Kevin Callisch the Crafter
I have been working in leather craft for almost a decade. I initially began creating with spare pieces and turning scraps that were being thrown out into small items like coasters, wallets, or koozies. Through discipline and hard work, I saw steady progress.
A few years ago, I decided to delve deeper into the craft and took a Leather Craft Master Class taught by Philip Jury. This course significantly expanded my knowledge and love for the craft and my appreciation for high-quality leather.
I now spend my free time working on custom projects for friends and family, and occasionally sell pieces to those interested in the items I keep on my shelves at home.
Handcrafted
Every piece is hand cut and hand stitched. Learning basic techniques and developing structured discipline, my stitching has almost been mistaken as machine.
With diligent prep-work of measuring and cutting, to prong placement and consistent disciplined technique, my stitching is a huge part of my leather craft that I am most proud of. Every stitch is stitched by me, one at a time.
Templates
Even designs are sketched out by hand. Using graph paper to get an accurate measurements, I transfer the design onto hard stock that can then be cut and used to transfer the template design onto leather.
This is one of the most inventive parts of leather craft, taking account of spacing and leather flexibility. And design sometimes changes with the difference in leather durability and texture. It is always a fun challenge to get to create something new.
Edge Finishing
One of the most delicate parts of any leather product is the edge! And that is why 90% of the leather pieces I make have Burnished Edges.
Most leather bags usually begin to fall apart at the handles with the leather edge paint peeling off. And once that starts happening, most people get a new bag.
To burnish leather edges is to polish them. But most leather has very fine and flexible edges, so burnishing them is a challenge. But seeing how most bags fail at their edges, I take care to make sure mine are well tended to.
I take a multi-step process to get my edges to a strong and structured finish.
First you have to prep the edge, then sand and polish with a burnishing agent. I repeat this process up to two to three times before adding another layer of edge protection. Final buff to a shine and the edge is ready to go.
Contact me!
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