About The Book

"Leather work has ancient beginnings, probably with early humans simply sewing hides together with bone needles to make clothing. Animal skin parchment was used for early writing, before paper was invented. Leather was the primary clothing material for thousands of years, before weaving was developed. Tanning was important in ancient Egypt and Rome, and leather was used for footwear and clothes, as well as armor and shields. Throughout history, leather continued to be used for hard-wearing clothing, military equipment, belts, bags and much more. Leather workers often make practical things like belts, bags, shoes and book covers, as well as saddles and other horse tackle, or more artistic items such as jewelry. Leather is a hard-wearing, durable, long-lasting material. Leather thickness, flexibility and strength varies massively, depending on the animal, and where on the body each piece is from. Of course, no two skins are the same, as each animal is very different.

This book is an ideal introduction to leather craft carving, lacing, dyeing and more. The book is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 presents the story of leather such as the history of leather, natural characteristic of leather, different functions of leather, and different stages of leather manufacturing. Chapter 2 focuses on tools, materials, and processes in leather craft. Leather tooling and carving is one of the oldest of all crafts. Various tools and descriptions of tools are important in working with leather. Authors have different opinions on how these tools are used. Chapter 3 presents leather crafting design. The ability to do freehand line work with the tool will develop as the individual acquires experience in the use of leather-modeling tools. When the type of design suitable for the project has been selected, it should be developed in detail on a piece of durable paper to the exact size wanted. Every detail should be shown on the original pattern in order that, when it is transferred to the leather, it will present a complete guide in the tooling and modeling processes. The pattern should be made with a good drawing pencil. Chapter 4 sheds light on leather embossing that presents a stage of leather production and finishing where metal plates, rollers, sliders, and manual tools can be used to emboss or stamp designs, patterns, logos, and looks into leather. Embossing can occur over a period of time, where the leather is pressed using weight and left, or quickly where it is stamped once and finished. The design is created by pressing rolling, or stamping. Embossments can cover the entire surface of a skin or just selected areas. Chapter 5 focuses on decorating and assembling of leather. Chapter 6 aims to cover dyeing leather. Dyeing leather is not tricky, but it is a little about trial and error. This instruct-able is exclusively about dyeing plain vegetable tanned leather, but even vegetable tanned leathers can have different reactions to dye, so it’s always a good idea to do a dye test run before going right to the final piece. Chapter 7 focuses on lacing and finishing of leather. Leather lacing can be used to add to the overall look of leather products by using a variety of lacing techniques to tie pieces together or for purely decorative purposes. The basic techniques to lace leather are the same techniques used to sew other fabrics together. However, due to the tougher nature of leather, lace holes need to be punched through it. The purpose of leather finishing is to embellish the leather, to give it a specific color and shine. It helps to protect the leather. The finishing of leather affects the look, the feel and the strength of the leather. From forming, molding, and embossing leather to creative stitching, lacing, and braiding, this book will teach you the skills you’ll need to make beautiful belts, wallets, purses, holsters, cases, jewelry, home accessories, and more."

About the Editor

Joseph Sabroski obtained his Master's in Footwear from the University of Arts, Lincoln. He works with the footwear marketing industry and his work focuses on leather training, stitching and 3D footwear design. Sabroski has authored and edited more than 20 articles, journal papers and book chapters in the field of shoemaking. He is a distinguished professor of undergraduate education and serves as guest faculty for several universities across Europe. He has also served as a reviewer for several well-known international journals.

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