Leather working tools?

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scott taylor

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Other than Tandy is there a decent dom com place to get some simple leather tools and supplies? Mostly to make leather bags or an occasional knife scabbard. I'm not even sure what I need or don't need. As with all new hobbies or projects about 1/2 to 3/4 of the crap that I get is never used.

Scott
 
Yes Campbell-Randall http://www.campbell-randall.com/shop/index.php?route=product/category&path=1
They carry the Osborne line of tools as well as the best Linen thread available, Barbour's

There are also places like Springfield Leather that carry various brands some good some not so good http://springfieldleather.com/

and Goods Japan which carry a bunch of upgradeed tools similar the Tandy/LF line http://www.vendio.com/stores/goodsjapan/

for veg/bark tan cowhide I HIGHLY recommend RJF Leather http://rjfleather.com/content/index.php/products/
There russet double shoulders are the best I've seen in years and FWIW I've been working leather for 51 years.

for soft leathers like Germantan (a great substitute for real brain tan and a PC method of tanning), buckskin, sheepskin, elk hide, etc. some of the best sources are
Crazy Crow http://www.crazycrow.com they are in Texas BTW
Moscow Hide and Fur http://hideandfur.com/
Eidnes Fur http://www.eidnesfurs.com/antler.htm

as a start on how-to
for bags: Tim Albert's book, Recreating the 18th Century Hunting Pouch IMO is a must have
for basic knife sheaths and the saddle stitch I wrote a couple of simple tutorials that may help and they include some info on basic tools as does Tim's book:
Saddle stitch How-to

Basic Sheath making

Build a Stitching Pony

I'm sure others like Swampy, an excellent crafter, will chime in with their favorite vendors as well...

beware once you start it's hard to stop - leather crafting can be very addicting......good luck and welcome to the wonderful world of leather! :thumbsup:
 
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a lot of what ya may or may not use really is pretty simple stuff. Maybe get hold of a catalog or two n look close at the pictures n try makeing something of your own that will work, maybe even work better n ya got the fun of designing the stuff n its free except for yer time really. Most of what I have n use when needed I ended up making myself hahaha (I'm cheap :haha:) :hmm: :wink:
 
I hate to suggest this, but since we live far apart I think I'm safe. :grin: But keep your eye open in antique stores and especially at farm sales. Once you have an eye for the kinds of tools you want/need, good old leather working tools sometimes pop up in such places. I once picked up a 5 gallon bucket mostly full of leather tools from the tack shed at an old ranch. Man-o-man, were there some nice things in there. Paid a buck a gallon for them, too!

As you can see, I'm mostly concerned about protecting my sources! :rotf:

LaBonte's suggestions are excellent, as usual. And yeah, they're bookmarked on my computer now too!
 
A lot of information for my feeble mind to absorb. This should keep me busy for a while. Thanks La Bonte and Brown Bear also for the antique store/auction idea.

Scott
 
"I'm not even sure what I need or don't need."

You need:

a good cutting tool. Scissors to start Fiskars will do but a good knife might be better once you become serious.

rotary hole punch or set of the straight punches

a good sharp awl - I like my curved one, but most like straight. The one with the red handle is a bit too thin. Most people like a beefier handle. Mine is partly hidden by the silver buckle, but it is good enough to get the idea. (some people cheat and use a drill press and 1/64th bit to make their stitching holes.

round point leather-working needles

you need to decide whether you want artificial sinew which beginners seem to like, the expensive waxed thread that the shops like to sell or if you want to jump right into the linen thread which you need to run through wax as you use it.
(I bought a huge roll of this from Cheaper Than Dirt years ago and have not needed any since.)

a stitching wheel in order to keep your stitches even. (the changeable wheel type will work for now)

a tool to mark the line of stitching. This can be the type which cuts a groove and the kind that presses a trough. Both work well and have a place in the tool box.

"As with all new hobbies or projects about 1/2 to 3/4 of the crap that I get is never used."

I doubt that any of these will remain unused for long.

From here, you might need stains, (Fiebings oil based) edge finish dressing (Gum Tragacanth) a means of boning the leather, (bit of antler or a plastic slicker tool)

Here is a quick look at my kit. Not complete - just what I had in it from a recent project:

IMAG0570.jpg


(The roll bag was a proto-type for a fork bag on my Harley. I toss my tools in it for convenience and so I do not *** myself with the sharp items.)

Good luck - show us something that you make soon!

