History of Leathergoods

Leather Instruction Manuals

2007-11-22T07:51:00.000-08:00

My Manuals are available from this Sales Page: http://www.theleatherconnection.com/id57.htm as Downloads & form part of the series of 7 Manuals planned to cover all aspects of Commercial Leather Craft as practiced since the Victorian Era when individual Craftsmen created Leathergoods mainly by hand, with the assistance of Sewing Machines & other small hand operated machinery. This was mainly done in small Workshops in London & the Major Provincial Cities, this continued until the end of the last war in the UK,
After the war the number of these old firms that often originated in the Saddlery Trade & used the same techniques & standards that had evolved from earlier times began to decrease Companies sprang up mostly on a more mass production set up employing more staff, some using leather others working with the newer synthetic materials. The trend at first was to employ Bench Hands to perform part of the assembly & pass the articles on to another person to do the next bit. A skilled Craftsman was usually employed to oversee the production.
This worked reasonably well & standards did not suffer, the old Skilled Craftsmen began to retire but were replaced by Competent young blood provided by the two main Leather Colleges one in Walsall & one in London (Corwainers) where I was HOD until I retired. But that excellent 2 year full time Leathergoods Course is now defunct due to lack of Government funding. Which means that no more of those Students who were taught the traditional skills are emerging.
Now a hand full of those old specialist companies are still trading but finding it hard to find skilled Craftsmen (I wonder why). The Larger companies that were using Bench Hands have maintained their standard by ensuring that a College Student took over or a suitable employee was trained up prior to their old skilled Craftsman's retirement. But even some of these Large Production Companies have closed or re-located abroad due to the competition.
Worryingly from the point of view of traditional skills newer companies have emerged with none of the original know how. They use methods & finishes that bear no resemblance to those taught over the centuries, with simplicity, quickness, & a need for less skill plus as much mechanization as possible. I understand the reasons & the need to compete. Their products cant be faulted, they may be made using the quickest method & even some unique construction techniques. But the product serves the purpose it was made for, dose not Fall apart, & will last until it's owner discards it as it is made to fit a price margin
So why am I concerned or even bothered I live comfortably in retirement & I am possibly one of the few remaining Craftsmen of the old school that uses a computer extensively. I decided to produce these Manuals to preserve the old methods before they are eventually lost. This is not going to happen in the Saddlery Trade as they took steps to Ensure that their traditional Skills were adhered to with proper Training & Testing. Saddly this was missed by the Leather Industry.
A parallel Amateurs Craft developed in Night Classes taught by amateurs who had taught themselves from Books written by other enthusiastic amateurs Most of these Books originated in America. the techniques used were mainly what we referred to as Native Crafts. This was not a derogative reference to lack of skills but referred to the basic methods used by the Red Indians making their traditional articles from leather.
For those Traditionalists in America reproducing the unique Articles made & used by the various tribes this is great. & resembles the Re-enactors. However when the amateur methods are transferred to more modern articles the Thonging on bags & wallets produces a chunky article which has a limited market. Their work could be vastly improved by using Skiving, Turnovers, & Stitching, whether that be hand Stitching or machining. Now if I can add to their knowledge & expand their skills I will have helped them as well. I have not mentioned their Surface Decoration (We referred to this a Tooling & leather Carving). Again this evolved from the American Native Tribes. It is an Art Form & some of the exponent are also Brilliant Artists.

Tools & Supplies

2007-08-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

First I must apologise for the long delay in adding any posts to this Blog. It was manly due to poor health last year which culminated in a severe heart attack last February. This necessitated heart surgery in the form of two separate operations to implant double Stent’s in the two main arteries I had further minor heart attacks during both operations. (The joys of growing old!!.)

Consequently I have been hard pushed to keep up with administering my site, dealing with inquiries & adding new site members. Since the end of May & this has also resulted in a further delay in finishing my 4th Manual on “Bag Making”

I have been reading some of the nice comments made about this Blog & would like to thank all of you for those kind words & also for Bookmarking it. Someone was asking if I did all the work on my site myself? The answer is yes as this is more of a service than a business, the income from it only supplements my pension. If anyone wishes to contact me there are contact facilities provided on my site I prefer that to direct emails as it poses a problem for spammers.

Right I have deviated somewhat from recent additions to Hale & Co Page at http://www.theleatherconnection.com/ We have progressed from that sparse & tentative entry, to a full tool kit offer base on my recommendations. This is offered by Hale & Co at a discount, naturally as these tools are top class, (mostly made in Sheffield) they are still expensive. I have also listed them individually with pictures so that Artisans can purchase individually, (don’t forget in some areas the purchase of tools can be set against Tax).

I said that this was a kit of tools but I should have mentioned that there are still some gaps in the list & The Sheffield Tool Manufacturer is striving to reintroduce all the missing ones that are within his scope. However there are some tools, or should I say equipment that need to be completely resurrected. Stitching Clamps for instance, yes before someone points it out Stitching Clamps are still made but these are heavy cumbersome things cut from solid blocks of wood & nothing like the old ones that I inherited from my Great Grandfather. They were steamed & bent into shape from much thinner wood.

A source of supply for the Buck Fat is imminent & I might have a source for Bees Wax (or I would if the owner of the Bee Farm in Suffolk had given me his correct phone number). He must have been imbibing at the Festive Board heavier than I thought. I am also still struggling to get supplies of Hand Stitching Thread. There is a supplier listed on my site but they are not very responsive to emails at present, more on this when I manage to reach the right contact.

Other Blogs & Sites, there is already an existing Blog on the Big Daddy Blog Landing page which covers my research into the origins of Homo Sapiens with regards to his use of Leather. Find that one here: http://tinyurl.com/2haf9j I am also about to launch
a new mini site or Blog on Google Page Creator. Titled “Make It With Leather” This one is aimed at those who are interested in learning to become a Leather Artisan, more about this when it launches.
I have also started a Yahoo group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/burhidesleathergroup This has being joined by some of the Manual Owners who have been using my Leather Instruction Manuals over the past few years as well as some of the newer Manual owners. This group is not however restricted to Manual Users & anyone can join in & ask questions, some of these members of the group are skilled Artisans themselves & can answer questions relating to their own specific field of Leather expertise. For instance two are Saddlers & one of them is also a leading exponent on Leather surface Decoration. Drop by & take a look at their profiles.

Updates from TLC

2007-02-28T07:28:00.000-08:00

New services available to all Manual Users, visitors who have inquired about manuals, visitors who have signed up on-line & not left a comment & those kind visitors that said how much they appreciated the site. I also get a lot of calls & emails from the general public & business visitors with inquiries that could be answered by searching the Research & Reference section situated under the cave painting on my home page, headed; “Membership Categories” These lists rival Google’s DMOS list.

For those of you who are still wavering about purchasing my Manuals, you won’t find any other on-line publication offering this amount of craft skills & technology & the personal backup by phone or email is in line with most Governments e-learning requirements. My background as a College HOD & City & Guilds Moderator for their now defunct leathergoods courses endorses my claim that the full set of manuals are equal to a 2 year full time college course. I can say that with conviction as I was involved with constructing that old course & delivering it.

I have a new Blog which I am using as an on-line news letter please link to it to read new site info as it gets added, I hope to post to it once every two weeks. read it at; http://20six.co.uk/burhide/ . there is also another Blog that might prove interesting on search Big Daddy's Blog Landing site. This one traces the history of leather from it's early use by Homo Sapiens to Stone Age Man & beyond. I am at present unable to convert this to an RSS Feed but the following URL will take you to Google’s link to the Blog Landing entry; http://tinyurl.com/2zqn4v (you will need to copy & past it into a search box). The article differs a bit from the Anthropologists view as I wrote it from my understanding of Leather.

