Thank you. I will contact them and see if I can get a supply closer to home? - L

Hi Geraldine, depending on where in the UK you are based, you may even be able to visit their tannery. Marc & Rosie (who mainly run the place) are very friendly and I have been using them for at least 25 years. The colours (mainly in the fine goatskin range) are amazing, but I am not sure what they can offer in the way of calf. Good luck anyway and happy to pass on the info.

could you please tell me where you get the Buttero and kipskin leathers? Thanks, L West

It depends on what you wish to make but the absolute best for saddlery type things (and bags etc.) is J and F J BAKER which is in Devon. Oak bark tanned leather made in the traditional way. see their website: https://www.jfjbaker.co.uk. Also, very smart coloured leathers from HARMATAN: https://www.harmatan.co.uk/ which I use for all my bookbinding and also leather goods. They will also pare your leather down if necessary. Please do mention my name (LAURA WEST: https://www.laurawest.com) at either tannery for good effect.

Craftsmanship - it usually means that every craft we undertake gets the same attention. Wish my house cleaning came under the heading of ‘craft’ that I am passionate about.

Thanks. Good idea! As a bookbinder, I use a low tack masking tape ALOT on my leather to help position lots of things (mainly the gold embossed titles, etc.)

Yes, I think the 532 is much better. I sometimes even use the 432. Sajou really are great and their thread 'sample books' are very good, although you have to pay for them. I have the plain one showing just white linen in grades 332 to 832 AND the coloured one, which really helps with colour matching. Unless I am super happy with any colour I just buy the small cards, since the spools are pretty pricey!

Well, Giardini make the edgepaint, do several applicator things and this one (with two separate heads) seems quite good. I have an earlier model from them. It still will require a bit of practice, but Giardini also make lots of colours in their edge paint as well. They will send you samples to 'try out' (but usually just small pots of black perhaps, as they did for me).

Hi Steve, Have you seen the applicator from Giardini?? This link may help: https://shop.leatheredgepaint.com/products/roller-dye-pen-2020 Good luck. LW

Although I am 'only a bookbinder' and use my leather for books mainly, I use J and F J BAKER who do traditional oak bark leather at the oldest tannery in Britain. Their leather is amazing, as is their tannery. Just for fun have a look at their site. https://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/ . Lovely work in your photos, wish my leather projects (beside books) were half as good!

Hello, I use Le Prevo leather sometimes and/or Abbey Saddlery. Both in the UK. I've gotten leather 'belting' with similar size buckles to match. Links are: Abbey (https://www.abbeyengland.com) and Le Prevo (http://www.leprevo.co.uk).

PASTE WASHING : Another trick from bookbinding: Use either Japanese starch paste OR powdered Rex (simple wallpaper paste). 1) Make up a small amount 2) dampen either a wad of cotton wool or natural sponge 3) on a piece of heavy paper, use more water and smoosh the paste into a 'very' liquid consistency. 4) carefully use the dampened sponge/wad to smooth over the leather. 5) using the palm of your hand gently rub over the leather surface to help it dry off and also help the pastey liquid into any crevices in the leather surface. DO EXPERIMENTS ON LEATHER PIECES FIRST. As my mentor used to say, "DON'T PRACTICE on the ACTUAL FINISHED PIECE" (please let me know if this helps with your blocking!)

I make a polishing pad thus: (rough measurements here) 1) half inch thick wood block 6 inch square. 2) add another half inch thick paper pad, cut to same shape & glue it onto the wood block. 3) cover the resulting paper/wood block with thin leather SUEDE (flesh) side up, but glueing the sides & bottom only. Top of the 'polishing pad' needs to have a tiny bit of pillowy give. Then I use a 'linishing' or 'polishing' compound stick and rub it on the pad before polishing the block or loose type if using. In no time you'll get a lovely shiny surface. GOOD BLOCKING! Next comment on PASTE WASHING!

Fab! I make a polishing pad thus: (rough measurements here) 1) half inch thick wood block 6 inch square. 2) add another half inch thick paper pad, cut to same shape & glue it onto the wood block. 3) cover the resulting paper/wood block with thin leather SUEDE (flesh) side up, but glueing the sides & bottom only. Top of the 'polishing pad' needs to have a tiny bit of pillowy give. Then I use a 'linishing' or 'polishing' compound stick and rub it on the pad before polishing the block or loose type if using. In no time you'll get a lovely shiny surface. GOOD BLOCKING!

We do alot of blocking in both real gold and faux gold foils. A few things to check before you block: 1) some leathers need 'paste washing' before they are happy to accept blocking or gold tooling. (I am a bookbinder by trade). Do say if you need to know how to do this. 2) any type or block you use must first be polished to a high shine. I use a polishing pad that is easy to make. Please say if you need any of this explained in more detail. I was trained by an 'old guy' who did his apprenticeship as a gold finisher.

I would love to know what leather (manufacturer) you used. Love the pink! And how did you make the ckecked pattern? (It is 'very' accurate - I am impressed.)

Hi again, I made the previous comment about posting it back to Vergez Blanchard. AND if you write your covering letter in French, they’ll really take notice! Tell us how you get on!

Actually, I would post it to Vergez Blanchard in France (look at their website) since they should really stand by their manufacturing processes and should know that we, (leatherwork customers) all have seen this photo! I would be surprised if they didn’t send you a new one! Send them a link to this group! Tell them one of your group was ‘appalled’ by the quality of this tool. That was me, of course.