What is Leather Craft?

From almost the dawn of man, leather has been known for its quality, versatility and usefulness because of its multiple functional uses.  Leather is also easily procurable and widely available as it is entirely the by-product of meat processing industry.  Suffice to say that many animal hide or covering are good sources of leather in varied ways.  Because of this, it has become a very versatile medium either for functionality or for art purposes.  From this, an interesting hobby has emerged which is all about carving, crafting and designing leather which is known as leather craft.

Leather

Leather is commonly divided into two major categories: the chrome tanned and the vegetable tanned.  To differentiate the two, the chrome tanned leather is the softer and thinner material that is usually used for linings, garments, shoe uppers and some ladies and men accessories.  The vegetable-tanned on the other hand is of course made up of thicker leather which are usually used for belts, harnesses and saddles.  They are also the ones we see in the soles of our boots, shoes, sandals as well as for leather cases and bags.

Leather could be shaped or molded to conform to a shape or it could be craved or embellished with tools.  It could also be used up or dyed as leather could be hard and stiff or supple and soft thus there are plenty of creative ways to do with leather depending on one’s interests and skills.

Leather Crafting

Because of its type of material, the vegetable-tanned types are what is used for carving and tooling.  To put it simply, this is the way of embellishing leather to create designs and patterns.  In the past, this art had been a closely guarded secret of few which they just transfer from generation to generation in their families.  However, as many people took interest in leather crafts, it has spread widely and become not just a skill for some but a hobby for others.

Through the years, different leather tools had been adopted for this art as leather craft slowly evolved.  However, it has always been acknowledged by many hobbyists, enthusiasts and artists of leather crafting that the quality of the leather crafting tools that will be used will make the entire difference on the overall look and appeal of the finished material.

If you are looking for these leather craft tools and some ideas about leather crafting in general, this site is perfect for you.  It includes information and tips about leather craft and leather craft tools plus other resources about the craft.  More importantly, it provides the resources and links to the leather craft tools that you might be searching for.

Take a look at some of the leathercraft tools available at amazon:

Just like anything else that needs to be built, formed, shaped, designed or molded in whatever way, it typically needs tools or sets of tool to accomplish and come up with the desired finished product or result.  Same way with leather craft or leather crafting, there are essential leather craft tools to turn the leather into whatever you wish to do with it.

For beginners and those who are interested in the craft, here is a general list of the common leather craft tools that you will need if you want to go into leather crafting.  For those who are already designing and forming leather, you might also want to check this out for anything that could be missing in your set of tools.

Different Basic Tools for Leather Craft

Cutting – These are usually knives, shears, cutters or chisels which are used to cut the leather to the desired size, shape and design.  There are also different types of knives for this purpose.  Some are round, trim or for utility while some are specialised for carving or shaving.

Skiving and Splitting – There are different set for this purpose usually called the skife.  Although leather splitters and French edgers could also function in the same way.
Edging – French edgers used for skiving could be used as edger.  But there are also edge bevellers and bisonette edgers when you really want to craft the edges of the leather.

Punching – To punch a hole in the leather, there are a number of tools that could be used for this purpose, all with similar function.  Among them are drive punches, rotary punches and bag punchers.

Piercing – To pierce the leather, needles or different types of awls (round, diamond, etc) or varied shapes and sizes chisels could do the trick.

Grooving – For putting groves in your material, you can select from a number of tools for this purpose: freehand grovers, groving clippers, adjustable stitching grovers or v-gouges.

Carving and Forming – Again, knives, especially the different types of swivel knives such as wide and narrow, ceramic and hair could be used for carving and forming.  French edgers, x-acto knives and other carving tools could also be used.

Shaping and Finishing – In shaping and finishing the leather, smoothers, creasers and folder tools could be used.  Clamps, molds, pliers and even hammers, as long as you use the smooth surface are also suitable tools for this.

In general, these are the basic tools that you would be needing for leather craft.  For some specialized designs and for miscellaneous tools, check out the article on special and miscellaneous tools for leather craft.

Take a look at some of the leathercraft tools available at amazon: