The Leathercraft Manual

The Leathercraft Manual

by Justin T. Schlichter

The Leathercraft Manual

b y Jus t in T. Sch l i chter

The Leathercraft Manual—Page 4

Introduction Welcome to leathercraft! My name is Justin Schlichter and I am 16 years old. I learned how to leathercraft at the age of 12 and began a leather business, J&G Leather, when I was 13. My business consists of selling products to stores and individuals. I do anything from making cell phone cases to repairing saddles. I would like to encourage you to learn leathercrafting, an enjoyable and worthwhile hobby.

Leathercrafting can also be used as a ministry opportunity. God can use your leather products to bless other people by giving away leather items to people at retirement homes, friends, or spiritual leaders.

In this book, I talk about the basics of leather and tooling. However, there is much more to be learned about leathercrafting. This book is only designed to whet your appetite in the art. Located in the back of the manual are recommended sources for all your leathercrafting endeavors.

I hope that this manual will be useful as you explore the exciting art of leathercrafting!

—Justin T. Schlichter, CFC, ALERT Cadets

Table of Contents Leather ................................................................................. 5

Buying Leather ...................................................................... 5

Tooling ................................................................................. 6

Stamping .............................................................................. 7

Carving ................................................................................. 8

Recommended Shopping Avenues.......................................... 10

Recommended Books ........................................................... 11

Notes .................................................................................. 12

Page 5—The Leathercraft Manual

Leather There are many types of leather on the market today, some are synthetic and others are real. However, there are three that every beginner should be aware of—Vegetable-tanned, Latigo, and Suede.

Vegetable-tanned (or Veg-tanned) leather can be tooled, molded, dyed, or painted. In the past, veg-tanned leather was tanned with certain types of vegetation containing an acid called tannins such as oak bark, gallnuts and sumac leaves. Leather is now tanned out of country using various chemicals.

Latigo leather is tanned using a special tanning process that puts the leather in a drum and spins it while packing it with hot oils and waxes. This keeps it from stretching and makes it virtually mold and mildew resistant. This process makes latigo an excellent choice for straps and other related items. However, latigo leather cannot be carved. It can be stamped, but it will not look near as crisp as Veg-tanned leather will.

Suede leather is good for lining, fringe, etc. However, it cannot be tooled, and if dyed, the dye will be forever coming off all over everything it touches. One example of suede leather is hiking boots.

Buying Leather Most leather is priced by the square foot and sold by the hide. Leather is also sold in different thicknesses referred to as weight. The weight of leather is measured in ounces. One ounce is equal to 1/64

th of an inch of thickness. For example, an eight-ounce hide is approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.

Vegetable-tanned Leather Latigo Leather

Suede Leather

The Leathercraft Manual—Page 6

Tooling There are two main types of tooling—stamping and carving. Stamping is when you emboss the leather using alphabet stamps or picture stamps. Carving is done by first tracing the outline of the design, then cutting the outline of it, and lastly using special tools to give the design the desired look.

Before you begin either stamping or carving, you will need a few basic tools. Some of these you probably have at home.

Bowl—for water. DO NOT use a metal bowl. Bare metal and wet leather cause a chemical reaction which stains the leather black.

Sponge—to wet leather. Any sponge will work, but try to avoid one that will scratch the leather.

Hammer—NEVER use a steel hammer on leather tools or it will damage the tools. Wooden hammers work well and can be purchased at an inexpensive price. Rawhide mallets last a lot longer, but cost five to ten times the price. Polymer mallets are the toughest but cost much more.

Hard Surface—you will want to work on a solid table or something with a little “give” so as to give a crisp, clean impression. (Do not use a bare metal surface and stain your leather. See “bowls.”)

Stamps—either alphabet stamps, picture stamps, or seven basic tools. (Tools are used for carving.)

Leather—be sure you have the right kind of leather.

Beveler, Pearshader, Camouflage, Veiner, Backgrounder, Seeder Below: Heel and Toes of Camouflage Stamp (For instructions to use these tools, see pages 8–9.)

Alphabet Stamps

Page 7—The Leathercraft Manual

Stamping The first step in either stamping or carving is to case (or wet) the leather. To case your leather, first dip your sponge in the water and squeeze out about half of the water or squeeze until the water stops dripping off the sponge. Next, wipe the sponge across your leather two to three times so as to make an even layer of water on your leather. Wait a few minutes until the leather has almost returned to its original color. You are now ready to stamp. Remember that casing leather takes a lot of practice to get the exact moisture content, so just experiment until you get the desired result.

