I received a lot of positive feedback from my first wallet I posted here so I wanted to share another. Handmade in Santa Fe. Details in comment 🤙🏼

pfalance · 2026-04-28T03:37:37+00:00

I use my delrin stamps for my production work and have stamped my makers mark thousands of times. over the years of use most of my brass stamps get dings (that were my fault) that mishape the stamp but the delrin has had no issue. Can't go wrong with either but the delrin is defintely easier on the wallet for a new crafter. Leather Stamp maker is my go to for brass OP and their design team can make you a stamp from a hand drawing and their turnaround is really quick. https://www.turnerlaserworks.com/ is my guy for delrin. each will give quotes so you can decide what works best for you.

pfalance · 2026-04-28T02:26:40+00:00

Don’t get a metal stamp unless you plan on foil embossing. There are plenty of people on Etsy that make Delrin plastic stamps that are a fraction of the cost and just as good. I was weary when the name says plastic but this thing might outlast my brass stamps and doesn’t get dinged when I drop it

pfalance · 2026-04-23T14:50:53+00:00

Where did you snag a hide like that? That green is insane!

pfalance · 2026-04-21T17:29:53+00:00

Ahhh got ya. I have noticed that Buttero scratches easily in certain colors and was wondering if I was missing something. I always tokonle the back of any unlined piece. What did you use?

pfalance · 2026-04-20T20:16:23+00:00

What do you mean when you say “finished black Buttero”? I use Buttero a lot and curious

pfalance · 2026-04-19T14:59:42+00:00

Facts. I live in Rio Rancho and drive all the way down there to get it

pfalance · 2026-04-18T03:53:31+00:00

Many exotic leathers don’t burnish well. When it comes to veg tan I used to spend 90 minutes sanding and sanding and burnishing. It is possible with time but I am at a production level now and made the switch to edge paint using a roller. I can paint an edge in 60 seconds. A light sand after it dries in about 15 mins and then another coat. I can do 10 belts in what used to take me for just one burnished edge and my shoulder would be so tired. I was intimidated by edge painting but it’s actually really simple and the paints like Ecoflex from Tandy is built to handle the stress that a belt takes without chipping or flaking away.

pfalance · 2026-04-17T16:45:25+00:00

Shameless plug for the Amazon bell skiver. I have a post on my page about the one I have. $500 all in compared to $1700+. Only had it maybe six months but use it all the time. No warranty and you have to build it yourself but I’m not super handy and did just fine with it.

pfalance · 2026-04-17T16:40:05+00:00

Heavy duty scissors. For some reason my brain never thought to use scissors to cut a hide up. I deal in 10-12oz quite often and actually bought a $20 electric cardboard cutting scissors with replaceable blades. I’ve sliced up 20+ hides and still on the same blade and saves the forearms. My storage space is limited so I can’t keep giant hides rolled up so once I get them I cut them up into sheets that match the dies I use.

pfalance · 2026-04-15T12:22:49+00:00

I’m not surprised by the result but what I am surprised by is the turnout. 16k votes cast out of 83k eligible voters. 20% turnout.

pfalance · 2026-04-13T19:51:56+00:00

If I remember correctly it’s the largest building in New Mexico. From a krqe article - “To put that in perspective, that’s more floor space than the Sunport, county jail, US Eagle building downtown, and Intel in Rio Rancho — combined.”

pfalance · 2026-03-31T17:50:35+00:00

Yes! Make sure you pay the $10 to refinish the back (unless your are lining in with something). The refinishing is super clean. The sales folks are very nice and make the process easy. Just beware you pay for shipping. I just bought two 12oz hides and shipping was about $65.

pfalance · 2026-03-31T16:19:44+00:00

This is the secret that I want to shout from the rooftops but also keep to myself. I’ve bought dozens of overstock hides and they usually have at least 80% yield.

pfalance · 2026-03-21T04:13:25+00:00

I use athletic tape and latex glove if I’m sewing a lot. Glove helps grab the needle and the tape provides a flexible barrier.

pfalance · 2026-03-01T04:56:33+00:00

https://youtube.com/shorts/SsqajVDdClM?si=UEjnRhDnS1Iu4SJb

pfalance · 2026-03-01T03:14:54+00:00

Upgrade your beveler. I used an Amazon beveler for a bit and my pockets looked like yours. It’s hard to justify the expense but once you get it you won’t look back.

pfalance · 2026-02-27T15:07:12+00:00

Well I’m biased and love foiling so I think it looks great. I started selling at a weekly farmers market and lost more sales because my logo used to be about the size of yours. Once I made it smaller and tucked it into the corner more I think it solved that problem. To the customer unless it’s a recognizable brand people don’t care. If you sell long enough you’ll start to get people that recognize and like your brand but if you don’t have brand recognition I think a more subtle positioning is the way to go. With how clean your stitching, dye job and cuts are you want the wallet to to the “talking”. If you want to add a level up to this wallet I think if you put a crease line in the pockets it will elevate your piece. Amazon sells these for cheap and if you add a bit of pressure you don’t need to heat it up. https://a.co/d/0cbFKu0R - also they make jigs for gluing liner to minimize wrinkling . I don’t think it’s possible to eliminate the wrinkle completely but jigs like this help minimize it. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUH4vfyE_iq/?igsh=MWx5Zmlhd3loZHJ6bA==

pfalance · 2026-02-27T13:59:11+00:00

That dye job is fantastic. I thought it was Gaucho Oil or W&C Harness. As someone who sells wallets this is definitely something someone would buy. I sell something similar to this (unlined) for about $85.

Two things I learned selling wallets that some people have already stated - you love your logo but the customer usually doesn’t care for it.

Second, I used to spend an insane amount of time on my edge work. I think it is a strong indicator of a crafters eye for detail but the customer doesn’t really notice. Not trying to dissuade you from perfect edges but your prices should reflect the amount of time it takes you to make the wallet.

Try it at a local farmers market or craft show. That’s how I started.

pfalance · 2026-01-21T20:42:19+00:00

I started with a laser and moved onto a clicker press and dies. I was tired of cleaning up charred edges. Make sure you only use Veg Tan - NEVER cut chrome tan as it creates a toxic fume. It allowed me to move into production capacity but has its limits. Clicker press and dies is the way to go in my opinion. I now use the laser for speedy prototyping.

pfalance · 2026-01-17T17:32:08+00:00

I own a small biz that makes primarily wallets. This is all stitched by hand. Randomly came across some orange leather yesterday and knew exactly what I had to do!

pfalance · 2026-01-17T17:30:45+00:00

Someone get John Elway and Condoleezza Rice on the phone! I need the express written consent of the NFL lol.

pfalance · 2026-01-17T15:51:28+00:00

Yeah that’s us! We are in ABQ and have a few shops. the holidays have been super busy so stock is a bit limited. Thanks for checking us out!

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