Leatherworking first steps and tools-

[tibi]

Hello, 

This is my first post on this forum. My main hobby is woodworking. I have a workshop, which is not heated during winters and there are often sub zero temperatures. So I have been looking for an alternative hobby that I can do during winter session and I have found leather working to be pretty interesting and I can do it in my warm home in a spare room. 

I have used search function on this forum, but it had returned too many results where I did not find the exact answers to my questions. There are many blog posts that describe essential tools, but there are various sizes of tools or multiple tools, that can do the same task and I do not want to buy unnecessary stuff. 

I plan to start leather working next autumn/winter and until that I would like to buy one or two books that will teach me tools/techniques and some basic knowledge about leather types, their suitability for different applications. 

I would like to start making some simple key cases, bookmarks, wallets, mobile phone covers and then I need to upgrade my skills to be able to make some handbags for my wife, as this is the requirement for approving the purchase of tools . So this will be mostly the scope of my work in the first few years. 

1. I would like to ask if you can advise me one or two books that will teach me leather working basics, tools, techniques. There are many titles available and unfortunately, I cannot personally take a book and scroll through it in a bookstore, as those books are not available in my country (Slovakia) and online previews only show you only first few pages. 

2. I would like to buy myself a first set of tools. I do not want to buy cheap tools that I will need to upgrade in the future, so I want to buy once, cry once. I would like to ask you for some basic set of tools that I should buy first for the types of products that I want to make.

I would like to invest 300 - 500 € in the beginning for a set of quality tools and expand them later, if necessary. I would like to buy from Europe, if possible, so I do not need to deal with custom fees and expensive shipping, etc. I like good looking and good quality tools, but they do not have to be the most expensive just for the sake. I would like to buy mid range tools that will work for a lifetime and will look good as well (like wooden handles, quality steel etc.). I have read some essential lists but I am more and more confused, because multiple tools can be used for the same task and I do not know which is better for me and why. 

a) knives: head round knife,  flat skiving knife, l'indispensable knife, rotary cutter, trimming knife, Stanley knife? 
b) pricking irons, stitching chisels, stitching awls, overstitch wheel? 
c) edge beveler (what size), edge creaser, 
d)adjustable groovers
e) scratch awls
f) needles and laces/threads
g) other tools 

I just need a basic, yet quality set of tools that will allow me to make wallets, covers,belts, straps, notebook covers and handbags in the future. There are too many options and I do not want to buy redundant tools, just those that will fit what I am intending to do. That is why I am asking for an advice. 

3. Can leather working be done totally by hand without the use of machines? I have seen some pretty expensive leather sewing machines, but it must have been done without them in the past. 

Thank you very much for your answers. 

Tibi

[Spyros]

1 hour ago, tibi said:

3. Can leather working be done totally by hand without the use of machines? I have seen some pretty expensive leather sewing machines, but it must have been done without them in the past. 

Hi Tibi, welcome aboard

Yes absolutely it can be done, and unless you want to start making it a business and churn out volume, you don't need to use any electrical tools at all.   A lot of people here don't.

 

Ok lets assume you want to make a wallet and a belt.   You need the following:

Knives. 

Before you buy any leatherworking knives at all, I would suggest you start with just utility knives from the hardware store, you probably already have a couple.  Stanley knives, that kind of thing. Get a small one too, and an X-acto knife.  There are countless leatherworkers (myself included) that don't feel there's a need for anything else.  But you will not know this until you try.  Get lots of disposable blades and change them frequently (or sharpen them and reuse them).

If you have a very sharp woodworking marking knife, you can also use that.

Rulers.

You need 3 or 4 in different sizes (and a 90 degree angle one), and they have to be made of steel, so you can cut against them.  Leatherworking shops will try to get you to buy the ones with a cork backing so it doesn't slip on the leather, but they are unnecessarily expensive, you can simply get a rubber adhesive tape from the hardware store and glue it on, or nothing at all is also fine.  The main thing is your rulers are metal.  If you can afford it get a couple of round ones too to cut round corners, but if you can't that's fine, you can always use things like coins or jars to cut around.

Something to skive edges with.

Look up "japanese skiving knives", but don't get carried away with the prices.  As long as you know how to sharpen (which you do because you're a woodworker) pretty much any cheap one will do.   It's a handy knife to have, for many purposes, not just for skiving.

Hole punch.

If you're making belts then you will need a couple of hole punches.  You will need rivets for your belts, and you need to punch holes to get those rivets through.  Go to buckleguy.com (not necessarily to shop from there, but because it has good photos and descriptions on their items) and find a mid size rivet.  Then find and buy the hole punch in a diameter that matches the stem of that rivet.  Also get an oblong punch for cutting holes for the belt buckle.

A couple of edge bevellers.

#1 and #3 are the most commonly used ones.

Glue and foam brushes (to spread the glue).

Honestly any contact adhesive from the hardware store will do, as long as it says it is suitable for leather.  Maybe prefer a water based one, it doesn't stink.

