# Boston Leather Guild

> A volunteer-run nonprofit leathercraft community in Greater Boston, publishing practical guidance, curated tool and material recommendations, a leather-production glossary, reviews, and maker interviews.

Search engines, AI assistants, research tools, and other automated readers are welcome to crawl, index, retrieve, and summarize our public pages. We also welcome use of our public educational text for AI training. No crawler-specific delay is requested. Authentication and private areas remain outside this invitation.

Please cite the canonical Boston Leather Guild page when using its guidance. Catalog recommendations and editor's notes reflect Guild judgment; prices and availability can change, so consult the linked supplier for current details. Leathercraft News summarizes external reporting and links to the original publisher, which should retain its attribution.

The linked HTML contains public text without requiring sign-in. Directory links below use ?view=all to expose every published entry without JavaScript or Load More. Their canonical URLs omit that query. Catalog entries have stable resource anchors; More details text is included in the HTML. The glossary includes definitions, examples, and source citations.

## Tools, Supplies, and Equipment

- [Complete Starter Kit](https://bostonleatherguild.com/complete-starter-kit): Tools and supplies for small leather goods, from a valet tray to a simple bifold wallet.
- [Recommended Supplies](https://bostonleatherguild.com/recommended-supplies): Thread, adhesives, dyes, paints, and finishing compounds selected by the Guild, organized by the work they support.
- [Recommended Equipment](https://bostonleatherguild.com/recommended-equipment): Machines, presses, workshop fixtures, and their accessories selected by the Guild, with practical details about setup and use.
- [Recommended Tools](https://bostonleatherguild.com/recommended-tools): The Guild's long-term reference catalog, organized by tool type and the reason each recommendation stands out.

## Leather, Learning, and Reference

- [Buying Your First Piece of Leather](https://bostonleatherguild.com/buying-leather): A beginner's guide to tannage, temper, weight, cut, and choosing leather for wallets and other projects. Includes Pueblo, Buttero, Chromexcel, Dublin, and English bridle leather.
- [How Leather Is Made](https://bostonleatherguild.com/how-leather-is-made): Explore the tannery through an interactive model of leather production, from preserved hides through soaking, liming, tanning, dyeing, and finishing.
- [Leather Production Glossary](https://bostonleatherguild.com/how-leather-is-made/glossary): Technical definitions, plain-language explanations, and examples across twelve leather production stages. Read online or download the glossary PDF.
- [Sam Ellenport: Traditional Bookbinding](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/sam-ellenport): A film demonstrating cloth binding, leather binding, finishing, and gold leaf. Purchase streaming access to support the Guild; members can watch the separate gold-leaf excerpt.
- [New England Leather Industry History](https://bostonleatherguild.com/industry-history): An illustrated, cited history of Indigenous skinwork, tanning, shoemaking, bookbinding, trade, labor, Jan Matzeliger, and Boston’s Leather District across all six New England states.
- [Leather and Materials](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/leathers?view=all): Leathers, reinforcements, and linings, with working characteristics, practical uses, and current sources.
- [Leather Suppliers & Tanneries](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/leather-suppliers-tanneries?view=all): Sources for hides, sides, specialty leathers, and tannery-direct purchasing.
- [Vendors](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/vendors-suppliers?view=all): General and specialist sources for tools, hardware, and workshop supplies.
- [Video Channels](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/video-channels?view=all): Leathercraft instruction, demonstrations, interviews, and workshop visits selected by the Guild.
- [Podcasts](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/podcasts?view=all): Audio conversations about leathercraft, design, making, and the wider trade.
- [Blogs & Websites](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/blogs-websites?view=all): Independent writing, technical references, and useful online leathercraft projects.
- [Books & Magazines](https://bostonleatherguild.com/resources/books-magazines?view=all): Books, magazines, manuals, and other print references for leatherworkers.

## Reviews, News, and Spotlights

- [Reviews](https://bostonleatherguild.com/reviews): Hands-on reviews of leather, tools, and materials, with testing context and recommendations.
- [BLG Spotlights](https://bostonleatherguild.com/spotlights): Interviews with leatherworkers, featured artists, and Guild members.
- [Leathercraft News](https://bostonleatherguild.com/leather-news): Selected reporting, announcements, workshops, and developments from the wider leathercraft world.

## Guild and Events

- [Boston Leather Guild](https://bostonleatherguild.com/): A free community for leatherworkers in Greater Boston. Monthly meetings, learning resources, and shared work.
- [About the Guild](https://bostonleatherguild.com/about): Meet the Boston Leather Guild, founded by Basil Cleveland and Jennie Siegel in Somerville, Massachusetts.
- [BLG Leadership](https://bostonleatherguild.com/blg-leadership): The people who organize and support the Boston Leather Guild.
- [Becoming a Member](https://bostonleatherguild.com/membership): Free membership for leatherworkers of every experience level. Apply to join the Guild and its monthly meetings.
- [Monthly Meeting](https://bostonleatherguild.com/meeting-schedule): The next meeting date, time, location, program, and future meeting dates in Somerville.
- [Contests](https://bostonleatherguild.com/contest-schedule): Guild leathercraft contests, project instructions, rules, deadlines, and submissions.
- [Attending Your First Meeting](https://bostonleatherguild.com/your-first-visit): Plan your first visit: the next meeting, RSVP, what to bring, accessibility questions, and beginner leathercraft resources.
- [Contact Us](https://bostonleatherguild.com/contact-us): Get in touch with the Boston Leather Guild.
- [Donate](https://bostonleatherguild.com/donations): Support the Guild's nonprofit leathercraft community and educational work.
- [Sponsors and Supporters](https://bostonleatherguild.com/sponsors-supporters): The businesses and people who support the Guild, including Buckleguy, ICTYOS, and THOL Fine Leathers.
- [Guild Focus Areas](https://bostonleatherguild.com/focus-areas): Leathercraft interests and techniques shared by Guild members, from traditional skills to experimental projects.

## Discovery

- [Sitemap](https://bostonleatherguild.com/sitemap.xml): Canonical public pages and current published review, spotlight, and contest URLs.

- [Site Search](https://bostonleatherguild.com/search): Search public catalogs, glossary definitions, articles, events, and page summaries. Use the q query parameter.

- [Crawler Policy](https://bostonleatherguild.com/robots.txt): Public crawling is allowed for all agents; private and operational paths are excluded.