Education can be found everywhere, and I love finding new avenues to learn – that’s why I was so excited to take the kids to Tandy Leather in Raleigh for a leatherworking lesson.
Little did I know just how kind and generous the store manager, Aubrin Rhem, would turn out to be.
Rhem gave the kids large pieces of scrap leather to practice with, and the first step was to dampen the leather. We took it outside and used spray bottles with water to prep it.
Rhem taught everyone how to put their leather on stone slabs so that the metal stamps could leave clear, distinct impressions when pounded with mallets.
Then the students practiced for a long time, learning how much pressure to use and at what angle to get good marks.
After stamping and staining their leather bracelets, Rhem gave the kids a tour of his shop.
They were amazed at the variety of leather available.
The same was true for this python skin! Everyone loved touching it and seeing just how long it was.
After the stain dried, Rhem sealed the leather with sealant and the bracelets dried in the sun again.
All told, we spent several hours at Tandy Leather, and I had no idea how much we would learn in that time. My kids came home, chattering about all of the new things they wanted to make with leather next. They were using new terms that they had learned that day and bouncing with excitement.
Aubrin Rhem was extremely kind and patient with our students, and Tandy Leather places a high emphasis on leatherwork education. If there’s a Tandy Leather near you, check out their class schedule. Working with leather is a relaxing, fun, and practical hobby.
Want to know more? Check out these leather resources:
