Posted on

Welcome to SLC’s Laser Engraving Department

Here at SLC we’ve got a sharp team of 4 in our laser engraving department. Each team member brings something specific and unique to the department. We’ve got Holly, who does a lot of the graphic design work for the laser engraving department and the marketing department. She is a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to helping SLC out; from creating logos and stamps to creating new ads for Springfield Leather. Our next team member, Zach, runs our laser engraving machines, of which we have 5! He does a lot of customer relation work with folks that call in inquiring about work they need done or if they are interested in purchasing a Glowforge laser engraver. Our laser engravers carve out acrylic templates, both single templates and in bulk for products like bags, wallets, purses and more! Our laser engraving machines also engrave hat patches, weight-lifting belts, large-scale maps, and almost anything you can imagine from patterns, to intricate designs on select leathers and thin wood materials. There are endless options when it comes to laser engraving. We welcome you to give us a call to ask about something you need done or if you are interested in purchasing a laser engraver for yourself! (Watch an SLC live video featuring the Glowforge here) We also have one in our store, so come on by to see how one works in real time!

Laser Engraving

Next we’ve got Cole who runs our CNC machine, which stands for Computerized Numerical Control. Our CNC machine is a giant piece of equipment that has major possibilities. It’s main course of action is carving away excess pieces to leave pre-designed works of art. It can carve out signs, parts for retail displays that go in our store or shop, and even every day use items like decorative pieces that can be filled or covered in resin, which is a clear plastic mold that can have color added if you want to fill the shape of almost anything! The CNC machine is capable of cutting through even stone, granite and agate opening up many possibilities.

CNC Machine

Last but certainly not least, we’ve got the laser engraving department’s outstanding leader, Matt! Matt has been working with SLC for quite some time and has really made the laser engraving department special. He goes out of his way to help customers and teach coworkers more about the laser engraving machines. Matt is very talented, and creates new and creative leather projects on his own during his spare time. He was even on an SLC live video where he showcased his geometric stamping skills (view video here). Matt communicates with customers who want custom stamps done and he stays very busy. Most folks that Matt works with are wanting a unique mark made so that they can stamp their projects with it. Around here we call this a “maker’s mark”, it is typically a customer’s personal business logo or unique “mark” they use to identify with their personal brand. Matt takes care of the process from thought to completed stamp to make sure that our customer’s are getting exactly what they envision. These stamps look great on completed projects and can be used for foil-stamping a mark as well. When I asked Matt what he loves most about working in the laser engraving department, this is what he said.

Matt Quote

We are very thankful here at SLC for such a great department like the laser engraving team. They are a very important and innovative department that is making strides to go above and beyond for our customers and company!

Posted on

Welcome to SLC Research and Development

Look at how to tool leather

Here at SLC there are many people who work very hard day to day to make sure our business runs smoothly. One of those amazing departments here at SLC is our Research and Development team. This team is full of creative and hard working folks. Though they are a fairly small team they are very important to the innovative aspect of our company. Each day they are faced with new possibilities of what to create or design for our customers to enjoy and maybe even dare to duplicate on their own.

Denny tooling leather

On a normal day here at SLC you can walk over to the R & D Department, right next to one of our biggest windows here at our store location, where the sun shines in on a sunny day to find our R & D Department hard at work.

You would see Larissa at her table working on and creating various different products from unique acessories like folding camp chairs and hats to trendy bags, or sturdy holsters, to patterns and templates for our customers to follow. Not only does she create these products but she simultaneously researches new and innovative ideas for future projects.

Larissa working on a new hat pattern

Next you’ll find Denny over at his work table tooling a saddle bag or some Sheridan style belts that are sure to inspire our western style leather creators. Denny teaches leather tooling classes a couple of times a month and has a lifetime full of knowledge when it comes to his craft, he is definitely someone you would go if you had questions about tooling leather or saddle construction.

Check out Denny’s handiwork

Across from Denny you’ll see Brenna putting together the instructions, diagrams and packaging for completed developments and products that go into our customers’ hands. Brenna translates the process from the original crafters’ perspective into an easy to read and follow step by step process. When asked what she likes about working in R & D she said, “We get to create new and exciting products that set us apart from our competitors. Since I design the kits, the best part for me is working with master crafters and breaking down their process for others to learn from. It’s fun seeing new designs made every day.” 