I you are interested in signing up to use Search Big Daddy’s Search box & get paid for just searching (you get credits which can be converted into cash) Then just use this link; http://www.bigdaddypays.com/burhide This is a new Search Engine & On-line Service which has been on line for less than a year but it is growing fast & will eventually rival the big three of Google, Yahoo & MSN. Why should I believe this? Well apart from all the new services they offer there is one major difference, Search Big Daddy pay you to search the Internet using their search engine. No one else does that; you can build up points which are convertible into cash. If you have a web site you can also purchase Key Words which give you top places in your chosen area of expertise. You can also purchase key words or key Phrases which are displayed on Splash Pages, I have got some & they are producing more visitors & customers. To sign up click the following link. www.bigdaddypays.com/burhide

Search Big Daddy’s list of benefits you can take advantage of when you sign up;
Blog Landing Page, free service with an account, this is easy to use & gives similar features to Google’s Blogger.
Big Daddy Friends, This is a closed environment only available to Search Big Daddy members. You create a profile & can pick & choose who you accept on your list. It is an opportunity to correspond with like minded members.
Support Desk, this one gets answered quickly & is easy to use.
Members Forum, Good & lots of topics.
Search Big Daddy’s answer to YouTube Yes you can load you own videos there providing you are a signed up member.
A City Key Word Manager, This is waiting to be launched, sign up & get your own local city, recruit local Businesses & sell them key Words on your local Splash Page (like a bulletin board or the Add’s section of a Local Paper or Local Yellow Pages). Someone clicks the link & that business advert is displayed.

A New on-line co-operation has been slowly developing between Hale & Co. an American Leather & Leather Tool Distributor & The leather Connection. Setting this up has taken nearly a year & has involved sourcing tools that are in short supply, co-operation from a UK Tool Manufacturer to re-introduce missing tools, Plus an ongoing search for makers to supply some still missing tools from the proposed Professional Leather Workers Tool Kit. The Kit caries the information That it is recommended for use with my Manuals. The List is available as a download from the following Landing Page; http://www.theleatherconnection.com/id52.htm

It is not required that you purchase all the tools listed as we realise that existing manual users may already have acquired a partial tool kit. Some of these tools are rather expensive, but no where near as dear as those in an Engineers Kit. The UK Tool Manufacturer has yet to start making these tools again, however whilst looking for patterns & dyes in an old warehouse boxes of finished & unfinished tools were found from the date shortly after the last war when the company stopped making them.

Among the available tools were Pricking Irons. These are always in short supply & once they are sold it will be some while before new ones are available. It is also uncertain if the current price will hold. Of the partially made tools A box of Plough Gauges was found un-assembled but with the Brass Roller missing. Rollers will shortly be made so that the Plough Gauges can be added to the kit. These tools are not cheap, but top quality tools never are. An engineer will have to pay 4 to 5 thou for their kit.

Yes there are cheaper tools which will suffice for the people that only make up the occasional home kit. But these will not stand the sort of heavy day to day use that an Artisan will put them to. In the past I have tested this type of tool & the main problem is that they are made from inferior steel, edges of punches curl when used on heavy leather, it is difficult to get an edge on knives, stitching awls are soft & the points bend in use. I am aware that good quality tools can be damaged by poor usage but my Manual No.1 deals with that subject.

One important Item that is still missing is a Stitching Clamp To help out I have designed a Temporary Stitching Clamp & that is also available as a download from the above Landing Page. We are now in the process of developing traditional Stitching Clams like the very old ones I inherited from my Great Grandfather & we have already produced some excellent proto-type Loop Clamps these could soon be available. Some Buck Fat (as we used to call it) has also been created, this is far superior for sealing & burnishing raw edges of leather after staining than the Dubbing & other hard Wax finishes that are now sold.

Update On Hale & Co

2006-06-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

It is some while now since I updater this Blog & things have been a bit hectic with many additions to the site & me desperately trying to finish the 4th Manual in the series. (Now well overdue).

Slow Progress is being made On the joint effort involving Hale & Co, but it is now possible to download two section of their Massive Catalogue direct from my site. I wont bore all readers with full detail as regards what is available as that is explained in detail on my site, including the page numbers to access. What I must stress however if you do download these free catalogues please do not take prices quoted as gospel. Prices flucturate & my copies are not up todate & if anyone is thinking of ordering tools you should check the current prices from Hale & Co's site.

To Download my Copies go to http://www.theleatherconnection.com & click on the Hale & Co Page shown in the list at the top of my Home Page.

If you want to check out the current prices, go to; http://www.haleandco.com & follow the instructions to download their relevant sections of their massive Crafts Catalogue.

Leather News, Tools &top Quality Leather.

2006-03-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

A Unique Service Provided By Hale & Co. & Supported by TLC.

The Crafts in general & in particular Leather Craft have been neglected & marginalised since the end of the last World War. Culminating in the lack of training facilities, qualifications, Supplies & Tools. The Leather Industry has suffered as well through neglect by a variety of Governments within the English speaking areas specifically & to a lesser degree elsewhere. All Craftsman/Artisan Shares the same interests, we share an affinity, use the same tools & materials & can converse happily on our given subject.

All This is about to change As Hale & Co. Supported By The Leather Connection, Selected Tool Manufacturers, Tanners & other Suppliers respond to the increasing demand for access to Crafts in general & a higher level of skills in Leather work as opposed to the usual low level available with Home Assembly Kits. Home Kits are fine as a starter but there will come a time when the serious student wishes to proceed to the next stage & create their own designs.
This is where Hale & Co. come in. Things are still at an early stage & you will all have to bear with us as we develop it further. At present There is a wide selection of Leather Working Tools Available. (Visit; http://www.haleandco.com ) This list is not conclusive As the production of some tools are still under negotiation. (Stitching Irons or Pricking Irons to give them their traditional name). I get lots of requests for these & Hale & Co. is pulling out all the stops to get some made that provide accurate spacing between the teeth as well as some matching pairs.
A selection of Top Quality hides are currently available & negotiations are taking place to offer & range of economically priced Exotic Leathers. Starter boxed tool kits will be available together with a copy of my Instruction Manual No.1 which covers all the basic techniques including Cutting & Costing. (These Last two important areas are not dealt with in any previous books on Leather Work but are essential if you wish to make a profit from your Leather Work).
In time Shops & Suppliers in designated areas will be established as well as Qualified Instructors & Assessors, (the latter will only be possible if a suitable body can be found to endorse a Leather Craft Qualification).

This is going to take time & will need the help & support of all interested parties. If you are as passionate about this Ancient Craft as we are then join us. For further information contact us & let us know about you & your special interests. info@theleatherconnection.com

Exotic Leathers

2006-01-10T22:26:00.000-08:00

There is an increase in the use of exotic skins produced in the far east by Leather Goods Manufacturers, Fashion Designers, Interior Designers, Furniture Designers, etc. in Paris, London, New York & other major fashion centres. What is of interest is that all these skins are a by- product of the food industry in that area of the globe & until a few years ago were discarded as waste.

TLC in conjunction with MPL (Thailand) offer a large range of these skins as well as a selection of leather Goods, Furniture, Footwear, Jewelery, etc. The lists are now too long to confine to one page & we at TLC have separated the Finished Goods From the Exotic Skins & created a new page for them on the site.

To view this range of highly fashionable creations go to http://www.theleatherconnection.com & look for the Leathergoods offered by TLC & MPL Made from Shagreen & other Exotic Leathers, in the list at the top of the home page.

There are some solid Silver Bangles with Shagreed insets, Shagreen Watch Straps, Oriental Coffee Tables with Shagreen Covered Tops, & a vast Range of leathergoods Made from Shagreen & other Exotic Leathers.

Shagreen is a fashion term for the hard wearing skin of the Stingray a fish caught in the Far East for food. (Much as we do in the North with Skate). But unlike skate these skins are now Tanned & put to good use. Before this was done the skins were like Skate discarded as waste. However the local fishermen always kept some to use as a substitute for Sandpaper when building their boats. Yes stingray skin in it's raw state is that hard.

Once tanned the beauty of the pebbled grain & the Jewel Pattern are stunningly effective & definitely a must have item for the fashion conscious. For more information contact us at the above URL.

Shagreen Leathergoods From Thailand

2005-12-23T11:48:00.000-08:00

New from MPL Thailand, Solid Silver Bangles with a Shagreen Insert. (Can be any colour Shagreen or two-tone). A great fashion line & ideal gifts for that special occasion. This coupled with the exquisit copper bowls, The Ocasional Tables & the Top Quality Leathergoods available from MPL Thailand made from Shagreen.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term Shagreen it is the Fashion term for Stingray Leather. With it's hardwearing surface structure, Pebbled grain & destinctive jewel mark it is now a Must Have fashion item favoured by Top Designers, Interior Decorators & Furniture Designers.

