Reviews

Thank you again for a great introduction to the fundamentals. Really enjoyed the day

Firstly, what an incredibly talented man Nigel is. I arrived at the workshop really without a plan other than to gain more of an insight into the world of leather crafting and to try and improve my poor technique. It was apparent quite early on i had so much to learn. Within an hour, my stitching technique was vastly improved (still need to hone that skill) and then after many periods of discussions about many items, we moved onto pattern making especially bags for me as i have been asked by so many people to make them one – that in itself was an amazing art of the course and so involved but now i have come away with a better understanding and a template which i can increase and modify if i wish. The whole experience has been just brilliant and i thank Nigel for his patience and teaching. I will look forward to going back once i gain more knowledge and experience in the making of items. I highly recommend Nigel and the courses he provides, you will not be disappointed!!

Many thanks to Nigel and Sam for a great day in their magnificent leather making workshop.

My sons and I had a full day learning how to make a leather belt choosing the colour and belt buckle of our choice. we learned about the leather itself and about the different kinds and styles of belts that Nigel has produced over the years. I have got to say that Nigel is a Master of his trade and a great teacher showing us how to produce a top quality leather belt all made using products from England.

We have all experienced working with Leather, Cutting ,Stitching and assembling a Leather belt starting with templet .

I would defiantly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn and have ‘hands on’ experience working with Leather.

I would like to send my thanks to Sam who looked after us all day also showing her great skills and helping us through the difficult bits as we made our Leather Belts.

Finally I would like to wish you both every success in your move to the new Location and workshop and many thanks again for a Great day working with leather and of course now we are the proud owners of 3 fantastic hand made Belts

I have taken a few courses with Nigel now, a couple of the one day courses, his level 2 leatherwork course and a couple of custom days. They have all been excellent and I only wish I had started sooner. I had hit wall a following online courses and making other peoples items and realized it was only going to get me so far. I didn’t really know what I needed to learn. I’m now confident it designing and making many different items and the quality of my items is much higher. Nigels leathercraft knowledge and experience is vast and he is very generous with it; I learnt a lot just from all the side conversations in the workshop. His teaching is also excellent, he puts the same level of craftsmanship into his teaching as he does his leatherwork, he has really thought about what students need to learn and how to deliver it; these are not amateur courses. If I hadn’t moved to the other side of the world I’d still be going to see Nigel on a regular basis. At least I still have my subscription to the Secrets from the Workshop channel; an excellent resource.

I eventually got to train with Nigel after having to postpone due to a motorbike incident. Having been largely ‘self taught’ via YouTube and Waxing the thread I was really looking forward to some one to one training. I knew I had some competence, but on the whole I hadn’t got a clue what I did or didn’t want out of my time with Nigel. He spent sometime talking with me, not at me, and we settled on starting by looking at my stitching technique. Within half an hour I was producing a consistent stitch and I understood the underlying concept behind why we did things in a particular way. That short session alone was packed full of’ ‘lightbulb moments’. The majority of the rest of our time was looking at template design, at my request. I never truly appreciated how much time you need to dedicate to perfecting your template. I had always been in a rush to get to the leather! By the end of my time with Nigel I had a template for a biker/trucker wallet that is totally mine. Looking at it I can see the journey I went on, remember the conversations and the head scratching that took place. Hopefully this is the start of my journey with Nigel. I came away full of enthusiasm and a modicum of confidence but more than that, a real desire to push myself and build on the skills that I am developing. If your experience of leather working, like me was limited to what you can find online, please, invest your time and money into training with Nigel. There is no substitute for being in his workshop, I could watch YouTube for two years and I wouldn’t have gained half the knowledge that I have in the last two days. The only downside, and it’s my fault, is that had I realised how long template design takes, I would have booked the week and tried to produce a finished piece.

I spent a day with Nigel honing my saddle stitching and patterning making skills. Nigel’s pattern making techniques are next level and something I enjoyed very much.

I have come away feeling inspired and looking forward to making more with leather.

Thank you Sam and Nigel for a wonderful day.