Stitching chisels (for making stitching holes).

Now here's where you'd want to spend some serious money, otherwise you'll end up upgrading pretty soon.  Quality matters in stitching chisels, you want to get something decent.  European made ones are not cheap, but if you insist have a look at Blanchard or George Barnsley.  Get one with 2 teeth and one with 6 to 10 teeth.  If you are in doubt about sizes and spacing, to start with get the middle size and middle spacing from what they're offering.  Later you will probably get more chisels if you stick to leatherworking, but a mid-size all rounder is always useful to have.

(Note, I'm a chisels kind of guy, but that's not the only way to make holes in leather.  I'm just telling you what is my preference here. )

 

Awls.

You need two: a woodworking one for making round holes and marks, and a leatherworking (flat needle) one that matches the size of the teeth of your chisels.

Thread and needles.

Look up Rizza Tiger thread and John James needles.  Again don't get too confused with sizes, get some 0.6mm thread to start with and later you can go lower or higher for different types of projects.  0.6mm is just a common all-rounder.  As for needles, just get a few from all sizes, they're cheap as chips.

Strap cutter (for belts)

Again cheap is perfectly fine, a strap cutter is a very simple wooden tool.  Or just make your own.  I like the common cheap chinese one, you will find it under various brand names like Weaver, Ivan etc.  Stay away from the buckleguy one, it's useless.

Stitching pony or stitching clam.

Again that's an awesome project for a woodworker, I'd recommend you make your own.  I made myself those two below

Although later I found that those table-top type ponies don't work very well for me, so I made a floor standing clam, and that's what I use 99% of the time.  All you need to make it is a 14" bandsaw. Very simple, make one.

Cutting surface.

You need something made of durable plastic (ideally HDPE) to protect your chisels and your knives.  A $3 plastic cutting board for bread is fine to start with, that's all I used for a couple of years.

Something to smack your chisels and your punches with.

A cheap mallet from the hardware store is perfectly fine, as long as it has plastic surfaces, you don't want to hit metal with metal.  If you have a lathe you can later turn your own leatherworking maul out of HDPE exactly to your liking.  Again that's what I did, but I better stop posting photos of my tools now

Edge paint and/or Tokonole/Gum trag

I'd start with clear (white) Tokonole, it's probably a bit more user-friendly for the beginner.   And everybody else as far as I'm concerned 

Books.

Anything written by Al Stohlman will do.  Although, for the most part, youtube is your friend.  Two guys on youtube that make it look easy and interesting (kind of like DiResta) are Corter Leather and Mascon Leather.  

 

Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I think that's all the tools you need to make a decent wallet and a belt. 

Anything else you will find in your woodworking shop (sandpaper, a metal hammer, a sharpening kit etc).  Along the way you will find a million other little tools that can be useful, and you'll buy them as you need them, but most of them are really not necessary to get started.   

I find leatherworking is actually very similar to woodworking.  Probably easier and simpler too.  

Have fun

 

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Spyros

[chuck123wapati]

49 minutes ago, tibi said:

Hello, 

This is my first post on this forum. My main hobby is woodworking. I have a workshop, which is not heated during winters and there are often sub zero temperatures. So I have been looking for an alternative hobby that I can do during winter session and I have found leather working to be pretty interesting and I can do it in my warm home in a spare room. 

I have used search function on this forum, but it had returned too many results where I did not find the exact answers to my questions. There are many blog posts that describe essential tools, but there are various sizes of tools or multiple tools, that can do the same task and I do not want to buy unnecessary stuff. 

I plan to start leather working next autumn/winter and until that I would like to buy one or two books that will teach me tools/techniques and some basic knowledge about leather types, their suitability for different applications. 

I would like to start making some simple key cases, bookmarks, wallets, mobile phone covers and then I need to upgrade my skills to be able to make some handbags for my wife, as this is the requirement for approving the purchase of tools . So this will be mostly the scope of my work in the first few years. 

1. I would like to ask if you can advise me one or two books that will teach me leather working basics, tools, techniques. There are many titles available and unfortunately, I cannot personally take a book and scroll through it in a bookstore, as those books are not available in my country (Slovakia) and online previews only show you only first few pages. 

2. I would like to buy myself a first set of tools. I do not want to buy cheap tools that I will need to upgrade in the future, so I want to buy once, cry once. I would like to ask you for some basic set of tools that I should buy first for the types of products that I want to make.

