5 comments about The Leatherworking Handbook: A Practical Illustrated Sourcebook of Techniques and Projects.

1. A book from a american biblioteke in exellent condition ,in time.
   A very good gide for leatherworks in combination with the guides of Al Stohlman.
   Dirk Barendregt,The Netherlands



2. As a beginning leatherworker, I refer back to this book a lot. She gives very straight-forward explanations of basic techniques... the saddle stitch is perfectly clear. Some of the projects will take a lot of practice to get to the level of finish that you see in the illustrations. That's not really a problem... just something to work towards.



3. Although the illustrations are well done I don't see a reason to buy this if you own the Stallman books.



4. I started out working with leather on my own with some help from my local leatherworking supplier. Unhappy with the results I was getting I decided on buying this book and I was not disappointed. The quality of my work is far better now than I could have hoped for. A must read for beginners.



5. I found this handbook disappointingly superficial.It makes to many assumptions that the reader is an experienced leather-worker, and is very short on instruction.
   This writer has had some expert tutelage from master craftsmen, but I still found a considerable deficit in detail.A pity, as the projests are interesting, but, in most instances, too complex for a beginner.
   I could not recommend this book!

2 comments about Man Crafts: Leather Tooling, Fly Tying, Ax Whittling, and Other Cool Things to Do (Popular Mechanics).

1. Nice little book about making things.Kind of neat how they tell you to be able to have a hobbie or small business.



2. Man Crafts from Popular Mechanics This little book is a delightful visit to the past, with skills still popular and interesting for today. When men returned from World War II, in which they had learned how to make things they needed, continued using the skills they had gained to create new businesses or as hobbies. This book, which shows the beginning of the Baby Boom era, is not only nostalgic but also teaches skills which men and boys (women too) will enjoy in spare time today. These skills can create or restore household items, utilitarian or for decoration, and interesting gifts. The activities can become fun hobbies, especially for parent and child to do together. In these tough times some of these skills could become a business for the industrious who enjoy working with their hands. The book covers these skills: saw carpentry, leathercraft, bookbinding, block printing, axe craft, tin can craft, braiding and knotting, fly-tying, cartooning, and hand lettering.

5 comments about How to Make Whips (Bushcraft).

1. My parents, who live in southeast Texas,lost their home to Hurricane Ike in September 2008. My Father lost all of his whips and leather supplies in the flood. He is 79 years old and it was extremely hard for him to come thru this ordeal. One day he mentioned how he would love to have a book about making whips. I explained to him that the computer I purchased for him last Christmas would give him the world at his fingertips. Up until then he had only used it to play solitare and look at the photos of the build on their new log home. I showed him how to use Amazon.com and you would have thought I created the best thing since sliced bread. The book arrived in a few days and he couldn't get enough of it! It gave him all of the information he was searching for all these years. When the catalog from Tandy leather came, which I also ordered on line, he was like a kid in a candy store! So if you want to make a craftsman happy, buy this book!



2. For learning how to make whips out of leather, this book is pretty much the first to buy. There are a couple minor differences with the book vs. what most people do--Edward's use of kerosene or neatsfoot oil in plaiting soap is one, most persons online don't recommend that--but overall this shows "the way it is done" and with the proper materials will allow you to roughly duplicate any professional whip you might find (-you won't duplicate the level of *craftsmanship* of a professional-made whip very easily, but you will be able to do the correct cutting, braiding and the more-common types of knotting-).
   
   It does not say much about the techniques of making nylon whips, so if that is your primary goal there may be another better book out there.



3. Over all it's a good book. I would have liked to see real photos other then pencil sketches but it works. The book is set up to focus on Australian whips. The one thing the book needs is some more solid number. I am very new to whips and find that I don't know how long I should make the different parts. I understand that whips very but a clear here do this for your first whip then see what happens when you change them would be very welcome. The snake and bull whips do get there chance at the end but they build off the knowledge you learn while making more traditional Australian cattle whips. I for one still would tell anyone that wants to learn how to make a whip to pick this book up but you will have to read it very closely to get all the information worked out.



4. This book was ordered, because of the author is highly qualified in the ornamental knot arena. I am very pleased with the directions and illustrative drawings. A further good reference came from The Magazine of the International Guild of Knot Tyers, Issue 96, September 2007, giving it a glowing report in their Book Review section.



5. Nice book have not used it to make a whip yet. Some things are not quite as clear as I would like to see. Better to have someone show you than read a book.

5 comments about The Art and Craft of Leather: Leatherworking tools and techniques explained in detail.

1. I recently was given an old set of leather working tools and became enamored with small projects. Everything local is very oriented towards Tandy Products and I was looking for something different. This is written by 2 women from Spain and the book has a very Moorish / North African feel. It is a very practical short history of leather, then a god overview of techniques, and then some intorductory projects including weaving, carving, painting and tooling of different leathers. There also is a section with pictures of Modern & old Leather Art. Much more than a coffee-table book!



2. This is a wonderful book and I am totally amazed with the amount of information contained in it. I am new to leather working but this is by far one of the best books I have purchased.



