Fundamentals of Leatherworking

Come learn the truly timeless art of leatherworking, a craft that is thousands of years old, yet remains so effective that many of our old techniques and tools still resonate through to our current practices today.

If you've never touched a piece of leather or hand tool in your life, or if you are looking to take your existing leatherworking skills to the next level, instructor Jacob Johnson will guide you through a range of techniques and make sure you get the most out of your time in the workshop.

Over the course of 5 hours, this deep-dive will train you in all of the core skills required to create nearly any leatherworking project. By the end, you will have created your very own fully customized leather keychain using top quality materials and high-end techniques. Not only will you take home a piece to be proud of, but you will leave with the confidence and knowledge on exactly how to get started on your next project!

Instructor Jacob will provide demonstrations, explain different types of leather, how to use the tools of the trade, explore a variety of different techniques and provide one-on-one guidance while answering any questions you may have along the way.

Your class project will be created from top-grain, hand dyed vegetable tanned leather (vegan options are available upon request). You will get to customize each part of your project by choosing your thread, hardware and leather colour, as well as learning how to use a wide range of detailing stamps in order to truly personalize your one of a kind keychain. When properly built and cared for, leather goods can last decades and will develop the beautiful patina that only high-quality leather goods can achieve.

There will be a fair amount of hands on hammering, cutting, sanding, polishing and a technique called saddle-stitching (where you sew using two blunted needles at once). Site3 will provide all tools and materials, but it is recommended to bring some kind of lunch/snack and hydration. There will be a half-hour break at the mid-point of the class.

If you're curious about Site 3 Co-Laboratory please stop by for our weekly Open House every Thursday evening, more info at www.site3.ca

PARTICIPANTS MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.

IF YOU REQUIRE ACCOMMODATIONS, CONTACT [email protected] BEFORE PURCHASING YOUR TICKET. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO HOST YOU.

REFUNDS WILL ONLY BE GIVEN IF YOU EMAIL [email protected] WITH MORE THAN 72 HOURS REMAINING UNTIL THE CLASS. ALL OTHER REQUESTS WILL BE DEALT WITH AT THE ORGANISATION'S DISCRETION AND REFUNDS MAY NOT BE GIVEN.

Info: Introduction to and training with the many hand tools used in traditional leatherworking. This segment also goes over the different types of leathers available, how to select the correct leather for different types of projects, and what to look for when buying leather. The focus of this workshop is to give you hands on experience with the tools, materials and techniques that will give you the confidence and knowledge in order to create your own high-quality leather projects.

Info: We will select our hand dyed, top-grain leather pieces that will transform into a keychain built to last decades of heavy use. Together we will learn how to prep our leather, mark layout lines, bond surfaces, punch stitching holes, even stamping and embossing our own unique details and patterns permanently into the leather surface.

Info: After a short break we will learn how to dual-wield harness needles to perform the classic and iconic saddle stitch, the durable and satisfying stitch that no machine can replicate. We will also learn how to create a highly polished "glass like" burnished edge on our leather, install solid brass or copper heavy duty hammer-finished rivets, and learn how to finish and care for proper leather goods.

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Host or Publisher Site 3 coLaboratory