Leatherworking 101: The Basics of Working With An Unrivalled Material

Leather…a material that has been known from man’s earliest civilizations. It can be sewn like cloth, carved and shaped like wood, hammered and molded like iron or plastic. It can be breathable enough for clothing, or made watertight enough for leather fire buckets.  It has been, for thousands of years, one of the most important materials mankind has possessed; and those who were skilled in working it were valuable members of a thriving community.

This basic leatherworking class, which covers the basics of knife-working and sewing work, has been taught at various historic sites throughout the Eastern U.S. and the Midwest by Cordwainer Brett Walker. Mr. Walker will share from his more than twenty-five years of experience as a traditionally-apprenticed cordwainer (viz., shoemaker), weaving in anecdotes of his successes and failures along the way.

Skills and information will be taught in the following areas:

• Shop safety
• Understanding types of leather and their uses
• Basic cutting, paring, and other knife-work skills
• Types of hand-tools and their various uses
• The basic shoemaker’s stitch (and introduction to other kinds of hand-stitching)
• Inscribing, burnishing, and basic finishing of leather
• Conditioning and care of leather, for long use
• And much, much more…

At the day’s end, students will leave with the skills and experience necessary to take additional leatherworking classes being offered by The Fellowship, and will have completed or substantially completed a reproduction leather document case, which is based on an original owned by a shoemaker in the 1740’s.  [See attached photo, right.]

For ages 14 and up, with parental or guardian supervision for minors. [Waiver required.]

_______________________________________________________

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 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–maybe a leatherworking 102 workshop someday?”

~ JJ, Monroe 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 Wentorth House Class; Rollinsford, New Hampshire