I tell people he is the Bob Ross of leathercraft. Bob Ross inspired my girlfriend to start painting and Chuck Dorsett inspired me to start leather craft.

i seriously love how excited this man is to talk about making leather stuff,

Note to self: Do not sass Chuck when he has a leather mallet in his hand.

I would love to see a more focused in depth video on the "curing" of the leather

There is a Tandy's near my house but I've decided in going to buy some stuff from Weaver just because of these videos.

A hammer to my project? I am an blacksmith.. thats kind what i do! Loved the vid and youre energy :)

Just got into leathercraft a month and a half ago. Made a holster, put it in water and then used my foodsaver to vacuum all the air out and wet formed the leather. Then stuck it in the oven to cure! Thanks for your videos!!!

Just recently picked up leatherworking because I'm a competitive axe thrower and throwing coach and wanted to make some sheath and axe beards. These videos have been incredibly helpful in explaining the little things that will make my projects go much smoother. You've got good energy, are concise and provide great examples. Your work is much appreciated.

I think it would be great if you could do a series on the layout and construction of leather armor IMHO.

After much trial and error I finally nailed this process. I actually think this might be the superior hardening method out of all of them

These videos are exceptional. So informative and the passion for the craft is infectious. I never feel like you are pushing your products (which I'm sure match the high quality of the videos) but rather genuinely looking to share your knowledge and tips for the betterment of the art form. I've watched most of the videos twice and eagerly await the next ones. Thanks so much (from Canada, "eh")

Thanks for sharing your knowledge.We never get to old or to good to learn from others.

Just found your channel and I can't stop binge watching it. Great stuff!

I have to say thank you. I have picked up this art and your videos have more than helped me on many subject's. Keep up the great videos.

Chuck....You 'Da Man!!!!! I was just looking into hardening leather to make some ladies bangles. This video is very timely. Thank you.

My first project in leather was my hat. I accidently made it hard as a rock by wet forming with boiling hot water and then the dye hardened (dried) it even more. I ended up having to treat it with steam from a boiling pot on the stove to rehydrate the leather a bit to regain some flexibility in the leather and to adjust the fit. It was a learning experience lol. I know I could have taken a hammer to it it was so hard but I didnt.

Great video! Have watched several. Great teacher/teaching! Thank you for posting!

I have been waiting to get a closer look at that suit... THANK YOU!

Awesome demonstration Chuck!! I remember seeing that armor at Tandy when you worked there, it was pretty impressive then and still impressive now

I am super excited about this technique chuck I can see all kinds of things that it could be used for thank you very much once again great teacher

I just started working with leather today and I want to make one of those armored suits now. Looks awesome.

Man, you are amazin teacher, I learn so much from you, I bet you are the number 1 employee of the hole company, cheers and keep those vids coming

Thank you guys so much, this video is awesome. Great information and great ideas for new projects

These videos are amazing!!! I cant believe I only found them now!

Dude, your projects are amazing and your craftsmanship is incredible. I love your content!

Very impressive demonstration on the armor. It's always nice to see a craftsman who is confident in his methods.

Been learning leatherwork in my free time and these videos are amazing faucets for knowledge

As always, nicely done. Thank you!

Thanks for another great video, you have really helped me to get over some bumps in my leather projects. Just also subscribed. Good info Chuck!

Thanks Chuck! I thought waxing was the only way one could go for hardening. Sooo much easier and delimiting for finishing. Fantastic and simple.

you are the beeeeest. I tried everything, nothing worked . but your method worked so good :D thanks

I dont look up "Weaver leather craft" videos. But it seems every time I'm looking for an answer to a question on leatherworking this man here always has exactly the answers I'm looking for. On a completely different note I happened to buy some of their leather for a project recently and that was some of the finest leather I've ever used, most even thickness, not a visible stretch mark, scars, or tooling marks on it, and the backside looked like they went though and groomed it, no fibers hanging off it at all.

