Leatherwork... it all started with an old hatchet

How it began: My 80 year old dad still has the small hatchet that his father bought him to use when he was away with the Scouts (becuase that's what you gave children to use back in the day). To my knowledge it never had a sheath and that was how I started working with leather.  I wanted to make a sheath for him, so I bought some leather and copper rivets and cobbled something together.  The outcome wasn’t that great (hence no photograph!) But I really enjoyed the process. So I started making sheaths for some of the other axes I owned.

How it progressed: Evenings reading through Nigel Armitage’s Leathercraft book started to give me the knowledge of how things should be done properly.  Then getting hands-on making an axe sheath on the second day of Peter Kovac's amazing axe hafting course really allowed me to step things up.

Since then its been about practice, and more practice.  With a few additional courses thrown in to improve my technical skills. 2026 saw me invest in learning how to machine stitch, and a couple of machines later (to get the one that can actually handle the thickness of leather I prefer working with) I can now machine stitch when I'm working on higher volume projects. But hand saddle stitching leather is very much my happy place and my preferred method. 

Setting up a leather workshop: I've now got a dedicated space in the workshop for leather working, which includes an 20-ton clicker press. Meaning I can undertake batch commission work without compromising on quality. 

My focus is still tool related – making sheaths for axes, knives and garden tools.  That can be a simple as a blade cover for a Sloyd wood carving knife or a custom, multi-pocket, holster for garden tools.

There are various leatherwork items available to purchase here on the website but I’m also open to custom commission work.  Just get in touch via hello@tinkerandfix.co.uk and we can begin the conversation about what you a looking to achieve.  With most sheaths it's much better if I can physically fit it to your item, but we can organise shipping for you if necessary.