As someone who has never worked with leather but would like to I was intrigued when I saw this title available for review on NetGalley.

Leather Crafting Starter Book has an overview of recommended tools, all pictured in clear photos which I found very helpful. It also explains to complete beginners the differences in tanning methods and leathers. The 16 projects included range from wallets, to small dinosaurs and even a bag, and include patterns. Most projects use hand tools, but a sewing machine is also used for a few of them.

My only criticisms are a lack of photos of the adorable leather dinosaurs on the cover, and that I’m not sure I’d make many of the projects. I would, however, definitely use the techniques demonstrated to make my own leather goods. All in all, this seems like a nice book to have as part of a novice leather crafter’s library. I certainly intend on buying a copy. ( )

I got this as a PDF ARC from Netgalley. Interesting projects, odd organization. I see 20 projects and 12 patterns - some may just not be in the PDF. There's a project used to illustrate basic sewing techniques that doesn't have a pattern...why add a separate project rather than illustrating with one of the projects with full information - the key cover, or the other card case (though I don't think that one has a pattern either...)? Detailed info on sewing techniques, followed by three projects that don't use it, followed by several projects simpler than the project used to illustrate sewing that use sewing, then some that are a little more complex. Lots of sanding and re-sanding and shaping edges that then get reshaped. A few translation(?) errors - in the slipper, a late project, the text says the lace comes out on the grain side, while the picture and common sense say it comes out on the flesh side. It's a somewhat annoying book, but like most other Japanese crafting books I've used the projects are great and the instructions are clear and detailed and (I think, I didn't actually go through and make a project) accurate enough to guide a beginner. ( )