Basic Required Tool List?

[MrDoug]

I have only recently begun to carve leather.  I have made some simple keychains and other small things with stamping, and now I want to get to the next level in my craft.  I would like to learn Sheridan carving, and I have purchased some templates to help me, but I am finding that I am lacking not only skill, (which I know will come with practice, LOTS of practice) but some basic tools as well.  I know I will need a selection of steep bevellers, flower centers, etc, but can someone give me a list of which tools I MUST have to create a decent Sheridan carving?  At this point, Barry King tools are out of the question, so something I could order from Springfield Leather, or Tandy?  Thanks in advance.

[fredk]

1. buy a craftool craftaid plastic template you like. They have a sheet included which advises which tools to use for which areas. you can get them with belt-only patterns or for bill-fold wallets or there are some for both. the bill-fold wallet templates can be used on anything, eg a notebook cover

2. then buy the stamping tools which are recommended. just to set out and buy tooling stamps will-nilly you may end up with one you may never use.

3. buy a swivel knife. you'll need that for any tooling anyways

4. Tandy stamps are well ok. later, if you want, you can gradually replace any you are not happy with.

[MrDoug]

Fredk,

Thanks.  I forgot there are tools listed on the sheet with the craftaid. Told you I was new to this.  Ill start with those.

[fredk]

14 hours ago, MrDoug said:

Thanks.  I forgot there are tools listed on the sheet with the craftaid. Told you I was new to this.  Ill start with those.

unfair of me to leave it off where I did.

A lot of the craftaids advise of tools which are no longer available. You'll need to use the nearest look-alike tool

This is a useful conversion chart for which newer tools 'replaced' the older tools

Craftool Conversion Chart.pdf

Other than the advised tools you may find it handy to have a few or the regularly used types. Even some of these are now discontinued by Tandy. They seem to be really cutting down on availability of these tools. But you can find them thru the likes of ebay or from Le Prevo in England.

eg, 

A series backgrounders, A104, A105 & A114

The bevellers; smooth, B197, B935, lined,  B202 L & R, 

Camouflage; C425, C433

Seeder;  S706,  S932

Mulefoot; U851, U859

Pear shaders; P233, P703, P213

Veiner; V406, V708

Flower centre; J520, J615

These are just some of my suggestions. Others on this forum with much greater experience will have very different suggestions

 

 

 

[MrDoug]

Fredk,

First, I dont think you were unfair. I had seen the tool numbers on the craftaid sheet, they just completely escaped my mind.  Its good to be reminded sometimes.  I had watched some videos since I looked at it, and they were rattling off some tool numbers as they used them, but without watching them again, with pen and paper, I missed most of them. so,

secondly, Thanks so much for taking the time to make the list.  I will compare them with the tools I have (woefully few that they are) and begin building a basic set.

At some point, I will post a few pictures of what I have done with what I have.

Thanks again.

[chrisash]

Dont forget that the stamps quoted are just examples, your free to be as artistic as you like, dont be tied by what others have used, experiment

[Rannoch]

Which swivel knife?  I have a basic one from Tandy, well stropped, but it does not glide through the cuts like demonstrations I see on YouTube.  This is obviously my unskilled hand, but how much depends on the quality of the blade, the kind of blade and the kind of leather?  Herman Oak premium is the best for carving, so I've heard, and the leather I'm practicing on is not premium veg tan.  I did case it over night.  Perhaps it was still too wet?  Can a hide that is too wet cause the knife blade to drag?

[oltoot]

The blade will end up being more important. And IMHO hollow ground is the way to go, all other things being equal, and you must have properly cased leather to start with. 

[JLSleather]

2 hours ago, oltoot said:

The blade will end up being more important. And IMHO hollow ground is the way to go, all other things being equal, and you must have properly cased leather to start with. 

I'm not a hollow ground blade guy myself, but BOUT TIME somebody mentioned THE LEATHER.  Good tools are nice, but no tool will help if you got crap leather.  Get the good stuff.

THen if you want to carve, I would recommend checking out the old craftools - many on Ebay, prolly on Amazon too.  I've ordered some nice stuff from these guys.  I think my tooling reaches the "okay" level.

 

[Scootch]

This isn't really a tool list but a list of essentials for me.  Good lighting and a solid work table.  Some sort of thin cutting mat between your work and the table surface so you don't damage your tools.  Clear packaging tape to line your paper patters with so they paper pattern doesn't get wet.  Ball point pens to use for a stylus (transferring your pattern to the leather).  Find patterns that someone has tooled so you can see what the finished product is suppose to look like.  Tankote and Fiebings antique paste.  Make sure your tools are checkered and not smooth.  This helps the antiquing process.

 

Scootch