Stingray is a substainable speices & is caught as part of the food chain in the Far East & eaten much as we do with Skate in the Northern Hemisphere. Fishermen in that region used Stingray skins in their raw state as a substitute for sandpaper on their boats when building them & until it was realised that there was a comercial market for them these beutiful skins were destroyed as waste from the fishing & food industry. This applies to all the other skins availabl as they are farmed & killed for food in that region The disaster last Christmas made living, feeding & surviving even more dificult for the indigenous population of that ares of the Globe.

To view the range of goods available visit http://www.theleatherconnection.com & on the home page click on 'Exotic Leathers From MPL Thailand.

New Shopping Mall

2005-11-08T22:51:00.000-08:00

We have a new Associated Site. Titled: Affordable Leather Goods. email: support@affordableleathergoods.com it is well designed site offering a wide selection of affordable leathergoods. Select From: Men's Women's & Children's Coats & Jackets. Leather Vests & Chaps, Leather Skirts & Tops. Leather Handbags & Wallets, Leather Backpacks & Brief Cases & Totes. Leather Hats & Gloves. Leather Giftware. Leather Motorcycle Accessories. Leather Luggage. This site is easy to navigate, all pictures can be enlarged for a better view. It also has an easy to use Shopping Cart. Find them at, http://www.affordableleathergoods.com

To see other interesting sites & great offers from our site members visit http://www.theleatherconnection,com & scroll the Membership Categories under the Cave Painting on my Home Page (Don't miss the special offers at the top of the Home Page).

2005-10-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

A recent email question & a request for help, which has developed & grown into a Joint Venture involving help from some of the experts we can call on for help & advice. But lets start at the beginning: some weeks ago I received the following email from Clem Oxby

Email: clemoxby@hotmail.com
Company: Earby Lead Mining Museum
City: Earby
Zip:
Comments:
I am a member of the Earby Mining Research Group. I've been asked to make presentable part of a harness used by 'pit ponies' in old lead mines, most of which closed down in the very early 1900's. The harness is very old and is brittle/fragile in places, especially where the leather has been in contact with the now-much-rusted steel buckles and the like. Parts of some of the straps have now broken off. We intend to clean the harness and mount it on a 'pretend' pony, and display it in the museum which is currently undergoing restoration of the building and its interior displays. I would be grateful for your advice. My thanks to you.
Clem Oxby.

I try to help & respond to all inquiries but with this one there is a lot of problems & redirecting Clem to companies on my site was not going to help him. I am not located near him I am not a Saddler or Harness Maker, (Great Grandfather was). A request for more information got the following response:

Dear Francis,
Thank you for responding so fully and promptly. I'm based in Leeds, UK and I'm a volunteer 'worker' for the Earby Lead Mining Museum near Burnley, Lancs. Most of the Lead Mines closed around 1900. I think all that is required of me is that the harness is cleaned, and
treated so that it can be displayed in a clean state and without further breaking of the straps, parts of which have become brittle/fragile. I do not think that it needs restoring with the broken parts replaced. I will take a picture or two and send them to you by email within a few
days. Many thanks. I'll be contacting you again in a few day's time. Clem (Oxby)

I now had a clearer picture of what was required. The project involves a small Local Museum attempting to record & display part of the local history. As you can see from the emails Clem is a voluntary worker & I guess most of the rest of the helpers are. Many emails have been exchanged but there is no need to reproduce all of them. The pictures did arrive. Some interesting snippets arose during the exchange of emails, but I will return to them later.

Clearly More help was required & other experts needed to be involved. Enter the first expert on leather preservation. This is one of our Major Associates namely, Ben Staerch of: Company: Zenith, 9 Oakfield Road, Whickham, City: Newcastle Upon Tyne, Zip: NE16 5HG, Phone: 0191 4403179 (To view their products on My site select 'Furniture Clinic For Furniture Care' at the top of this page or just Click Here). Or use this URL http://www.furnitureclinic.co.uk to go straight to their site. Ben not only offered advice but sent the museum some leather treatment to use. Zenith is one of the leading suppliers of Leather Treatments in the UK.

The next expert had to be a Saddler/Harness Maker to help sort out the pieces of harness that the museum had, (there appears to be parts of more than one old harness). Make necessary repairs that don't detract from the age of the harness, (Like replacing rotted stitching, etc) & of cause assembling the harness on the model pony. Enter our second expert: David May. At The Cumbria School of Saddlery. Redhills, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0DL. UK. Tel: 01768899919. David is an experienced & Competent Saddler, he is also provides some Leather Craft training. His courses are mainly short term courses. Linked to the National Skill Assessment & Qualification Scheme for The Saddlery Trade. (This is a Test Centre). To find his listing on this site Click Here. Or use the following URL to go straight to David's site. http://www.saddlerycourses.com (we will report later on David's efforts once he has seen the tack).

I also Contacted Mrs Hazel Morley (Executive Secretary), of The Society of Master Saddlers Ltd. Tel: & Fax: 01449711642. E-mail Enquiries@mastersaddlers.co.uk This is the main Saddlery association in the UK & represents the majority of the Saddlery Industry as well as the rural Saddler. Anyone contemplating a career in this craft or starting a business should contact them. This organisation continues to help & support the saddlery industry as it has always done. Hazel informs me that Pat Crawford, their press officer may also become involved with this project. Find them at, http://www.mastersaddlers.co.uk

The harness is old & in a sorry state, especially the collar The stuffing (straw) is in place but the lining at the back of the collar is in need of TLC. The harness is crude compared to Show harness & is not even comparable with that used on farms. However it was serviceable & adequate for the job it was made for. Don't forget it was used underground & in the dry.

When you consider the conditions that the men & pony's worked under in the late Victorian & Edwardian era, in fact it was not until after the last world war that the pit pony's were replaced in the coal mines by machinery. The men had to wait until the mines closed altogether to be separated from that environment. Needless to say they resented the closing of the mines as it was their living & support for their families.

More information on the Lead Mines & the pony's used. The Pony used in the Lead Mines were significantly bigger than those used in the Coal Mines. They were in fact Dales Ponies. More on this & the assembled harness when the exhibit is ready for display.

If anyone has any Knowledge on these Lead Mines Or the making of these harnesses Please contact both Clem & myself (I can add the info to this blog & my site). To view pictures of the Harness visit my site http://www.theleatherconnection.com & then click on the 'Leather Related Questions & Answers' page.

Leather News From TLC

2005-09-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

25/9/05 Latest offer from 'Far East Leather' Cow Split Suede (Wet Blue). Available at the incredible price of 1.08 - 1.13 USD per Square Foot. Check out their page listed at the top of my Home Page above. For their full range including Pig Splits. This is top quality leather on offer suitable for lining all leathergoods & shoes. Visit http://www.theleatherconnection.com & while you are there browse all the other great offers especially the unique Craft Instruction Manuals. Be warned however there is a distinct danger of becoming an expert Craftsman/Artisan or Designer.

Leather Craft News

2005-09-24T11:53:00.000-07:00

24/9/05 SPECIAL!!!! (Wow their practically giving it away)
Have you ever bought Italian cow leather at 0.65, or 0.35, or even 0.15 EUR/sqft ?????
JUST NOW AND FOR A LIMITED TIME THIS IS POSSIBLE!!!

(Note. From Francis). Don't Miss this one it wont last long There are videos of the 3 Warehouses full of leather to download. Sit back & view what's on offer but don't leave ordering to long. (Copy & Paste Links to view each Video Download) They are to big to set up on this site).
PS Make sure you get the 'Encoder' as well.

Leather News From The TLC

2005-09-16T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have two new sign-ups on my 'The Leather Connection site this week offering Leathergoods & Tanned Fish Skins. This extends the range of commodities offered by the extensive membership on my site. For further info On where to reach them visit my site: www.theleatherconnection.com

There is also a brand new service available from 'Italian Fashion Leather' If you are visiting a Trade Fair in Europe they will arrange everything for you, air fare, travel document, currency, hotel, transport to the exhibition, interpreter, etc A service I feel is long overdue.

There are also some videos available from my site, courtesy of 'Italian Fashion Leather' 4 Videos in all. Subjects: Stock Lots of leather pieces, (Off Cuts from the Shoe Industry). Sold in large plastic sacks, ideal for small items & Craft Workers. More info on my site.
Note these videos are available by request. Send me an email & I will forward this one or any of the other 3 by email. They are hefty downloads even by Broadband & are to large to put them on my site as direct downloads.

