FREE Tools for Leather Crafting - design of three-dimensionality

Leather crafting has been around for tens and thousands of years and, therefore, leather craft tools are no different. There are tools for every style of crafting, whether it is simply sewing two pieces together (with a large and durable tapestry needle), stamping for decoration, or punching. As with any leather craft, it takes time, effort, and careful precision. However, with the right tools, leather crafting cannot only be a fun and rewarding, but can turn a piece of leather into a beautifully crafted product.

One leather craft is the art of leather carving, or creating a design of three-dimensionality on a leather surface. There are a couple of tools needed for this craft including mallets, stamps, bevellers, and swivel knives. This process, though long, is often rewarding. First the leather must be soaked in water for a designated amount of time before it is cased. When the professional keeps the swivel knife fully vertical, it cuts into the leather halfway. Then he uses a beveller, a tool used to create indentation on one side of the leather. It creates a vertical edge on portions of the image. The beveller is used while a mallet strikes it lightly. The final touches are dress cuts, which are made with a swivel knife.

Use of all of these tools varies depending on the desired effect. A beveller, for instance, can have faces ranging from a rounded tip, smoothed, or even something more ornate such as striped and checked. Stamps have various shapes, sizes and designs. Depending on the leather, different mallets may be used; though almost all are wood as a composite or metal might be too heavy for the leather.

Another leather craft tool is a leather punch. Leather punches are tools true to their name; much like a hole punch, this tool punches holes in the leather, as opposed to paper. This tool is highly valued because holes are found in many leather-clothing products such as buckles, belts, and shoes as well as sport equipment such as bridles.

Leather punches should be handled with care while working the leather. As with any leather craft, punching holes in leather fabric is permanent and must be done with precision and care. Both mini and maxi hole punches are available in sets as well as tools like the pro rotary punch (heavy duty) and hole punches for different types of leather fabric including deerskin. These leather craft tools not only allow a craftsmen or hobbyist to punch holes in leather, but allows a variation in hole size for more versatility.

For leather carving, several tools are used to manipulate the leather to perfection. A leather punch may seem like a simpler tool and craft, but it takes a lot of skill and precision to create a hole in the perfect place. Either craft has its rewards, whether it's for the professional leather craftsman or the leather-crafting hobbyist. Regardless, leather crafting takes a lot of technique, but more than that it takes the right tools.

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