How to Choose Leather-Working Tools

Basic leather craft projects don't require a lot of tools. Here are some of the items you'll need to work just about any project, from simple to complex.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hobby Paintbrushes
• Leather Hole Punchers
• Leather Or Rawhide Mallets
• Leather Sewing Needle
• Leather Stains
• Spray Bottles
• Acrylic Paints
• Beeswax
• Fabric Glue
• Sponges
• Swivel Knives
• Acrylic Paints
• Cutting Mats
• Leather Conditioners
• Leather Protection Sprays
• Sinew
• Awl
• Rulers
• Awl
• Sponges

1. Make sure that you have a flat, stable surface on which to work. A rubber mat placed under your work will prevent the surface from being scarred and will also protect the blades of your cutting tools.

2. Measure out lines and curves onto leather with items such as a sturdy ruler and a French curve. Choose metal measuring tools, as these can also be used as straightedges against which leather can be cut. Mark lines along the leather's surface with pencils and felt-tip pens.

3. Use items like leather bleach and leather deglazer to clean dirt, oil and residue from the surface of the leather before any work is begun.

4. Color your leather with leather dyes and paints. These items can be found at any leather-craft store, as can paint and dye applicators such as wool daubers and paintbrushes.

5. Cut out leather pieces with a razor knife and use paring tools such as edge bevelers and skives to remove thin layers from a piece of leather. Leather shears can be used to cut thinner pieces of leather.

6. Tool a piece of leather with a swivel knife, wood or rawhide mallet, and a variety of leather stamps. Decorative cuts are made with a swivel knife and then the mallet and stamps are used to create textures and depressed surfaces around those cuts. Stamps come in a variety of patterns.

7. Make perforations in your leather with an awl, a stitching awl (for holes that will be stitched through) and/or leather hole punches of various sizes. Use a rotary hole punch for easy, even hole placement.

8. Sew leather with leather-craft sewing needles, waxed linen thread and artificial sinew. Use the waxed linen thread on softer, thinner pieces of leather and use the artificial sinew on harder pieces. The artificial sinew does not stretch and may cut into the stitching holes in soft pieces of leather.

Tips & Warnings

• Use acrylic paints instead of leather paints. Make sure, however, that the paint you use is safe for leather.
• Run a piece of beeswax along the length of any unwaxed thread before stitching.
• Affix leather pieces to one another without stitching by using leather glue.
• Keep a plastic spray bottle of water and a sponge in your work area. Use these to dampen the leather while you work it.

[kendrag]

on 5/27/2009 Hi, My father is a 3rd generation saddle maker and I'm working on becoming a 4th. I think this is a great article and very informative for a beginner. Unfortunately a lot of leather hobby shops are closing up and hobbyists must rely on the internet to order supplies. One quick tip, call the supply place (Leather Factory for example) tell the sales person what project you want to do. They can recommend a thickness (or weight) of leather you'll want to use. There are also different qualities of hides you'll want to ask about. TO SalonE I have a response to your question in case you haven't gotten one. Gluing beads to leather almost never works on a permanent basis. You're gluing an inflexible material to a flexible one. If you're trying to glue something like a rhinestone, try superlue (not recommended for large areas because it's dry and will dry out your leather) but will work on a s...

[SalonE]

on 5/21/2007 Hi, what is the best way to attach beads/jewels to leather, by glue? where can I get this glue?. I am also looking to buy a fastner for a leather bracelet, where could I buy these? thanks, Eileen

on 11/22/2005 If you live in West Texas and you are doing any kind of leather carving or saddle making, do not use the water from your tap on your leather. Instead use either bottled or distilled water.