I would like to invest 300 - 500 € in the beginning for a set of quality tools and expand them later, if necessary. I would like to buy from Europe, if possible, so I do not need to deal with custom fees and expensive shipping, etc. I like good looking and good quality tools, but they do not have to be the most expensive just for the sake. I would like to buy mid range tools that will work for a lifetime and will look good as well (like wooden handles, quality steel etc.). I have read some essential lists but I am more and more confused, because multiple tools can be used for the same task and I do not know which is better for me and why. 

a) knives: head round knife,  flat skiving knife, l'indispensable knife, rotary cutter, trimming knife, Stanley knife? 
b) pricking irons, stitching chisels, stitching awls, overstitch wheel? 
c) edge beveler (what size), edge creaser, 
d)adjustable groovers
e) scratch awls
f) needles and laces/threads
g) other tools 

I just need a basic, yet quality set of tools that will allow me to make wallets, covers,belts, straps, notebook covers and handbags in the future. There are too many options and I do not want to buy redundant tools, just those that will fit what I am intending to do. That is why I am asking for an advice. 

3. Can leather working be done totally by hand without the use of machines? I have seen some pretty expensive leather sewing machines, but it must have been done without them in the past. 

Thank you very much for your answers. 

Tibi

i cant answer all your questions but yes you can do leather work without any machines. Add a stitching pony or clam to that list. It is hard to sort through the redundancy of tools for sure you will get any number of answers why one type is better than the next. Many of your wood working tools will come in handy as well for example your scratch awl, small squares, measuring tools. Wooden maul, straight chisels for cutting slots and skiving if need be. you can also make some of your stuff if you like, edge burnishers or a slicker for example and your stitching pony. You will also need some punches and maybe a rivet setting tool.  Will you want to learn to tool or stamp your leather or just make plain stuff to start?  I use a  head knife or round knife very seldom. most of my cutting is done with a knife i made that can also be used for skiving, it kind of resembles a Japanese kiradashi knife. you will need a good stitching awl and a wine cork to go with it. 

[Spyros]

8 minutes ago, chuck123wapati said:

you will need a good stitching awl and a wine cork to go with it. 

Man, I was thinking for hours what kind of storage solution I could make for my stitching awl, so that the blade is safe and the awl is easily accessible.  A wine cork.  Of course.  I'm an idiot

[chuck123wapati]

1 minute ago, Spyros said:

Man, I was thinking for hours what kind of storage solution I could make for my stitching awl, so that the blade is safe and the awl is easily accessible.  A wine cork.  Of course.  I'm an idiot

lol i also use it on the backside of the leather to push against sure saves on band aids.

[tibi]

41 minutes ago, Spyros said:

Hi Tibi, welcome aboard

Yes absolutely it can be done, and unless you want to start making it a business and churn out volume, you don't need to use any electrical tools at all.   A lot of people here don't.

 

Ok lets assume you want to make a wallet and a belt.   You need the following:

Knives. 

Before you buy any leatherworking knives at all, I would suggest you start with just utility knives from the hardware store, you probably already have a couple.  Stanley knives, that kind of thing. Get a small one too, and an X-acto knife.  There are countless leatherworkers (myself included) that don't feel there's a need for anything else.  But you will not know this until you try.  Get lots of disposable blades and change them frequently (or sharpen them and reuse them).

If you have a very sharp woodworking marking knife, you can also use that.

Rulers.

You need 3 or 4 in different sizes (and a 90 degree angle one), and they have to be made of steel, so you can cut against them.  Leatherworking shops will try to get you to buy the ones with a cork backing so it doesn't slip on the leather, but they are unnecessarily expensive, you can simply get a rubber adhesive tape from the hardware store and glue it on, or nothing at all is also fine.  The main thing is your rulers are metal.  If you can afford it get a couple of round ones too to cut round corners, but if you can't that's fine, you can always use things like coins or jars to cut around.

Something to skive edges with.

Look up "japanese skiving knives", but don't get carried away with the prices.  As long as you know how to sharpen (which you do because you're a woodworker) pretty much any cheap one will do.   It's a handy knife to have, for many purposes, not just for skiving.

Hole punch.

If you're making belts then you will need a couple of hole punches.  You will need rivets for your belts, and you need to punch holes to get those rivets through.  Go to buckleguy.com (not necessarily to shop from there, but because it has good photos and descriptions on their items) and find a mid size rivet.  Then find and buy the hole punch in a diameter that matches the stem of that rivet.  Also get an oblong punch for cutting holes for the belt buckle.

A couple of edge bevellers.

#1 and #3 are the most commonly used ones.

Glue and foam brushes (to spread the glue).

Honestly any contact adhesive from the hardware store will do, as long as it says it is suitable for leather.  Maybe prefer a water based one, it doesn't stink.

Stitching chisels (for making stitching holes).

Now here's where you'd want to spend some serious money, otherwise you'll end up upgrading pretty soon.  Quality matters in stitching chisels, you want to get something decent.  European made ones are not cheap, but if you insist have a look at Blanchard or George Barnsley.  Get one with 2 teeth and one with 6 to 10 teeth.  If you are in doubt about sizes and spacing, to start with get the middle size and middle spacing from what they're offering.  Later you will probably get more chisels if you stick to leatherworking, but a mid-size all rounder is always useful to have.

(Note, I'm a chisels kind of guy, but that's not the only way to make holes in leather.  I'm just telling you what is my preference here. )

 

Awls.

