Hi Guys
I have been asked about his a few times, and have also seen this come up on here time and again.
Here are my thoughts, this post is by no means exhaustive and is after all only my opinion. Feel free to chip in with stuff and give us your thoughts too!
Thanks
Dave
Starting in leatherworking
There are a couple of places that I could start this post, we could look at template making, we could talk about design constraints, but I think the best place to start is with a brief guide to the tools you NEED, and some others that might make the job a little easier, or the end product a little more refined.
So lets start with a basic tools list.
· Firstly you will need something to cut on – I advise one of the green self healing mats for this, they are very versatile, and they will stop you from catching grief from SWMBO for “ruining her table”.
· Next you will need something to cut with – for this basic kit a Stanley type knife will work just fine, avoid the folding type because you will be putting a LOT of pressure on the knife at times and you don’t want it to fold unexpectedly.
· A good stock of blades for this knife are essential – Don’t be mean with the blades, they are relatively cheap and the difference of a sharp knife over a blunt one, is easy to recognise when you have used both.
· When putting a pattern together it is essential that you know what lengths different elements will be, to this end you will need a ruler. A simple metal ruler will be fine, not plastic as you might chop into it when using it as a straight edge. I use a couple of different ones, just be careful near your fingers.
· Next you will probably want something to mark out stitches with – this is by no means essential, however I think that it makes a piece look more uniform and therefore more professional. I have a set of pricking iron I use, I also have several overstitch wheels BUT all you need is something that has points at a regularly spaced interval, that being said an ordinary fork will do until you find you are doing enough leatherwork to warrant the outlay.
· You will then want something to stick the pieces together before stitching – this is one area I would not scrimp on, having used cheap alternatives the extra couple of quid for the real stuff is well worth it. I use Evo stick Time Bond and find it AMAZING. You can miss off the glue but it makes putting projects together almost impossible.
· You will now want something to pierce the stitching holes into the leather – I use a Diamond Awl, these can be picked up for a couple of pounds, they do however usually come woefully dull. When using an awl it should be easy to pierce 2-3 thicknesses of 3-4mm thick veg tanned leather, if it isn’t your awl isn’t sharp enough. Some good advice I received from a leather working guru was “ your awl should be as sharp as any knife you own”, I know the majority of you like a good sharp knife, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
People sometimes use a drill to punch holes in the leather, I personally don’t like this, you have a lot less control and if you make a mistake it’s a LOT harder to rectify than an awl hole
· Stitching comes next – you will want to get some saddlers needles, size depends on the size of your thread, the shop where you buy them should be able to help. http://www.leprevo.co.uk is a good shop for those of you based in the UK, they will offer advice where appropriate also. Whatever you do DON’T attempt to use normal sewing needles, saddlers needles are blunt at the tip (this is to avoid them piercing the leather inadvertently)
· Thread – there are multiple types of thread that can be used, I was always told that the leather should be stronger that the thread holding it together, that way if anything fails it will be the thread which is a lot easier to replace. I therefore use waxed linen thread for my projects, I have used nylon thread before when specifically asked to by a client and it is SUPER strong, but as before I think that the leather failing before the thread is a VERY bad idea. But to each his own.
That is it as far as a basic kit goes, this is what I used for the very first sheath I ever made, it was awful by the standards I have now, but it still lasted me 2 years (its actually still going but I gave it and the knife to someone else) and kept my knife safe.
There are other tools though that will make your projects look more finished and downright prettier. Some of those are listed (along with a brief description of what they are used for, below :
· Edge beveller – used to camphor your edger making them easier to burnish.
· Stitch groover – this cuts a groove in the leather for your stitching to ride in, this means it is less prone to wear and tear.
· V-gouge – This cuts a V shaped channel in the leather to allow it to be folded more easily.
· Over stitch wheel – can be used to mark stitching holes onto the leather, also used for going over the stitching once complete to smooth it out and make it look nicer.
· Bone folder – this is well worth the money, it can be used to manipulate the leather when folding (as the name suggests) and/or wet moulding, and contrary to the name these are usually made from nylon rather than bone.
· Burnishing tool – again worth what I paid, I got mine from eBay (china) for about £1.50, they sell them on the Tandy website but are priced at about £10. They look a bit like a dibber, for you plant enthusiasts, those that don’t know what that is imagine slightly conical shape that has ridges at the fat end that allow different weights of leather to go in between them and be rounded off.
· Safety beveller – this is used for thinning out leather (skiving) and is very useful.
· Scratch awl – this is used for marking out cut lines on leather and is a very accurate way of marking leather. I used to use a pen but got one of these recently and I wouldn’t go back. Again something like 99p from eBay.
· Dyes – I use Fiebings Professional Oil Dyes and find that they work great.
· Finishes – I always give my projects a hit with Carnauba cream, this helps to restore the leather to suppleness after dyeing as well as giving it a matt sheen and a slight waterproofing.
You can also then cover with something like acrylic resolene which completely waterproofs the project, (carful of adding finishes before completing the project, wet forming doesn’t work if you cant get water into the leather!)
You can then move into stamping and tooling if you like, but not going to put together all those bits, as I’d be here forever.
So now you have your basic tool kit, you’ll need some leather. The best type for hand made project in my opinion, is Vegetable Tanned Leather. This is because it can be dyed different colours, and also moulded into shape using wet forming techniques. Different weighs can be used for different projects, e.g. wallets and purses are best from 1mm leather while sheaths and axe masks are better from 3-4mm leather.