Sea Leather Wear. Basic entry under: Leather Tanners & Leather Suppliers & Leather Retail Outlets & Shopping Malls. Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Useful Contact Tanning Fish Skins, & Selling finished Leathergoods

Online Leather UK. Description: Charm Leather UK provides online leather including gents leather jackets, ladies leather jackets, leather handbags, leather luggage and other accessories. 10% off on all items for a limited time. Basic entry under Leather Retail Outlets & Shopping Malls.

Information on Fish Skins: Fish skins are less of a pollutant than other leathers because only the scales need to be taken off. The canneries normally take skins and dump them in the oceans where they become a pollutant. There are now laws aimed to stop over fishing to conserve stocks, there is an increase in Fish Farms around the World. Protection of endangered species exists. 99% of all skins turned into leather are the residue & waste from the food industry. If skins were not used pollution would be increased by the huge amount of Offal that was disposed of. The Laws & regulations are not perfect & are not strictly enforced everywhere but they are better than nothing.

Back to the Videos the other 3 relate to the following subjects:

A Shoe Sole Production Plant for Sale.
A Shoe Production Factory on Offer.
A selection of used Leather Machinery for sale, Again from the shoe industry.
Note. some of this machinery like sewing machines & skiving machines could also be used for leathergoods. This again could prove a cheap acquisition of some machinery for the beginner or small company.

Leather News.

2005-09-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

I continue to make changes to the site as new companies join & existing Companies add new offers to their range of goods. As you can see from the two entries below, MPL have added some must have furniture that is in keeping with the popular 'Art Nouveau' trend, definitely a Must Have in that trendy Pad.

I have added some new resources to the 'Visitors Services' Page there is one traffic Generator that is worth considering. We all need visitors to our sites.

YouLucky Site. A brand new Traffic Generator, (Yes the title is a bit Naff) but it looks promising. There is a Free version & a Pro Version (You pay for extra features). The best part about this one is that you don't have to surf other sites to earn visitors to your site. You do have to recommend it to your own contacts though to get members on your own list, (so come on sign up under me) to get listed using the URL below Then get contacts of your own to sign under you to start your own lists. No it's not like a chain letter You also get other credits passed to you as bonuses. What do you get out of it? At the best more visitors & the possibility of some extra sales, Higher Rankings with the search engines. At worst nothing, no losses no gains. If you try it out like me using free membership you want loose any money either. To give it a go Click The Following URL. http://www.yourluckylist.com/index.php/Francis

Take a look at MPL Thailand's new Furniture Offer. From 1 Sep.,05., onward MPL will open a new shagreen furniture line which enable to take custom order for any type of shagreen furniture. Hemmaraja leg (swan leg) with shagreen table top in forest color coffee table.
Note From Francis. If you want to be one up on the Joneses then get one of these exquisite Coffee tables with tops covered in (Shagreen) Don't miss the Shagreen lined Copper Bowls either they are unique for pictures.

Associated Site. Mephisto Place.Com. Selling the World Famous Mephisto walking Shoes. To view these top Quality shoes. A Shopping Mall with a range of fashionable shoes that take the heath & well being of your feet as an important consideration. This site is well worth a visit.

You will find them all at www.theleatherconnection.com

Leather Craft Hats

2005-08-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

A new addition to My site & an Associate Company called. Hats By The Hundred: The company offers an extensive range of traditional Australian Bush Hats, Ladies Hats, Leather Coats & the World famous Ugg Boot. Select from the following: Australian Akubra Felt, Outback Barmah Leather & Canvas, Top Show Casual, Tilley Unisex, Drizabone Oilskin Leather Coats & Ugg Boots. Only the highest Quality Water Proofed Kangaroo Skin is used. Example the Sundowner Roo Hat is thin strong & Crushable & will fit a coat pocket. Great Prices & Excellent Service at this secure site. Find them at http://www.hatsbythe100.com.au or visit my site to obtain more details at, http://www.theleatherconnection.com To go straight to the extensive list of Leather Retail Outlets & Shopping Malls click the following URL. http://www.theleatherconnection.com/id37.htm

New Member on The Leather Connection Site

2005-08-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

We have added a new Associate Company to the ' Manufacturers of Finished Leathergoods' Category Find them & 41 more manufacturers of all types of leathergoods listed on The Leather Connection http://www.theleatherconnection.com Or use their own URL below to visit their site.

Tyneside Leathercraft. email: (General Enquiries) info@leathercrafts.com email: (Sales Enquires) eileen@leathercrafts.com This Company are Manufacturers of Heavy Textile & Leather Goods. The Products range from: Angling Luggage, Rugged Hunting Accessories, Musical Instrument Cases & Bags, Military Marching Band Regalia (Belts Slings Aprons etc), Thermally Insulated Delivery Bags, Electronics Cases, etc. Find them at, http://www.leathercrafts.com

Leather Craft

2005-07-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

We can now offer all 3 finished Leather Craft Instruction Manuals for sale as downloads from our site. See the Sales Page, 'Leather Instruction Manuals as Downloads' We have linked up with PayDotCom.com who are providing the payment & marketing service although the actual payments are still taken by PayPal. Visit our Sales Page & get one or all 3 e-books, you wont be disappointed. They are comprehensive & take the user through all stages & divisions of this ancient & fascinating Craft. These Manuals fit in with Government requirements for
e-learning & can be likened to an Open University of Leather Craft, indeed they are more than equal to a 2 year full time College Craft Course.

You can learn from the comfort of your home, even work at home in your own work shop (Many already do just that. There is a lot to learn & assimilate & a certain amount of self motivation is called for but you will acquire life time skills that ensure you can always make a living. You will not be left to struggle on your own as help is just an email away & it is Free To learn more Visit http://www.theleatherconnection.com

Stingray Leathergoods (Shagreen)

2005-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Availability of Leathergoods made from Stingray Skins.

Since the exhibition at the Victoria & Albert museum in London there has bee a resurgence of interest in the use of Shagreen, (Stingray). It is now being widely used by interior designers, in the corporate offices of large companies & in the homes of the well to do. Since our introduction of the high quality skins from MPL Thailand, (see earlier post). We are also now seeing more fashion conscious customers purchasing Leathergoods in this attractive & fashionable skin. However this need not be restricted to the 'Well To Do' as Shagreen leathergoods are not beyond the reach of the more Astute Shopper.

In fact our Associate Company, Roje Stingray Leather 350 Bay Street, Suite 100-108, San Francisco, CA 94133, Tel; 1-866-309-4488. e-mail: sale@rojeleather.com URL: http://www.rojeleather.com Offer a range of high quality Stingray Leathergoods products. You can visit their site at the above URL. (Contact: Jeremiah Kapp). But if you use the link provided on my site & quote Ref: TLC. A discount of 5% on all articles purchased is available. Note. This is a special offer to Customers from http:www.theleatherconnection.com

The History of The Stingray (Shagreen

2005-07-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

History of the Stingray - Enigmatic, powerful, and beautiful.

This article was provided by Roje Stingray Leathergoods http://www.rojeleather.com

The mystique of the stingray has captivated a select group of artisans and consumers since ancient times. These other worldly, winged phantoms of the deep evolved from sharks more than 200 million years ago. Early cultures became fascinated with their primitive beauty and grace. Possessing a stealth-like aura stingrays can soar through waters at amazing speeds while maneuvering with incredible dexterity. The stingray's remarkably durable,
multi-patterned and colored skin also attracted early craftsmen believing this power could be transmitted into their craft.

The earliest civilizations believed the stingray brought strength and power to anyone who
handled it. The backbone, resembling clusters of white pearls, was thought to be a protector of good luck and prosperity. Egyptian craftsmen prized the beauty and durability of the stingray skin by fashioning armor and other decorative items. These were discovered in the tombs of ancient pharaohs. Han and Shogun Samurai also used the raw skins for armor as well as handles on their Samurai swords.

In more contemporary times, 18th century French artisan Jean-Claude Galuchat fashioned the stingray skin for Louis XV into several commodities such as sheaths, wig cases and snuff boxes. Others colored the skins and combined them with precious metals to make various crafts. But it was English artisan, John Paul Cooper, who took the craft to new heights. From 1899 to 1933 his London studio produced nearly 1,000 artifacts veneered with stingray leather including vases, elaborate boxes, candlesticks and frames.

