Layered Leather Paddle

Posted on July 10, 2022
Word Count: 362

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2022-07-10
WIP leather paddle I’m working on. Currently in the sanding phase and the red in the middle looks nice. I’m iffy about how that’ll come out after burnishing the edges but it was worth a try

I think I’m finally done sanding the edges for now. Next step is going to be drilling holes and sewing it for support. The glue does okay but I don’t think it’ll hold up to real use

I don’t need special needles, but I use upholstery thread to sew it. I do have to either use a drill or an awl to punch holes in the leather to sew it. Drill in this case because it’s going to be too thick for an awl.
Once the holes exist, it’s pretty easy to sew

I don’t have a lot of paddles and the ones I have are too light. This should have some good weight to it. It certainly feels more substantial than what I already have.

Well my hope is that this will have good craftsmanship, but I’m very much an amateur leather worker 😅

Since it’s all leather, I don’t think it’s likely to break. It’s got some flex to it

I think worst case it’ll split on the softer leather, but if it’s sewn together that shouldn’t happen

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2022-07-23

Further sharing on the paddle project. Sanded down the edges again this morning. Took my time and got everything smooth. Used a tool to lay out where the stitch holes need to be then made them more obvious with a hammer and nail.
Guess the next step is drilling the holes. I’m nervous about that step because I could very easily ruin all the work I’ve put in so far.

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2022-07-27
I finished the stitching tonight which makes it functional without worrying about the leather coming apart.
Still need to do more sanding and I’m still interested in burnishing the edges but . . . it’s usable now and likely going to get used on Friday =3