Leathercraft

Tutorials

• Baseball stitch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMQH6Wie118
• Saddle stitching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOzTGWin0zM
  • Rule of thumb for estimating length of thread is 3 times the length of the stitch line. Increases based on leather thickness.
  • Coat with beeswax to give the thread strength and keeps from fraying. Beeswax is a little sticky, so it helps to go over it with some paraffin wax, but this is optional.
  • Use a soft cloth to remove excess. Run it through firmly to remove excess as well as remove the curl from the spool. Apply paraffin wax if available, and gently wipe off.
  • Video shows two ways of stitching. One where it’s angled on one side and straight on the back. Another where it’s angled on both sides.
  • See video for how to finish a stitch using three back-stitches
• French seam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJYTNyLmSzg
• Projects by Weaver Leather Supply: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzvwlO3D_z7da4RZYTIUR7Y3_Sm5Bm-DY

Retailers

Leather

• https://www.leatherbox.com (80 SGD via UPS)
• https://buyleatheronline.com (45 SGD via DHL/UPS)
• https://www.rmleathersupply.com (48 USD via DHL)
• https://www.aacrack.com/ (contact to order)
• https://shop.hashimotoindustry.com/en/collections/tochigileather (JP, contact to order)
• https://www.aleatherstore.com (40 EUR via DHL)

Tools

• https://alleather.com/ (SG)
• https://crimsonhides.com (SG)

Patterns

• https://stitchables.net/all-patterns/
• https://www.etsy.com/shop/dsleathergoods/
• https://karlovadesign.com/products/isopod-sling
• https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeardfootCrafting (insects, animals, objects, armor)
• https://www.paintyeedesigns.com (pouches, objects, plushies, cute)

Hardware

• https://mmcolombo.it/collections/online-shop (high end)
• https://www.ivan.tw

Pricing

Some notes distilled from various sources on how to price goods. These tips will apply to any craft, not just leathercraft.

Start by quantifying the baseline cost for a given product. These costs may be tangible (physical material), or not (time).

1. Materials:
   • Leather
   • Off cuts leftover by leather
   • Hardware
   • Packaging
   • Consumables like sandpaper, thread, burnishing product, and dyes.
2. Labor:
   • Time spent crafting
   • Product photography
   • Packaging, shipping, and other admin tasks
3. Fixed costs:
   • Workshop rental (if renting a dedicated space)
   • Space taken by crafting station (if crafting at home)
   • Tools

Determine the cost of your labor. This cost will be variable based on your skill and experience. A learning hobbyist cannot expect to demand the same hourly rate as an experienced craftsperson.

Determine your profit margin. Remember that profit is an additional component on top of materials and labor. Without a profit component, the individuals working at a business may be being imbursed for their time, but the business itself is not profitable. The profit margin is what allows your business to grow.

Finally, ultimately we need to price based on what consumers are willing to spend. This is often the most difficult part of pricing; trying to convey the value of a handmade product to consumers. The more of a commodity a product is, the more one’s pricing is at the whims of the market.