Roje wholesales and retails the highest quality handcrafted stingray leather wallets, stingray leather handbags, stingray leather belts, and stingray leather briefcases.
The Stingray is any of a class of cartilaginous marine animals of the subclass Elasmobranchii, orders Myliobatiformes (rays) or Rajiformes (skates), found in both salt- and fresh-coastal waters, as well as some rivers, around the world.

Species/Families of stingray include the round ray, Bat Ray (Myliobatis californica), Manta ray, diamond ray, Southern Stingray (Dasyatis americana), Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis sabina), Yellow Stingray (Urolophus jamaiensis), Blue Spot Stingray (Taeniura lymma), Big Skate (Raja binoculata), butterfly ray (Gymnuridae), Pelagic Stingray (Dasyatis Pteroplatytrygon violacea) and Cownose ray (Rhinoptera bonasus). There are also freshwater ray species in South America (Potamotrygon Sp.), Asia (Himantura Sp.), Africa, and Florida (Dasyatis sabina). Most species of stingray are neither threatened or endangered.

Note. From Francis. Before the skins of stingray were widely used for leathergoods the fishermen catching them dumped these exotic skins as waste but retained a few to use in boat building as the hard surface to these skins was a great substitute for sandpaper. (That relates to the skins in their raw state, The tanning process makes the skins pliable & softer without damaging their durability). Also note that reference above of earlier use of Stingray & Shark in the late 18th & early 19th centuries, Examples can be found in Museums & the 'Victoria & Albert Museum' has a fine collection. For a range of quality leathergoods fashioned from the best skins available view this site. http://www.rojeleather.com

More About Leather Care

2005-06-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

This is a subject that the 'General Public' has little knowledge of, or experience of. To provide some more help with this I have just added a new UK based company to my site. They have many years experience in the commercial side of the Leather & Wood Care business & have in recent years launched a service to the public with a range of treatments suitable for home users.

These are suitable for: car seats saddles, motor cycle leathers, books, luggage, furniture, etc. There is a full page devoted to their product range on my site with direct links to their site by a live URL so that visitors can go straight to their site. For more information visit http://www.theleatherconnection.com & on the home page click on,
'Furniture Clinic For Furniture Care' (listed at the top of the page). This company provides instructions & help with all products. (For prompt service quote Ref: FB-M).

Leather Care

2005-04-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

Leather unless it is looked after can deteriorate especially if kept in dry conditions, in fact there are many things that can affect the life of a leather product which I wont go into here, the full list and the why and where for can be boring and is more suited to the Leather Chemist. Being a Craftsman & a maker of top quality Leathergoods for more years than I care to remember I have also repaired many items most of which had never received any form of treatment or preservation.

Leather over time with no help or treatment will perish once it reaches this advanced state the fibers start to separate and it will pull apart like paper. Again this is better explained by the Leather Chemist, but as far as we are concerned the end result is there is nothing that can be done that will make the article serviceable again. Having said that these items if of historic value can be preserved for display in a Museum in a special environment by a Restorer. But they will not be usable again.

The most obvious items that Are neglected are Shoes which these days people just don't seem to polish, (No I don't repair shoes that is a job for the Cobbler or Shoe Repairer as they tend to be called these days). Over the years I have used many leather treatments and preservatives, in fact working with leather you tend to become indifferent to the hype about what a certain product will do. The fact is there has been little to choose between most proprietary brands as they all do much the same job and their sales are more influenced by the skill of their marketing teem rather than the product itself.

When I received a sample supply of Leather Preservative from America I expected it to do the same job as all the other ones that I have used & was not expecting it to be any better or worse than others I had tried in the past. But this one is different and there is a very noticeable improvement to leather that has been somewhat neglected and having put it through rigorous tests I now use it exclusively and fully endorse it by advertising it on my site. See the extract below taken from my site which includes the contact details.

Obenauf's Leather Preservatives. 9075 Donnybrook Ct. Boise, Idaho, 83709, USA. Tel: 208-484-1372. Contact: Robert Grover Obenauf's Online whitejag@whitejag.com This company offers high quality Leather Preservatives & Leather Oils which contain Beeswax & Propolis as part of their formula. The products were originally formulated to preserve the boots of American Firefighters as conventional treatments were not effective due to the hot ash encountered in most fires. The preservative repels, water, acids, petroleum, salt, & chemicals, restores dry leather, resists mildew premature cracking & is odorless after application. The Leather Oil is effective on dress boots, saddles & tack, garments, upholstery, etc. An interesting & most informative site. Stop Press I have been testing samples of their product & can fully recommend it (See a fuller explanation in 'News & Press Releases'). They now offer Leather Furniture Treatments. Find them at http://www.obenaufs.com/

I have provided them with a full page on my site and for further information visit my site at http://www.theleatherconnection.com and look for the page titled Obenauf's Preservatives. If you do contact them or order please quote FB-M as your reference source as this could give you access to any special deals they may be running.

Leather Craft recommended Courses

2005-04-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

All of the short course providers on my site can be relied on to provide training. If they could not they would not be in business. The following are a few I personally know and can recommend. Starting with the UK:

The Leathercraft Workshop. 27 Norwich Road, Thelveton, Diss Norfolk. IP21 4NG. Contact: John Temple. Tel: 01379-740845. E-mail: john.temple2@btopenworld.com John Temple who has considerable experience as a Lecturer & Trainer.

Leatherwork Courses At The Workshop, 37 Silver Street, Tetbury, Glos. GL8 8DL. UK. Tel/Fax: 01666502179. Email: valmichael2000@Yahoo.co.uk Valerie &Neil offer a wide selection of Leathergoods Craft Courses, ranging from: Week ends, 5, 4, or 3 days. Subjects covered: Hand Stitched Leathergoods, molded Leather Flowers, Small Leathergoods, Restoration & Repair, Bag Design, Decorated Leather etc. Contact them for further information. (Background: Valerie Michael is a talented Designer/Artisan. Neil MacGregor is an accomplished Craftsman.

Mr. Peter Wall. Tel: 01379-783581 Gislingham Suffolk. UK. Peter is an old colleague of mine from industry & Cordwainers, he is an outstanding craftsman. He takes private students & offers short Leather Craft courses which are based in Suffolk. (This is one of the few places where it is still possible to learn traditional Leathergoods Skills from a practicing exponents of the craft).

For Those Based in America I suggest you contact:

Ross Saddlery & Harness. St jo, Indiana 46785. USA. E-mail: rosaddlery@mchsi.com Contact: Ron Ross, Craftsman/Artisan. A highly experienced Saddler who also produces Leathergoods. A picture sequence on his site demonstrates Hand Stitching. Examples of Ron's award winning Tooling/carving are shown. Patterns & designs are also available for purchase Ron has now started his training program & is offering a 24 hr course split into 2 hours per week for 12 weeks for locally based students. Or a 3 day course of 8 hours per day for those coming from further afield. Both these courses involve the Sheridan Leather Carving Technique. There is also a Three week course of 5 & a half days involving the production of 'Western Saddles' which also includes the carving that Ron is renowned for. Accommodation is available in the nearby town of Auburn. For further information contact him at, http://www.rosaddlery.com

If You can't access any of the above then visit my site at: http://www,theleatherconnection.com and under the cave painting on my home page scroll the 'Membership Categories' Section click on; 'Leather Craft & Industry, Education & Training' All the courses that I have got information on are given under that heading. There are some college courses listed as well but you will need to check on what they are currently offering as courses change or discontinue due to current demands.

Leather Craft

2005-03-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

There are two ways to learn a Craft. The hard way, and the easy way.

The 'Hard Way' Make lots of mistakes, keep trying, spend a lot of money, try to re-invent the wheel, loose customers and friends, waste a lot of time and materials and never quite become an expert.

The 'Easy Way' get help, (that's easier said than done these days). Colleges don't run the quality Craft Courses that used to be available these days and the highly skilled craftsmen are not available to teach on the few college courses that are run. There are a few skilled individuals however that offer some excellent short courses that can be found on my site. (view my site and see my recommendations).

These short courses are naturally expensive and you may well need to attend more than one session however they will on average only cost fractionally more than a full time 2 or 3 year full time course. They will be more intense and you will be able to space them out and attend them when you can afford them, you will in fact be able to work and save up for each one. Most will have course material and handouts to cut down on wasted note taking time which on short courses eats into learning time. Some of the better Short Course providers have their own copies of my Craft Instruction Manuals and are basing their Leather Craft Courses round them.

