The Repair Shop

Leather Craft Tools that are Essential for any Leather Craftsman.

The overwhelming selection and variety of leather craft tools available on the market can be hard to navigate. This is especially true for people that are new to the trade. We can all spend a lot of money buying tools that we might not find a use for often enough to justify the expense.

We get questions asking for guidance on getting a good core set of leather craft tools that will allow someone new to the craft the ability to complete projects effectively. When I started leather craft many years ago, there were many quality publications available that talked about tools and supplies for leather work. There were also “leather craft kits” on the market that came with a collection of leather craft tools to get a new craftsman started. These kits are still available today in many sizes and budgets. I do feel that these are a great resource for anyone starting out.

Many of us in the industry started out with one of these kits. The only problem with these at times is that you may find that a few or many of the items in the kit might not be something that you will use much. I still have many of the tools from my very first leather craft kit in my program within the shop today. But unfortunately, there are a number of tools that were in the box that I never found a use for.

I decided to put together what I believe is a solid core list of leather craft tools for anyone wanting to get into leather work.

Our hope is that with this blog post and the accompanying video, you will have a better handle on the tools that I believe are essential and why. This information will help to make a better determination on what tools that you may or may not need based on the leather craft projects you plan on creating.

I have tried to supply a source link for as many tools as I can in this list to maybe help you find these or something similar. Some of these tools may include our Amazon Affiliate links if that is a good place to find them. Many of these tools you can purchase from your favorite leather craft supply business of choice. Where you get the tools isn’t near as important as “Does the tool do its job and work for you?“… that’s the most important part.

I hope you find this video and list of leather craft tools helpful in your leather working goals. Let’s get started.

Below is our list of Essential Leather Craft Tools that anyone doing leather work should have in their tool box.

I have attempted to break this list up based on different leather working tasks. There are also links within this list for some suggestions as to where to find them.

Cutting Tools

Measuring and Marking Tools

  • C.S. Osbourne Spike Awl – Weaver Leather Supply sells some of these as well as Amazon. I can’t seem to find the exact one I have in that size but there are other sizes that will work.
  • Tape Measure – small size… 12′ or 16′ – any hardware store will have these
  • Square – Any hardware store will have this
  • Straight Edge – Maker’s Leather Supply makes the one I have in the video… but any straight edge will work
  • Wing Dividers – Springfield has the 8″ pair in the video… Maker’s Leather Supply has a couple versions as well as a cheaper version that I have as well that are good
  • Pencils – I really like the Ticonderoga brand of pencils and you can find them many places but here is where I get them on Amazon.

Punching Holes

  • Drive Punches size #2, #4, #8, #10 – Maker’s Leather Supply (these are a higher end CS Osbourne punch) and Springfield Leather have many different sizes and styles of drive punches. I have also used the super cheap ones from Harbor Freight in the past… you have to sharpen and buff them off, but they will work if that’s all you can get ahold of. This video, “Hole Punches You Need for Leather Work,” we talk about hole punch options.
  • Actual size of holes these make: #2 – 1/8″, #4 – 5/32″, #8 – 1/4″, #10 – 5/16″

Leather Edge Preparation and Slicking

  • Rub Stick – Leather Supply companies sell variations of these, but they are also really easy to make your own from scrap wood in any shape that you need and then sand to a smooth finish.
  • Slicking Rag – Any heavy canvas or denim cut to size will work for this. Canvas can be purchased at fabric stores like Hobby Lobby.
  • Can/Container for water as well is a dauber or sponge – I prefer a small tomato sauce can but any little container will work.
  • Here is a blog post we did on my process for slicking edges, “Slicking Leather Edges.
  • Edgers – size #2 and size #4 – Maker’s Leather Supply sells the Ron’s edgers like I have (these are higher end tools)… Springfield Leather sells many different types of edgers including the CS Osbourne edgers from the video (called Western Edgers)… Barry King makes some really nice higher end edgers as well. “What is the Best Edger Size for your Leather Work,” is a video we did on edger selection.
  • Sanding Blocks

Hand Stitching Tools

  • Stitch Groover – for the cheaper craftool version visit Tandy Leather – for the higher end wing divider style visit Jeremiah Watt Tools
  • Overstitch Wheel – looks like they don’t made one like mine anymore… Tandy Leather sells one with multiple wheels for different stitch lengths
  • Stitching Awl – for the CS Osbourne haft, Springfield Leather has them as well as blades, this blade is my best guess as to a decent one, but you may get a few different ones and see what you like. There are many options for blades depending on your goals. Barry King has the bigger haft as well as his own blades.
  • Hand Stitching Leather with an Awl and Two Needles” is a video we created to help with traditional hand sewing.

Hammers

  • Ball Pien Hammer – Smaller head size – you can find one of these at your local hardware story easlily.
  • Forming hammer – some type of flat faced smooth hammer or French Hammer – Makers Leather Supply, Springfield Leather, and Jeremiah Watt Tools has many hammers to choose from.
  • Maul or Mallet – preferably larger and weighted, I prefer a 24 oz maul for setting rivets and punching holes, but as heavy as 4lbs is helpful with heavy end punching and large bag slots… Springfield Leather, Barry King and Maker’s Leather Supply have them as well as many other companies.
  • Leather Craft Hammers” is an older video we did explaining different shop hammers.