CS
 
GST, these are the state of the art for primitive leather work. Bones claws beads also. The have tools and anything you would also want in the way of "modern" looking leather products. Exceptionally tough/thick leather I use a small, American-made set of tin snips. I also sew with gut(Moscow and Nativewayonline) and also real sinew. There are tutorials all over the web on sewing with real sinew. Once you do it you'll never go back to fake. When I started I used fake, once I learned real sinew I got obsessive compulsive and undid everything I did with fake and redid it in real. It's cheap and very fun and cool to work with. What is time consuming is pounding the hanks out, you need two rocks :thumbsup:
http://www.eidnesfurs.com/ http://www.hideandfur.com/

Bones
 
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Texas is over-run with good leather workers. Find someone to work a long side of and learn a few time saving methods of working with leather. Bet you won't have that much trouble finding someone! Oh! Buy the tools as you need them! __ I'm a firm believer that all that fancy fishing tackle is made to catch fisherman and not fish! Same goes for leather tools!

Rick
 
horner75 said:
Oh! Buy the tools as you need them! __ I'm a firm believer that all that fancy fishing tackle is made to catch fisherman and not fish! Same goes for leather tools!
Sage advice, Well said Sir
 
you need to decide whether you want artificial sinew which beginners seem to like, the expensive waxed thread that the shops like to sell or if you want to jump right into the linen thread which you need to run through wax as you use it.

I used to use the artificial sinew and still have quite a bit. But, the more I used it the less I liked it. Linen thread is great. I also have some hemp that is just fine. (look for a sign that has funny leaves on it for a store that sells hemp. :shocked2: Just sayin'. :wink: )
 
GST: Tandy is probably about your best bet. Running down how I do it, I use an exacto knife to cut out the heavy leather parts (oak tan for a sheath). I usually sand paper or file the edges to smooth them a little. There is a tool that cuts a groove for the threads- the bulk of the tool runs along the outside edge of the leather and the cutter is adjusted to how far from the edge you want the groove. Next I use a rowell type tool that imprinted evenly spaced spots for the stitches. I then use an awl to make the holes. Then two heavy needles- one needle on each end of the thread and sew up the parts like lacing up a pair of shoes. A heavy piece of canvas is then used to burnish the end/edge of the sheath.
 
One thing to be real picky on is your awl. They come with all sorts of handles and blades. Most popular today are the ones with interchangeable blades.

The biggest differences between any of them is how good a job you do at sharpening and polishing them. They should be so sharp that it's pretty easy to poke through several layers of leather. If you're having to fight to do it, they're not sharp enough.

I have about half a drawer full of awls ranging from tiny to large antiques and most of the modern versions I've run across. A couple of things come through the stack: The bigger the job, the larger the handle. And, I hate any model with an all-round grip. They have a nasty habit of rolling off my bench. If they don't spear my foot, they ruin the tip when they hit the floor.

This little guy here is my all-time favorite of the ones you can buy today. It's got the flat sides on the grip, good both for stopping the death roll and for helping orient the awl blade, and it's big enough for more projects without being too big. This blade is about the most universal for me, though I switch to the larger version when using bigger thread.

This is one version of the grooving tool that Crockett refers to. I really like it for setting my stitches just a little below the surface of the leather to reduce thread wear as my creations get used. This is an example of the "rowel" tool Crockett refers to, called an "overstitch" tool in most catalogs. The size refers to the number of stitches per inch. These only go up to 7 per inch, but the old timers will go up to at least 12 stitches per inch. Talk about fine stitches. Fewer stitches per inch are easier, but more sure looks cool.

There are a lot of sources for these things, most of them the same brands. I gave you links to Tandy because they're handy for me, and in fact I use them a lot. No better or worse than other sources I've used, but there are actually stores scattered around the country I can walk into.
 
that little groover is nice, but this one is the one that I prefer...Its a little easier to use with the blade in the center of the piece rather than on the outside...
http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/88081-00.aspx

Also, check on Ebay for tools...sometimes you can find entire sets for a reasonable price. I have found overstitch wheels in 7,8,11 and 12 stitches per inch.
 
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Actually I kinda prefer that one too, but was trying to save a few nickles for him.

One really good thing about the one Spotted Bull and I are talking about here, GST, is that it's easier to make a series of evenly spaced parallel groves. In addition to the groove for the stitching, I'm fond of making one, two or three parallel to the stitching for decoration. Looks pretty cool to my eye, whether or not anything original was done that way.
 
For heavier and stiff leather I do just like the real old time mountain men did, I use a power drill to make my holes.
For lighter leathers I use a forged awl I picked up at a rondy. Kinda soft steel so I have to resharpen but it fits nicely in a pouch or bag.
I prefer two needle stitching for strength.
 
Thanks Guy's

This post gave me a couple links to visit that I had forgotten about.

I had the computer monster stop by a few months ago, so have been having to rebuild a lot of lost info.

Keep your powder dry.

LeeRoy
 
One of the most important tools is an over-stitch tool. I would consider using a #11 Exacto knife for cutting many types o leather. I use a divider to mark how far from the edge to stitch. A poundo board is invaluable.
 
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