How To Get Started

[Tjvkooten]

My name is Thijmen, and i'm trying to get started with leatherworking. i'm mostly interested in making functional items.

but i can't figure out where to buy tools and what tools i'll actually need. so far i have:

a curved leather needle (half a circle)

a knife that easily cuts through leather.

a set of chisels and gouges

hole puncher tongs

i also read about needing a mallet but, would a clawhammer with a rubber cover do (with that cover it'd pretty much be a rubber mallet in function)

things i think i still need:

an edge beveler

piercer

something to make grooves in the leather

a steel ruler

a self healing cuttingboard

a marble slab (i plan to get a marble cutting board)

materials i have:

2mm thick full grain leather which was supposed to cushion expensive couches. i have 2 garbage bags full of this mostly half skins.

black thread suitable for leather (thats all i know about it)

and a handful of buckles, buttons and similar things

things i plan to make:

wallets (seems like a good starting point)

bags/backpacks (when i'm good enough)

if i get good enough i also plan to make my own boots but that will wait untill i'm good enough in a few years

the problems i have:

is there anything i'm missing?

and where should i buy tools. a steel ruler or a cutting board isn't hard to get but an edge beveler or groove maker is harder to find.

thanks in advance