There is a 'Third Way' Get your own set of Leather Instruction Manuals & also book one of these recommended Short Courses. You will have far more detail than you could possibly take down as course notes, reading the manuals after a course will reinforce all you have learnt and explain the practices you were not sure of. Once you have finished the course you will be able to use the manuals to back up your own trial projects and you will be better prepared when you book for your future Short Courses.

Some student on short courses and college courses are actually doing this, they have their own manuals and are reporting that it is giving them an advantage over the other students as they understand what is being demonstrated. The two students on the college courses report that the manuals are far in advance of what is being taught at their colleges. They are however keeping the use of the manuals to themselves and I don't blame them College Lecturers are well known for borrowing and copying material.

The Craftsmen running the short courses will be better skilled however and wont need to resort to this practice. Indeed many of them will be recommending that is you don't have them you purchase them before your next course. In my next post I will list what I think are the best providers of short courses.

Leather Craft

2005-03-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

There is now a Download page on the main site & there are two FREE downloads available so please visit & help yourself.

The first is a slide Show on the Leather Craft Instruction Manuals. It was made using Microsoft 'Power Point' So you will need that software to run it.

The second is an e-book & relates to a project I did a couple of years ago. I covered the 'Gaff Jaws' in leather to protect them from wear, on two 100 year old Wherries on the Norfolk Broads. There is a full sequence of pictures of the process together with procedure details the layout of the patterns on the leather to interlock & avoid waste is also demonstrated. This will provide an insight into the sort of material to be found in the set of manuals.

Please fill in the form below the downloads if you take them as this will enable me to send details of further downloads that are added in the future. To take advantage of this offer visit my site at: www.theleatherconnection.com

Leather Craft

2005-02-28T11:41:00.000-08:00

A Brief description of the contents of existing manuals & those still to be written

The manuals cover all the subjects that were in that City & Guilds two year full time course & a lot more that we could not include. Sadly those A & O level courses are now defunct & the college no longer offers any craft courses.

The Finished Manuals, Which are on sale from my site. www.theleatherconnection.com
Manual No.1 Covers all the basic skills, Straps & Belts, Handles, Cutting, Hand Sewing, Paring, Fixtures & Fittings, Tools, Costing, etc. In all 154 pages. This is a comprehensive work which provides all the basic skills & techniques, What is good practice as well as bad practise. It is full of old tricks & tips & makes an ideal reference manual for the beginner as well as the professional worker. The Hand Sewing section covers all styles of hand sewing that are or were in use by leatherworkers & Saddlers. The Cutting & costing section coves an essential collection of information never before recorded. It is something that any small business should pay close attention to.

Manual No.2 Covers Small Leathergoods such as: Notecases, Coin Purses & Wallets With examples of all relevant methods of construction. There is also another section which completes the costing process. In all 228 pages. This manual deals with what is often described as flat work. & takes the reader from ‘Cut Edge Work’ (Sometimes described as ‘Raw Edge Work’) to ‘Semi Solid’ To ‘Turned Edge Work’ The subject of costing is completed including examples of costing’s related to the articles used for examples.
Manual No.3 Continues Small leathergoods with Giftware, etc. Subject dealt with: Glass cases, Traveling Photo Frames, Blotters, Jewel & Trinket Boxes, Built Up Work, Folios & Zip Insertion. in al1110 Pages, This takes the Manual user into more complex constructions using more advanced techniques & will provide the ability to start developing their own styles & concepts.
Currently being written.

Manual No.4 This covers all the construction methods related to Handbags. (Plenty of photo’s &
sequences). ‘Butt Edge’ Turned & Butted’ ‘Boot Seams’ Piped Seams’ ‘All round Gussets’ ‘Set in End Gussets’ ‘Compound Gussets’ ‘ Concertina Gussets’ ‘Raised Bases’ ‘Brief Cases’ ,Top Frame Briefs’ ‘Framed Bags’ Nothing is left out.

No. 5 Large Luggage. Areo Bags, Shut Flush Cases, Shut Over Lid Cases, Valises, Kit Bags, etc. Executive Cases, Gun Cases. Again many old styles of cases some never dealt with before including some unusual methods of construction.
(Material Gathered but still to be written).

No. 6 Fitted Work. Frets, Partitions, Special Linings, etc, Again too much to list but there are methods & techniques here that have never been written about before or included in a craft college course. This was my own special expertise (Still to be written).

No. 7 Pattern Making & Design, The creation of Patterns will be fully explained here. You will be taken from the stage of a design on paper to the production of a full set of cutting patterns & making patterns including assembly jigs, the production of a prototype, etc. With regard to design the normal standard information will be provided with The features & considerations that must be included to produce a functional & salable article. (Still to be written, Although some related material is included from Manual No. 3 onwards).

My Background I had over 50 years experience in the leathergoods industry, this started with an Art & Design course, followed by a Leathergoods Course which led to the following: Working for "Top London Companies" as a Craftsman producing leathergoods for; all the Top London Stores, then a supervisory & designer role with a Diary House, Works Manager then Works Director with another leathergoods company designing & producing display & fitted cases & finishing as a Head of Department at a London College.

Leather Craft

2005-02-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

I mentioned Leather Courses and Leather Training, so where can you access a comprehensive list of available courses & training? Visit http://www.theleatherconnection.com/id31.htm I may not have every one listed that is available around the World but there should be something for everyone.

There are many excellent books published on this subject for those that wish to read about this subject which cover all aspects of this diverse subject. I have included publishers & authors together with an overview of most of them. Subjects dealt with, Leathergoods, Footwear, Bookbinding, Saddlery, Tooling, etc. Visit http://www.theleatherconnection.com/id30.htm

Leather Instruction Manuals. With my background in the UK Leather Industry which was mostly spent at the high class end of the craft, my time in industrial training, lecturing at a London college & as a Head of Department and finally as City & Guilds Moderator. I decided to put the extensive skills that I possess down on paper. To this end after retirement I started to write a book on this subject, it soon became apparent that this was not all going to fit into one book the obvious choice was a range of books or manuals. The obvious vehicle to reach a World wide public was the emerging internet, that meant learning to use a computer and building a site. This I set out to do eventually finishing the first two manuals for sale on my own site. These manuals along with the third one in the series can be viewed and purchased, see, http://www.theleatherconnection.com/id22.htm

As stated three of these manuals are now finished and available as loose leaf folders. They have also been produced as e-books and will be available as down-loads shortly. The fourth manual is about half written with a further three to write, making a total of seven manuals in all. This project when finished will produce a leather craft encyclopedia being the first of it's kind related to this subject and a fitting subject to leave to posterity. The subjects covered are all fully described on my site but I will give a full description of them in my next blog.

Leather Craft

2005-02-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

Craft Training & Craft Courses are virtually non existent these days and the choice for those people wishing to embark on a career using Leather Craft as that career is practically a non starter. Having said that there are some excellent short courses run by artisans in various parts of the UK. However this can prove expensive if relied on exclusively as a beginner will have to return frequently to a centre to get all the basic skills necessary to become a credible and proficient Artisan. There are some college courses available but these are HND design courses with the main emphasis on design with a small impute of craft skills which is intended to enable a student to specialize in a specific area of either shoes or leather goods.

The old and now defunct City & Guilds 470 0 & A level Leathergoods Craft Courses which lasted two years placed the emphasis on craft skills with an element of design included. How did this come about, We can't blame the colleges as they have to provide courses that will bring in suitable funding. HND & Degree courses produce that funding. The fault lies with successive Governments (of all all shades). Or to put it more bluntly their department that oversee the funding.

Craft Couses have always been seen by these controlling bodies as 'Low Level Courses' The theory being that you don't need to have any intelligence or schooling to work with your hands or create Craft Objects. Consequentially little funding was available to colleges offering such courses. The availability of grants to student wishing to take craft courses was also meager if offered at all, all these factors played their part in the demise of craft courses.

Apprenticeship's stopped and to be fair the closure of many leather goods companies due to them being unable to compete with cheap imports helped to bring this about. The introduction of NVQ,s helped lower the standard of skills (I will be taken to task for this) but I was unfortunately involved in the introduction of these into the Leather Industry, but I said at the time it would be bad for crafts in general and I think I have been proved right. Now don't get me wrong I did not say that all NVQ Qualifications are rubbish or that they did not work. In fact they are fine & provide excellent results when applied to the right subjects.

