Leather Working. Leatherworking, Tanning and Shoemaking Books. Written by Nevin Tuesday, 15 May :22 - Last Updated Sunday, 06 March :48

Transcription

1 You will find some information on tanning, leather working and shoe making in books about the old traditional arts like John Seymour s The Forgotten Arts (ISBN ) or Traditional Country Craftsmen by J. Geraint Jenkins (ISBN ) but these tend to be a bit gee whiz and give no real insight into techniques or processes. Of more practical use are books like the Foxfire series, which are a recording of oral traditions of the Appalachian mountains in the US, particularly Foxfire 6 (ISBN ) which provides good information and photos of traditional tools and how they are used to craft shoes by the people who used them. The Readers Digest book Back to Basics (ISBN ) also has a few pages devoted to leather and leather working, including how to make a coonskin hat! (There are no such directions in the Australian version) Leather Working Brendan s Leather Book Brendan Smith Outer Straubville Press (US) 1972 ISBN (Library of Congress No ) I love this book! Lots of good simple advice for the novice including what tools, leather and other supplies you need and great descriptions of techniques. No photos but lots of very clear line drawings. Due to the age of the book, prices he quotes are well out of dates and some products that he mentions may no longer exist or not be available outside the US. He gets right into the good stuff though no crappy key fobs or glasses cases, sandals and bags instead! Leather Work A Basic Manual Benjamin Matheson Little, Brown and Co (US) 1974 ISBN Another really good basic book (but it just lacks the flair of Brendan s) a very good introduction to the authors design philosophy and now to get the best out of a pelt. There are also good sections on tools, leather finishing techniques and leather construction techniques. There are a couple of black and white photos but lots of good line drawings. 1 / 5

2 Leathercraft Fred W. Zimmerman The Goodheart-Willcox co Inc. (US) 1969 Library of Congress No This book goes into a bit of detail about hides and tanning as well as finisheing, measuring and grading leather as well as stamping carving and decorating leather and looking after your tools, it appears to have been a text book of some description. It has lots of black and white photos and some line drawings. It is a great intro to leather craft but the projects are small crappy things like wallets, comb cases and coasters. Jonathan Ervins Leather Notebook Jonathan Ervin Running Press (US) 1973 No ISBN If you can get over the cover and the fact that the author looks like a serial killer, this is a great book. It is similar to, and has almost as much class as Brendan s with funky 70s printing and lots of line drawings (no photos except the cover). Some detail on leather and tools, but lots of good info on how to make useful stuff like sandals, belts and bags. Working With Leather Xenia Ley Parker Charles Scribner and Sons (US) 1972 ISBN This is a comprehensive book on leather work covering leather, tools, use of patterns, lacing and sewing leather, fastening and decorating, tooling, carving and dyeing. There are 12 projects starting with a change purse and passport holder and working up to leather clothing: vests, a skirt and a jacket. 2 / 5

3 Leather 1975 leather outs of ISBN industrial dyeing Technicians types and leather finishing. how Handbook production, they This While are is made this J. it technical H. is including not Sharphouse not a backyard book different but about leather Leather great types leather if production you Producers of tannage, working want to book. it Association know preparing is a detailed the ins the (UK) and look hide Tanning Tan Your Hide! Phyllis Hobson Garden Way Publishing (US) 1983 ISBN This is probably THE classic (US) text on home tanning it covers what you need to tan your own, starting from a fresh hide. It covers what tools and chemicals you need, how to select the hide, steps of the process and even some old Native American tanning recipes. There is also a section on leather working project for the hides that you ve tanned although it is pretty basic. A Handbook on Knives Skinning and Tanning John Leidreiter Published by John Leidreiter (AUS) 1990 ISBN This is THE classic Aussie text on tanning, written by the bloke who set up a company supplying chemicals to home tanners. The book is very detailed and covers everything from having the right knife for skinning, through skinning and preparing the hide all the way to the final tanned hide and a small section on fur and leather crafts. Lots of black and white photos and line drawings. 3 / 5

4 Shoemaking and Repairing Handmade Shoes for Men Laszlo Vass and Magda Molnar Konemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbh (GER) 1999 ISBN This book is 215 pages and hundreds of high quality colour photos about how to make men s shoes! It goes though sizes and how to measure up a foot, what a last is and how to make them, styles of shoe, the upper and then how to make the shoe itself. There is also a section on caring for shoes. A good book if you can get hold of it! Crafting Hand Made Shoes Great-Looking Shoes, Sandals, Slippers and Boots Sharon Raymond Lark Books (US) 2002 ISBN This book starts of with the tools required to make ladies and kids shoes, then gives a run down on the various techniques, then applies the techniques to a whole stack of shoes, sandals and boots based around the same rough design. They look easy enough for a beginner to make. Lots of colour photos and line drawings. Custom Make Your Own Shoes and Handbags Mary Wales Loomis Crown Publishers (US) 1978 ISBN This is a really interesting book that shows you how to make ladies shoes with a sewing machine and glue and covers how to make a last using plaster of Paris to make foot castings. There are lots of line drawings and black and white photographs and easy to follow instructions. 4 / 5

5 Boot date only values raw footwear material, printed or and is ISBN and made Shoe on machine simple one This up Repairing for side is remedial by a and textbook and the hand detailed the Technical alterations. repairing, text of shoe is information typed publication repair Fascinating! using with, adhesives, it probably some contains. no 38 line from Commonwealth repairs drawings. It covers the 1950s to all particular Its about lack or of so, Australia of the types the production tools pages of and No are Boot oldie-but-goodie drawings and book. the Repairing descriptions and no which photos. D. can Laurence-Lord has be There lots a bit of is confusing some information Cassells assumption without Publishers shoe pictures of and knowledge boot (UK) but still repair 1929 by good the (No but author information only ISBN) a with few Another this line a book small 5 / 5