Mike Stramiello
Leatherworker
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Co-authored Articles (17)
Bind Your Own Book at Home: A Beginner's Guide
Learn how to bind your own booklet using string, tape, or ribbonDo you want to start a scrapbook, nature journal, or diary? You can, of course, buy a suitable book at the store, but if you really want to make it your own...
2 Effective Ways to Tan a Hide at Home
The ultimate guide to tan a soft and velvety hide If you hunt deer and other animals for their meat, why not use their hides as well? Treating a hide with a tanning process ensures you end up with a supple piece of leat...
How to Wrap a Knife Handle with Paracord
Make a comfortable and sleek grip for your blade Wrapping paracord around the handle of a knife or similar tool gives the handle greater traction, making it easier to hold. There are multiple ways to wrap paracord. Most ...
How to Punch a Hole in a Leather Belt
Add new holes to a leather belt with or without a leather puncher Don’t fit into your favorite belt, but don’t want to take it to a tailor to get a new hole punched? You can do it at home, even without special tools,...
How to
Make Leather Bracelets
Tired of paying high prices for leather jewelry you could easily make? Then get out your crafting gear, and make your own leather bracelets from scratch! The process is easy, and you will be left with a handmade, sophist...
How to
Tan a Deer Hide
Learning how to tan a deer hide is not a difficult task, but it does take some manual labor and a lot of time. The end result of your manual labor is a pliable deer hide you can use for any number of projects, including ...
How to
Shrink Leather Gloves
Through wear and tear, leather gloves can begin to stretch over time. Leather gloves ideally should fit snugly, but not in a restrictive way. If your favorite pair of leather gloves start to feel a bit bigger, don't rush...
How to
Make a Knife Sheath
When you keep a knife on your person, the blade should remain in a sheath when not in use. Instead of purchasing a sheath from a distributor, design and create a personalized leather knife sheath to wear on your belt. Ha...
How to
Make Knife Handles
There is a certain beauty to handmade knife handles. The process of making custom knife handles may take a while, but it is easy once you know what to do. Best of all, you can have a beautiful custom knife to show off at...
How to
Forge a Knife
A comprehensive guide to make your very own knife There's nothing worse than being unequipped! Now, that isn't to say that you'll ever be in a situation where you have no choice but to forge your own knife, but who knows...
How to
Bark Tan
Bark tanning is the ancient process of creating a durable, water-repellent leather by tanning animal hide with tree bark. Bark tanning takes several months to complete but will result in a finished leather that you can u...
How to
Leather Bind a Book
Bookbinding looks intimidating, but it is actually quite easy, albeit time consuming. Leather-bound books are classic and beautiful. With some cardboard, paper, thin leather, and a few extra basic supplies, you can creat...
How to
Emboss Leather
Leather working uses special tools to impress designs onto a leather surface. You can create a relief design by either stamping or pressing a metal shape into unfinished leather. If you don’t have leather tools, choose...
How to
Make Leather
Leather is a material made from the skin of an animal using tanning or other similar processes. Leather is not susceptible to bacteria and decay because of the altering of the protein structure in the skin. The process o...
How to
Braid Leather
Leather braiding is an ancient art form that looks amazing and is easier than it may seem. There are several techniques for braiding leather, including the traditional 3 strand braid, the trick braid, and the 4 strand br...
How to
Blunt a Sword or Knife
Although most people want their knives and swords to be as sharp as possible, there are times when a blunted blade is better. Blunting a blade's edges will rob it of its ability to cut. A blade will naturally blunt with ...
How to
Make a Knife
Making a knife from scratch can be a fun, rewarding, and useful metalworking project. It's time-consuming and work-intensive, but if you follow these steps you'll have a brand new knife before you know it.
