Beginner Tool List

[rylo]

I imagine yall roll your eyes everytime you see a begginners tool list but heres another one. These are the things I am planning on getting. Any feedback would be appreciated. I would also appreciate any advice on making my own tools or if anything on this list can be replaced by something laying around the house. I am wanting to start off making wallets, belts, dog collars, belt pouches, book covers and stuff like that. Eventually I want to make holsters and sheaths. Any advice would be very appreciated.

- knife

-strap cutter

-groover

-overstitcher size 6

- needles

-thread

- bees wax

- fid

- scratch awl (this can be used for puncturing stitching holes correct?)

- mallet

- punch set

-cement

- dyes

- finishes

-bone folder

- edge beveler size 3

- skiver

[katsass]

From the grump: A while ago I wrote a little thing on here entitled 'First time leather worker - First holster', you might do a search for it - it may give you an idea or two. Mike

Edited November 27, 2012 by katsass

[Chief31794]

I imagine yall roll your eyes everytime you see a begginners tool list but heres another one. These are the things I am planning on getting. Any feedback would be appreciated. I would also appreciate any advice on making my own tools or if anything on this list can be replaced by something laying around the house. I am wanting to start off making wallets, belts, dog collars, belt pouches, book covers and stuff like that. Eventually I want to make holsters and sheaths. Any advice would be very appreciated.

- knife

-strap cutter

-groover

-overstitcher size 6

- needles

-thread

- bees wax

- fid

- scratch awl (this can be used for puncturing stitching holes correct?)

- mallet

- punch set

-cement

- dyes

- finishes

-bone folder

- edge beveler size 3

- skiver

Rylo,

Grumps advise is excellent, one thing you asked in your list (Scratch Awl, I can punch stitching holes?) the answer is maybe but I wouldn't recommend it. You will want an Awl, a scratch awl is round and used primarily for marking on leather, an Awl is diamond shaped, very sharp and used for making stitching holes when hand sewing. It's not the only way to make the holes, but it is the one preferred by hand stitching purists.

Chief

[Randy Cornelius]

Snap setters,

Rivit setters

Unless you want to start tooling you have a good list started.

Randy

[JLSleather]

One thing to keep in mind, there's always someone who wants to sell you a pile of stuff that looks pretty but you don't need. SO:

If you're cutting straight lines, a utility knife is as good as anything ($2 at walmart or menards). Great for long straight cuts (like putting a straight edge on a side of leather). Need some curves? X-acto blades are everywhere and work very well.

Personally never saw much need for a fid (though it's fun to say "fid"). If you're pulling, that's a flat screwdriver. If you're lacing, a modeling spoon will do the same thing.

Rest of your list looks pretty good. If you're using dyes / paints, you'll want brushes and/or an airbrush. Oh, and some type of edge slicker ...

[rylo]

Thank yall so much.

- Cheif, I see what you are saying. I didn't realize the difference between the two but it makes sense.

- Randy, thanks! I don't know why I forgot to include those.

- JL, yeah that is what I came to realize. I saw some Tandy starter sets and how much they were and got discouraged then I realized it had alot of neat stuff that I didn't need. Not starting off anyway.

- Mike, I'll check that out!

[rylo]

One more question (for now)- Would a french skiving edge beveler replace a gouge and the size 3 edge beveler?

[JLSleather]

As a rule, no. Depends on the tool you're talking about. A french skiver used to be a squared off channel half an inch or so wide. Almost like a wood chisel, and you COULD bevel an edge with it. And it'd be tough to make a "U" gouge with a french beveler, but a "V" groove could be done by a fella was watching what he's doing.

Point is, you could bevel edges with the wood chisel if it's sharp. I saw a kid - about 10 years old - fishing with a chunk of fishing line wrapped around a Pepsi can. Catching as many fish as anyone there. I went and bought him a fishing rod - not because he needed one but because his determination was impressive

For the stuff you mentioned you'll be making, I'd get the edge beveler.

[Chavez]

Hi. Do you live in US?

As a rule of thumb, build up your tools collection as you need them for each project. You can sometimes get away with cheap tools but usually you'll need pro tools right away.