You need two: a woodworking one for making round holes and marks, and a leatherworking (flat needle) one that matches the size of the teeth of your chisels.

Thread and needles.

Look up Rizza Tiger thread and John James needles.  Again don't get too confused with sizes, get some 0.6mm thread to start with and later you can go lower or higher for different types of projects.  0.6mm is just a common all-rounder.  As for needles, just get a few from all sizes, they're cheap as chips.

Strap cutter (for belts)

Again cheap is perfectly fine, a strap cutter is a very simple wooden tool.  Or just make your own.  I like the common cheap chinese one, you will find it under various brand names like Weaver, Ivan etc.  Stay away from the buckleguy one, it's useless.

Stitching pony or stitching clam.

Again that's an awesome project for a woodworker, I'd recommend you make your own.  I made myself those two below

Although later I found that those table-top type ponies don't work very well for me, so I made a floor standing clam, and that's what I use 99% of the time.  All you need to make it is a 14" bandsaw. Very simple, make one.

Cutting surface.

You need something made of durable plastic (ideally HDPE) to protect your chisels and your knives.  A $3 plastic cutting board for bread is fine to start with, that's all I used for a couple of years.

Something to smack your chisels and your punches with.

A cheap mallet from the hardware store is perfectly fine, as long as it has plastic surfaces, you don't want to hit metal with metal.  If you have a lathe you can later turn your own leatherworking maul out of HDPE exactly to your liking.  Again that's what I did, but I better stop posting photos of my tools now

Edge paint and/or Tokonole/Gum trag

I'd start with clear (white) Tokonole, it's probably a bit more user-friendly for the beginner.   And everybody else as far as I'm concerned 

Books.

Anything written by Al Stohlman will do.  Although, for the most part, youtube is your friend.  Two guys on youtube that make it look easy and interesting (kind of like DiResta) are Corter Leather and Mascon Leather.  

 

Maybe I'm forgetting something, but I think that's all the tools you need to make a decent wallet and a belt. 

Anything else you will find in your woodworking shop (sandpaper, a metal hammer, a sharpening kit etc).  Along the way you will find a million other little tools that can be useful, and you'll buy them as you need them, but most of them are really not necessary to get started.   

I find leatherworking is actually very similar to woodworking.  Probably easier and simpler too.  

Have fun

 

 

Thank you very much Spyros for your elaborate answer, now I have a clearer idea of what to go for and what tools I do not need yet, or I might never need. I want definitely make my own stitching pony, as it is an easy woodworking project. I do not own a lathe so I will not be able to build a burnisher. I am going to buy some literature and watch more youtube in my spare time, so that I get more information and then I will buy those tools. I will do woodworking in spring-autumn and I will start with leather work once it is too cold to be in the shop. 

[Spyros]

18 minutes ago, tibi said:

Thank you very much Spyros for your elaborate answer, now I have a clearer idea of what to go for and what tools I do not need yet, or I might never need. I want definitely make my own stitching pony, as it is an easy woodworking project. I do not own a lathe so I will not be able to build a burnisher. I am going to buy some literature and watch more youtube in my spare time, so that I get more information and then I will buy those tools. I will do woodworking in spring-autumn and I will start with leather work once it is too cold to be in the shop. 

Ι wanted a different hobby than woodworking because I just couldn't stand the sawdust anymore to be honest.  I don't have room for proper dust extraction and it was a permanent battle with shopvacs and such.

The beauty of leatherworking was: no dust, essentially no noise, no danger to lose a finger, no need to go out to the shed, no need for any machines whatsoever.  For a long time I was making bags on the kitchen table, with just a box of tools, that's all I needed.  It really is a better hobby.  You'll see

[chuck123wapati]

53 minutes ago, tibi said:

Thank you very much Spyros for your elaborate answer, now I have a clearer idea of what to go for and what tools I do not need yet, or I might never need. I want definitely make my own stitching pony, as it is an easy woodworking project. I do not own a lathe so I will not be able to build a burnisher. I am going to buy some literature and watch more youtube in my spare time, so that I get more information and then I will buy those tools. I will do woodworking in spring-autumn and I will start with leather work once it is too cold to be in the shop. 

you wouldn't need a lathe to make a burnisher a few round files to shape your slots and a hard wood dowel rod , antler works as well. some folks use heavy canvas to burnish. Check out  this Tandy leather craft library it has alot of good reading and its free. https://tandyleather.com/blogs/leathercraft-library

[Spyros]

Υeah nah, the lathe I was talking about was for making a nice custom HDPE maul with stacked leather handle to your exact weight and size specifications, instead of paying $100 for one that is really never exactly what you want.  

Edited February 6, 2022 by Spyros

[tibi]

2 hours ago, Spyros said:

Ι wanted a different hobby than woodworking because I just couldn't stand the sawdust anymore to be honest.  I don't have room for proper dust extraction and it was a permanent battle with shopvacs and such.

