Making a Mercer Briefcase Part 1.

Making a Mercer Briefcase.

Part 1.

The first step to anything I make is cutting out large strips of leather.

The leather I use is vegetable tanned leather from Wickett & Craig in Pennsylvania. You’ll notice the leather is un-dyed at this point.

Using a very sharp clicking knife, I’ll cut a section of leather that is slightly larger than what I need. After the leather dries from the next step, dyeing and currying, the leather will shrink a little.

The templates set out on the leather. I’ll spend a few minutes looking at the grain and surface marks on the hide to decide if there is anything I want to avoid or highlight.

Once I have my templates where I want them, I will take a straight edge and use a scratch awl to make a light line along where I want to cut. I’ll then go back over that line with a heavier stroke with the awl. This creates a little groove for the knife to ride in when I make the final cut.

All cutting is done with a sharp blade. I keep a strop on hand to make sure. I’ll remove the straight edge, set the knife in the cut line, and cut it free hand. With the groove from the awl there aren’t any wandering cuts.

All that is left in this step is to make a note on the back of each strip to let me know what they are and what color. Then its onto dyeing and currying.