Elm/Acacia + veg tan

I just finished this one, a gift for my sister

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Wor...us-1-22-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Wor...us-1-20-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Wor...us-1-26-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Wor...us-1-24-XL.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Wor...us-1-23-XL.jpg

The sides and handle is from a recycled cutting board (acacia from memory) plus I added some elm veneer for the sides of the handle. All timber is finished with multiple coats of tru oil. The leather is 1.5mm calf veg tan, hand dyed and hand stitched. Lining is the same, so total thickness of the leather is 3mm all up. Fairly rigid but not to the point where it doesn't open. That was the main worry with this bag, it doesn't have a frame and relies on the leather to hold it together, so you have to predict the stiffness of the leather after it has been dyed, doubled up, glued, stitched and attached to the timber. Too floppy and the bag will collapse on itself, too firm and it won't open. A solid 40 hours of work and I didn't know until the last minute if I had made a bag or a pretty door stop. Very relieved how it turned out!