Brenna cheerfully displaying a project diagram she’s been working on

Now we can’t forget Clayton, who oversees the department. Clayton has made many debuts in our SLC Live videos as one of SLC’s craftsmen. One of his most recent being a “How To” on making an Aussie Hat! Clayton doubles as a Director over a couple areas including the Shop and R & D. He oversees current and future products that need to be finalized, fine-tuned, observed or tested before moving forward into the hands of the craftsmen and women who purchase our products. There is always something new to be done in their department and they are quite the creative and open-minded bunch; always ready for something new.

Clayton doing some product analysis on some thread Andrew brought by

Individually this team is extremely talented and open-minded when it comes to creating and crafting new designs and taking on new projects. Often a fellow employee will go over to the R & D Department with an idea for a new template or product and the R & D Department will turn it into a handcrafted and well-made reality while inputing their own spin on it! This team has to stay ahead of the leather trends curve and they work hard to produce and oversee products that our customers will love and use. We are thankful for such a great group of creative hard working folks in our R & D Department and we would definitely not be the same with out them!

Brenna and Larissa teaming up on product constructing
Posted on

Welcome to Leather Gathering!

In our last couple of Newsletters we explained how we measure leather here at Springfield Leather in square footage. Typically when you receive a piece of leather from us, there will be natural edges included in your “cut” as it is a piece of a whole hide. Our Gathering Team is who makes sure that the square footage you receive in the mail is to your order’s specifications.

Here at Springfield Leather we have an amazing group of folks who make up our Leather Gathering Team. They do just that, gather your leather to fulfill your order right here at our shop. They check your order and customer notes, walk right over to our huge leather storage area, and grab your leather. Sometimes they have to climb a tall rolling ladder to reach the leather they need because our leather storage area is just as tall as it is wide. Next, they carry your leather over to their cutting table to measure and cut. The cutting table has a square footage graph on top for measuring each piece. The graph on top of the table really comes in handy when you’re working with, and measuring, the leather’s natural edges (which are most likely distressed and curved). After measuring the square footage of the piece, they make one single cut to the leather to finish up and fulfill the order. After making the final cut they take the remaining leather back to storage area for future orders.

Janna grabbing some leather from storage

Cori, one of our Leather Gathering veterans, says, “Once the gatherer makes the cut and finishes the order, the leather is rolled up in a specific way depending on what type of leather it is.  Some are rolled with the grain side out, and some with the grain side in. Our leather team is very knowledgeable about each leather – and packing orders is very important for us to get correct!”

Cori working on finishing up an order

Watching them roll leather orders up to be shipped, the Leather Gathering Team is very efficient and mindful of every order that they are fulfilling. You walk in the back of the shop where they are constantly busy and they always have great attitudes! The team is very knowledgeable about the leather that passes through their department’s hands every day and are always willing to share their knowledge and answer any questions about measuring leather.

Many people have bragged about how quickly they get their leather orders and we owe a lot of that praise to our amazing Leather Gathering Team here at SLC. We would not be the company we are today without each working part of our team – and our Leather Gathering Department is a great team player!

Posted on

Success Through a Time Honored Relationship!

hermann oak and SLC

The relationship between Springfield Leather and Hermann Oak actually started many years before SLC even existed. Back in the day, when Kevin was playing in the band and tooling leather for extra money, Hermann Oak and any number of other veg leathers were available to buy at various leather stores. Kevin says that, “I may have fallen off the turnip truck, but I didn’t land on my head, and it didn’t take me long to realize that I could do better work using Hermann Oak Leather for my leather projects.”

Years passed, and the leather world has changed a lot. Tanneries have come and gone…mostly gone. But Hermann Oak has remained for the past 139 years, and for good reason. Kevin believes that it’s because they make the best tooling leather on the planet. So immediately after Kevin started SLC, he arranged a meeting with Shep Hermann and the Hermann Oak management team. 

Kevin and Shep shared two common interests: 

1. They wanted to do everything in their power to make their leathercraft customers successful.  

2. They both loved leather, and they cared about the industry.

Kevin and Shep strongly believed that by using Hermann Oak tooling leather, it would enable many leather crafters to improve their skills and produce more professional products, leading to better sales and profits and give people potential to grow the small businesses that so many were trying to start.

