2. The S A Leather Academy Training people to create international quality leather goods

3. Registering with the SA Leather Academy training course 1.Request a copy of the Training brochure 2.Decide on dates that suit you and e mail this to admin@leatheracademy.co.zaadmin@leatheracademy.co.za 3.On confirmation of your training dates we will confirm that you have been provisionally booked 4.We will mail you an invoice and on receipt of your 50% deposit we will confirm your booking 5.The final 50% must be paid on day one of the course. WHAT TO BRING: Old working clothes and comfortable shoes Laptop or tablet if you have one Make sure your glasses are new and effective Accommodation is in our own student guesthouse – serviced once a week. Remember the catering is not supplied over weekends – facilities for preparing food is available in the house. If you fly into Cape Town, please remember that your tools will entail excess weight when you return home. All students who use the Intercape bus service – we will collect you at the bus stop and ensure your daily transport.

4. Where does leather come from Leathercraft is an art of love......but before you can become a master crafter you will have to learn patience, respect for and an in-depth understanding of the properties of leather. You have to know your medium and the crafting techniques. We trust this introduction will give you the insight, the love, the understanding and the skills to recreate the classic beauty of yesteryear and create your own style for your tomorrows. This ancient craft was kept alive by a few stalwart hobbyists who followed the traditional rules of Leathercraft and the willingness to share that hard earned information. It is these few who have made this presentation possible. What is written in this course was tried and tested and made available by the grace of the Leather crafters who for years collected all the information in the same precise way they practice their hobby.

5. The job After determining the product that will be made, sometimes after consultation with a client who wants a customized bag, several decisions have to be made. What type of leather will be used? What style design method will be followed? What should the color be? What color stitching and style of putting the product together? Will it be saddle stitched, laced or buck stitched? Will the leather have to be decorated? What type of fittings, buckles, rings, etc will be used? When discussing the design, the starting point is usually to determine what the product has to achieve. The size must be determined, the method of access and closure. The customer should know beforehand what the product would feel like.

6. All the Leather disciplines Leather jewellery Leather handbags Briefcases Travel bags Corporate products Hunting accessories Sports accessories Protection wares Sandals & Moccasins Interior decorating Custom products Industrial protection holders - mining industry Equine leathers and tack & dog leathers

7. The SA Leather Academy Training process  Introduction to measurements  Learning to cut leather  How to make a classic belt  Manufacturing examples  Stitching techniques  Product and pattern design  Making a handbag  Designing a briefcase  Designing a travel bag, backpack  Making a travel bag  Marketing  Business logistics

8. The credo The work starts. The design is made into a pattern that is transferred to the leather for cutting out. The decorations should be done, if any and then the process of putting the whole object together starts. This is a time consuming task as leather is extremely unforgiving and mistakes are expensive. Every square ten centimeters of leather (decimeter) damaged becomes a loss. The advantage of handcrafted items is the quality control that the puritan crafters put into their work. They follow the age-old traditions and are proud of the fact that they can still produce the fine work quality of the ancient craftsmen. Modern cost saving techniques, like cheaper stitching thread, coloring dyes, maintenance oils and soft cast fittings are ignored like the plague. "This is still the real thing" is the credo of the craftsman.