The beauty of leatherworking was: no dust, essentially no noise, no danger to lose a finger, no need to go out to the shed, no need for any machines whatsoever.  For a long time I was making bags on the kitchen table, with just a box of tools, that's all I needed.  It really is a better hobby.  You'll see

For the very same reason (dust, noise and danger) I work exclusively with hand tools when woodworking. It is quieter and safer. I am a beginner woodworker  last year I have built a workshop in the garden and I have acquired the tools. I have a thickness planer, but I want to sell it once I build my new workbench (I am now building a workbench and restoring another that I have inherited after my great grandfather, who built it). The only power tools I have is a circular hand saw (for ripping big 3m boards that I buy from the mill into smaller boards) and a cordless drill. 

I would like to work with hand tools only with leather work as well. It will take me longer, but the hobby is about hand work satisfaction and not about chewing out products out of production line. 

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

you wouldn't need a lathe to make a burnisher a few round files to shape your slots and a hard wood dowel rod , antler works as well. some folks use heavy canvas to burnish. Check out  this Tandy leather craft library it has alot of good reading and its free. https://tandyleather.com/blogs/leathercraft-library

Burnisher is an inexpensive tool and I have a lot of woodworking projects that I have to finish, so I will not have a time to make it soon, but I want to make a stitching pony, because some of them sell for more than 100 €, and I can build it easily myself, so why buy it. 

[Hardrada]

3 hours ago, tibi said:

I would like to work with hand tools only with leather work as well. It will take me longer, but the hobby is about hand work satisfaction and not about chewing out products out of production line. 

Totally doable. That's how I do my leatherwork. The only "power" machine I've purchased is an electric creaser—sure, you can crease by hand with a spirit lamp, but the electric creaser gives you consistent temperature.

If you're a woodworker already, I can picture you doing something like this (all they use is hand tools):

 

Edited February 6, 2022 by Hardrada

[DJole]

You will probably find Ian Atkinson's videos about leatherworking very useful as you start out. 
He also has an excellent video discussing necessary tools for beginners.
Find the video series here: https://www.ianatkinson.net/leather/videos.htm

[zuludog]

Hello TIBI - welcome to the Forum and to leather work!

There is a lot of information and advice about leather work on YouTube, so much that you might not need to buy books, but if you do, these are good -

The Leatherworking Handbook: A Practical illustrated Source Book of Techniques and Projects by Valerie Michael

Leathercraft: Traditional Handcrafted Leatherwork Skills and Projects by Nigel Armitage

But as I mentioned, there are many videos on YouTube you can watch for free. Search YouTube for 'beginners tools for leatherwork', there are several. You will see that they are slightly different, reflecting the preferences of each leatherworker, but similar enough to see what is needed

Watch videos on making the items that interest you to see how other people do things and what they use, Also videos on techniques, such as the saddle stitch, edge finishing, edge bevelling, and so on

These channels are good - JH Leather..... Ian Atkinson ...... Nigel Armitage ..... Leathercraft Masterclass .... Harry Rogers ..... Corter Leather .... Geordie Leather

You will soon realise that most leather items are made using the same tools & techniques - belts, wallets, bags & pouches, saddle stitch, edge finishing, and so on; so the more you watch of any leatherwork the more 'instant experience' you will gain. There are videos on making a stitching pony/ saddlers clam

SPYROS has given good advice on tools, here are my comments -

A round knife needs practice & experience to use well, plus they are expensive, and good ones are very expensive. Start with a Stanley/ box cutter/ utility knife; they are cheap and easy to use, and when you gain experience, you will have a better idea of what to get next. You can re-sharpen Stanley knife blades, and even new ones are better if you sharpen them on a fine stone & a strop. A head knife is similar to a round knife but has only one point, which makes it a bit cheaper and easier to use

A Japanese Leather Knife, also called a Japanese Skiving Knife is good for skiving and straight cuts - there are videos on YouTube

Search Google for 'leather craft suppliers Europe', there are several references. I have used www.buyleatheronline.com but there are others

Vergez Blanchard and www.georgebarnsleyand sons.co.uk make good tools. Seiwa, Craft Sha, Kyoshin Elle are Japanese and make good, reasonably priced tools. Search Google for 'Etsy - japanese leather knives' ; 'Etsy - leather edge bevellers' and so on. There will be several suppliers

Whatever knives you get you will need to sharpen them; you are probably familiar with that from your woodwork, but Search YouTube for sharpening particular leather tools. Make your own strop - it is one of the easiest pieces of leatherwork to do; again, there are several videos

Edited February 7, 2022 by zuludog

[zuludog]

I've just re-read your post; here are more comments -

You don't need to turn wood to make a burnisher, it's easy to make a flat style from a piece of hardwood - even I can do it! Something like this -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154565090086?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=7101533165274578&mkcid=2&itemid=154565090086&targetid=4584826055637456&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=&poi=&campaignid=412354546&mkgroupid=1299623041023876&rlsatarget=pla-4584826055637456&abcId=9300541&merchantid=87779&msclkid=8e41dde1674915871b86bfe1cf3673a3