One of Kevin’s strategies was to provide leather to customers in any size piece that they wanted, and not require the customer to purchase a full side (unheard of back then).

To achieve this Kevin reached out to Shep to become a distributor of Hermann Oak Leather.

Strangely enough, to the utter amazement of Kevin, Shep agreed!!! That was the beginning of a beautiful partnership that has lasted over 20 years. Through the years, Hermann Oak Leather and SLC have worked together closely to develop leathers that mainly benefit the customers of both companies, thereby bringing success to both companies along the way. And the relationship has grown even stronger through the years.

What this means moving forward! 

As a result, SLC has agreed to steadily bring in and stock the complete line of Hermann Oak leathers. This would make SLC the ONLY distributor to carry the ENTIRE LINE of Hermann Oak Leathers in the U.S.! Both SLC and Hermann Oak agree that the benefits to professional and part time leathercraft customers will be tremendous! 

Now customers will be able to buy many Hermann Oak leathers in affordable quantities.  There will of course be certain leathers that SLC cannot cut, but there will be many that can be cut, allowing the customer to save money, and at the same time use premium leather that was previously out of reach cost wise.

Posted on

Ask Kevin- How Many Rabbits?

Another customer question for Kevin!

I plan on making my grandfather a pair of rabbit fur mittens. I was wondering if the rabbit hides you sell are real and if they are the same color as wild rabbit? Also I’m not sure how many hides I’ll need for this job. I know how to do this, but any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Here’s what Kevin had to say:

Hello Aaron,

Our rabbit hides are indeed real, and we have ones called “natural” which are the color of a rabbit in the wild.                

Keep in mind that the actual skin of the rabbit is very thin, and not tough at all.  It might be difficult to make a durable pair of mittens from it.  You might have to make the mittens out of cowhide that are lined with rabbit…. In any case, you’d need no more than 4 at the most.

Thanks,

Kevin

Posted on

Leatherworking with Phil at Finley Farms

SLC and Mr. Phil Hedlund are teaming up! We met Phil awhile back and decided to help supply some of the materials needed for his upcoming leatherwork class at the Ozark Mill Finley Farms.

In this class, on December 20th at 6:30pm, Leatherworker Phil Hedlund will take you through the steps of crafting a leather key chain from a natural leather. He will introduce you to the basic tools you need to begin your leatherworking craft and explain the characteristics of working with different types of leather. Conquer your tools with ease with the guidance of Phil Hedlund and go home with a customized accessory or a thoughtful gift for someone special this holiday season!

SLC and Phil are also working together to create a new YouTube video series. This series will highlight the creation of high-end leather products and how they are built by Phil himself! We’re very excited to work with Phil and have some fun while sharing the experience with all of you! Be sure to signup soon for his class- spots are limited and selling fast! You can sign up by clicking HERE!

Posted on

Honeycomb Bag

A while back, we shared some images from a customer, Jason, who used our pre-cut hexagon shapes to make one buzzin’ bag! While we don’t know all of his secrets, we’ve done our best to give you some tips and tools to make a similar bag on your own. 

image

The original bag was a gift for Jason’s wife. Here are some of the things he used and a few we recommend trying to put your spin on this project. 

What he definitely used: 

Jason left some very enthusiastic and detailed reviews on the hexagon shape and dye listings, so be sure to read those for some tips from the man himself. 

Additional things you’ll need: 

  • Bag Feet – we think his were gold, but any color will do! 
  • Rivets and setter – we think he used black or gunmetal rivets
  • Thread & needle – we think he used brown awl
  • Stamp or stencil for bee decoration
image

So, we don’t know exactly how he made it but we asked for help from one of our pros, Clayton, who makes bag prototypes for us all the time! 

Color Your Shapes

Use the dye and stains of your choice to transform your shapes! It looks like Jason used a bit of stain or antique paste on some of the yellow pieces for a more rustic look. Add the finish of your choice or leave them natural – no matter what you do, give them time to dry before moving on. 

Make the Bag Panels

This bag looks completely hand-stitched and Jason used a cross stitch to make it happen. You’ll need a needle and thread to pull it off. We recommend using a brown waxed thread to do the job! 