I have been asked about his a few times, and have also seen this come up on here time and again.
Here are my thoughts, this post is by no means exhaustive and is after all only my opinion. Feel free to chip in with stuff and give us your thoughts too!
Thanks
Dave
Starting in leatherworking
There are a couple of places that I could start this post, we could look at template making, we could talk about design constraints, but I think the best place to start is with a brief guide to the tools you NEED, and some others that might make the job a little easier, or the end product a little more refined.
So lets start with a basic tools list.
· Firstly you will need something to cut on – I advise one of the green self healing mats for this, they are very versatile, and they will stop you from catching grief from SWMBO for “ruining her table”.
· Next you will need something to cut with – for this basic kit a Stanley type knife will work just fine, avoid the folding type because you will be putting a LOT of pressure on the knife at times and you don’t want it to fold unexpectedly.
· A good stock of blades for this knife are essential – Don’t be mean with the blades, they are relatively cheap and the difference of a sharp knife over a blunt one, is easy to recognise when you have used both.
· When putting a pattern together it is essential that you know what lengths different elements will be, to this end you will need a ruler. A simple metal ruler will be fine, not plastic as you might chop into it when using it as a straight edge. I use a couple of different ones, just be careful near your fingers.
· Next you will probably want something to mark out stitches with – this is by no means essential, however I think that it makes a piece look more uniform and therefore more professional. I have a set of pricking iron I use, I also have several overstitch wheels BUT all you need is something that has points at a regularly spaced interval, that being said an ordinary fork will do until you find you are doing enough leatherwork to warrant the outlay.
· You will then want something to stick the pieces together before stitching – this is one area I would not scrimp on, having used cheap alternatives the extra couple of quid for the real stuff is well worth it. I use Evo stick Time Bond and find it AMAZING. You can miss off the glue but it makes putting projects together almost impossible.
· You will now want something to pierce the stitching holes into the leather – I use a Diamond Awl, these can be picked up for a couple of pounds, they do however usually come woefully dull. When using an awl it should be easy to pierce 2-3 thicknesses of 3-4mm thick veg tanned leather, if it isn’t your awl isn’t sharp enough. Some good advice I received from a leather working guru was “ your awl should be as sharp as any knife you own”, I know the majority of you like a good sharp knife, so this shouldn’t be an issue.
People sometimes use a drill to punch holes in the leather, I personally don’t like this, you have a lot less control and if you make a mistake it’s a LOT harder to rectify than an awl hole
· Stitching comes next – you will want to get some saddlers needles, size depends on the size of your thread, the shop where you buy them should be able to help. http://www.leprevo.co.uk is a good shop for those of you based in the UK, they will offer advice where appropriate also. Whatever you do DON’T attempt to use normal sewing needles, saddlers needles are blunt at the tip (this is to avoid them piercing the leather inadvertently)
· Thread – there are multiple types of thread that can be used, I was always told that the leather should be stronger that the thread holding it together, that way if anything fails it will be the thread which is a lot easier to replace. I therefore use waxed linen thread for my projects, I have used nylon thread before when specifically asked to by a client and it is SUPER strong, but as before I think that the leather failing before the thread is a VERY bad idea. But to each his own.
That is it as far as a basic kit goes, this is what I used for the very first sheath I ever made, it was awful by the standards I have now, but it still lasted me 2 years (its actually still going but I gave it and the knife to someone else) and kept my knife safe.
There are other tools though that will make your projects look more finished and downright prettier. Some of those are listed (along with a brief description of what they are used for, below :
· Edge beveller – used to camphor your edger making them easier to burnish.
· Stitch groover – this cuts a groove in the leather for your stitching to ride in, this means it is less prone to wear and tear.
· V-gouge – This cuts a V shaped channel in the leather to allow it to be folded more easily.
· Over stitch wheel – can be used to mark stitching holes onto the leather, also used for going over the stitching once complete to smooth it out and make it look nicer.
· Bone folder – this is well worth the money, it can be used to manipulate the leather when folding (as the name suggests) and/or wet moulding, and contrary to the name these are usually made from nylon rather than bone.
· Burnishing tool – again worth what I paid, I got mine from eBay (china) for about £1.50, they sell them on the Tandy website but are priced at about £10. They look a bit like a dibber, for you plant enthusiasts, those that don’t know what that is imagine slightly conical shape that has ridges at the fat end that allow different weights of leather to go in between them and be rounded off.
· Safety beveller – this is used for thinning out leather (skiving) and is very useful.
· Scratch awl – this is used for marking out cut lines on leather and is a very accurate way of marking leather. I used to use a pen but got one of these recently and I wouldn’t go back. Again something like 99p from eBay.
· Dyes – I use Fiebings Professional Oil Dyes and find that they work great.
· Finishes – I always give my projects a hit with Carnauba cream, this helps to restore the leather to suppleness after dyeing as well as giving it a matt sheen and a slight waterproofing.
You can also then cover with something like acrylic resolene which completely waterproofs the project, (carful of adding finishes before completing the project, wet forming doesn’t work if you cant get water into the leather!)
You can then move into stamping and tooling if you like, but not going to put together all those bits, as I’d be here forever.
So now you have your basic tool kit, you’ll need some leather. The best type for hand made project in my opinion, is Vegetable Tanned Leather. This is because it can be dyed different colours, and also moulded into shape using wet forming techniques. Different weighs can be used for different projects, e.g. wallets and purses are best from 1mm leather while sheaths and axe masks are better from 3-4mm leather.
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