And avoid Dixon tools at all costs! The new ones are absolute rubbish! And their customer service is even worse that their tools...

Depends on your budget but I'll try to comment on your tool list:

- knife

Saddler's knife about 4 to 4.5 in. You can never go wrong with an Osborne.

-strap cutter

Cheap wooden strap cutter. Get an "Ivan" with some spare blades and use some fine sand paper to smooth the wood out. You will save yourself a lot of money and it will cut as well as any other cutter.

-groover

I use Tandy's kit one and I am happy with it. Cheap and decent quality.

-overstitcher size 6

Get yourself a tandy set of 5, 6 and 7 if you can. That will cover most projects. I use a kit one.

- needles

Saddler's size 2 & 4.

-thread

Linen 18/4 for most work. 18/3 for delicate work (watch straps perhaps). Avoid nylon for hand stitching.

- bees wax

Any natural bees wax

- fid

Don't use one

- scratch awl (this can be used for puncturing stitching holes correct?)

No, you need a diamond awl for stitching. Osborne do really good quality awls (but they are pricy!).

For a scratch awl get a cheap one from any diy shop.

- mallet

cheapest rubber mallet in 22oz should do the trick. 16oz for carving. You can then upgrade to carving mauls.

- punch set

For round punches i use - "Ivan" mini and maxi multi-punch sets. Work great and don't cost much.

for oval punches - Osborne.

-cement

I prefer using tacks unless I really have to glue.

- dyes

Fiebing's pro oil series.

- finishes

Ask 10 leatherworkers and you'll get 12 different answers =) Resolene is a good start.

-bone folder

Osborne's or any cheaper ones.

- edge beveler size 3

"Ivan" does a great job for me at a fraction of a pro tool's cost.

- skiver

If you get yourself a 4.5in saddler's knife, you don't really need a skiver. I have a very cheap but good noname English skiver for skiving straps but this is an extra and is definitely not a necessity.

As you can see some tools you can save on and some have to be top quality (imho saddler's knife and awl are key).

I mention a lot of "Ivan" tools here. Please note that "Ivan" is considered to be one of the worst tools makers =) But tools listed above are excellent for they price.

You also need a stitching horse. Or pony. Or saddler's clams.

[rylo]

Thanks Chavez! Ill for sure consider your advice.

[rylo]

Where can you get Ivan tools? Their site sells to businesses only it seems.

[Chavez]

Hi Rylo,

Get tandy/craftool instead of Ivan. Only reason I said Ivan is because they are a few $ cheaper than tandy but pretty much same quality (tandy is slightly better). And Its often easier to get Ivan here in the UK than craftool =)

PS NEVER buy Ivan carving tools by the way .

[NVLeatherWorx]

^{Regarding dyes and finishes, the recommendation would be based on what your intended finishing style is. If there is going to be full color details (on carved layouts) then I would recommend that you get some Fiebing's spirit dyes. Use acrylic resolene for your top finish. If you wish to stain an item, use the Fiebing's Antique Paste's and finishe them off with resolene as well. I would not recommend using the Pro Oil Dye's unless you intend to do nothing but dye an item a solid color without any other color/finish conderations (they are great for things such as plain bags, holsters, but not much else as they tend to be spotty on their penetrations).}

^{Also, as mentioned, if you plan on doing any carving or stamping then you will need those items as well. For mallets, you can use a poly mallet (Tandy has a good one) or upgrade and use the rawhide (gives better feel for tooling), do not use a rubber mallet as you will not get the proper impact on your punches and tools, not to mention the risk of injuring yourself. There is a reason that you don't find them in a kit or in use by the vast majority of shops and craftsmen.}

[sherlockian100]

I personally love having a fid for lacing, I don't agree that a modeling spoon works just as well. but thats just my opinion.

[RClubb]

Hi rylo,

I'm new here too but thought I'd chime in. I have found that Tandy is quite high on shipping and also charges sales tax so I now find the tools I want or need from the Tandy web site and do a search for the tool #. You can find better prices plus better shipping rates elsewhere. Amazon is a good place to search and I found Steckstore to have better prices and cheaper shipping costs. Might save you some money.

