Leatherworking 201: Beyond the Basics With An Amazing Material

This intermediate-level leatherworking class is conducted by Cordwainer Brett Walker.  Mr. Walker began his journey as a traditionally-apprenticed cordwainer (viz., shoemaker) with a basic leatherworking class, and used it as a building-block for learning more advanced work in the shoemaking line.  In the same way, those who have successfully completed The Fellowship’s Leatherworking 101 class can take their skills to the next level with this class.

Designed for participants who have completed Leatherworking 101 or who have the equivalency in skill and experience at the instructor’s discretion.  Ages 14 and up are welcomed (minors with parental or guardian supervision and waiver).  Intermediate leatherworking skills and information will be taught and/or reinforced in the following areas:

• Understanding the types of leather used by specialty leatherworking trades, such as shoemakers and saddlers
• An enhanced knowledge of the tremendous capabilities of different types of leather
• Intermediate cutting, paring, and other knife-work skills
• Intermediate sewing skills, including an additional range of stitches (beyond the basic shoemaker’s stitch)
• Wet-forming and sealing/waterproofing of leather
• Painting on leather with oil paints
• And much, much more…

The class meets at the Bannockburn Croft shoemaking shop/teaching studio, near Stahlstown, Pennsylvania (directions here), and is comprised of twelve hours of instruction, beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon, and continuing until 8:00 p.m. that evening.  Class resumes at 8:30 a.m. the following Saturday morning, and continues until 5:30 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break.  Students are advised to bring their own lunches.

The goal of the class is to provide participants with the skills and experience necessary to take on more complex leatherworking projects, as well as to take further advanced leatherworking classes which are offered by The Fellowship (e.g., shoemaking).  And at the end of class, students and will have completed or substantially completed a reproduction of the original leather fire-bucket shown in the photograph to the left, which is dated ca. 1750-1790. Students can choose to leave the bucket unpainted, or can personalize their fire-buckets after class using oil paints and class-provided templates.

Questions may be emailed to info@guildfellows.org, or please feel free to call (757) 608-8120.

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Some comments from prior classes:

“Just wanted to take an opportunity to say thank you for participating in the AMAZING workshop Saturday with Brett and [Brett’s wife] Wendy! It was great to see you all, and I’m happy we  were able to host this fun and extremely enriching gathering. Opportunities like these, that allow us to deepen our knowledge and ability with such unique and expert instruction, are so rare and valuable!”

“Brett, on behalf of us all, thank you most deeply for spending the day with us in what was an extremely rewarding experience. You were a most excellent instructor, and I know that everyone went away Saturday fulfilled! I look forward to the next time our paths cross…”

~ JJ, Monroe County Historical Society Class; Monroe, Michigan

“Really appreciate your insight, experience and teaching style because you’ve made the mistakes in the past and you teach us how not to make them now, which saves a lot of time. Thanks again.”

~ Nancy, Col. Paul Wentworth House Class; Rollinsford, New Hampshire