Best knife(s) for cutting leather

[Cumberland Highpower]

I use a box cutter and/or a square knife most of the time.   But then most anything with a curve I cut with a die.

[Jaxx1024]

My utility knife-box cutter has served me well for a year and a half. 

[DocJrzz]

Sam Andrews has a great method for sure. I use scalpels with #11, 23, 25 blades. Far superior to exacto blades.

Cheap, super sharp and made for cutting flesh. Can be stropped for even better results. 

[Samalan]

For the fine stuff, I use a pattern maker's head knife from gomph for just about everything else I use a 5" head knife. I didn't like head knives at first but once I got used to them it was hard to use anything else the pattern head knives are the best for tight close twists and turns.

[SUP]

The knives I use most often are small decorated ones I got on Amazon - 8 items for about $15.00, in a container! Good reviews and I bought them before I learnt anything about good knives. They are very sharp, cut the 4-5 oz leather I use, easily and not gone dull yet. Easy to cut around corners, angles and curves and perfect for cutting leather for smaller items. 

Not sharpened or stropped them yet. No idea how long before I will need to sharpen them but good for a beginner stepping into the leatherworking world. Also the price is right! I plan to buy another set before the good reviews push up the price, if it has not gone up already. I think someone buys these and sells them on ebay for $20.00.

Getting more comfortable with  round knives so I suspect that will become my favorite soon.

Of course, I am a noob, so not much experience yet but I had to mention these surprising knives.

Edited May 2, 2023 by SUP

[doubleh]

I have a full size round knife that just remains in a box  because I cannot make myself like it. My wife, the quilter, gave me an extra rotary knife she had and it is excellent on straight cuts. I have accumulated a variety of knives but the one most used is one I made from a heavy duty Exacto knife handle that I broke the original handle off the blade holder and replaced with a piece of wooden dowel that I shaped into a man sized handle. You can use a variety of different shaped blades if needed and the blades sharpen and strop just like a regular knife. Scaples are reasonably cheap and I am thinking of trying some of those just to see how well they will do.

[Frodo]

I use a vintage 199a Stanley and a pair of garden shears

I skive with a home made skive knife made from a wood plane blade

 

[Handstitched]

I just use a Kingchrome folding knife and a pair of kitchen shears, and few other pairs of scissors.

The folding knife fits in my hand just nicely , my hands are small .  Its strong , sturdy.   Blades are easy to change*. I also sharpen them on a stone to extend their life. 

HS 

* I also use it ( with a new blade) to score the skin on a piece of Pork, true  

 

 

[Littlef]

I recently picked up a Flexcut  Mini-Pelican Style Carving Knife.  It works real good making tight turns.  Its similar to a clicker knife in blade shape, but the fixed blade isn't replaceable, so you have to sharpen it regularly.

[Outfitr]

I've tried quite a few knives and a lot of them don't get much use. Most used is a snap off blade box cutter. Then the 2 sizes of xacto knives.