Make you're own stitching pony too. It's pretty simple. I made mine from an old set of speaker stands I made from birch 1x4's years ago that were collecting dust in my garage. It's a good working tool again.

Good luck with your new addiction!

Roger

[El Zipster]

Hi. Do you live in US?

As a rule of thumb, build up your tools collection as you need them for each project. You can sometimes get away with cheap tools but usually you'll need pro tools right away.

And avoid Dixon tools at all costs! The new ones are absolute rubbish! And their customer service is even worse that their tools...

Depends on your budget but I'll try to comment on your tool list:

- knife

Saddler's knife about 4 to 4.5 in. You can never go wrong with an Osborne.

-strap cutter

Cheap wooden strap cutter. Get an "Ivan" with some spare blades and use some fine sand paper to smooth the wood out. You will save yourself a lot of money and it will cut as well as any other cutter.

-groover

I use Tandy's kit one and I am happy with it. Cheap and decent quality.

-overstitcher size 6

Get yourself a tandy set of 5, 6 and 7 if you can. That will cover most projects. I use a kit one.

- needles

Saddler's size 2 & 4.

-thread

Linen 18/4 for most work. 18/3 for delicate work (watch straps perhaps). Avoid nylon for hand stitching.

- bees wax

Any natural bees wax

- fid

Don't use one

- scratch awl (this can be used for puncturing stitching holes correct?)

No, you need a diamond awl for stitching. Osborne do really good quality awls (but they are pricy!).

For a scratch awl get a cheap one from any diy shop.

- mallet

cheapest rubber mallet in 22oz should do the trick. 16oz for carving. You can then upgrade to carving mauls.

- punch set

For round punches i use - "Ivan" mini and maxi multi-punch sets. Work great and don't cost much.

for oval punches - Osborne.

-cement

I prefer using tacks unless I really have to glue.

- dyes

Fiebing's pro oil series.

- finishes

Ask 10 leatherworkers and you'll get 12 different answers =) Resolene is a good start.

-bone folder

Osborne's or any cheaper ones.

- edge beveler size 3

"Ivan" does a great job for me at a fraction of a pro tool's cost.

- skiver

If you get yourself a 4.5in saddler's knife, you don't really need a skiver. I have a very cheap but good noname English skiver for skiving straps but this is an extra and is definitely not a necessity.

As you can see some tools you can save on and some have to be top quality (imho saddler's knife and awl are key).

I mention a lot of "Ivan" tools here. Please note that "Ivan" is considered to be one of the worst tools makers =) But tools listed above are excellent for they price.

You also need a stitching horse. Or pony. Or saddler's clams.

Hi i'm UK based and am just compiling a kit list to buy from Le Prevo, who after some research seem to offer the best prices on many of the basic handtools.

Do you know if what they stock are 'Ivan'? (they don't mention the maker) and if so which ones should I steer clear of.

I'm a total noob who is just about to embark on this new hobby and would rather buy once and have reasonable tools. Generally in life I find good stuff nearly always makes the job in hand that much easier and gives more pleasure.

[Chavez]

Hi,

Most of LePrevo tools are Ivan. Generally, Ivan make decent tools. I'd stay away from Ivan groovers and their carving stamps are really bad, but unless you are ready to fork out £500 straight away on Barry King and another £100 on a swivel knife, there is no need to overpay for a beginner's set of stamps so go with Ivan!

If I remember correctly, the round knives are G Barnsley - I've heard these knives are very good!

The pairing knives are English-made and are superb for the ~£3.

http://abbeyengland.com/

Have a look at abbey (you'll need to set up a sole trader account with them). They have a lot of tools and supplies and I believe they are the official distributor of Fiebing's, so they have the cheapest Fiebing's stuff. Some leather is cheaper than LePrevo.

http://handtools-uk.com/

Here's a good source for osborne tools.

In regard to dixon tools, I'd recommend to stay away from them unless you absolutely have to have them (e.g. sitting SMS exams). IF you are to buy a dixon, get it from abbey. The tools will be a bit more expensive but easier to return once you get a faulty one

http://www.goodsjapan.jp/

These guy have a lot of great tools if you can afford to fork out a bit of extra cash. I've got their groover and overstitcher and they beat carftool (though the overstitcher needs a bit of machining before you can use it).