Cutting Surface and Fastener Setting

  • Rubber mat – any type of dense rubber will work for this.
  • Cutting Board – wood or plastic… you can these at Walmart and other places… Hobby lobby also has self healing cutting mats
  • Small Metal Anvil – scrap steel, aluminum, railroad iron, or a mini anvil
  • Rivet Setter – for copper rivets… Maker’s Leather Supply (they carry two types) and other supply companies have these available
  • Hoof Nippers or Side Cutters – for cutting excess off copper rivets… an old set from a farrier work well but hardware stores carry good side cutters as well.

A Few Extras

  • Side Cutters
  • Needle Nose Pliers
  • Cigarette Lighter
  • All three of these items can be purchased at Walmart or any hardware store.

Mohair Cinch Cleaning and Care

This Article was written for us by Dana Eklund with Big Sky Mohair Cinches.

Each mohair cinch is hand-tied in Bozeman, Montana, by sisters Dana and Tracy Eklund. 

Big Sky Mohair Cinches was born out of necessity- a horse at the therapeutic riding program where they worked required a 42″ cinch- a tough size to find! Their goal is to create a highly usable piece of tack that is as functional as it is beautiful.

Because a comfortable horse can get the job done.

Like any tack, there will come a time when you need to wash your mohair cinch!

As far as cinch materials go, Mohair is a terrific choice in general due to the natural fibers being highly breathable, slightly elastic, and long wearing. Dirty cinches, of any material, are more likely to trap dirt/heat and cause soring. You can have a really nicely made piece of equipment, but if it’s extremely dirty or not adjusted correctly, soring can happen.

The more you care for your cinch by washing/rinsing it when it needs it, the longer it will last.

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Hole Punches You Need for Leather Work

One of the most important tasks performed by anyone in leathercraft, or even just someone attempting to repair something made of leather, is making a hole in it.

There are a few ways to accomplish this task and a few different tools to help. If you are working in leathercraft then you will need to have a few different sizes and styles of tools to be able to punch holes in leather.

In this quick video, I go through what I use and prefer.

Are Saddles and Tack Ruined After Hurricane Harvey?

The most common question that I have received recently in my shop is “Are saddles and tack ruined after hurricane Harvey?

Many of us in Texas have been affected directly or have someone close to us that has been affected directly by hurricane Harvey and the effects will surely be felt for many months from now.  I grew up on the Gulf Coast in Aransas Pass, TX so I am aware of the damage that hurricanes can cause but in my lifetime I have never seen this magnitude of damage in our state.  I have so many friends and family along the South Texas Gulf Coast that are dealing with the aftermath of Harvey and are working hard to help others while trying to also assess the damage to their homes, barns, communities, livestock, and countless other recovery concerns.

In this article, I want to help you see if your saddles and tack are ruined after hurricane Harvey.  Saddles and tack are surely some of the most treasured items that were damaged due to flooding and or damaged barns and saddle houses.  As you begin to go through these areas and find your saddles and tack severely water damaged and possibly beginning to mold or mildew, the first instinct may be to put all this in the ruined pile and possibly claim them as part of items lost due to damage from the hurricane.

This may be the case in some instances, but there are some things that I want to discuss that may save some of those pieces of equipment so that you can continue using them.  Although water damage is surely not good for leather in general, it does not always mean that they can not be salvaged. Continue reading

Do You have Projects You Procrastinate On?

img_1011Have you ever found yourself working happily on the project that you are most excited about only to have a voice in your head reminding you of that one job you put off for way too long?  Those projects you procrastinate on consistently? That one job that you set on the bench in the corner of your shop and feel it staring at you throughout the day?  In your mind you know that you need to just put down what you are doing and get it done so you can get back to what you love.  But as the days, weeks, or maybe even months continue to cycle by, you make an honest attempt to convince yourself that you will do it “tomorrow.”

 This is procrastination, resistance, or simply lying to yourself.  We all do this from time to time, but for some of us this can become a chronic disease among the best of craftsman.  We work so hard to improve our skills and talents, that we tend to put off the types of work that don’t add value to our skill set.  In an attempt to be good stewards in our business and remain financially responsible, we take these jobs because of our lack of confidence in our true passion.  We tend to look at these jobs as a necessary evil because it must be a sin to turn down work.  So we end up taking the project on, knowing in our minds that we don’t want to do them and in turn putting them off to the point that the customer is upset.  And we ourselves are upset for having to do them.

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How to Price Your Work

David Picciuto is a woodworker from Toledo, OH and has a YouTube channel called “Make Something” where he posts videos on creating beautiful art using wood as his primary material.  I have been a fan of his channel for a year or so now and I love the way he presents his videos and the things he creates.  Although I am not much of a woodworker myself, I find a great amount of useful information from his videos and vlogs.

A video that he did semi recently helped to answer a question that is always a huge topic of discussion for any tradesman wanting to make a living within their craft.  This question is “How to Price Your Work?” Continue reading

Guide to Buying Used Saddles Part 3

This is the last article in our Guide to Buying Used Saddle series, and if you have already gone through the last two articles I hope you found them useful.  In this article, I will go over some key areas to look for when assessing any possible repairs that may need to be performed on a used saddle that you are considering to purchase. Continue reading

Guide to Buying Used Saddles Part 2

This is the second article of our Guide to Buying Used Saddles, and in this section we will discuss the pricing structure of the different types of used saddles in the market.  As we spoke about in the previous article, the buyer with the most knowledge wins. Continue reading