Or any small piece of suitably shaped & polished wood, bone, or antler; you can also use tough cloth like canvas or denim. But if you are too busy to make one, buy something like this , but polish the wood with fine abrasive paper

No, you don't need a machine to sew leather; in fact some people find that sewing leather by hand is relaxing

For sewing, 0,6mm diameter thread will do most things, though for thin leather like wallets try 0,45mm diameter thread as well. For needles many people use John James Saddler's Harness Needles item code L3912; size 004 for thin thread and wallets; size 002 for thicker thread & leather like belts & bags, But be careful of the size description - make sure you get 002 and not 2/0. Contact www.jjneedles.com for a supplier, their customer service department is very helpful.

As you probably know, you should hit steel tools like stitching chisels with a soft faced hammer, like wood, leather hide, or nylon

You will need a cutting mat; get the biggest you can manage, probably from an art or craft shop

You might find that some leather workers measure the thickness of leather by ounces; you can find an ounce - millimetre conversion chart  on Google. Search for 'leather thickness chart' And you might also need to convert between inches and millimetres - 1 inch = 25,4 mm

For skiving, consider a Japanese Skiving Knife or Search Google for 'skiving knife' there are a few different types. Also look at a Razor Plane. Skiving and Paring are two words for the same thing 

Leathertoolz has some useful videos; here's one on skiving - 

HOW TO CHOOSE SKIVING/PARING KNIFE - YouTube

You have the right approach with buying good mid range/priced tools. Watch the videos, make a list, and come back to us for advice and comments before you buy 

Oh, and as you use hand tools for wood working, have a look at YouTube videos by Paul Sellers, he's very good 

Edited February 7, 2022 by zuludog

[Spyros]

11 hours ago, tibi said:

For the very same reason (dust, noise and danger) I work exclusively with hand tools when woodworking. It is quieter and safer. I am a beginner woodworker  last year I have built a workshop in the garden and I have acquired the tools. I have a thickness planer, but I want to sell it once I build my new workbench (I am now building a workbench and restoring another that I have inherited after my great grandfather, who built it). The only power tools I have is a circular hand saw (for ripping big 3m boards that I buy from the mill into smaller boards) and a cordless drill. 

I would like to work with hand tools only with leather work as well. It will take me longer, but the hobby is about hand work satisfaction and not about chewing out products out of production line.

One thing you will find very refreshing compared to woodworking both here and on youtube is that in leatherworking generally there is much less masturbation over tools.  In leatherworking people talk a lot about sewing machines because they're legit complicated, but other than that most videos and discussions in leatherworking are usually around designs, patterns, techniques, learning, all that nice stuff.  Woodworkers on the other hand, I don't know what's wrong with them, they seem to be in a permanent competition who is going to die with the most tools.

There's really only two machines in leatherworking that it's hard to do without:  the sewing machine and the bell skiver.  Those two save A LOT of time.  But if you're only doing small volume you can do without those.

[zuludog]

You will need an awl; there are two types -

A round or scratch awl has a round cross section and is used to mark out a pattern on leather, and for general poking & prodding; they are cheap enough

A saddler's or diamond awl. The blade has a diamond cross section, and is used to make the holes for sewing. You can buy separate handles/hafts and blades, and fit them together yourself, but it is easier to buy a handle & blade ready mounted; or to buy a handle fitted with a small chuck to take the blade. You will almost certainly need to sharpen & polish the blade yourself - see YT videos

Even if you use stitching chisels a diamond awl is very useful, if only because the prongs on stitching chisels are only about 7mm long, so for thicker layers of leather you must start the holes with a chisel then complete them with an awl

[tibi]

2 hours ago, zuludog said:

Hello TIBI - welcome to the Forum and to leather work!

There is a lot of information and advice about leather work on YouTube, so much that you might not need to buy books, but if you do, these are good -

The Leatherworking Handbook: A Practical illustrated Source Book of Techniques and Projects by Valerie Michael

Leathercraft: Traditional Handcrafted Leatherwork Skills and Projects by Nigel Armitage

But as I mentioned, there are many videos on YouTube you can watch for free. Search YouTube for 'beginners tools for leatherwork', there are several. You will see that they are slightly different, reflecting the preferences of each leatherworker, but similar enough to see what is needed

Watch videos on making the items that interest you to see how other people do things and what they use, Also videos on techniques, such as the saddle stitch, edge finishing, edge bevelling, and so on

These channels are good - JH Leather..... Ian Atkinson ...... Nigel Armitage ..... Leathercraft Masterclass .... Harry Rogers ..... Corter Leather .... Geordie Leather

You will soon realise that most leather items are made using the same tools & techniques - belts, wallets, bags & pouches, saddle stitch, edge finishing, and so on; so the more you watch of any leatherwork the more 'instant experience' you will gain. There are videos on making a stitching pony/ saddlers clam

