Cutting out patterns

[Bighearn]

Mind if I ask yall how you cut out your leather? I was using shears and I went down to the local Guns and Leather shop where a kind young man of about 82 years showed me a carpet knife he had equiped with a roofers blade. I tried it "as I roofed for years as a youth" and it was a good deal eaiser than shears. If you get in to big a hurry it goes through pretty quick and you have to watch your line. The trick he said was always pull it to you never push as its to hard to control that way. To my point "I tend to ramble the older I get" any of you doing this or is their an even easier way I've yet to learn?

[Drac]

personally, I use an exacto knife for some patterns and a large rolling cutter by fiskars. depends on the pattern. others use a head knife, some use a utility knife, etc etc. I'd say play around with different things if possible and then use what you like best.

[Luke Hatley]

IF IT IS"SHARP" AND IT FITS YOUR HAND, AND YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT

USE IT..

[bruce johnson]

I use a few different knives depending on what I am cutting and the shape of the cut. I have a few larger round head knives. I prefer the old Clyde knives. They seem to hold an edge better for me, and still sharpen up and maintain easily. I have an Osborne and like it OK too. I got the little wore out one paired up with a Clyde on an ebay deal. It is a cute little knife, obviously has seen some use, and is dandy for tighter inside curves. Keeps an amazingly good edge for no doubt being way past the tempering. There's a little magic in it still. It can live out its golden years on my board. I use the regular blade roller knife with a straightedge (metal rule) for most all straight cuts up to 16 oz skirting. I use the scalloped one for...cutting scalloped edges. It will even cut scallops on pretty heavy leather, I scalloped some 13 oz for an overlay on a rope can a while back. The sleeper knife is the blue handled beauty. It is a grape picker knife bought for $5 at the local surplus store. Does a nice job on tight inside curves, or "pulling" cuts. Keeps an edge like nobody's business - great steel.

I have a few straight handled knives I grab too. I sometimes use the straight blade knife with the guard to square up edges. I use the point knives mostly on some tight saddle cuts, or tight trimming in gussets. The green handled lip knife has a curl in the tip, I can ride over another piece and trim without going too deep. The Osborne skiver is OK. I mostly trim with it, not much skiving. Another gem is the paring blade. I saw a guy at a ranch rodeo in Livermore use one of these to skive a mulehide hornwrap. He layed it over a big glass bowl as a skiving surface and ripped the edge off as fast he could pull it with the other hand. Impressive. He had made his own from an old sawblade. My old buddy came up with this one for me, and it is a dandy too.

I know it seems like a lot of knives, and I could probably get by without some. Some came in sets and I just kept them. I do a lot different things, and cut a lot of leather. I explained to my wife this way. There is a reason there are 18 filled slots in the knife block in the kitchen(granted 6 are steak knives). Each knife has a function, so do mine. I think she is buying it.

[Bighearn]

Bruce thats a lot of knives. I guess it just comes down to what you feel comfortable with and if you like the final results. I kind of like the roofer blade for now its cheap and makes a nice straight cut. Goes around curves nicely and cuts through 9oz like a hot knife through warm butter. So for now I am going to keep using it. I might try something different for straps (straight edge cuts) and such when I get to that point. Right now I'm just doing stuff for friends and family so if it aint perfect they don't mind.