That gives me more ideas. To try.Thanks.

Chuck, I can't believe how beautiful your Coat of Armor is! I'm going to use your method for another purpose. I don't plan on going to war with my project. I need to use your method to protect the skin my arms from the elbows down to my wrists. Whenever I do some work where my skin comes in contact with an object, I get bruising on my skin. I thought if you can use your suit of armor to protect your body from joisting and fighting with axes, I should be able to get the same protection from rubbing my arms against wood or steel. Thanks Chuck, you're the best. Best regards, Richard

Thank you so much for the lesson. Teacher!

I have been wax hardening leather for years (SCA heavy fighter here) and as long as you use straight paraffin for your wax, and watch your temperatures, it's not as dangerous as this gentleman makes it sound. And using only paraffin, it won't wick into everything it touches like oil might. If you don't want it to soften in the sun, adding stearic acid to your paraffin will alleviate that issue. All that said, I'm excited to try the soaking / baking method, as wax hardening does not strengthen the leather, only make it keep its shape.

could you demonstrate this technique

very nice video. thanks for the info.

I might be a year late, but thank you. I recently started planning to make a custom sheath for one of my tools (old cheap one wore out) and was hunting endlessly for a nice and concise solution for hardening the leather. I've found so many pro/con lists for any imaginable method, but after watching this video and some time looking for second opinions (hope you don't consider that a slight) it seems oven hardening is the most reliable (or, better in my case, foolproof) option. Again, thank you!

Thanks for great info!

Thanks chuck great info

this guy is awesome, i just started and this advice is really helpful

Well that was interesting it's an extremely fine craftsmanship

I would like to see photos of Chuck's work shop. It is well laid out and would like to use some ideas from it.

I got the leather strap so often in school in the 1970s. It was definitely hardened leather given the state of my hands after a good few slaps.

I’m sold this man is great! Fan! Subscribed!

Love the energy he has you can tell he loves what he does

Interesting very good information I am just starting doing leather and I love it !!!

Chuck, that is quite a beautiful set of armor. I would like to see you wear that in a video. That would really be fantastic. The only armor I’ve ever seen was a full metal one at West Point. I always thought how hot it must have been inside. It must take you a long time to get in and out it.

Very educational, thank you.

Wow!!! That is GORGEOUS armor!!!! Game of Thrones needs you! Beautiful!!!

Hey Chuck nice teaching out there in your videos! I have some specific questions about the when to do what and would be so glad if you, or anyone out there, can help me with this. I am making myself a leather armor. Do you tool and dye before you soak it and "bake"/cure the pieces? And do you assemble it after you cured it or before? Same question with paint or antique etc. I hope you´re doing well and i wish you all the best!

Hey, Chuck, could you do a piece on when to use stitching iron punched all the way through the leather and when to use it more as a marking tool and finishing the stitch holes with an awl. Thanks love the videos ...........and your highly caffeinated personality !!!

I watched this video. OUTCOME: I learned something. I watched it while eating lunch OUTCOME: I satiated my hunger. ;-)

That is some wicked cool armor !!!

Hey Chuck! Love your videos! But can you cover when to stitch hardened leather? I love to use contrasting thread to my main leather color, so would it be possible to chisel and stitch my pieces after it's been hardened and dyed, or would I have to do this beforehand?

thanks ! love your videos .

This guy is absolutely awesome 😎

Until this very moment, I had lived 3 decades without realizing I need a full suit of leather armor.

Couple questions, I've made a 8"X8" purse and wet formed it after assembly. Will the 200 degree oven hurt the hand stitching I've done ? Should I leave the forms in when baking ? Thanks

I love this guy

Hi. I hope you can help. I’m building a Viking round shield for full contact fighting. Should I harden the leather or just oil it to give it some give?

