Leathercrafting Supplies

By: Staff Writer, Published: 2006-02-06, Parent Category: Leather

Introduction:
Here you will find detailed information on where you get leather and what tools you need to craft it.

Buying Leather
TandyLeather.com is the largest leather crafting company in the country. They are owned by a company called "The Leather Factory" which makes basically all leathercraft tools. Tandyleather is going to the place to go to get leather tools. You may also be able to find them on Ebay, and also in craft stories. But the craft stores are really just reselling the Tandy products.

I've found some good leather at JustLeather.com too.

Ebay is a great place to look for anything, and is my favorite place for leather. You can find loads of different leather there at cheap prices. I usually look there first if I need something. It can be hard to find what you need there though. I like to browse rather than search, Ebay has a whole category for leathercrafting, and subcategories within that category for bulk hides. Additionally you might be able to find leather locally if there is a nearby tannery.

Below I have listed the items I consider to be essential in leather crafting. If you only get a few tools, get these.

Rotary Hole Punch	This item is a must. There are more expensive models and other types of whole punches but this will handle most of your needs. The only downside with this is that it's hard to use on thinner leather, and on the last little bit when punching through thick leather. It can be very tiring to use. If you plan on doing a lot of work, get the higher end model of punch, not the economy label. It really does make a difference.
Stitching Awl	This item is also a must. There is no easier way to hand stitch leather. When you buy it I also recommend buying some replacement thread spools as you may go through them quickly. The downside of this tool is that the thread it uses by default is fairly thick, which means when you knot it it doesn't hold as well as normal nylon sewing thread. Instructions on how to sew with this item are on the back of the packaging it comes in. It basically makes a lock stitch (like a normal sewing machine).
Overstitch Wheel	You use this item by running it along the edge of the leather you wish to sew and it will imprint evenly spaced "dimples" showing you where to sew with your awl if you want even stitches. Very Useful tool.
The Art of Hand Sewing Leather	This book covers everything you need to know about sewing leather.
E6000 Cement	This is great industrial strength craft cement that you can use when you need things to really stick together. Don't use it just to temporary hold leather together while you sew, it's a waste of money that way. Save this stuff for when you need things to stick together without sewing, like when making boots. Look for it at your local craft store.
Rubber Cement	This is the type of cement you'll want to use if you just want to hold things down while you sew. Its much cheaper.

Other Tools:
The above are all the tools you absolutely need to make leather items, you will also need additional hardware like rivets etc. If you want to get into stamping you will also need special tools to do that.

This article was written by Staff Writer.