Razel Dulosa

10 Leather Crafting Tools Animals are raised by people for different purposes. They serve as food, pet, and even as entertainment for some. But one great thing you could get from animals aside from their meat, milk, and fat, is leather. A strong durable material that is widely used with different products such as belts, wallets, shoes, clothes, or even sofas that comes from animal rawhide and skins. So if you are someone who wants to start with leather crafting here are the 10 Leather Crafting tools that you should know. Ruler  Just like any other crafting works, leather crafting requires specific measurements for certain products especially those without an outline. That’s where the ruler comes in, it helps you make an outline using the measurements that you have in hand, which would make cutting the leather to your desired shape easier. Any ruler would do but using a metal ruler with a cork backing rather than a plastic ruler would save you from wasting money. Moreover, a metal ruler with a cork backing doesn’t slip easily when used with leather. Leather Cutting Knives You won’t be able to achieve the desired shape of your leather without cutting it. You need to be extra careful in this part to avoid cutting your fingers instead of the leather piece and you need to choose the right cutting knife that is needed. A basic utility knife is the most common choice that most leather crafters use. It’s pretty simple to use, very cheap and you can almost find or buy it anywhere. It also comes handy especially that a dull knife is a big no for leather crafting since you can simply change the blades every time you want or need. Needles Sewing the leather pieces you’ve cut requires practice to get the stitches right, moreover, leather needles are different from the regular needles. But you don’t have to worry anymore since there are a variety of leather needles available that you could buy. Just keep in mind that all leather needles should go along with the thickness of the thread and the leathers to avoid your needles from breaking. Edge Beveler An edge beveler is a leather crafting tool used to trim and round off the strap or belt edges instead of trimming it with scissors. Thus, it has to be sharp and easy to grip to avoid any problems or difficulties when trimming the edges. This tool has a different tip design, it could be round, v-shaped, flat, or costumed. It all depends on the type of design you want. Half Round Cutter Cutting the tip of a belt or bag strap perfectly would be difficult for beginners that’s why using a half-round cutter is a lifesaver. This Half Round Cutter usually comes in sets with different sizes. These are made of steel and is usually used with a hammer to easily cut the belt or strap tips. Leather Stamp Leather stamps are used to add design to the leather piece as they leave permanent marks to leathers. They can either be bought with and existing design like flowers and butterfly, or have it customized with your desired print. It helps craftsmen to print certain patterns to make your finished product leave an impression. This product is certainly perfect for beginners because they are easy to use. Retaining Ring Retaining Ring is a handy tool to have especially if you are assembling the leather pieces. You can use this when you are using leather glue or sewing leather edges together. It works well to keep the pieces of leather together until the leather glue dries up or you are done assembling each leather piece. Chisel A chisel is a tool made of metal with equally spaced sharp teeth and is used to makes holes on leather. It is very useful to use a chisel before stitching since a leather needle is dull. Chisel is used to make pre-punched that would make your stitching process faster and easier. It comes with different sizes and numbers of teeth when you buy it. The chisel’s number of teeth depends on how close or far you want your stitches to be. Outside Edge Creaser It is a decorative line tool that you could use for your leather project. Some have double edges that enable you to make parallel lines as your design. This tool is also adjustable which makes it handier to have. Groover Groover is a tool that helps leather craftsmen to make grooves on the leather pieces. You can still work without a groover but using it helps make a nicer finish. A leather groover makes the stitching process easier if you can make grooves before you start. The groover is run along an edge to make a stitching line thus the stitches lay below the surface of the leather because of the groove.  Mallet Mallet is an important tool especially if you are using a half-round cutter or chisel. It is made of metal or steel with a wood handle that is very easy to use especially when cutting leather edges or making holes. Leatherworking Awl A multi-purpose tool with a wooden handle that is used by many craftsmen. Widely used by leather craftsmen, bookmakers, shoemakers, and repairers. It looks like a large-scale needle and is used in leatherworking to pull the thread to easily sew a leather piece. A must-have tool by all craftsmen. Leather crafting is indeed an awesome craft to learn. It can also be a good source of income if you want to make it a business. There are definitely many kinds of tools that you need to know when it comes to leather crafting. Just remember that practicing your skills on how to use these tools is more essential. So keep practicing and happy crafting!