Leathercraft: Traditional Handcrafted Leatherwork Skills and Projects

I have been watching Nigel Armitage's free leather videos on Youtube, his even better (not free, but cheap) ones on Vimeo, and have been reading his input on discussion forums for years. He is among the most widely-known modern leathercraft teachers and is generous with his knowledge and genuinely motivated by helping others improve their work. If you are considering entering leathercraft, I don't know of a better books to start with. It instantly ranks up there with Michel Valerie's Leatherworking Handbook and Al Stohlman's books on hand sewing or making leather cases... ... except that Armitage's book continues the important traditions of leathercraft while incorporating modern techniques that vastly improve the work of leatherworkers. This is especially true for beginners. For example, Armitage shows a hefty respect for hand sewing with an awl, but shows how the various stitching chisels or pricking irons can help beginners to get higher-quality results earlier on. He also explains the value of traditional thread while explaining the value in using modern, stronger threads. If you are looking for an excellent gift idea for an aspiring hobbyist or someone with lots of experience working with leather, this book would be useful to all. I am going to buy one for my local leather supply shop and one for my friends in the local leather hobbyist guild... because there is no way I'm going to let anyone borrow mine!

In every craft, there are a few true masters. Learning from a true master allows you to produce high quality work. Nigel Armitage is a true master. He is also an excellent teacher. For people working with leather, this book is essential. Armatage’s lessons on YouTube are also excellent and well worth every minute of your time spent watching them.

a Must have for beginners ! like me !- Makes it easy to follow and get creative with your own touches ! Its an art that more than a Hobby !

Good pictures, easy to follow instructions

I've purchased a number of leather books in the past year but this is really the one I've come back to the most. A lot of great no nonsense advice and achievable projects that aren't just silly bookmarks / pen wraps that you'll never actually use. Definitely one to pick up if you're just starting on your leather working journey.

A well balanced book that incorporates the very beginnings of leatherwork with enough challenge to develop your skill. Clear instructions and visuals that help get, and keep, you on the right track. Definetely worth the investment!

It is a beautifully put together book of Armitage’s craftsmanship and knowledge that you will not be disappointed with. From the introduction to advanced project there is something here for the beginner or advanced worker to learn. Tradition leather craft at it’s finest. Thank you Nigel for putting this together and sharing with us.

When you combine this book and it's projects along what you can find by Nigel on youtube, you can get a lot of real almost in-person instruction for not a lot of money. He drops nearly all the details you need to know about something in the middle of doing it, be it in print or on video. It is a real pleasure to be able to get instruction and encouragement from someone who still, after all these fruitful years of plying his trade, is keenly excited to show you how to do what he does so expertly.

I don't normally add a review but I thought this time I would give credit when credit is due. Nigel is a very knowledgeable craftsman who knows his leathercraft inside and out. His book is a set by step guide showing traditional methods on how to create patterns, how to cut leather, use the tools properly and create projects with various difficulty that you can work at your own pace. He also provides links to the tools, hardware and leather he uses throughout the book so you are not left wondering where to get them from. His book is a window into Armitage leather as he also has a great website for courses and more patterns. A Vimeo channel showing loads of different techniques in a lot of detail and a YouTube channel where he reviews a number of different tools so you can make the right choice of tool to work with... A top notch bloke and his books are not too shabby....

Great book, lots of info for a beginner or seasoned leather crafter based on the more traditional methods.

It's perfect step by step guide, with explanation of different types of lather and lather positions. Also explains tool purposes, how to use and even if u need it as a beginner. As u go further in the book it gets more complex and uses previous lessons to compile on it and extend the knowledge. The more you go further the more tools you are going to need. There are some tools that you can buy on Amazon and they are good for a beginner, but as you go along think of investing in real tools, I think you can buy from the author he ships world wide. There are a big difference in pro and beginner tool, it looks the same but after few minutes you can see why Amazon costs 10-15$ and pro costs 100-200$.

I found the section on tools most useful. As a beginner leather crafter, knowing what the tools are called and what they are intended for helped me zero in on the ones I really need to get started. However when it comes to techniques and projects, I think practical classes are still the way to go so at best, this book should just be considered a complement to your learning journey and not a substitute for hands-on learning with a teacher.

Very nice book for me as a beginner, especially all the info on the tools needed, nice little projects to work on especially as a beginner, and it is nice the writer has a youtube channel. thank you