3. Sorry this book does not impress me at all. When was the last time you saw someone doing learthecraft with a ballpeen hammer? Like to make a belt or wallet? I did not find that information in this book.
   This book is going onto ebay.



4. The book is great in helping a person to select the right tool and how to use it. So many small things to know and book takes you there.



5. 
   This book wasn't exactly what I expected it would be. It is more of a history of the development of the uses of leather which I found really interesting. It lists many leatherworking techniques, the tools used and shows how to use the techniques...some of which I wasn't aware. If you love working with leather this is a good book for you!

5 comments about The Complete Book of Tanning Skins and Furs.

1. VERY INTERESTING BOOK. I HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE ART OF TANNING HIDES.



2. I started using this book back in the late 80's when I first started tanning. Almost everything I know about tanning, I learned from this book. I've tanned elk hides, deer hides, antelope, squirrel, rabbit, snake, coyote, fox, raccoon, skunk, beaver, muskrat, and many more. I've had some failures, but with this book as a guide, I've taken very few false steps. I've used a wide variety of techniques and found that they worked like Mr. Churchill said. I do recommend this book, and have often lent my copy to friends.



3. I was very disappointed with this book. He talks about the generalized steps to do tanning, but he lacks good step by step information for beginners. Its a good first book to read, then find another book with more detail as to how to actually do the procedures. He only has two plans for crafting with leather, and I think he should have added more. I wouldn't advise you purchase this book unless its your first and you want to understand the general procedure of tanning, then find a better book with more details.



4. This book is extremely useful to anyone entering the field of home tanning. It has a proven method for tanning any skin that is likely to be available to the home tanner, from alligators to antelope.



5. Churchill covers the tanning of many different types of animals, using many different methods. This is the good and the bad of this book. No other tanning book I know of contains so much varied information, and for this reason its a good one to have. However, the techniques are not covered in much detail so it is challenging for the beginning tanner to be successful using these instructions alone.

   In reference to the previous reviews written here. I agree with the first two (look like they are written by the same guy?), in that if you are wanting to tan buckskin, this isn't the best book. However if you are wanting to do furs, the books mentioned below don't cover them (I'm the author of one of them)...and this is your best bet.

3 comments about Making Leather Purses & Totes.

1. This book has really great projects even for those of us who haven't done a lot of leather crafting before. There are some really unique looks that I know would look great with my wardrobe.



2. This book is beautifully done, but suffers from the problems I've seen in other books on leather bags. The actual leather bag patterns are too small to be practical for use. Many of the bags as shown appeal only to young girls playing dress up. This is not to say that they couldn't be made tasteful, if still undersized. A few of the projects, surprisingly, are only accented by leather and are otherwise store bought bags. There are some good ideas in this book, but not enought to justify the price for the already accomplished leatherworker. I don't recommend it, and would have returned it if the shipping both ways would not have exceeded the cost of the book.



3. Can't wait to try some of the project. This book give
   leather craft a new look.

4 comments about Tan Your Hide!: Home Tanning Leathers & Furs.

1. I purchased this book for my husband who is just starting to deal with rabbits. He loved it and we received it very timely and in great condition. Thank you for your excellent service.



2. ever wanted to know how to make hides? this book will walk you thru it



3. Besides being light on details, the copy I got had several key pages missing - there but just blank. Shows a lack of attention to detail. If you are just getting started in the tanning/leather/rawhide business it is an OK read about history and techniques but there are better books on the market. Get this one from the library.



4. No offense to the author, but this book just doesn't have enough detail to successfully teach you to tan a hide. I tan and teach home tanning for a living, and I regularly meet folks who have used this book as their reference and failed to produce anything remotely like leather. There is nothing inaccurate about the information but their just isn't enough detail. Tanning is a fairly simple craft, but it is very tactile and precise. You need to know the details, the ins and outs. Amazon.com sells two books that I highly recommend if you wish to learn home-tanning: DEERSKINS INTO BUCKSKINS: How to Tan With Natural Materials, and Wetscrape Braintan Buckskin. Get one or both and you'll get the results you're looking for.

1 comments about Complete Leatherwork: Easy Techniques and Over 20 Great Projects.

1. I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!! There are very few books out there about making leather purses. I have them all and this one is my fav. It is very simply laid out and easy to follow. The projects are so bang on style wise. I have been designing and making fabric purses for 15 years and I wanted to start working with leather. I bought a bunch of leather and thought with all my experience it would be fairly easy. It wasn't long before I realized that working with leather required a specific set of skills I knew nothing about. I had so many questions and I found this book answered all of them. The projects are truly inspirational and I can't wait to get started. Did I mention I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!!!!

5 comments about The Complete Guide to Traditional Native American Beadwork: A Definitive Study of Authentic Tools, Materials, Techniques, and Styles.

1. This is a great book for those looking for authentic beadwork styles. The author covers a broad range of styles. He also discusses different backgrounds and even provides instruction for hide tanning.



2. The author, Joel Monture, is a professor of traditional arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. His thorough textbook documents not only native American beadwork techniques, but the tedious methods of leather preparation that are necessary prior to beading.
   