SPYROS has given good advice on tools, here are my comments -

A round knife needs practice & experience to use well, plus they are expensive, and good ones are very expensive. Start with a Stanley/ box cutter/ utility knife; they are cheap and easy to use, and when you gain experience, you will have a better idea of what to get next. You can re-sharpen Stanley knife blades, and even new ones are better if you sharpen them on a fine stone & a strop. A head knife is similar to a round knife but has only one point, which makes it a bit cheaper and easier to use

A Japanese Leather Knife, also called a Japanese Skiving Knife is good for skiving and straight cuts - there are videos on YouTube

Search Google for 'leather craft suppliers Europe', there are several references. I have used www.buyleatheronline.com but there are others

Vergez Blanchard and www.georgebarnsleyand sons.co.uk make good tools. Seiwa, Craft Sha, Kyoshin Elle are Japanese and make good, reasonably priced tools. Search Google for 'Etsy - japanese leather knives' ; 'Etsy - leather edge bevellers' and so on. There will be several suppliers

Whatever knives you get you will need to sharpen them; you are probably familiar with that from your woodwork, but Search YouTube for sharpening particular leather tools. Make your own strop - it is one of the easiest pieces of leatherwork to do; again, there are several videos

Thank you very much Zuludog,

I appreciate your advice. As I have already watched some videos about leather working, there are not too many tools that I would need and compared to woodworking all the manual tools needed would cost me as one or one and a half of a single Lie Nielsen plane (I do not own any). I also know Paul Sellers very well, as well as Tom Fidgen, Richard MacGuire, Shannon Rogers and other hand tool only woodworkers.

The good news is that I would start working with leather no sooner than in October/November, as I have many woodworking projects to finish during the year and I will not have time for leatherworking. So I have enough time to watch videos and read books during the evenings to get the basics and figure out what I need. I have found beautiful tools from Kemovan craft (Chinese people can indeed make quality products and the reviews on etsy seems to be real), so I will probably buy from them.

I like that I need to make a smaller investment into leatherworking than into woodworking and I can become competent with less tools.

 

[tibi]

2 hours ago, Spyros said:

One thing you will find very refreshing compared to woodworking both here and on youtube is that in leatherworking generally there is much less masturbation over tools.  In leatherworking people talk a lot about sewing machines because they're legit complicated, but other than that most videos and discussions in leatherworking are usually around designs, patterns, techniques, learning, all that nice stuff.  Woodworkers on the other hand, I don't know what's wrong with them, they seem to be in a permanent competition who is going to die with the most tools.

There's really only two machines in leatherworking that it's hard to do without:  the sewing machine and the bell skiver.  Those two save A LOT of time.  But if you're only doing small volume you can do without those.

Yes, woodworkers suffer from this. They either have too many tools on their shelves gathering dust or they have the top-tier brand loyalty, i.e. all the tools must be Lie-Nielsen/Veritas (it is like Apple only household for those who do not know woodworking brands). And they build those beautiful wall cabinets with all matching tools inside. Such a cabinet worth of tools can cost you up to 10 000 USD. Leatherworking tools are cheap compared to that, if you do not count leather working machines.If I would start talking about woodworking machines, quality stuff costs a fortune.

[tibi]

50 minutes ago, zuludog said:

You will need an awl; there are two types -

A round or scratch awl has a round cross section and is used to mark out a pattern on leather, and for general poking & prodding; they are cheap enough

A saddler's or diamond awl. The blade has a diamond cross section, and is used to make the holes for sewing. You can buy separate handles/hafts and blades, and fit them together yourself, but it is easier to buy a handle & blade ready mounted; or to buy a handle fitted with a small chuck to take the blade. You will almost certainly need to sharpen & polish the blade yourself - see YT videos

Even if you use stitching chisels a diamond awl is very useful, if only because the prongs on stitching chisels are only about 7mm long, so for thicker layers of leather you must start the holes with a chisel then complete them with an awl

What is the difference between round/flat and diamond awl? I know that round is round and flat is flat, but what is a diamond awl used for?

Here are the options which I can buy

Edited February 7, 2022 by tibi

[tibi]

1 hour ago, zuludog said:

You will need an awl; there are two types -

A round or scratch awl has a round cross section and is used to mark out a pattern on leather, and for general poking & prodding; they are cheap enough

A saddler's or diamond awl. The blade has a diamond cross section, and is used to make the holes for sewing. You can buy separate handles/hafts and blades, and fit them together yourself, but it is easier to buy a handle & blade ready mounted; or to buy a handle fitted with a small chuck to take the blade. You will almost certainly need to sharpen & polish the blade yourself - see YT videos

Even if you use stitching chisels a diamond awl is very useful, if only because the prongs on stitching chisels are only about 7mm long, so for thicker layers of leather you must start the holes with a chisel then complete them with an awl

Thank you very much. So I need a round awl and diamond as well. I will buy two separate, as it is more comfortable than switching the irons all the time.