Great information

I have tried this in the past and can't seem to get it right, either it gets to hard and shrinks or doesn't harden at all but keeps it's shape

Hey Chuck do you think we could get a Leather Element strictly on the oven baking method with demonstration. Ive followed your steps best I can from this vid but cant get it to seem to turn out the way your armor does.

Could you do a video demonstrating the leather firmer and what the final result is?

i think i messed up, tried hardning my holster, it looks burnt on back, shirnking on back and twisted, it was finished with dye and sheen. should i have hardend first before finishing. also do you keep oven on while its in for 20 min. new to leather

I am making a demi gauntlet and the wrist portion is circular. Should I stich it first to hold the shape during the bake?

Hey...I was wondering your take on wearing your armor outside in rain? I applied a good 2-3 top coats to everything and should be pretty well water proof, but i put alot of time and work into it and would hate for it to get ruined. I guess what would you do?

A hammer to my project? I wouldn't even consider it!! ;) Great vid!

where do get patterns for leather armor. would love to tackle this later on.

Great one. One thing i'm missing: When would the slicking happen with hardening leather, before or after?

My big question on this has been Can you stamp/tool hardened leather? If so, when can you do that? It would seem to me that tooling beforehand would lose the impressions once wet, and tooling afterwards would be almost impossible on a shaped surface... Also dying? Assuming you would try to dip-dye after hardening? What if it is a larger piece? So many questions! I am LOVING all of your videos, especially love your passion for leather!

I realize this video is a few years old, however I have a question regarding the baking process. Do you place the leather on the rack or perhaps on some aluminum foil? I have some large pieces that I want to harden/stiffen flat, so I'm wondering if I should place the pieces on foil or something to prevent the rack from showing and/or heating too fast. And should I be concerned that the leather might curl during the baking process. Thanks.

The two major problems with boiling leather is it shrinks to about 1/3 the size and it is brittle. I made lamellar armour to fight in. I hardened all of the lames by soaking them in hot wax. It did have a parafin smell for a while, but I was fighting and sweating in it so it was less of an issue. The major drawback with the wax method is it gets soft when it gets hot...like when fighting out in the sun. The plus side of this is when it cools, it conforms to the body for a perfect fit. Another plus for the wax method is it is waterproof. I will have to give the hot-cure method a try on my next project. It sounds like a winner.

Hello Chuck,my name is also Dan and was wondering about layering multiple layers of thick veg tan leather.would it be best to harden the outer most layer before I combine the layers?and should I glue and stitch them together and rivet the layers together also?I'm not concerned on weight as much as I am function.also would it be possible to use a resin along with Kevlar or fiber glass in between the layers?what I'm trying for is an armour without a lot of metal that's functional also.thankyou.

I've been f&^%ng around with trying to get this right for ages, and you've solved the mystery in five minutes. Thank you! When you come to baking in your more complex-shaped leather pieces - for example, as with your shaped/moulded holsters - do you arraign them in the oven to bake in the shape you want them? If so, how do you get them to keep their shape in there? What's an oven-friendly way of doing that?

Anyone know which method would be best for hardening panels of leather to be sewn onto a vest or jacket as a makeshift armor? Had a fun idea in mind for a cyberpunk themed event. So long as the leather can remain slightly flexible but also hold up to abuse it would work fine.

Thanks for the video. Possible diy rack for stamping tools like the one you have in this video -made out of wood ?

Hello Chuck, I truly enjoy your videos. I have a question for you. I wet a leather holster and to shape it with suction. When I baked it, it shrunk into a piece of wood half the size it was. Was my leather too wet?

I did the suggested time and temp and it was still not hard. Does the leather gauge and amount of time in water effect how long you should make it for.

Thank you, Sir!

A couple questions on the baking process. I had already dip dyed all my parts, pro dye. Would it still work or should I have baked it first prior to dip dying? Also for the baking process, is it alright to roughly place rivets into the parts and put them together to help keep the shape I want them to be during baking?

