Tools needed to make Leathercraft

Tools in make leathercrafts 0012

Before starting to make handmade leather goods, many people will be confused because they do not know what to prepare. Below is a list and pictures of items that should be prepared for making leathercrafts. There are some items you can skip if you don’t feel it is necessary, but the more you prepare the tools, the more beautiful the product will be.

1. Cutting Mat

Cutting mats are used to protect the surface of your tabletop or workbench from cuts, glue or any other damage that can occur while leather cutting.


2. Scratch Awl

Use to scribe lines on leather, plastic and a variety of other materials. Pierce holes in leather, even light gauge metal. Blades are high carbon, alloy tool steel fully coated to resist rust.


3. Steel Square

The steel square is a tool used in leather handmade to help measure right angles quickly and accurately.


4. Rulers

Ruler used to measure and mark, cut handmade leather


5. Knives

Leather Knife and Cutting Tools. A leather knife is an essential tool used to cut and trim leather. The most popular types include the round knife (head knife), skiing knife, swivel knife, shoemaker’s knife, welt knife, paring knife, and channel knife. Each is available in a variety of sizes, and in all cases sharpness is key.


6. Rotary Knife

Use it when cutting out straight lines, can easily get replacement blades for these and they come in a variety of sizes, they are very inexpensive.


7. Edge Beveller

Edge beveler is used to round over or bevel the edges of you leather piece, giving your product a smooth edge. Really easy to use because of the tempered steel blade glides along the surface of leather.


8. Dividers

To mark out your Stitch light you’re going to need a set of dividers now these come in many different designs and sizes and they are relatively cheap to pick up if you just want a basic set.


9. Mallet

A leather mallet, hammer, or maul each is a type of hitting tool used in leather working. They deliver concentrated force to a location, often a metal tool that is used in stamping, marking, or cutting the leather being worked on. These tools come in a variety of shapes, styles, and materials.


10. Stitch Markers

DIAMOND STITCHING CHISELS
Diamond stitching chisels penetrate the leather like a classic stitching chisels, but diamond stitching chisels will give you a diamond shaped holes and not the slanted ones, will make equally spaced and even diamond style stitches prior to saddle stitching.

PRICKING IRONS
They are used to mark equally spaced, even and symetrically slanted stitches prior to saddle stitching. Most pricking irons require the use of an awl, because they will only mark your stitches and not penetrate the leather. Each prong on the pricking iron is slanted at an angle, so you will get that classic beautiful slanted saddle-stitch. Requires you to master the awl.

STITCHING CHISELS
Stitching chisels will penetrate the leather, and you don’t need to use an awl in the saddle stitching process. Stitching chisels will make equally spaced, even and symetrically slanted stitches prior to saddle stitching.


11. Snips / Scissors

A pair of snips or some scissors now these are mostly used to cut your threads but you can also use a hefty pair of scissors for cutting out thinner pieces of leather.


12. Needles

Leather needles are normally made out of metal, as bone or wooden forms are not generally strong enough to go through the tough ground material. This type of needle is used for all types of leather work, including shoe making, belts, garment making, as well as leather embroidery.


13. Thread

Leather thread is a fiber strand made from polyester, nylon, or linen and used for sewing two pieces of leather together.


14. Edge Finish

When using veg tan leather, I like to use a water-based Edge stain, you can get that from most leather craft suppliers and it comes in a range of different colors, but also different sizes depending on how much you are going to making for the edges. I also like to use a product called Tokonole, and I’ll put that on at the end to get a really nice burnished Edge on my leather work.

Edge finishing is the process of creating a sealed smooth edge along your exposed seams by completing a few fairly simple steps, consisting mainly of truing up edges, using various methods of burnishing, applying wax and buffing.


15. Stain Applicators

It is designed to apply dyes and stains to leather surfaces, making it an essential tool for any leather crafting project.


16. Burnishing

A tool used to polish leather edges to achieve a better shine and durability.


17. Sandpaper

Use must be used Medium-grit Sandpaper is perfect for uniform and thick leather like cowhide


18. Glue

To keep leather items in top shape, use glues that are waterproof, clean-drying, and flexible.
This super glue creates permanent bonds in leather as well as on plastic, wood, paper, ceramics, and other surfaces.


19. Glue Applicators

These stainless applicators are great for spreading glue or smooth out the flesh side of your leather.


20. Clams

Is a wooden tool with two arms that are used to hold leather items securely while they are being sewn by hand. Having two hands free can make feeding a needle and pulling thread through leather material a much easier process.


21. Creasing irons

Is a tool to make a crease is very simply a line that is pressed into the leather, usually (but not always) situated between the stitching and the edge of the leather itself.


The above are the tools for those who want to make handmade leather goods, in each category there will be many different options, you should ask your local leather craft tool suppliers for advice.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *