Leather carving & crafting.

[jakesrocks]

There are many other types of cutting tools used in leather work. Most are used in shoe making and saddle making. I'll only touch on the ones that I use.
First would be the common box cutter knife. Since everyone knows what they look like, I won't post a pic. The box cutter is mainly used for cutting out large parts for purses and such. They don't lend themselves well for cutting tight curves, so are used for straight cuts or wide bends.
Next is the skiving knife. I'll post a pic of two types. Skiving knives are used mainly for thinning leather, also known as skiving the leather. This is mostly done on the buckle end of belts and handbag straps. It reduces the thickness of the leather making it easier to install snaps or rivets, makes it easier to bend the leather back on itself, and also by thinning the leather makes it easier to slide a belt into belt loops. The skiving knife can be used wherever it's necessary to thin a portion of a leather piece.


The next is a tool used to cut belts of various widths, leather boot strings and fringes on western type leather wear. It's called a stripper. The bottom portion is made up of interlocking 1/8" thick plastic spacers. Each spacer can hold one common box cutter blade. Width of cut can be adjusted in 1/8" increments by adding or removing blades. Right now it only contains one blade set at 5/8" for a collar strap for my dog. This tool has a thumb screw type clamp at the bottom for attaching to a bench.


One of my favorite knives is the surgical scalpel with replaceable blades. It's not an every day use tool. Used only for very fine details like strands of hair or whiskers on an animal carving. Great care must be used, unless the user likes to bleed a lot.
On leather the edge doesn't last long on these blades, but they are reasonably cheap to buy. I always dispose of a blade after use by wrapping it in several layers of duct tape before throwing it in the trash.

[jakesrocks]

Next subject will be the various types of hole punches and chisels used in leather work.

First is the common household rotary punch. Some of you probably have one in your home tool kit. I've personally punched thousands of holes through leather with one of these. They feature a head with 6 different sizes of cutting tubes made of heat treated steel in the top jaw. This head can be rotated to the size of hole you need to make. The bottom jaw features a brass anvil piece for the tubes to cut against. In leather work they are used for punching stitching holes, rivet and snap holes and holes in belts for the tongue of buckles to fit through for belt adjustment.


Next are the sewing punches. Most common of these punches holes of 1/16". They can be bought as single punches, all the way up to those that will punch 6 properly spaced holes at the same time. Also in the picture of a punch with interchangeable tubes. It can be used to punch sewing holes, or like the rotary punch.


Next comes the lacing chisels. They are used to punch slots through leather so that leather lacing can be used to join 2 or more pieces of leather. They also come as single chisels, or multiple slot cutting chisels. The chisel at the rear of the pic features chisels which are set at 45 Deg. for a special lacing effect, but more about the types of lacing at a later date.


Next is a type of chisel used to cut slots in belts at the buckle end for the tongue of the buckle to fit through. They come in various length of slot from 1/4" to over 1" in length. My preference is a 3/4" length.


Another chisel type is for cutting the end of belts and straps which fit through the buckle. There are several shapes used on the end of belts, as well as different widths. This chisel is for a 1-3/4" belt, and the shape is called English cut.
My belt chisel hasn't arrived yet, but should be here by Tuesday, and I'll edit in in at that time.

Finally are the filigree chisels. As the name sounds, they are used for filigree work where you want to remove part of the leather, leaving a window to either allow light to show through a design, or to back with a contrasting color of leather or fabric.

[kjsspot]

is the cut out scoop on the top so you can push out the chads?

[jakesrocks]

They push out on their own as you continue punching holes.

[opalcreations]

Your tempting me into picking up leather work again.
I haven't done it in like 20 years.
I used to have 10 horses (one of which kicked me in the head while I was treating it for colic) and I used to make bridles, breast plates, custom fly masks, boot straps, anything with a concho on it....lol.
I even did some saddle repairs.

I don't even remember how to do any of it now, I'd have to learn it all over again.

[jakesrocks]

Don't feel bad. It's been more than 30 years since I set tools to leather.

[Lydia]

I love that you are sharing all this with us. Thank you.

[jakesrocks]

My pleasure Lydia. I love a challenge, and after being away from leather work for so long, it will be a challenge. Actually it was Pink who talked me into doing this thread, so thank her.

[SwordfishMining]

Hope the rust works out of your joints quickly. One craftsman i knew set cabs in rawhide that shrunk them in tight. Two layers and stitched together with the stone peeking out of the final hole.

[opalcreations]

There is a lady in Vancouver that somehow incorporates gemstones into leather jewelry, have you heard of her??

I've actually thought of doing that myself before, sounds like an interesting way to combine the leather work hobby and lapidary work