17 Feb 2018

Another Classic Briefcase



Having build a few of these already does it make sense to make yet another post about it?
I think it does as the process and techniques changes every time. It might not be big changes but even small improvements can make a big difference.

A while ago I stumbled upon a domestic website that offers laser cutting in many different materials. The prices are very reasonable so I used this build to get the pattern exactly right so that I can have it cut in 3mm acrylic.




Something I have struggled with each time is making the gusset the correct length. Last time I thought I nailed it but I was way of. Taking this failure into considerations I made the gusset shorter and got the perfect length.




Edges after first coat of dye










The pockets I normally make for the partition board are "flat" pockets which really cant hold that much. This time I made "shaped" pockets which are much bigger.














I used an improvised jig to place the strap holders. This made it a lot easier to get them perfectly aligned. I will however not have the jig made from acrylic. Instead I will include the position of the holes in the back piece pattern.











When you are in a hurry it's faster just to run the strap thorugh the keeper.



I also made a few accessories. A card holder, a pen holder and a key holder.










20 comments:

  1. Looks great, as usual. Really enjoy following your work.

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  2. Excellent, beautiful work, thank you for you blog....

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  3. How much do you pay only for the material for one of these bags?

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    1. Good question. I don't know exactly but I guess around 200-250 euro

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  4. That what I thought.
    Any special reason you dye the leather yourself instead to buy colored leather?

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    1. Bends don’t come in that many different colors and if they do there is no leather in a matching color for the gusset. If I lived in USA I would have a lot more options but with shipping, taxes,vat and fees it’s too expensive

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  5. Have you tried Metropolitan Coloured Veg Tanned Shoulder (Lamport) and for the gusset Coloured Veg Tanned Softy Shoulder (Rutland)?

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    1. I have used both kind of leather in other projects. the lamport could be used for both the main part and the gusset as it comes in different thickness. There is just something about how unifor it's dyed that I dont like compaired to my own dyed leather.

      the ruthland could be used for the gusset but the texture is very different from the lamport so that might loog a bit odd. Also the softness is not really required.

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  6. Have you ever thought dyeing the leather after you have completely sew the bag together? I know that they doing this on the old french art deco club chairs. To give it a special look.

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    1. Dyeing after the bag has been sewn would cause all kind of problems. It migt be possible with chairs but I would not want to try it on a bag.

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  7. What kind of leather did you use on this bag?

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    1. The leather for this bag was "Natural Veg Tanned Tooling Butt" from https://www.metropolitanleather.com/
      The gusset was made from shoulder also from metropolitan

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  8. Do you have a set of plans for this bag?

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  9. dear Andersen leather

    can you please share your contact number like whatsapp and e-mail

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  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. Nice work. Are you peening brass escutcheon pins to install the round Liston lock?

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