What are some tools that changed your leatherwork?

[chuck123wapati]

1 hour ago, Mablung said:

Books are always tools, in a different sense.  Intellectual tools, which are the best kind.  To paraphrase another saying, the mind is the final tool.

yup all the tool answers above need special knowledge to use them and care for them correctly, and it can all be found in a book. Also, the saddler will have a different answer than the shoemaker or the guy who makes watch straps lol. What each of us envisions as leather work usually is diferent.

And I'll add this forum as a great tool also.😁 You can see those who take the critiques and advice seriously improve as time goes on, while those who blow off the help or ignore helpful tips and good advice just don't improve as fast or as well. It's not the tool in the hand, it's the hand that drives the tool. A knowledgeable craftsman with mediocre tools can outperform the ignorant man with the best tools.

[fredk]

Besides books, especially by Al Stohlman my other things are;

A Tandy Pro-Press. I use it a lot, for pressing stamps, as a clicker press, for making sewing holes with chisels

Sets of sewing chisels with different spacing; 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm and my stitching pliers and lacing pliers

A couple of sewing clamps; a light-weight one for taking out to places and a larger heavier one for use at home base

My special stamping table 

Which is adaptable for various jobs

[AlZilla]

Is leatherworker.net a tool? It's been a great learning resource for me.

[RidgebackCustoms]

DMT Diamond stones (not the hatched pattern ones, the full width kind, metal bed).  I tried water stones, sandpaper, etc.  Both work, but the diamond stones let me focus on just the sharpening as I was learning.

The 3/4" and 1" skiving knives from Lisa Sorrell.  Those things came to my door screaming sharp, no break in or touch up required, so I could focus on learning the inlay work, not the sharpening.

[RidgebackCustoms]

4 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

It's not the tool in the hand, it's the hand that drives the tool. A knowledgeable craftsman with mediocre tools can outperform the ignorant man with the best tools.

A hard lesson.  I remember when I was learning to skive (book binding).  I decided the knife I had was the problem.  So I saved up and bought a nice skiving knife from Chartermade.  Beautiful tool.  Showed up pristine and ready to work.  Took it to the bench and basically had the same problems.  Realized I probably just needed to practice. 

Nothing wrong with having great tools.  I've learned a really great tool can let you focus on the skills because your problems will just be you.

[kgg]

On 11/7/2025 at 4:54 PM, Kenzi said:

What tools helped enhance your leatherwork?

I really admire those that hand sew and tool leather but for me I don't have the temperament or the artistic ability. So for me it is all mechanically aided, sewing machines, presses, skiver, embosser, 3D printer, etc.  

kgg

Edited 22 hours ago by kgg

[chuck123wapati]

On 11/11/2025 at 2:06 PM, RidgebackCustoms said:

 

Nothing wrong with having great tools.  I've learned a really great tool can let you focus on the skills because your problems will just be you.

yup great tools help, practice helps too lol.. I chose books because the op is an intermediate, so he should have at least a basic tool set and the knowledge to pick and choose quality tools. and have proficiency in the basic leather working techniques, sewing, gluing, finishing, etc. He probably already has a head knife, for example, or one that he likes and should know how to use it and care for it, and if it's good quality or not. Having said that, upping his game should then be expanding his knowledge base by trying new and diferent techniques or genres of leather crafting. Each of those requires specific new tools that you can't get without knowing what you need. 

For example, the Sheridan style tooling, the style is very unique and requires specific tools and techniques to be proficient. You can either get that info from the book or classes or blindly buy some great tools that may not be right and make crappy work until you do buy the book, then re-buy the correct tools. That is a hard lesson a guy who is an intermediate should have already learned lol. . So it goes to reason that in order to get the correct tools, you need the knowledge to do so first.

The question is kinda vague, so I can't tell him what tools to buy if I don't know what he wants to do with leather past the intermediate level. 

If he were a beginner, I would have a different opinion of what he should do. lol. Just my opinion for what its worth..