Welcome to the Euro*pean Leather, Shoe and Hide

Welcome to a book page as not are so usual in the leathercraft world..The Euro*pean Leather , Shoe and Hide is on fact the only leather, art and craft magazin in the world as have an own column conserning bookmention on this field.  Despite  it’s published books  and other writed material in  a level stream.And the latest years among others, DVD’s.But compearing with to for instance, imaginative writing so is’t a quite modest stream of books as reach the market every year. Every book is allmost a event.And  for instance, in a global perspective, can it be no doupt, that it’s writed to little and published to few books. Well, new articles will at least follow  in the same frequency as the publishing of the magazin,as come two times yearly. But it’s a chance for that it will be a little  higher freuency on this web page, so keep an eye on this column. If you like to read about books.

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Book reviews.

ABC of Leather Bookbinding  (800,25 KB) A Maunal for Traditional Craftmanship,

Author; Edward R. Lhotka

(Mentioned first time  in The Euro*pean Leather Shoe and Hide, Nr.1-2011).

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Charles M. Russel (1,51MB) The Masterwork of Chares M. Russel

A incurison in  and about a exhibition catalog.

(Mentioned first time in The Euro*pean Leather, Shoe and Hide, Nr. 2-2010).

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Luis Ortega’s Rawhide Artistery,  (1,27MB)

Brading in the Calefornia Tradition.

Book about the american artist Luis B. Ortegas life and art.

(Mentioned first time the Euro*pean Leather, Shoe and Hide Nr.1-2010).

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Book; The Main Techniques of Coloring Leather.

Author: Peter Main

Publishing firm; The Australian Leather Craftsman  Publication

Publishing year; 2006

ISBN; 0-9578802-2-7

Languaged; English

The books content is about painting on leather with use of spirit dyes. And even if you have experince with these so have the book a lot of useful information as can be readed in light of own exsperince.Ergo is it good to have in the book shelf. The same if you not have any exsperience with spiritdyes, or colors and painting on leather at all. It,s often a choice between spiritdyes and waterbased acryl color in leathercraft. If you not are doing gilt leather. Where oilbased colors is used. It’s in usual leatercraft often a choice between spirit or acrylic dolors. And both colors can have theyer advantage and drawback.But spiritcolors are perhaps the most demanding to use.From chapter 1 to chapter 10 show the book to usual brushpainting and threatment step by step; from the lights influence on naturally leather,brushes,pallete,colors,bottles, brushworks, and use of colors and further on.The content looks okay for the undersigner until chapter 10 as have the tittle<Coloring Design>(p.16-21). The chapter show several paintet examples in respectively 3-4 and 6 step as an ending on brushwork. Each example are completed in the last step. But these have  also get swivelknife  and tooling treatment. Without that it stay a word in the text as explain why it “sudden” (for a reader) is like that. And the question is about, if it not should be with a couple of sentences about the relation between swivelknife, tooling and coloring?. When true shall be said so have not the undersigner seen this as a theme in any book. But it seems like it should be it in this type of book(s)?.Olso with thought on beginners as come in on an way with trying, mistakes and wondring. This grips olso in to the chapter <Preparation of Leather for coloring>,page 8-9. All together have the book 15 small chapters divided on 34 pages. Chapter 11 is informativ about airbrushing. Chapter 12 is named; <Overall dying of leather> and is about common coloring of leather.Chapter 13 tittle is; <Antiques and Finishes> and show  decorative color tenicques .Chapter 14 is; <Compatibilty reference for naturally leather> and it show the different colors and the effect by use of finishings and wax’s. Else have the covers decorative works of the author on both sides.And insides is’t sveral photos, among other one of Peter Main in his studio and works  from the recent years. Done with  impressive craft skill. As show him as one of the wolds leading leathercrafters. The books  languaged is for one as not speak or read english  daily quite easy to understand.

(Mentioned first time in The euro*pean Leather,Shoe and Hide, Nr. 2-2011).

Word about Book

Book; Whips of the West

Author; Davis S. Morgan

Publishing Firm: Cornell Maritim Press,USA

Year of publishing; 2007

ISBN; 978-0-87033 -589-1

Languaged; English

-Whips of the West- is a small  book in zise but big and interesting in content. It tells the story about the whips and a citys devlopment i America-. Through a quite innocent start in 1808 with a man named Joseph Jokes. He had some hikory trees on his property. And one day he made a whiphandel of a branch. As he fasten some leatherstraps to. And the first whip was made. And it grow, by the time forward, among others ,through the industrial  revulution to be  several factoryes as was in operation up to ouer days. The biggest of them was perhaps the United States Whip Company as produced 15000 whips in the month on the top. The so called -buggy whip- was sentral. And the town as grow up with this industry  was Westfield in the state Massachusetts. And even to day continue the firm Westfield Whip a small production. More shall not be said about the content her. In a book as also touch in to parts of the general development in this region of America as is named New England. Something as is with on to make the book more interesting. It give some answers on much through the 7 chapters and 6 appendix it exist on.Alltogether 156 pages.And the book have also a relativly good older photomaterial of old factoryinterior,machines and gleam from the production.And not less, the appendix have gleam from the old commodity catalougues as show a impressive product selection. But after the undersigners  oponion  are the book’s content a little simplifyed around circumstances as have with the subject matter to do. And it have possibly nothing with the author to do. But  if question is asked  about from where the english/european crafters as come to  New England from England!/Europe had theyer knowlegde from, conserning  the braidings as they brougth with them to the new world , so are the author only pointing on that they had the knowlegde with them when they arrived, but are not saying a word about from where they had this knowlegde.This conserns the still unanswered historical questions on the field what consern braiding.As in much originate , on different ways in , where the *alleged knowlegde to the moors about braiding have got lost ?. The moors invaded as known Spain around 800 a.c. They where forced back over the Gibraltar Straight in the end of 1400′s.But the time they stayed was they founding a civilization  as developed a comprehensive trade  with basic on a leather industry. And with Cordova in Spain as the capital city. And one theory is that the braidings as the english/european crafters brought  with them hundred of years later to New England  originally can have been spoils of  war. If  it, for example, was english mercenaries  with on the reconquest of Spain?.The knowlegde about braidings  can have been robbed and taken with back to England?. Such knowlegde was for the right person,  quite attractive. And later could it have been keept and developed by the years to guild secrets. And it’s a interesting thought to think on  Cordova in Spain as a center in a civilization as developed a comprehensive trade based on a leather industry; -  that Westfield in USA later became a sort of the same kind of  center, hundred of years later- seen  from ideahistorical /craft point of viwe .  But that is fare away from the book’s content.

On the last page,on one side,is a mention about the author, David S. Morgan.As have written several books with related topics. And on the other side is a list over the publishing firm Cornell Maritim Press’s publications in connection to the topics. It’s a little book to be glad over. And it’s perhaps a little overlooked in the -rush- of books and information about whips the latest years. It has  not been to see in the scandinavien dealers commodity catalouges. But perhaps it have been it in Europe?  No matter how, so is the book central  about whips.

* Bruce Grant, Encyclopedia of Raw Hide and Leather Brading, p. xx1