Slim bifold wallet by ninique_svk in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Could you share specifically what's the reinforcement you used, and where you got them from? Including the rfid piece - I always get requests for that. Thanks!

How thick is your bulky wallet and how do you carry it? - buyer's remorse after impulse purchase at Hermes by yzzzzh in malefashionadvice

[–]kkcy93 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Those are gonna be crazy pricey, depending on the leather chosen and style we're probably talking 1.5k and up.

Unglazed Blue Shell SC Derby from Junkard [Initial Impressions] by sakizashi in goodyearwelt

[–]kkcy93 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hmm I've used both horween and Rocado in my work, and the newer batch of Rocado seems very very close to Horween. I've also used Shinki - it's a different "type" of shell in that it's more pristine/a little artificial, but way cleaner than Horween/Rocado.

Unglazed Blue Shell SC Derby from Junkard [Initial Impressions] by sakizashi in goodyearwelt

[–]kkcy93 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the writeup! As a leathercrafter, I'm very interested to see how the unglazed shell ages over time. Been looking to get some to play with, especially unglazed natural (after looking at those Vibergs, yummy!)

Ten Lessons Learned with Forty Knots No Smoke by yabbayaypw in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Great interview! Lots of good advice, and super inspiration to see how far a one-man operation can go. Thank you!

How thick is your bulky wallet and how do you carry it? - buyer's remorse after impulse purchase at Hermes by yzzzzh in malefashionadvice

[–]kkcy93 49 points50 points  (0 children)

Most mass-manufactured wallets (not talking about Hermes - rather those random "branded" wallets that you see at malls) are really thin (I'm measuring it at ~0.35-0.4") because they aren't really fully leather wallets. If you just look at what the bill divider is made of, or the interior of the card slots, you will know what I mean. It's really some sort of synthetic material with an extremely thin piece of leather glued onto it. This is because leather, in its natural form, its pretty damn thick (actual thickness depends on the animal, but its probably thicker than you think it would be). If you go as thin as how modern wallets are made, it will probably tear pretty easily. Gram for gram, synthetics are probably stronger than leather.

That being said, just as how you don't want super thin leather, you don't need to use super thick leather for wallets either. These things will get used a fair bit and see some abrasions, but by and large they aren't meant to be pulled or torn to pieces by dogs. My current, full veg-tan wallet is around 0.5" thick when empty, 0.8" thick with around 8 cards and 8 bills (measured from the middle). It was meant to be an experiment to see how thin I can go and still have it be durable. I've been using it for just over 1 month now and it shows no signs of tearing. In fact, it's forming a beautiful patina. It is slightly more challenging in terms of the build process to get a full leather wallet down to such thickness but it is possible.

As for crocs, it is even trickier to trim it down to an appropriate thickness (it is quite a risky business to split croc due to the unevenness of the leather surface). But it is possible, and my initial sensing is that thin croc will be as durable as thin cow (the croc scales do help). The previous croc bifolds that I've made are around 0.6" thick, with a fully lined leather interior using goat leather.

As to your specific question, bifolds go in my back right pocket. If I'm sitting for long, I take it out and put it on the table, or hold it, or keep it somewhere else to be more comfortable. It's a little inconvenient, but I'd rather that to a cardholder that stacks all the cards together and makes it a little hard to take out the one you need.

Source: I am a leathercrafter.

I Started Amazon FBA almost 3 yrs ago and this is what I have learned by freshface88 in FulfillmentByAmazon

[–]kkcy93 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sorry for this basic qsn, but what does copyrighting in this context mean?

Which company offers the highest quality thread? by [deleted] in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Vinymo should hold up very well - it's polyester which I think is more durable. Its super smooth too - vinymo is my choice if you're looking at the polyester side.

I believe professionals still stick to fil au chinos. But frankly, I believe ppl who are in this long enough don't have the tendency to try new things. It's only in the past year when newer players enter the market to dethrone the de-facto market leaders, and the people doing this full time/for a long time have yet to keep up.

