How to Learn Leather Tooling

The designs on this sample are made by tooling leather.

Leather tooling is the practice of adding designs to leather. You may have seen it on a western saddle with rope and barbed-wire patterns, or on a hand-tooled desk blotter with intricate designs. You may find classes in leather tooling, at places like Arizona State University or the Southwest School of Art and Crafts in Texas. If no such course is available locally, you will need to teach yourself.

Things You'll Need

• Instructional manuals
• Instructional DVDs
• Starter kit (including leather and tools)
• Mallet

Instructions

1. Find a workshop in leather tooling. The most complete online listing of schools is at the MasterArtisans website. Tandy Leather Factory offers courses at its retail locations, which are located in most states.

2. Ask the school or instructor specifically for a leather tooling class, which involves cutting, carving and stamping. A class in leather stitching, or leather fabrication (shaping leather and making cases) will not include tooling.

3. Find instructional manuals or DVDs, specific to leather tooling. Here again, look for titles specific to tooling, such as "How to Carve Leather" by Al Stohlman, or "Learn Sheridan Tooling." Libraries are likely to have quality instructional manuals, like "Leathercrafting in an Afternoon" by Mickey Bassett. Both HideCrafters and Tandy Leather offer instructional DVDs like "Introduction to Figure Carving," with master leathersmith George Hurst.

4. Buy a starter kit from a craft store or leather retailer. Craft stores typically sell starter kits that include the leather, a pattern and basic tools (stamps, swivel knife, beveling tools). Leather retailers sell more advanced starter kits to make, for example, a wallet with western tooling or a bookmark with flower tooling. You may need to supplement the starter kit with a wooden or leather mallet, the kind used in leather tooling.

Tips & Warnings

• Start small, with a bookmark or wallet and a simple pattern. You will advance quickly once you have mastered the basics. Also true, leather being an expensive material, you are best making your beginner's mistakes on a small piece. Even if it comes out poorly, you will have the basic tools left over for your next project.

References

• "Leather Crafting in an Afternoon"; Mickey Bassett; 2004
• "How to Carve Leather"; Al Stohlman; 1948

Resources

• MasterArtisans: Leatherwork
• Tandy Leather Factory: Store Locator
• HideCrafter Leather Company: Educational