When stamping, you want to hold the tool straight up and down with your thumb on one side of the tool and your four fingers on the other side. (See picture.) Press down firmly to prevent the tool from wobbling when struck with the mallet. Now hold your mallet above the tool and strike it sharply, pivoting in your wrist. (See picture.) Next, lift your tool to check your impression. If you have a faint impression, then carefully re-set the tool and hit it again. You should form the habit of achieving an even impression with just one blow. When stamping veg-tanned leather, it will appear dark and shiny where stamped if cased properly.

The Leathercraft Manual—Page 8

Carving Carving is more difficult than stamping and takes much more practice to master. However, it is well worth the practice. There are many styles of carving such as the following: traditional carving, figure carving, inverted style carving, filigree carving, and the list goes on. The most basic is traditional style which will be covered in this manual.

Step one is to case your leather. Then transfer your pattern to the leather using tracing film and a stylus. Tracing film is just a thin sheet of clear plastic and a stylus is simply a tool with a little ball on the end of it. A dried ball-point pen works great for a stylus.

The next step is to cut the outline of the pattern onto the leather using a swivel knife. The swivel knife should be held as shown and drawn towards the body while turning in the fingers to cut curves. Also shown is a practice pattern that is recommended you cut out before starting on a project. This will help you get the hang of the tool.

Now you will begin using the other six of the seven basic tools to give the design the desired look. The order you use the tools does not matter, although you will want to do the backgrounder and seeder when there is a minimum amount of moisture in the leather. (Usually last.) If your leather begins to dry, then re-case the same as you did before, wait till it is ready to tool, and resume tooling.

I usually begin by using the beveler. The beveler is shaped in a way so as to make the line you bevel look raised by depressing the leather around it. Beveling is usually done on the outside of the design;

although if ever in doubt about where to bevel, simply remember that you always bevel on the outside of what you want to look raised. The beveller is “walked” along the leather slightly overlapping each impression and hitting with an even amount of force to give an even appearance.

Page 9—The Leathercraft Manual

Next is the pear shader. The pear shader is used to give flower peals and similar items a three dimensional look. Be sure you do not strike too hard with the pear shader that you flatten the entire section. You only want to dimple the center. Study the picture to better understand the correct use of the tool.

Next are the camouflage and veiner stamps. These stamps are used to add decorative design to floral patterns and are also good for borders. There are two different sides to the stamps called the toe and heel. (See picture on page 6.) If there is not room for a full impression, then care should be taken to lean the tool so as not to stamp off the desired spot onto another.

The last two tools are the backgrounder and seeder, As mentioned above, these tools should be used when there is very little moisture in the leather. The backgrounder, as its name suggests, is used to background all the areas that are not a part of the actual design. The backgrounder should be hit very lightly to help maintain an even appearance. The seeder is used to make seeds on the pattern and can also be used for eyes or periods.

The Leathercraft Manual—Page 10

Recommended Shopping Avenues Leather and leather tools can be purchased at special leather stores as well as your local craft store. Leather stores offer a wider selection of products; craft stores often sell them for a better price.

Tandy Leather Company—1(866) 537-2952

Tandy Leather Company is a nationwide store that offers great service. I buy about 95% of my leather products at Tandy and have always been pleased with the service and quality. Call to get the nearest store. (If there is not a store near you, you can order through mail or online.)

Hobby Lobby also sells leather tools that can often be bought using a coupon.

Michael’s, like Hobby Lobby, sells leather tools that can be purchased using a coupon.

Wal-Mart—some Wal-Marts sell leather tools usually at a lower price than most other places.

Page 11—The Leathercraft Manual

Recommended Books Below are some recommended books, each of which can be purchased from Tandy Leather Company.

Tech Tips by Al Stohlman—this book thoroughly covers the techniques of carving and stamping by using dozens of illustrations. It also covers the different tools needed for the different designs.

Leathercraft Tools by Al Stohlman—this book is a must-have for anyone interested in leathercraft. Through many illustrations, it describes how to use almost all the tools necessary for leathercraft as well as how to sharpen them.

Projects and Designs by Al Stolhman—this book is filled with a variety of different small leather projects. It also includes all the tooling patterns and even some alternate designs.

Leathercrafting Manuals

The Leathercraft Manual—Page 12

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Published by J&G Leather

Copyright © 2007 by Justin T. Schlichter

For permission to reproduce portions from this book, or for any other questions, please contact:

Justin T. Schlichter

P.O. Box 98 Willis, Texas 77378

Phone: (936) 499-4385