Lets use Hotel Management as an example It is not important where in the country a hotel is situated the basic requirements will be the same & these specific skills can be taught adequately using the NVQ formula. It was couses of this type that the NVQ honed its skills on & formulated its course structure on. Their mistake was in assuming this would work on Crafts and Hand Skills (Which was as far as I am concerned further proof of the ignorance prevalent regarding Skilled Work). Another major flaw was the assumption that skill taught in one factory would match those taught in another, With NVQ,s being Work Shop based as far as their craft Skills component was concerned is the cause of the problem. There are companies producing cases, companies producing handbags, companies that produce only belts, companies that produce only wallets, etc.

Lets take that company that only makes belts, the skills required to produce belt are few and an NVQ acquired there will not enable the recipient to make more advanced items like a case for example. This is without allowing for the quality factor as some companies produce cheap goods & others produce high quality goods. I have no problem with this as there is a market for both, but where does that leave NVQ,s and to be more precise their value as a Craft award. A lot of the newer companies making leather goods have started up with no background in the industry and unlike the old established companies do not have the technical knowledge to pass on, how can they, skilled craftsmen of the old school are either long gone or in short supply. (And we hear Governments complaining of Skills Shortages), I as a City & Guilds moderator for those old Leather Craft Courses am well placed to make this criticism. More on how to get these skills now in my next blog.

History of Leathergoods

2005-02-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

History of Leathergoods

Leather Craft

2005-02-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

You have now got some idea about the origins of Leather Craft & mans long association with this versatile material and how it developed from a primitive necessity into a thriving industry between the two world wars. The introduction of Nylon and Plastic has changed the trade to a degree but most of the construction techniques & making skills still apply to these materials and provide the Craftsman or Artisan with an extended range of materials to work with.

Of the two Nylon offers the better long term usage for a customer and has replaced leather to a degree for medium priced and cheap luggage due to it's hard wearing qualities, it is practically scuff free. All this makes it an ideal material for the ever expanding travel industry especially air travel. Plastic likewise has proved successful for a wider range of uses, handbags and other small leathergoods items are made from it as well as luggage. There are manufacturing restrictions however as neither material can be worked with in the same way as leather which means that only certain methods of construction are feasible. Plastic does have one major drawback in that it has a short life, being a by-product of the petroleum industry it gets brittle as it ages and the molecules break down, cracks and breaks occur especially at flexible areas like lids and flaps.

Both these materials being 'Man Made' are popular with people who have problems with the entry of animals into the food chain and the use of the waste from them (leather being used). However these materials due to the chemical process involved in making them pollute the atmosphere and are probably an area which environmental campaigners while have problems with.

In the next posting I will explore the present day industry & craft side looking at modern training, courses and the ability for people to acquire these ancient skills.

History Of Leather Goods Continued

2004-08-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

I left of last time with the development of Cabin Trunks This side of travel goods blossomed and then failed to expand in any other direction and is now a very small part of leathergoods, indeed it has all but died out. To find the real beginning of leathergoods as we now know them we must go back to the Saddlers and Harness Makers. Around the 17th century wealthy merchants and their families began to travel between cities by Stage Coach as well as traveling around their cities and country areas. Apart from shipping and canals the horse as a mode of transport reigned supreme.

Saddlers, Harness Makers and Coach Makers became wealthy people supplying the countries needs. It is those stage coaches however that we owe the development of leathergoods to, Once some people could travel more freely and faster than before they needed to take a change of clothing with them as well as other belongings. At first the wooden box on similar lines to those used on ships were adopted but they were smaller and square so that they could be strapped to the roof of a coach. However they did not prove durable as unlike their counterparts on ships they needed to be unloaded for every overnight stop. Being thrown of dropped from the top of a coach by some local yokel at the inn where they were stopping meant that a rigid sided box would split at the corners

At some stage an enterprising Saddler or Harness Maker tackled this problem by making a case from leather which had its sides stiffened with thick cardboard and added locks. This proved lighter and far more durable than the wooden boxes as the board being flexible would bow outwards if dropped and resume it's shape. In fact the worst damage these cases could suffer was a dented corner if actually dropped directly on a corner. Saving the embarrassment of travelers having their belongings strewn on the street or the Inn yard. These Cases developed into a style with a shut over lid (That means that the lid closed over the sides of the body).
The hinge of the lid was formed by the leather covering. These type of cases persisted right up to the second World War and were only ousted by the emergence of Air Travel which needed much lighter cases due to luggage restrictions.

Those old Shut Over Lid Cases were very heavy but in their hay-day labour was cheap and the wealthy were still the main travelers & could easily hire a porter to carry their luggage. So we again have large containers (this time Luggage) involved in the start of the Leathergoods industry being made originally by Saddlers and Harness Makers who already had their own industry but were much more versatile than the trunk makers. That was understandable because they would have been making special equipment for farmers, and other people, such as bags for powder (early Guns) Saddle Bags for travelers and military, game bags, etc. That other people may have designed for their own use originally. Some saddlers in large cities found it more lucrative to switch from saddlery to making luggage. As people traveled more, carried more things, the arrival of the trains, The Royal Mail and letter writing, the advent of paper money, Ladies need to carry cosmetics, This saw an explosion of leather goods to fill all these needs. Business bags and folders, writing cases, wallets, handbags, etc. Instruments needed cases to protect them, binoculars, telescopes, cameras, etc.

Nowadays a lot of these items are made from material or plastic as leather is more expensive and scarcer. But the same basic skills are required and the same workers are involved. That is the basic history of Leathergoods. I have omitted dates as for this short explanation they are not relevant. There is also a lot more detail that could have been gone into, but I don't wish to bore my readers. So how do we know the Saddlers & Harness Makers started all this? Well there are just a few old leathergoods companies left and their old records show that they were originally saddlery makers. But like the Trunk Makers the terminology used gives it away. Saddlers and Harness Makers call the Buckles, Squares, Bits, Stirrups, etc. 'Fittings' The same term is used by leather Craftsmen when referring to the, hinges, locks, buckles, studs, buttons, catches, bag frames, etc. We also describe these as 'Fittings' A lot of other terminology is the same or very similar and likewise the making methods which I will not go into here. This ends this series of 'Bloggs' on leathergoods and how it evolved.
Regards to everyone. Francis. I hope you all found this informative.
For further research & reference, Companies, Suppliers, News, Instruction Manuals, ect.
Visit http://www.theleatherconnection.com

History Of Leather Goods Continued

2004-08-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

Leathergoods did not start to evolve until we started to travel. A bland statement, mankind has always moved around, armies traveled, tribes migrated, lone travelers undertook journeys by horse. But people did not travel on a regular basis. In early & late Medieval times most people lived and died in their own village it would have been an event to visit the nearest town. If people were forced to move they did it by cart uncomfortable and slow.

The First of the two branches of leathergoods developed in the large Seafaring cities as people started to travel abroard and populate the new developing colonies in America Canada and later Australia. The Cabinet Makers in these large Ports around the coast of England began to make 'Trunks' these ranged from the simple rounded toped trunk mainly used by seamen to larger square one and big 'Wardrobe Trunks' in which clothes could be hung. Quite an industry emerged devoted to the production of trunks and cabinet makers changed over from making furniture to just producing trunks to satisfy the demand. But that is all they did just make trunks for people to go on long journeys.

The trunks were made from wood using similar construction methods as they used to make items of furniture and the edges and corners were bound with metal strips, cheap ones with iron more expensive with brass. They were heavy and had handles at each end as it would need two people to carry them, labour was cheap in those days, so the wealthy could pay to have them carried for them. Few records relating to this part of history exist but we can trace this by the terminology used by cabinet makers. The handles, locks, etc. They put on trunks were referred to as 'Furniture' just as they were when fitted to chests, wardrobes, etc in fact the name migrated, as the pieces of home equipment made all began to be referred to as Furniture. The few trunks that are still used today still have this distinction as all additional attachments to the main box are referred to as furniture. They are also covered with a rexine type material or plastic coated cloth instead of the original painted finish it is not clear when this change of finish took place. To be continued.

