Carswell Leathergoods

02/05/2026

A batch of slings all finished up. These are a LOT more work than I anticipated, but also a lot more fun than I thought too.
I have a new appreciation for saddlers and anyone doing quality tooling. It’s a real art.
Looking forward to doing more of these in the future.
Thank you for the support and hope the slings perform well in the field!

25/04/2026

I’m a little nervous to share these because I’m really new to carving leather. This is the second sling I’ve ever done with it. It’s one of those things I’ve always wanted to get into but never had a reason to get stuck into it.
But when asked if I could tool him up some nice slings I said I’ll try my best.
I’ve had to buy a few new tools and practice my drawing skills a lot before I was ready to put it on leather. I did one practice sling first then got into this one. But I think it’s turning out really well.
This sling will get a topcoat of sealer next and then I’ll have another two to finish up soon with leather wrapped buckles. (I’ll show that process for those of you that asked from my last reel)
Thanks so much to Silvia and Tracy at Birdsall for your help and guidance. I really had no idea what I was getting myself into!

Let me know what you think!

12/04/2026

It was a great day for my first group leathercraft lesson.

Students had the choice of making a belt or a rifle sling, and the class was geared towards complete beginners. It was no small effort getting enough tools and materials together for eight people, but aside from a couple of minor hiccups, everything came together really well.

Stitching a belt is no easy task, and I was genuinely impressed with the effort everyone put in. There were a few tricky steps along the way, but everyone stuck with it and turned out some fantastic pieces by the end of the day.

Really proud of this group.

I’ll be running another class on June 7th — send me a message if you’re interested in joining the next one.

08/04/2026

Thanks to Zeb Jones for the shot of the sling I made him in action!

New group lesson available to book now on my website. The next date is Sunday 7th June. Eight spots, and two are already booked.

This weekend the group lesson is already booked out and I’m really looking forward to it.

Slings and belts use very similar techniques so they’re great to have in the same lesson. Strap cutting and buckle fitting is an essential leatherwork skill that takes a surprising amount of work. If you’re interested in learning these skills and dipping your toes into the world of leatherwork, have a read of the lesson description on my website and book a slot if you’re keen.

05/04/2026

My first group lesson is booked out! But don’t despair, I will be running more of these in the future. I will post dates when they are available.

I have a wait list for this weekends class, so you can contact me to be put on it if you’d like.

10/03/2026

Make your own handmade belt or rifle sling in a one-day leathercraft workshop near Warragul.

No experience required and all tools are provided.

Small class size (max 8 people).

Sunday April 12 – Crossover School Hall.

Book here:

carswellleathergoods.com/leathercraft-classes

Leathercraft workshops and private lessons in Warragul, Gippsland, taught by leather craftsman Martin Carswell. Learn the fundamentals of traditional leatherworking in small hands-on classes. These leathercraft workshops are held in Gippsland near Warragul and are open to students from across Victor...

10/03/2026

I’m finalising the details for some small leathercraft workshops I’ll be running soon. These belts are examples of what you’ll walk away with after a day in the workshop with me. I’ll also be teaching how to make rifle slings.

No experience necessary and no tools required — just small class sizes in a great location.

The classes will give you a solid grounding in the fundamentals of traditional leathercraft, and should be a good opportunity to spend the day learning alongside a group of like-minded people.

More details coming soon. I’ll have the dates and information up on my website later this week.

Workshops will be held in Gippsland near Warragul. First class will be in April.

18/02/2026

For this custom rifle sling I wanted to go old school and focus on proper craftsmanship.

Stitched in keeper
Leather wrapped buckle
Blocked keepers
Leather thong swivel closures
Decorative stitch work

Finished off with a custom stamp for a legend in the Aussie sambar scene,

Hope it gets dragged through plenty of scrub and ends up in a few good stories.

If you’re not already following him, check out his YouTube:

21/12/2025

It’s finally done.
I don’t know how many hours went into this one because it was broken up by moving house and workshops. The client was after a bag that was an original design, roughly the same dimensions as an Hermes Kelly bag. We had a variety of flap designs and we went with an asymmetrical design which I really like. The gussets are my own variation on a welted gusset. They open nice and wide at the top but fill out the sides of the bag nicely.
The aim was to go old school and try to do all turned edges, no edge paint. And I did it. No edge paint was used. Even on the shoulder strap.
Hardware is all gold plated stainless.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks to my lovely wife for taking the lovely photos.

06/12/2025

Gussets done! These were a real challenge to design and make. When you have curves you have to account for the thickness of the layers. Layers on the outside need to be longer than those taking a shorter path.
The goal of this bag was to turn or bind every edge. If you look closely even my edge binding has turned edges.