Cut the Panels 

The original design features some hexagons that are cut. Once you have the pieces assembled, you’ll have to make the panels into rectangles or whatever shape you’re going for. 

Construct the Bag 

It looks like he used brown veg tan for the minor panels and the bottom of the bag. You could buy some that is already dyed or you could dye it yourself! It looks like he reinforced the sides of the bag with the leftover yellow parts of the hexagon shapes – so waste-no-more! You could use a machine or hand stitch the bag together. It looks like he took his time to stitch the whole thing by hand – a true labor of love. 

Add the Straps and Bag Feet

Use brown veg tan for straps. He made two straps and used black or gunmetal rivets to attach them to the large panels of the bag. Use the bag feet of your choice. Clayton usually saves the bag feet for last and give the bag a bit of time to settle into its new shape. 

Make the Tag

The tag is likely the simplest part of this bag. He used one of the hexagon shapes which was dyed yellow and created a beautiful bee shape. You could stamp or stencil this one – we’re not sure how he went about it. He finished it off with what appears to be the slightest bit of antique paste. You’ll want to add some resist to the shape before following this step. 

Make it Your Own

We are confident that we missed some steps and got some things wrong. Plus, we’re sure there are some things you might like to do differently. However, using this simplified line of thinking provided, we believe you have the power to make something very similar to Jason’s design on your own! Did you give it a try? We would love for you share it with us here or on any of our social media platforms! 

Our customer, Jason, didn’t have any social media he wanted to plug, but he had a wonderful time making this beautiful bag. His wife took some beautiful photos of this bag, which you can see more of here. Until next time! 

Posted on

An Exciting Announcement!

As you know, we love working together with our longstanding Hermann Oak and Kevin has a message regarding our latest collaborative effort in this open letter shared on Kevin’s Storytime!

When great companies work together, great things happen!!! And they happen for their customers as well. Those things are known as win-win situations, and the main beneficiary of these win-win situations is always the customer. The benefit to the companies comes later as it flows from happy customers to innovative companies.  It’s well known that “Customer First” has been the long-standing policy of great companies like Springfield Leather Company and Hermann Oak Leather.

Having said that, leathercrafters across the board have long-desired a HERMANN OAK DOUBLE SHOULDER.  And SLC and Hermann Oak feel that this would be a tremendous addition to the leather industry in this country for manufacturers, hobbyists, belt makers and all sorts of other leathercrafters.  But confronting the production problems that came along with creating this seemingly simple cut of leather were far more daunting than the average person would realize. It would require a small book to explain them!  

So…recently, Hermann Oak and SLC have teamed up, and worked together extensively to try to solve these difficulties.  And, (amazingly enough) we feel that between us, we think we have it whipped!!! Another benefit of this production has been realized. Not only will we have a Hermann Oak double shoulder, but we’ll also have a double culatta!!!  Initial research has shown that using double shoulders and double culattas can result in AS MUCH AS 40% YIELD INCREASES FOR VARIOUS END USERS!

With all of these things having been said, production samples are in hand!  Testing is in place. Grading and pricing are being discussed. We’re very excited to have a part in bringing this wonderful new product to our customers! And certainly want to express our gratitude and thanks to Hermann Oak for being willing to not only change the way that they think, but for taking the time and effort required to make this colossal project a success.  

MORE NEWS SOON!!!

Posted on

Another Class with Denny Lowe

Denny is such a gracious teacher and this time, he’s helping our office staff train to understand customer concerns with a bit of practical application. Today’s lesson was in tooling a passport cover – here are a few images from the class! 

Denny teaches by showing first and supervising later. He’s allowing for students to make mistakes happy accidents. It’s the best way to learn a craft

Students tape the back of their projects to minimize stretching

They trace the pattern onto their leather diligently. 

Now they’re ready to begin carving and stamping

Of course, everyone works at their own pace. 

Eventually they’ll end up with something like this. 

Thanks for checking out this simple gallery. If you’d like to get some actual instruction, check out a few posts on our blog, check out our YouTube channel or grab a kit or pattern at our store. Denny has created the patterns for a number of more advanced projects including this popular shoulder holster pattern and he designed many of our CarveRite Craftaids. 

Until next time!