   A San Antonio local artisan, Ken Yanez, is familiar with this process of scraping, lacing and brain-tanning leather. Ken befriended a native American while in the Marines and accompanied him home to the reservation during military leaves. There, an elder showed Ken some magnificent, old beadwork. Ken was surprised to learn that the tribal youth showed little interest, including his friend. Although Ken doesn't have sufficient native American ancestry to qualify for tribal membership, he made a personal commitment to learn these techniques. Ken's projects are authentically produced but cannot be labeled as "Indian made."
   
   Why don't tribal youth show more interest in native American craft? Preparation for beading in the native American tradition, such as brain-tanning of hides, is labor intensive, although the results are buttery-soft, making the leather pliable for decorative beading and quilling. Because of the work and time involved, few of today's tribal youth want to perpetuate the craft. "Time" has become "money," so if there is interest in doing crafts in the classical tradition, it's to make some money. Ken will attest to the amount of time it took to make a cradle board for his son. He certainly couldn't sell it for a price to equal the months that he put into the project.
   
   To offset the lack of interest in fine craft, author Joel Monture has captured the steps needed to recreate the obvious beauty inherent in native American beadwork. The book features 43 color plates of beadwork, including the styles of many North American tribes.
   
   In one respect, Joel is preserving an anthropological record of the personal ornamentation used by various tribes by showing us the differences and similarities of style. To lose these tribal identifiers results in cultural homogeny and a disconnect with our human history. Joel's sense of history has led him to capture these artistic techniques before they are lost.



3. I just got this book along with two others the other night. Haven't had the chance yet to read it completely yet. Having scanned it a bit though, I would say the section with color photos is good, particularly if you're a crafter looking for patterns. The text I've read up to this point is good and worth reading. I've had a little bit of a hard time with some of the diagarms though, particularly some of the ones dealing with hides and hide tanning. Not that I'm looking to tan hides right now, but I thought it would still be interesting to understand the process. Several of the stitch diagrams are easier to follow though. There are black and white photos as well in this book. Most came out fine, but I think a there are a few that must have had poor lighting.



4. i love indian art, traditional and contemporary. i have a small collection of northwest and inuit art. i have studied the histories of several nations. but i am not an indian. no matter how much study i may devote to indian arts and history, i will never be an indian, i will never have the intimate knowledge that comes from growing up in a culture. i would never presume to tell any member of any indian nation that his or her work was not 'traditional.'

   and what, exactly, is tradtional? louise keyser, a washoe who died in 1925, created a new form of basket in the 1890s that was based on her tradition and her knowledge of other nations' traditions. this is what artists do--take what they know, build on it, and create new forms. after all, indians happily absorbed european beads into their 'traditions.'

   i design my own knits, embroideries and beadwork. this book offers stunning photos and a good section on traditional color use which together give me a good starting point for my own creations and which is why i rate this book at five stars.

   note on nomenclature: the indians i have known were not concerned about indian/native american. i object to native american since the indians migrated (IMmigrated) here just as everyone else has, albeit a few thousand years earlier. if i have offended any indian/native american by this use, i apologize. if a european doesn't like it, well....




5. How interesting that the beadwork book chosen as more "authentic" by some here was written by a European from Germany! Mr. Monture is Six Nations (Mohawk, I believe) from New York State, & has taught Native Arts at the American Indian Arts Institute (a college *for* Native artists) for some years.

   Again, its more about where you're from. Some could say it is 'romantized', as it doesn't go into how much work it actually is to produce hides, that its smelly, you need a lot of guidance & practice, etc.

   Different tribes use different techniques, & this book is definitely written from a more northeastern tradition, perhaps difficult to appreciate as it is less known outside these communities. (Plains beadwork is usually what the mainstream usually recognizes as 'authentic'.)

   That said, one probably needs a little background to get the most from this book. I do wish there was more discussion on color use and Great Lakes pattern development, but these are also skills which are best honed by doing. I enjoyed this book, which does pack a lot of information into relatively little space. The construction techniques are excellent!

3 comments about Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools, C. 1700-1950: And the Tools of Allied Trades.

1. This is a great book. I reccomend it to anyone who is interested in the history of the leather industry, or who is interested in getting into leather crafts. It is very informative and gives you an idea on what kinds of tools are used in leather work and how they are used. It makes a great reference source. It givr you an idea on what kinds of tools you'll need for the differnt kinds of leather trades.



2. The title really says it all - delivered really quickly and in great condition.



3. Look at all the nifty tools!

   We just received our copy yesterday, and I expect my husband and I will be competing for it until one of manages to get through it from cover to cover. As the title implies, the author covers almost any tool you could think of used for leather working in the last 2.5 centuries, including things like workbences and stools. :) The book is arranged by trade - bookbinding, boot and shoe making, skinningk, tanning, finishing, etc, with the tools alphabetical by general type within each trade. Some of the descriptions are very brief, and the author spends more time in explanations of how more obscure tools are/were used than for common ones - which makes sense. Definitely enjoyable for the confirmed tool junkie.