Practical, workshop-tested leathercraft guides written from the bench.
Clear processes, real-world experience, and tools that hold up over time.
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The Stitching Pony – Why It Matters and How to Choose One
A practical guide to the stitching pony — what it does, how to choose between a bench pony and a saddler’s clam, and what makes one genuinely useful rather than quietly frustrating.
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Choosing Leather Thread – Linen, Polyester, and What Actually Holds
A practical guide to choosing leather thread — covering linen vs polyester, matching thread size to your iron spacing, and why the thread you use matters as much as how you stitch.
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Choosing a Pricking Iron – What Actually Matters
A workshop-tested guide to choosing a pricking iron — covering spacing, tooth count, handle height, and the preparation steps that make the biggest difference to a consistent stitch line.
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Leather Adhesives – Choosing the Right Glue for the Job
A practical guide to choosing between leather cement and contact adhesive — covering surface preparation, application method, pressing, and the most common mistakes that cause glue to fail.
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The Traditional Approach to Hand Stitching Leather
A practical guide to traditional hand stitching leather, covering leather selection, thickness, stitch spacing and the foundations that make clean, durable work possible. Written from a workshop perspective for those who want to understand the craft properly before focusing on speed.
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Complete Guide to Traditional Saddle Stitching
A practical guide to traditional saddle stitching in leathercraft. Learn the tools, preparation, stitch technique and finishing methods used for strong, hand-crafted seams, with reference to gold-standard visual demonstrations.
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Tokonole vs Gum Tragacanth – Which Should You Use?
A practical comparison of Tokonole and Gum Tragacanth for leather edge finishing — what each does, when to use which, and why the difference matters less than most people think.
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Complete Guide to Leather Edge Finishing (Vegetable-Tanned Leather)
A workshop-tested, step-by-step method for finishing vegetable-tanned leather edges using sanding progression, Tokonole, and Gum Tragacanth.
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Professional Leather Working Tools UK – What Every Maker Needs
A beginner-friendly guide to the essential professional leather working tools used in the UK, from stitching irons and awls to cutting and edge finishing tools. Learn what makes a tool “premium” and how to build a kit that lasts.