[zuludog]

The holes used for sewing leather are in fact slits or slots, the idea is that after you have finished sewing they close up around the thread and seal the hole. They also make the distinctive zig zag or sawtooth pattern to the stitching, which many people find attractive. You can use two types of awls for this -

A diamond cross section <> , so the awl blade is like a very small dagger. It makes a slit that is wider in the middle, which gives room for the needle, then closes up

A flat awl makes a slit that has flat sides, like a very small rectangle and some people think this gives a neater result than a diamond awl, but there's not much difference. But I suggest you start with a diamond awl, as it is slightly easier to use. You can round the edges of a flat awl so the edges are much thinner, like this () instead of []  and it is a compromise between the two; you can just try different ideas and see what you like

Yes, it is much easier to have separate fixed blade awls than swapping between them. From your list choose a round awl blade and a diamond or flat awl blade. There's not much to choose between 2,0 and 2,5 mm; it depends on what sort of leather you will use mainly - a smaller awl for thinner leather

Unfortunately, and probably for woodwork as well as leather tools, the only way to find out what you like is to buy & try!

Beware! You often see a 4-in-1 awl listed by suppliers - do not get it as it is not very good quality, and is expensive - you can buy the two separate awls for about the same price, and they are easier than constantly swapping the blades around. 

A round awl is often used to enlarge the stitching holes for sewing, they will close up afterwards

I haven't used Kemovan tools, but I hear they are good. I already have enough leatherworking tools, otherwise I would consider their edge beveller New Ver 3. Their diamond stitching chisels look good too, but I haven't heard anything about them

Edited February 7, 2022 by zuludog

[tibi]

20 minutes ago, zuludog said:

The holes used for sewing leather are in fact slits or slots, the idea is that after you have finished sewing they close up around the thread and seal the hole. They also make the distinctive zig zag or sawtooth pattern to the stitching, which many people find attractive. You can use two types of awls for this -

A diamond cross section <> , so the awl blade is like a very small dagger. It makes a slit that is wider in the middle, which gives room for the needle, then closes up

A so - called flat cross section, which is more like an ellipse or a flattened circle () Again, it is wider in the middle. Either of these types can be used for stitching, and as you sharpen and polish a diamond awl it becomes more flat anyway. Some people think a flat awl gives a neater result than a diamond awl, but there's not much difference. But I suggest you start with a diamond awl, as it is slightly easier to use

Yes, it is much easier to have separate fixed blade awls than swapping between them. From your list choose a round awl blade and a diamond or flat awl blade. There's not much to choose between 2,0 and 2,5 mm; it depends on what sort of leather you will use mainly - a smaller awl for thinner leather

Unfortunately, and probably for woodwork as well as leather tools, the only way to find out what you like is to buy & try!

Beware! You often see a 4-in-1 awl listed by suppliers - do not get it as it is not very good, and expensive - you can buy the two separate awls for about the same price, and they are easier than constantly swapping the blades around. 

A round awl is often used to enlarge the stitching holes for sewing, they will close up afterwards

I haven't used Kemovan tools, but I hear they are good. I already have enough leatherworking tools, otherwise I would consider their edge beveller New Ver 3

Thank you very much for the awl explanation. I have also seen 4-1 edge beveler, groover, creaser, hamburger maker, etc...., but it did not get very good reviews, so I would probably buy them as seperate tools.

Is there any table that will tell me what leather thickness is suitable for what products? Because, I do not think that wallets should be built from 4 mm leather. Or such a wallet will look terrible in a back pocket of the jeans.

[zuludog]

You're right, we should select leather type & thickness for various items and projects. Search around on Google and YouTube for things like -

Choosing leather thickness; choosing leather for projects; choosing leather for wallets;  leather thickness and uses; and so on. I know that Corter Leather; Ian Atkinson ( who has a YT channel called Leodis Leather) and many others have videos on choosing leather. I have found this, but there will be others

Unfortunately most of these guides are American and measure the thickness in ounces, but search around and you might find one that also uses millimetres, otherwise you'll just have to find a conversion chart between ounces & millimetres 

A Handy Guide to Leather Thickness & Weight - With a Chart (libertyleathergoods.com)

I have found this which should help, but most of the video channels I listed earlier should have a video guide on leather thickness and use 

Leathercraft Guide - Leodis Leather (ianatkinson.net) 

And also this - as I mentioned, keep searching on Google and YouTube as there are several guides, and you might just find something that is what you want

 Leather Education — Tandy Leather, Inc.

If you ask a leather supplier they might send you a selection of small samples their types & thicknesses of leather, known as swatches 

 

Edited February 7, 2022 by zuludog

[fredk]

These are general guides. just to start with. As you progress you'll find your own way with thickness, type and its use

[tibi]

10 minutes ago, fredk said:

These are general guides. just to start with. As you progress you'll find your own way with thickness, type and its use

Thank you very much. That chart will help me a lot.