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Verlane Desgrange, 1949-2007

Verlane generously shared her wealth of leatherworking knowledge with her students and colleagues. Here are the tips, tools, projects, and techniques that she created to educate, inform, and enthuse others about leather working. Tribute to Verlane....

These files are provided only for your personal, educational use, not for sale. They are copyright by the estate of Verlane Desgrange, all rights reserved. All files are in PDF format and under 0.3 MB except as noted. Get the free Adobe PDF Reader.

General

Time sheet to help price your work

Simple geometry for saddle makers (1.6 MB)

General information about leather (0.7 MB)

How to properly store leather

Leather weights and types for projects

Project evaluation sheet

Colorwheel (0.6 MB)

 

Tools and jigs

Basic hand tools: The bare minimum to get started

Professional hand tools (text only)

Professional hand tools (text with photos, 1.9 MB)

Homemade tools: Concho turner, slicker, striking stick, saddle string tightener, wooden creasers (0.7 MB)

Bench grinder sharpening system

Sharpening an edger with a Dremel tool

Tips and tweaks to get the best results from a variety of hand tools (2.7 MB)

See other categories for tools and jigs specific to those areas

 

Sewing

Sewing machine thread and needle sizes

Sewing machine needle cross reference

Awls for hand stitching (1.1 MB)

Saddler's stitching horse

Miniature clamps for hand stitching

Rolled edge binding

 

Strapwork

Checklist for strap projects

Making straps (0.6 MB)

Strategy for cutting and pricing (1.8 MB)

Double loops for straps

 

Skiving

Skiving leather with a head knife (1.2 MB)

Lap skiving jig for a splitting machine

 

Tooling and carving

Leather carving step-by-step (0.9 MB)

Basic beveling and shading (0.5 MB)

How stamping tools look in leather (0.4 MB)

Action of the stamping maul

Striking stick

User-friendly swivel knives

Bargrounder information (0.5 MB)

Emphasizing the design of a carving pattern

Improving a carving pattern

Carving pattern "tap off"

Decorative cuts add a finishing touch

Playing with paisley

 

Making lace

Lace cutter

Crowning latigo lace

Circular hole patterns

 

Bridles, halters, reins, other tack

Double-ear headstall

"Buckaroo" headstall (0.4 MB)

English snaffle bridle

Stud hooks for English bridles

Halter bridle

Track halter

Bridle making hints

English reins - plain

English reins - laced

Western martingale

Hobble straps for Western stirrups

Double loops for straps

Homemade tools: Concho turner, slicker, striking stick, saddle string tightener, wooden creasers (0.7 MB)

 

Saddles

English saddle anatomy (2.8 MB)

Western saddle anatomy (0.6 MB)

Swiveling dee for a breast collar

Al Stohlman miniature saddle (5.8 MB)

Drawdown stand for Western saddles

Saddle string tools

Saddle string tightener

Fixing cantle pliers (0.6 MB)

Homemade tools: Concho turner, slicker, striking stick, saddle string tightener, wooden creasers (0.7 MB)

 

Projects

Business card case with tooling and sewing (1.9 MB)

1904 Cavalry saddle bags (2 MB)

Tom Thumb purse with zipper and sewing (0.9 MB)

Rolled buttons (0.5 MB)
Note: The info in Verlane's text description is slightly different than in the photo section. Compare and use what makes the most sense to you!

Cliff Ketchum tooled belt (1 MB)

Wallet patterns (0.7 MB)

 

Chaps

Chap belt

Ideas for "woolie chaps" (1.4 MB)