Need Help Picking Carving Tools

[Tex44]

Howdy

I'm sort of new to leather working. I've made a few holsters here and there, and I understand most of the basics. I'm wanting to get into tooling leather, and I also need a few other proper tools like a round knife. I'm also a college student, so money is a little tight. I'm hoping to get good enough to start selling some of my work, and use the money from that to help fund more tool purchases.

Right now, I'm just wanting to get a good, basic set of stamps that will get me started on tooling, and a good draw knife for cutting out holsters (#70 or #71?). Any suggestions?

Thanks.

-Tex

[THein]

Tex,

Check out or post an ad for leather stamps on your local kijiji. Compare those prices to tandy's site. Figure out the best way to go, start doing some tooling, watch and read this site. At some point, you might want to upgrade your stamping tools but that's when you have the jingle and you figure you're ready. I don't know about the draw knife, I'd get an Olfa cutter, or box cutter or whatever you call it, you just need to cut leather and that knife you can buy blades cheap when they get dull. Heck you can even strop them blades till you're tired of it and replace them from the hardware store for pretty cheap. Find the guys that cut marble sinks and beg or trade for a scrap of cultured marble and you've got a good chunk of hard stuff for stamping.

Lot's of folks here can go on with better advice, the big thing is, this is something you can start at and carry as far as you want.

I got an email earlier today from a fella that's been at it since the 40's,,,1940's. He was happy to help with my question.

Best Wishes,

Terry

www.singletreeleather.com

[zuludog]

Round knives are expensive and need practice. Here is a cheaper and easier suggestion

You will need two knives

The first will be a typical craft knife with disposeable blades. In Britain we often call them by the best known brand, a Stanley knife; I think they're called box cutters in the USA

They're cheap enough new, but I got mine from a secondhand tool stall at my local market for £1, about $1-50. I cleaned it up, removed all the nicks and sanded the two mating faces truly flat so it grips the blades without them wobbling, and repainted it

You can fit new blades as required, but it seems to cut better if you re - sharpen the blades with the usual fine stone, strop and so on; probably because the blade becomes polished and you reduce the shoulder of the bevel. In fact I cleaned up and re-sharpened the rusty old blades that were inside my knife, and they work wery well

Use this knife only for cutting leather

The second knife can be almost anything you like. Use it to cut string, open parcels, sharpen pencils and any other jobs. Its purpose in life is to make sure you use the first knife exclusively for cutting leather

There is lots of information in this forum on sharpening, or search YouTube

You should be able to make a strop yourself. Again, info on making & using will be on this forum and YouTube