and difficult corners.
Hand stitching a bag is not like hand stitching a straight flat piece of practice leather.
My aim is not to discourage you here, but I want to present some considerations to prevent future frustration.
Bags are normally projects that crafts people move up to after completing more simple projects in which to hone their skills.
I am not sure if you are a member of the Masterclass, but I started out the video courses explaining the fundamental skills needed before beginning the projects. There are also course supply lists with links to many of the tools and materials used in the videos.
As @Fadi mentioned, tote bags are going to be a simpler project to begin with. Depending on your style, you can use rivets in areas where you cannot machine stitch.
Keep us updated!
The main question for me is: What kind of bags? Bakcpacks? Totes? Handbags?
They all require different tools and skills.
If you could post a picture or two of the style or direction you will be going in for your bags, that would help a lot :)
As a side note, totes are probably the easiest and less tool demanding bags to make :)
Not a direct answer for your question . . . start making, when you see where a tool can be used get it. I started many many years ago. My goal was to replace the terrible belt on my motorcycle jacket. The first thing I did was buy a kit from Tandy. It had every thing for a novice. As I progressed and gained experienct I bought tools that I wanted to get the job done, one at a time.