Question About Cutters

[hbound201]

I've never done leather work in my life so this is all new to me.

I do a lot of blacksmith work and some of my work, mostly knives and chisels, people have requested sheaths for.

I've ordered the hand stitching guide book and will order some basic tools later.

One question I had is the cutters. What type of cutter would work well for knife sheaths and wallets?

[Tree Reaper]

This is what I use http://springfieldleather.com/24733/Knife%2CUtility%2CAngled/

The secret is keeping it sharp and I do that with a cloth wheel and green compound.

A single blade will last a long time.

[Matt S]

I've never done leather work in my life so this is all new to me.

I do a lot of blacksmith work and some of my work, mostly knives and chisels, people have requested sheaths for.

I've ordered the hand stitching guide book and will order some basic tools later.

One question I had is the cutters. What type of cutter would work well for knife sheaths and wallets?

Cutter? If you mean for cutting leather, a round or head knife is IMHO the best option; very versatile but it has a learning curve to it. Boxcutter/Stanley knives work surprisingly well within their limitations if you strop the blades regularly though.

[hbound201]

Yes I meant to cut leather sorry.

I've always wanted to get into leather working but lack if background and too many other hobbies has kept me out of the fray this far. I must say I can't wait to get started.

[Matt S]

Okay well like I say I prefer a round/head knife but a boxcutter (I think that's what you call em over there) utility knife will do quite well within its limitations, and you probably already have one. Get a new blade, strop it (polishing compound on manilla card works) and you have a knife for leather. Its drawbacks are that the blade can bend if you press too hard, you can't make curved cuts (cut in several straight sections, then cut the corners -- like forging a square bar to round), you can't make rolling or push cuts. But they do okay if you plan your work and the price is right!

Let's see what else do you need... I would suggest for a minimal/budget setup:

Small round clickers awl for marking out and general use (though a ballpoint pen might do)

Harness awl and haft -- The smallest size is about right. Avoid Tandy. The Osborne 42 is great. See Nigel Armitage's excellent guide on sharpening/polishing

No2 harness needles (smaller than you'll get from Tandy but immeasurably better)

Thread -- I like linen but most work. General purpose would be 18/3 size.

Small pair dividers (you probably have these already) -- 101 uses including marking stitches if you're patient

Beeswax -- again 101 uses, main ones being waxing thread and sealing edges

Wet&dry paper for smoothing edges

Read the basics in the Stohlman books, read what you can find here and watch Nigel Armitage's excellent videos. Oh and don't be afraid of asking questions.

[humperdingle]

I use one like this:

http://www.buyaparcel.com/pageview.php?page=show_product&ecommerce_stockcode=STA110550&gclid=CLalyfydn7sCFWzHtAodTHMAEg

Fixed blade and gives a very solid hold. Change blades often to make cutting very smooth.

[Nuttish]

I love the early 20th century Osborne round knife I got from Bruce Johnson. I find it's far more accurate and easy to use than the clicker, utility, and homemade single edged paring and skiving knives I've used for cutting straight and curved edges. Mind you, the end of the knife is large, so you'll still need a pointed razor of some sort to cut small notches, etc.

First, you can easy control the amount of blade you've got in your leather by simply tilting the knife forward or backward. Remember, you're cutting from the end of the curved blade, so the curved blade makes the knife easy to hold and accurately direct forward and downward force sufficient to cut your piece.

Second, it's easy to maintain an accurate horizontal position of the top of the knife to ensure your piece is square.

Third, for me at least, it's a lot easier to push a very straight line laid down with my long steel straight edge than to pull an accurate line with a knife or strap cutter. I don't have a nice draw knife; my Tandy strap cutter is absolute garbage and I regret wasting a nickel on it. No matter how diligent I am about keeping the cutter pulled toward my cut, there are bound to be minor deviations that I don't get with a round knife. It's also easy to go back and correct any sections that were less than perfect by paring off long enough tiny strips that are sufficient to make errors imperceptible.

Fourth, you can carefully roll the beginnings and ends of your cut to avoid the typical distortion you get from pushing a blade through a section that's not well-supported by adjacent leather.

Fifth, though cutting leather will rapidly dull any knife, round knives are easy to dress with a strop.

Sixth, it's a very versatile knife — you can accurately skive edges as well as pare strap ends.

I heartily recommend a small round knife as a general purpose knife for personal leather goods.

[hbound201]

Wow thanks for the information about the knives and other items. Great information I'll likely just go ahead and get those items.

Looking forward to doing some leather work. Too cold to go outside right now so I can stay in and get some work done.

[Tree Reaper]

Matt;

I would disagree that you can't make curved cuts, I make them all the time, small or large radius.

Kevin.