Layland Leathercraft

Tools Used In Leathercrafting:


Although by no means exhaustive, the following list shows some of the tools I use to craft the items I make.

The Swivel Knife The swivel knife is used to carve patterns into the leather. The 'swivel' part comes from the fact that the knfe can be controled by swivelling the blade by twisting the barrel. Mastery of the swivel knife is key to getting good results with leather carving.
Stamps Stamps are used in various ways to embelish the design. There are numberous types, that allow you to 'lift' the carving from the leather and enhance it's look.
Punches Punches of various sizes are needed to punch holes for rivetting and holes for belt buckles to grip onto.
Strap Cutter The strap cutter - as it's name suggests - allows you to cut straps of varying thicknesses from a hide.You simply select the thickness you require from the guage on the cutter and run the leather through. A word of caution - these tools are very sharp and cut hands easier than they cut leather!
Creaser The creser is used to create parallel lines in the lather. You place one half next to the edge of the leather you wish to mark, and the other rests on the piece of leather. By applying pressure to the leather you create a continuous line.
Edge Beveller This tool is used to remove hard edges from the leather. It gives a more pleasing result than when left as a hard cut edge.
Skiver The skiver is used to thin pieces of leather. This is especially handy when you are trying to join two thisk pieces of leather. By skiving one or both of the pieces you can reduce the amount of leather you have to sew through.
Edge Slicker The edge slickers job is to smooth the rough edges of a leather item. You wet the leather then rub the edge slicker up and down the edge untill you have a very smooth edge.
Mallet The rawhide (or polly or wooden) mallet allow you to use all your leather tools again and again. As they are made from 'softer' materials they do not 'mushroom' the heads of the tools like a steel hammer would.
Stitch Marker The stitch marking tool has a 'spur' wheel on the bottom (a wheel with spikes) that is used to mark the position where your stitches should be made.