The History of Leathergoods Continued

2004-07-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

I left off with three early examples of what would now be classified as leathergoods in the last posting. I will start with the stone carving of a young Greek carrying a shoulder bag, this was an isolated piece and not part of a freeze, he was wearing the normal Toga. It was not practice in those times to carry a change of clothing or personal items as they traveled light in those days. It is more than probable that the bag was a game bag used for carrying birds and other small game taken on a hunting trip. (It adds to the theory that there are no new designs only variations and that most things have been done before). The carvings depicting water bags supported with netting, it is amusing that most archaeologists ponder over why they would want to use a net round the leather water bottle. It is even stranger that no one ever considered asking a leather worker why that might have been done. The answer is quite obvious if you are aware of the properties of leather.

They would have made the water container with the face of the leather inwards and the flesh outwards as used this way it would have been slightly more water proof, they may well have coated the surface of the leather with some form of water resistant treatment. (it was a practice in medieval times to make leather tankards and coat the inside with tar to make it waterproof) it is not known if they had that knowledge in that earlier period of history but a coating of Bees Wax would have provided some degree of water proofing without impairing the taste too much. However the water would start to work it,s way into the leather fibers, and what happens to leather when it is wet? It stretches and what better way to stop it sagging than to place a net round it.

The coin purse a large circle of soft leather with holes round its edge and a thong of leather laced through the holes was used from Roman times (and possibly longer) right through to the Middle Ages to carry the coins used for all forms of currency. These draw string purses were tied securely to a belt round the waist and can be seen depicted in many carvings and paintings. Merchants and the wealthy were more likely to use them. Thieves would use a sharp knife to cut the thongs while an accomplice distracted the owner and run off with the purse. They were known as a 'Cut Purse' things don't change that much, we call them 'Pick Pockets' these days. There is one main difference these days, they risked their lives if stopped in those days, now all they get is a caution.

All these personal items would have been made by the saddlers as a sort of side line from early times right up to and beyond the middle ages and the craft of the leather worker as such was still non-existent. That is quite understandable as personal items were few and did not present an opportunity for anyone to earn a living that way. But that was about to change and I will explain why in the next Blog see also www.theleatherconnection for other information.

History Of Leather Goods

2004-07-21T11:55:00.000-07:00

We established that Bronze and Iron Age Man made good use of leather for footwear and harness (saddles did not arrive until late in that era) all this is recorder in freezes from ancient civilizations around the Mediterranean. Bridles, Reins, and a basic form of Harness can all be seen, but riders were either bare back or sitting on blankets. Saddles began to appear late in that period and are generally attributed to the Moors in North Africa as they developer quite elaborate and highly decorated saddles which they eventually took to the Spanish area when it was under their rule. (The Spanish took it to America, Mexico and South America But the ornate carving became influenced by the Native Tribes developing into the more natural deviation of the animals, birds, etc that are now part of the art form in that area).

Back to our history of leathergoods there is little sign of any form of leather goods or Leather Workers in these early times, yes there were leather artifacts but most of these were weapon related items such as, holders with straps for arrows, sword scabbards, etc. Most of these were built on a system of straps or strips of leather and would have been made by the same people producing the riding equipment. So we had two main leather related trades developing Shoes and Saddlery. The history of shoes is a long and fascinating subject but it is one that is relatively easy to follow as it is as it started related to one area feet. Just for interest there were just 12 original Livery Companies in mediaeval London and 7 of them were involved with the use of Leather The Worshipful Company Of Cordwainers representing the shoe makers. In those days a Cordwainer was a shoe maker, (The name is derived from Cordova in Spain where the best shoe leather came from). A shoe repairer was referred to as a Cobbler hence the term 'cobbled together' would have originally referred to a badly repaired pair of shoes. More about those Livery Companies later.

Back again to the early leathergoods there were only 3 items that I was able to identify as being able to be classified as leathergoods related. Some carvings particularly Greek depict men carrying a water bag on one shoulder which was supported by netting, a small draw string bag attached to a belt round the waist, (That would have been used to hold coins) and one Greek carving showing a young man with a shoulder bag that looked remarkably like the modern shoulder bags or flight bags. More about these later when I next return to this subject.

For other information about leather visit www.theleatherconnection.com

Leather Craft

2004-07-15T21:59:00.000-07:00

Further information on the history of leather & leathergoods.

The Hunter Gatherers (Early Stone Age Man) as stated in my earlier "Blog" killed for food and used skins for protection from the elements, at this stage the process of tanning leather was not known. That meant that the leather would putrefy in time, that was not a problem to them as they could easily replace it. (I would not have liked to be down wind of them). The first type of tanning developed was Bark Tanning, (a modern form of this is still used today). It is quite feasible that an item or piece of skin was dropped into a small pool of water that contained a fallen tree that was rotting away, the bark of which had turned the water tannic and preserving the leather. it only needed someone to pick it up realize it had been preserved, make the connection that the tree bark and water were the reason. 'Bingo' we had one of our first Tanner.

It is worth noting that the Inuit (Eskimos) chewed the leather as this not only provided some sort of tanning but also softened the leather. My view is that saliva may have some tanning effect but it is also feasible that putrefaction was slowed down by the freezing conditions.

As the evolvement of mankind changed from Hunter gatherers to Farming growing crops and domesticating animals little changed for centuries, clothes were made from material as thread and weaving developed as this provided more flexibility of movement. The trades or crafts of Shoe Making and Saddlery developed as this was the only means of transport available. As early civilization spread and metal developed we passed through the Bronze and Iron ages, leather was still used for horse tack shoes (Mainly a form of sandal) The Roman soldiers used it for hinges of linkage between their metal armour. It was also used as belts with loops for swords, hinges for doors on early houses, etc. But still no leathergoods as such.

To Be Continued

Leather Craft Information

2004-07-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Leather Craft, Leather Work, either amature or professional is an ancient craft which to some extent still uses the basic tools that were in use many ceturies ago. In fact it is one of the oldest crafts known to mankind. One of the artifacts found in early settlements of primitive man are bone needles. At that period the human race were 'Hunter Gatherers' Thread & cloth were not in use at that period of our history. Protection from the eliments was derived from the animals killed for food, the skins were made into clothing. As there was no thread the obvious choice of material to use with the bone needles was gut. Cat Gut to be more acqurate, it's source the stomach sinews (mostly sheep). When we encountered the first Eskimo tribes and the North American Indians they were in effect Late Stone Age people and were producing highly developed clothing using leather and sewing with bone needles.

I taught at a Leather College during my working life and lectured on 'The History of Leather' and I will return to this subject and provide further information as this Blog develops.

I am now a very ancient Master/Designer Craftsman from the Leathergoods Industry, still using Great Grandfathers tools. They say that everyone has a book in them, I have gone a step further than that I am at present writing a series of Craft Instruction Manuals to make these skills available to others before they are lost and while I am still on this planet. The first three are finished and available on my web site for purchase at a moderate cost. They are all written in a simple and straight forward and easy to follow format so that beginners will not find them difficult to follow. To my surprise fellow proffesionals are also purchasing them and raving over the detailed instructions. I set up my site mainly to distribute the manuals (built it myself) about 3 years ago, I added some suppliers, tanners, organisations that I thought might be of interest to my site visitors and like 'Topsy' it just grew with companies requesting to be included. it is now a large site with many categories and plenty or research and reference information as well as provision for the purchase of the craft manuals.

For those interested the site can be found at www.theleatherconnection.com

I will continue on the history and development of leathergoods as this Blog develops but would like to remind all visitors that like our ancient forefathers all animals skins used today are killed for meat and the skins and hides are a by-product of the meat industry if we did not use those skins it would not save those animals. The skins would be burnt or placed in land-fill sites adding to general pollution. Yes there are exceptions with some animals being allowed to be culled which do not enter the food chain, but in general all protected spieces are not used for leathergoods or shoes. They are protected by law and anyone that uses them are getting supplies from poachers (mainly in Africa & South America and made up locally). In North America Trappers are licenced and they along with the Inuit (Eskimos) in the arctic do kill animals for their fur. it is quite possible for ladies to use artificial furs to go about in the winter in our nortern hemiphere. in fact Nylon furs even look better than the originals. Unfortunately for the servere conditions in the arctic regions they are no protection for the extreme conditions that exist. and animal furs are necessary to remain alive. there is another factor the economy of those regions the extreme conditions do not allow the inhabitants to grow crops and unfortunately the amimals of the region provide them with food and clothing even in our modern world. until the rest of use in the World provide the money to support these people with free handouts then they have no option but to carry on the way they have always done throughout the ages.

More Later