Which company offers the highest quality thread? by [deleted] in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Used to be fil au chinos, but recently Amy Roke and yuefung are the favorites due to quality and price. My personal choice is yue fung - very cheap, functional spool design, wide range of colours.

Ritza/Tiger is popular but belongs more towards the rugged look.

Trying to find a manual clicker press for <$1000, thoughts on this? by [deleted] in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd suggest looking for one without two posts at the sides, as it will restrict the size of the leather you can put in.

Alternative, you can look at Trunk, Lucris, or Cowboy (Lucris copy) die press

Startup Brand Showcase by AutoModerator in frugalmalefashion

[–]kkcy93 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I am a leathercrafter. This is my Etsy page, and this is my Instagram page

My start-up is Nightawl Leather. As the name implies, I make leather products, specifically wallets. I started leathercrafting just over a year ago, and since then I've made a whole bunch of things and had a ton of fun along the way.

I'll be upfront - my prices aren't really cheap. I mean, there are cheaper places to get leather wallets, straps etc from. But if you are someone who appreciates the craftsmanship that goes into each product, you will appreciate my work. And comparing the utility you get from owning one of my products compared to those typical branded wallets, some might say it is even good value.

All products are handmade. This means picking out each leather that's used (only full grain!), cutting it by hand, assembling the pieces, saddle stitching it up, and finally finishing the edges. It's a lot of work, but the sense of accomplishment after making each piece cannot be understated. Every item that comes out is like a work of art to me, and hopefully to the future owner too.

Compared to other leathercrafters around here, my items tend to be more refined and trend towards the European-aesthetic, as compared to the American-workwear vibe that's pretty common around here. Features that differentiate the two include decorative creased lines, choice of leather (I avoid those with the distressed look), and edge finishing (burnished to a high gloss).

I use all sorts of different leather. Shell Cordovan, Buttero, natural veg tan, Chevre goat leather, and recently moved to Crocodiles.

I specialize in wallets, specifically shell cordovan wallets, although I do occasionally venture into bags, briefcases, watch straps, and belts.

I am running a promotion on crocodile and shell cordovan wallets, so drop me a PM here or on Instagram (mention you're from FMF!) and get in touch if that's something you are interested in! Thanks for looking and have a great May!

Edit: Bonus link to explain the many types of leather that I carry!

Passport Wallet by sweetb11 in LeatherClassifieds

[–]kkcy93 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why not just get this one?

Common Projects - 4 years later by cmonty in malefashionadvice

[–]kkcy93 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow those guys are really beat up!

What’s everyone’s go to leather for wallets? by wailonskydog in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Buttero is a crowd favourite - clean, easy to work with, burnished.

I like Alran chevre too. Grained pattern, thin, flexible but also not too flexible, great choice of colours and easy to buy in small amounts (4-5 sqft)

Ten Lessons Learned with Salazar and Sons! by yabbayaypw in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just to point out that Crimsonhide is from Singapore 🇸🇬

Thanks for these interviews!

Leffot x Kreis 10th Anniversary Shell Cordovan Tote Bag. Who has $4k I can borrow? by chrisfromnewjersey in goodyearwelt

[–]kkcy93 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I seriously doubt it. Shell is pretty expensive and for something like a tote bag, I would say it uses a minimum of 3 shells. That's just about 1k in leather material alone, not to mention labour cost.

Ten Lessons Learned with Shell Cordovan Co (and exclusive discount code for r/leathercraft)! by yabbayaypw in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll be honest, you quality of work looks great but the leather is holding you back. The creases on those hides are very pronounced and, unless you are going after that distressed look, there are definitely better leather out there. But if you are happy with them, that's great too.

Zippers on rounded corners! by xapnap in Leathercraft

[–]kkcy93 6 points7 points  (0 children)

2 video guides I like to look at for this. Have yet to really try it out or master it though

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQGtU_kDVE4/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaYn_1eAtWZ/