What Do You Put Under Your Leather When Cutting?

[Annonymouse]

What do you put underneath your leather when cutting? For example, with knife or punches... I am think a chunk of plywood would probably do the trick; what are other people's experiences? Before, I've put old leather underneath, but I generally just end up going through it when punching, or having to wrench it off.

TIA!

[WinterBear]

I use the poundo board, which is on top of a wooden cutting board made from endgrain wood. If I punch through, it marks up the poundo and saves my edge. I haven't yet hit it hard enough to drive it through the poundo and into the block though. And when I drive into the poundo, it is easy to wrench the tool off/out. I've also heard of several people using the end grain of a post or section of log too.

[electrathon]

Poly kitchen cutting board. Very cheap and lasts forever.

Aaron

[AndyL1]

If I'm cutting a straight edge off a full side or large piece i have a 4' x 2' piece of tempered glass that fits on top of my rolling work bench. It will dull the blade of course but i use cheap utility knife for this purpose. Small items i use a plastic kitchen cutting board that's around 1' x 1.5'

Andy

[mlapaglia]

knife work a 3' x 3' self healing cutting mat. For punches I use a poly kitchen board. I am on top of a very expensive kitchen table and the cutting mat saves my life daily.

[Chief31794]

I use a professional cutting pad made by Hydroma, it is what is used on clickers etc. I use one side for cutting and the other for punching, doesn't have to be done that way, I just rather have a system because I'm a meticulous old fuddy duddy and that's the way I do it. I have polyboards and cutting mats that I use as well, but the work horse is the red cutting board.

Ken

[DoubleC]

I kinda use what's where I'm at in this workshop/bedroom. I use leather on top of marble at the bench, and at my desk I use a really thick and wide wood cutting board. Sometimes I use a poundo. Sometimes on long pieces I clamp it to my bench top. I think that's everything :-) Oh, just answering the question, not recommending my method. Cheryl

[Kevin]

I have rubber sole material on my workbench for general cutting, poly on top of granite on top of a 3' stump for punches, and if I'm cutting thin leather and need a good clean cut I use an Exacto blade like a swivel knife on sheet metal.

Kevin

[Itch]

We cut leather on those cutting mats that can be purchased at almost any craft store.They are all marked out in inches and have some cutting patterns on them.For doing any punch work we have those pound boards..Keep your tools sharp and they will treat you right..

[SandSquid]

Old nylon core conveyor-belt belting....

[mike miller]

I use a poundo board also.

Have a saddlemaker friend that put a one by 12 of pine as his first board on his bench. When that gets frazed he unscrews it and turns it over to use the other side. Soft pine works well.

[rscow]

A manatee, usually. Or sometimes an Orca. But always UNDER a poundo board.