Looking to try your hand at leather crafting? It’s so rewarding! Here is a list of what I believe to be the top 10 tools of the trade. These “MUST HAVE” tools will ensure you get started on the right foot!
Complete transparency!!! – The links to the products below are called ‘affiliate links.’ That means if you do decide to buy one of the tools below, we get some money back to help support our passion/mission 😉 Thank you!!!
#10 – Leather Rotary Hole Punch Tool
Every craftsman needs a good hole punch tool. This will help you with punching holes for rivets and snaps as well as for punching holes in belts and watch bands. They typically come with a handful of different size punches. I’ve used a generic one for years and even though it is inexpensive, it has held up to many projects!
#9 – Edge Beveler
In order to make your project look professional, you’ll want to pick up an edge beveler. This tool allows you to slightly round or ‘bevel’ the edges of the leather, making for a nice, clean finish. This will also help you when burnishing the edges which we’ll talk about below.
#8 – The Utility Knife
When I first start a project, I usually have a design traced out on cardboard so that I have a template for future reference. You will trace around this template and cut out your pattern with a good utility knife. There are many to choose from, but the knife below is similar to the one I use. You can also look at a rounded knife which may work for better – it just depends on your particular project and leather size.
#7 – Swivel Knife
When you have a piece of leather cut to size and want to start tooling a design, you will want to look at a special knife called a ‘swivel’ knife. It is called a swivel knife because you can actually maneuver (swivel) the blade with your fingers to cut wavy lines and circles. It takes a little bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, you won’t want to carve without it!
#6 – Stamps
So this is where you can get many opinions and many prices! There are background stamps, pear shading stamps, bevel tools, basket stamps – basically any stamp you can think of. I have found that you want to buy the quality stamps, starting with Craftool and progressing up through the pro grade tools like those offered from Barry King. Cheap stamps aren’t always effective at leaving a good impression – literally. In this regard, you get what you pay for.
Here is a link to a bunch of stamps on Amazon. But here is the stamp I use for every project. It is a beveler to make the design 3 dimensional.
#5 – Rawhide Mallet
When you are ready to start banging away on your leather, you’ll need a good quality mallet. For years I used a rawhide mallet and they work great! It is a good and inexpensive way to get started and as you progress, you may find you are ready to upgrade to a poly mallet with a little more weight in the head. But if you are just starting out, you can definitely save some money and get something like what is listed below. I still have this on my bench!
#4 – Stitch Groover
When you finish tooling your design, you will ultimately want to look at assembling your piece. The best way to do that is with rivets or thread. When you want to stitch your project, you will love having a stitch groover in your toolbox. This allows you to trace a straight line on the edge of your leather, basically where you will stitch the pieces together. I use a leather cement from fiebings to assist with holding the edges together, and then I use the stitch groover to give me a guide on where to punch my holes. I’ll explain more when I mention the stitching forks below.!
#3 – Stitching Forks
Once you have a guide made from the stitch groover, it’s time to punch some holes for your needle and thread. THe best way to do this is with stitching forks that punch multiple holes at once. Here is an assortment of great forks that you’ll want to get!
#2 – Wood Burnisher
So the cool thing about a burnisher, is that you can use almost anything. I’ve use plastics, woods, canvas, cloths, heck even my fingers. Basically what you are trying to do is generate HEAT on leather that is slightly damp or lubed with something like a saddle soap or beeswax. When you rub hard enough, the heat will seal and make your edges shine. One of the best tools for this is a simple wood burnisher that will allow for different angles and sizes of your leather. Again, my go to many times at the very end of a project, is to use an old canvas rag to burnish the final piece.
#1 – Where to put it all!
The last ‘tool’ on my list is not really a tool but a place to store your tools! It helps when you have your stamps upright so you can quickly see what design you are looking for. This is a simple wooden storage tray the compactly stores many of the items you might need as you start leather crafting.
So not an exhaustive list by any means. Really this is just the tip of the iceberg. The farther you go with this, the more tools you may find that you need.
Maybe you are making tack and saddlery, or you find you are always making belts – if that is the case, there are many tools designed specifically to make your job easier. The good news is, 99% of this doesn’t need electricity or the internet! Just a passion to create the way our ancestors did thousands of years ago!
Thanks for reading and GodSpeed!!!