I highly recommend Nigel Armitage for anyone interested in leather work.

Nigel is a highly skilled leather crafter with a great command on instruction. His efforts are aimed at ensuring the success of his students. I was very nervous before having taken the advanced “tub making” and “box making” courses, Nigel made me feel comfortable every step of the way and ensured that I was up to par with the rest of the class. While the projects and the leather provided were of great quality, the most valuable part of the course has been every proper technique that was introduced, these techniques go beyond the projects at hand and have become a part of my personal technique in every leather project that I have carried out since. Nigel’s assistant Sam is a wonderful kind, sensitive and patient element that adds a warm touch to the learning environment. Having succeeded in my efforts on account of the courses, I highly recommend Nigel Armitage’s course without reservations.

Fine craftsmanship techniques and a fantastic instructor.

I really enjoyed my two days at Armitage Leather and only wish I’d had more time! I finessed my existing skills and left with the confidence to embark on more complex projects. I do wish I’d been more ambitious during the course as I think I lacked confidence in myself initially and so went back to basics. I’ll just need to go back!

Thanks Nigel for being a patient, friendly and encouraging teacher and for creating a great atmosphere to learn in.

I loved every moment of my day spent with Nigel, I needed encouragement to reboot my leather working skills, and came away with the confidence to do more and better than I have ever done before. Nigel is a legend, he is inspiring, patient, and so knowledgeable. The day flew by. Strongly recommended.

Nigel is an amazing, kind, attentive teacher with a huge amount of knowledge in his field and an obvious love for and dedication to this craft. The atmosphere inside the studio is friendly, relaxed and the quality and thoroughness of the teaching is outstanding. If you want to learn the details of producing high quality leather goods entirely by hand and lots of precious insights into traditional leather crafting, this is the place to go. Thank you Nigel, I will be back.

The class was excellent. Working with a different kind of leather is challenging but Nigel and Sam made the experience worthwhile. There was a lot of new information and introduction to some fine new tools making the whole experience a joy. Great thanks to you both and hope to see you again!

I had tried sewing leather and had picked up tips by reading books. However I was struggling to get anything neat and was accumulating tools faster than I was completing projects. I was given a day’s course with Nigel as a present and thoroughly enjoyed it. The course was one to one so could be tailored entirely to my needs. We covered the very basic techniques of measuring, cutting, pricking and sewing. We also discussed about tool choice and sources of leather. We also had a go using a heavyweight sewing machine. I had a very interesting day that fitted my needs perfectly. I have since gone on to make a series of items such as passport and phone holders and a holder for pens, pencils and dividers for yacht chart tables.

I am sure that I will go back for a more advanced lesson in due course. I developed confidence but also have realised my limitations.

Excellent in every sense of the word. Nigel is a natural educator but he’s also someone who has clearly worked hard to perfect not only the craft of leatherwork but also his skills as a teacher. Often these skills don’t go together but Nigel has both in spades. A highly professional approach at every step, from email communication to location instructions and throughout. A great training facility too with an abundance of tools of the highest quality and a well laid out and welcoming environment right the way down to the quality of the coffee! Add to that a first class teacher and you can’t really ask for more. It’s not a surprise to me that even seasoned leatherworkers travel from far and wide to learn from Nigel.

I sew but have never worked with leather. The course responded to my interests, was hands-on and we covered a lot of ground. Nigel is a natural teacher, personable and encouraging, giving you space to have a go while remaining on hand so that errors can be caught early, resolved and learned from. I enjoyed working in such a well-furnished workshop and with the high quality tools. A door has been opened to me and I am so pleased I booked the day. The coffee was great too!”

Having studied under several master saddlers over the years, a skilled craftsperson doesn’t automatically translate to be a skilled teacher. Nigel is both a consummate craftsman and a generous and articulate teacher. His knowledge is extensive, from historical references to the relative merits of pricking irons – I can listen to him all day! I wish I could have spent longer at his well-equipped workshop as one day wasn’t really enough. I would heartily recommend this course!