I'm redoing a sheath for my son on a 1950s hunting knife. I had an old cowhide rug with the hair on it that had gotten some moldy spots and hair was falling out in areas because it got wet and sat outside awhile. I cut a good piece off to redo the top piece of his sheath where the knife busted through and it was torn or dry rotted. I just cut the stitches and rivets and cut the new hide to match the old pattern. then plan to punch holes and stitch/rivet it back together. my question is the old leather obviously is stiff. the cowhide I have is soft and floppy. how do I harden it but keep the hair on it so it will last?

I am happy to see this. I would like to make some gift plaques for some friends of mine, using a hardening technique. The idea is leather piece about the size of standard paper, with a hand-tooled image of Africa (where we have worked) and their names/dates of service. Maybe add a very nice hanging feature with straps or loops. Do you have examples of something like this? Thank you so much!

What if the leather piece is bigger than your oven? Is the leather firmer technique just as good from a hardness perspective?

question can you use an electric toaster oven to bake? Not large pieces but lets say arm guards/bracers/knife sheaths?

Question: what if I wanted to slightly harden leather - for example I am making stitched belts out of 8-9 oz veg tanned bends. I would the leather to be able to hold its own shape - but not be like a piece of wood. I was thinking of stitching the leather before hand, wetting it, and then putting it in the oven for maybe 5mintues and seeing what that gives me? Thanks!

I've got a gallon of the Leather Firmer and I'm planning to use it in a couple days to make a couple "crowns" that will keep their stiffness through all the points, etc. I have a couple questions about using it and I'm hoping you can enlighten me. -Is there anything special about the process of using the Leather Firmer? I.e is it necessary to dip the piece in the solution or can I brush the solution onto the leather? -Since these pieces will be round and therefore difficult to dip without a large quantity of Leather Firmer, would it be possible to dip them or brush the solution on while they're flat and then quickly stitch them into the final round shape after I've applied the Leather Firmer but before it cures? As in, apply the leather firmer after tooling and making the stitching holes, then sew together as soon as the firmer has been applied. Or, would shaping the piece in that window of time compromise the hardening of the leather? I've got a bit of wiggle room on these pieces since they're not supposed to be hard-wearing, but it would be great if I didn't have to worry about them deforming in transit. Thanks! Alex

NICE ARMOR ! omg ! You're amazing ! So impressed with all that can be done with Leather. It's like the all purpose material ! LOL! EM CAD Designer/Drafter 13 yrs. 2 yr. Deg. + 4 yrs HS Formal Edu M Drafting Physics Major (Off cycle currently xfer student)

Thanks for the info. Great work as always! I was just wondering if there would be shrinkage to worry about when baking the leather.

I know this is an older video so I'm not sure this will be seen but.....I'm carving a 12 in round piece if 12oz leather. I'm assuming I would use the leather hardener after carving and paint. Am I correct or no?

is there a benefit to drying raw leather under high pressure? Would it make it denser and bond harder between the epidermal cells in the leather? I am talking pressure such as placing a house on top of a piece of leather and let it stay there until fully dried. Several tonnage per square cm, sort of thing.

Hey I tried the baking/curing, and the leather always shrinks up in weird ways and doesn’t keep its shape, is there something obvious that I did wrong?

Don't know how I missed this one.

I have a leather coat with a short collar style meaning a collar you can not flip up or down., the kind with a snap on it. The collar has got weak and flimsy and I would like to make it stand up more, how do I reshape it and stiffen it up?

Can you do this after it all put together for a knife sheath?. Been stitch up and rivets in

Thanks, every time a great learn (sorry for the english)

If you tool something and then want to wet mould it- what would you advise?? Soaking it in the water for a minute and a half would loose a lot of the tooling details wouldnt it? Advice appreciated

I tried this on a 2mm piece of veg tanned and it worked, but only marginally. What can I do to improve the effect? More time? Higher heat?