When I began leatherworking, I needed everything to be as cheap as possible. This was true when I truly began back in 2005 while participating in the SCA and it was true when I picked it up again in 2021 after a fifteen year hiatus. What that meant in 2021 and what that means now is that I use very simple tools for every step of the process.

I buy veg-tan leather in its most basic form: a full, un-dyed side. This is usually from Tandy Leather as they have been a great supplier over the years. They have a good range of products, in terms of both price and quality, and their customer service has been splendid when I’ve needed it. I also buy material from Springfield Leather Company (particularly when I want specialty leathers) and Weaver Leather Supply (I often purchase hardware from them), of occasion, and I wouldn’t deter anyone from shopping at any of those suppliers.

I generally make my own patterns. This begins with a rough sketch, then on to graph paper for precision. Once I have a pattern that I am confident of, I use a ballpoint pen to trace the pattern onto the flesh side of the leather. This type of ink doesn’t penetrate into the leather and any remnants are easily removed with an edge beveler or skiving knife. The reason I trace on the flesh side rather than directly on the finished side is simple: slop. Doing things by hand results in mistakes. Those mistakes are easier to handle when they are on the flesh side. After I have made a successful prototype of a new pattern, I trace the graph paper pattern onto a sturdier material (manila folders work great for most cases) and then laminate the thing in packing tape to improve its longevity.

Back to cutting leather. It’s always a good idea to minimize waste. This true of pretty much everything, all the time, but it certainly applies to cutting leather. The stuff ain’t cheap. I pack my patterns in tightly and I plan out which shapes are going to fit in closely. While doing this, however, you want to pay very close attention to the finished side. Make sure that if there are scars or areas of rough finish, you are aware of them. You may want to avoid them, you may want to include them, but leather comes from a living thing and you can’t count on that being a perfect side every time. Personally, I like to include the scars; they pay respect to the creature’s life and they add a unique twist to a piece.

For general cutting, I use a set of heavy utility shears. These don’t make the cleanest of cuts, but they work fast and they’re good for cutting the side down into more convenient chunks. I use a 16″x21″ cutting mate as my general work surface. Once I have roughly cut chunks down to a size that fits on that. I switch to my wood carving knives. A good set of these with comfortable handles and solid steel is a worthwhile investment. I keep them sharp with 600 grit sandpaper and jeweler’s rouge. A steel ruler makes straight lines straight and a lot of practice makes the other lines look smooth and intentional. The wood carving knives come in a variety of form factors and they’re all useful in one way or another. They can cut very tight curves, sharp internal angles, and tidy corners. During this step, when working on thick leathers (8 oz and heavier), I often score the flesh side along the pattern lines, then make the final cut using the scoring as a guide.

And that’s going to be it. At this point, I have liberated the intended shapes from the side. Off-cut portions get sorted into either the garbage, if they’re too small to be useful, or into a scrap pile. Scraps can be great for testing dye or finishes, practicing tooling, or even cutting out smaller patterns in the future. You can also throw scraps in a mesh bag and hang it in a room for that fresh-cut leather scent.