Feel free to drop me a message with your list of tools and I'll try ho help you

[Chavez]

Almost forgot about these guys:

http://www.saddlerycourses.com/

They make very good saddlers clams in full-size and a smaller version. Although I've heard there is nothing wrong with clams from LePrevo.

Try to avoid stitching ponies - the ones for sale are far from perfect and they only allow stitching limited projects. There are plenty of designs for a pony on this website so if you'd like one in future, you're better off making one yourself.

[lightningad]

The Saddlers Round Knife from Le Prevo is really nice! and a very good price too. I got one for christmas, and although you will need a decent set of honing stones to get the initial edge, once its sharp it cuts through anything with ease.

I made my own clams with some very basic carpentry, 30mins and some cheap bits of pine - works fine and cost me nothing.

Bone Shaper - i made my own from a piece of Black Walnut - which i sanded down on a belt sander to get the profiles i wanted, then smoothed it out on finer sandpapers, works really well too.

When you are buying leather, its worth ringing le prevo. I did and got some very helpful advice from the guy whos job it is to pick the leathers for you.

[Jax]

I am really disappointed to read the negative comments re Dixons tools, when I started leatherwork a while ago I got 90% of my tools from them & never had a problem with either the quality or the service, I used to visit the factory in Walsall amost weekly as I built up my collection, haven't had the need for any new preparation tools for a few years so cant comment on the new tools but would be astounded if the quality has been allowed to slip that much.

[ozharry]

Hi Everyone, First post here, I've been lurking whilst developing my interest in leatherwork. I picked up some tools, hardware, dyes and finishes online from a couple of places in australia, but because i am starting out I dont have a lot of variety in terms of my stamps, and further to that some I am not happy with, eg all my bevelers, pearshaders are all checked pattern which while its not the worst its a little ugly on some things and i would prefer to have the option to have smooth. also would like some odd tools to add to my collection. Pricing has been my main hinderance and well the choice for suppliers in australia is pretty slim. I'm hundreds of miles from any capital city so online ordering and postage is pretty much my only option for the time being.

Now I completely understand Tool A =/= Tool B as far as brand and is concerned, and quality can be an issue, I am in no position to pay $25 for a beveler in my current financial state. My question is for tools like bevelers and pear shaders where there is not much detail being stamped apart from the edges of the tool and angles etc can I get by with some cheapies? As far as I can tell there are not many manufacturers in the world for these tools but i found a site in japan that is selling loads of leatherwork tools for a very good price. with the australian dollar so high I personally think it makes sense to buy some from japan.

http://item.rakuten.co.jp/grass-road/c/0000000103/ < this store "Grassroad Company" a huge range of tools and for 300-500 Yen per tool ($3.00 - $5.00) and ~ $10 shipping to australia for reasonably sized parcel i think its a bargain. I could theoretically get 20 stamps for under $100

Other odd things like a swivel knife shaperner thingo for $9 seemed less than half the price elsewhere. So considering these craftool branded things I currently have dont particularly impress me much, but do the job, i dont think these ones form japan can be much worse? or can they? who knows they may be the same brand/manufacturer as the ones i currently have... for 1/4 of the price.

The Site is in japanese but if you use google chrome it translates it a bit to look around else i found the icons enough of a guide.

Would someone have a look and see what they think, I'd like a second opinion :D And well if it isnt a bad price maybe it will help some others who cant afford the expensive tools.

Thanks in advance peoples :D

[ozharry]

well update on my previous post, I order and received, 14 stamps and my sharpening guide for swivel knife blades. All are branded Craft Japan. The quality is good IMHO for a mass produced stamp. Smooth surfaces, clean edges.

All up it cost me $80.40 via paypal including ~$15 for delivery, via EMS with tracking provided. recieved the package in 7 days but i think the easter weekend and public holidays would have slowed it down a fair bit,

So in Conclusion I'm happy with the purchase, and will certainly buy tools from Japan again.

I attached some pictures. and put a Craftool checked pear shader in for comparison.