BOSTON

PUBLIC
LIBRARY
II.VnilKWOKK
Sylvia Grainger

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY / PHILADELPHIA AND NEW YORK

 GGDMAN SQUARE

APR 1979

For help with projects and photography, many thanks to

Linda Bennett, Brian Burns, Joan Conlan, Christy Grainger, Gerry Madden,
Phyllis Perrault, Holly Warner, and Shirley Weiland.

U.s. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA

GRAINGER, SYLVIA, BIRTH DATE

LEATHERWORK.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: P.

SUMMARY: DISCUSSES THE MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, AND TECHNIQUES OF LEATHER WORK

AND GIVES INSTRUCTION FOR TWENTY-TWO PROJECTS.

1. LEATHER WORK—JUVENILE LITERATURE. [1. LEATHER WORK. 2. HANDICRAFT] I. TITLE.

tt290.g76 745.53'1 76-21871

isbn-0-397-31692-5 isbn-0-397-31693-3 (pbk.)

COPYRIGHT © 1976 BY SYLVIA GRAINGER

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

FIRST EDITION
•

To Brian
 Contents

Before You Begin 6

1. About Leather 7
KINDS 7
SHAPE, SIZE, AND THICKNESS 11
QUALITY 12
BUYING LEATHER 13
LACING 14

2. About Tools 16
BASIC TOOLS 16
TOOLS YOU MAY WANT 19
OTHER THINGS TO COLLECT FOR YOUR WORKPLACE 23
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET STARTED? 24

3. Cutting, Beveling, and Punching 25

CUTTING 26
BEVELING 28
PUNCHING 29

4. Decorating Your Project 32

CUTTING DESIGNS 32
STAMPING 37

5. Coloring Leather 44
LEATHER DYE 45
ACRYLIC ANTIQUE FINISH 47
LEATHER PAINT 49
6. Putting Your Project Together 50
RIVETS 50
CHICAGO POST AND SCREW 51
SNAPS 52
GLUE 55

LACING 56
SEWING 60
BUFFING 63

7. Projects 65
PENDANT 65
BARRETTE 66
LIGHT SWITCH PLATE 68
KEY RING 69
WRISTBAND 71
MIRROR OR PICTURE FRAME 72
COIN PURSE 75
TOOL BOARD 77
POUCH 79
SHEARLING HAT 82
KIRIGAMI CANDLE OR PLANT HANGER 85
BELT 88
BRAIDED BELT 92
VISOR 97
DOG COLLAR 101
MATCHING LEASH 102
BELT POUCH 103
NOTEBOOK COVER 108
HATCHET COVER HO
CHESSBOARD OR CHECKERBOARD 113
KNAPSACK 117
SHOULDER STRAP BAG 121
SCRAPS 124

Suppliers 125

Suggestions for Further Reading 128

 Before You Begin

First, I want to say that leatherworking is fun! You can make fine things
out of leather on your first try, and you do not have to be “artistic” or
“good with your hands.” All you have to do is read this book carefully,
follow the instructions, and go ahead and do it.
To make most of the leatherwork projects in this book, you will
follow these steps:
Cut out the leather pieces
Bevel the edges
Punch the holes
Decorate as desired
Color the pieces
Put the project together
These steps are shown and explained in chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6.
Before you start, read the chapters on leather and tools. Then get
some scraps of leather and the basic tools listed on pages 18-20. Do a
few things to the scraps—cut them, edge them, punch holes in them,
lace them together—to get the feel of the tools and leather.
After you’ve tried out the tools, you’ll be ready to start a project. The
very simplest projects are first, and you might choose to make one or
more of these. After that, you’ll find you can make anything you like.
Just read the instructions, and remember to try any new process first on
scrap.

6
 About Leather

Leather is the hide of an animal (cow, sheep, etc.), changed by chem¬

ical processes known as tanning. These processes stop the natural
deterioration of the raw hide, making it long-lasting, useful, and beau¬
tiful.

Kinds
There are many kinds of leather. In fact, each piece is different, just
as each person is different. This is true even though the leather may all
have been tanned in the same batch. Since there is so much variation,
you need to be able to ask for the right kind for your project. Here are
three main types of leather.

OAK-TANNED

Oak-tanned leather is sometimes called “bark-tanned” or

“vegetable-tanned.” These names mean that the leather is treated with
tannic acid, which comes from certain oak trees and other plants. The
main thing to remember about this kind of leather is that it is stiff and
can be molded when it is wet. Oak-tanned leather keeps its shape best
of all leathers—it flops and stretches least. For this reason, you might
want to use oak-tanned cowhide if you are making a project decorated
with stamping or carving. When you dampen the leather, the stamps
sink right in nicely and make a good, long-lasting decoration.
Here’s one way to show yourself how oak-tanned leather works: take
a piece of oak-tanned leather, cut it in half, and wet one piece. Now try
stamping a design into the dry piece, then the wet piece—you’ll notice
how much easier it is to stamp into the dampened one. Thin or light¬
weight oak-tanned cowhide makes good wallets, since it can be very
thin and still hold its shape.
When you’re looking at leather in a supply store, look for light
brown, slightly pinkish leather. Keep in mind that you can dye the
leather any color. See if it feels somewhat stiff-—if so, you probably
have oak-tanned. Now smell the leather. Oak-tanned has a special
smell—a good one! Keep sniffing around, and soon you will be able to
tell a piece of oak-tanned cowhide just by the smell. One last thing:
oak-tanned leather usually squeaks when it is rolled up. Other kinds of
leather don’t usually do that. Roll up a piece of suede and listen—no
squeak there.

CHROME-TANNED

Chrome-tanned leather has been tanned with chromium salts. It is

the opposite of oak-tanned, in a way—chrome-tanned leather is soft,
floppy, and pliable. Vests and other clothes can be made out of
chrome-tanned cowhide and sheepskin. You can imagine what a vest
made out of oak-tanned would be like—stiff, uncomfortable, and
ridiculous-looking. You might also use chrome-tanned leather for a soft
pouch, a cap, moccasins, pillows.
This kind of leather can be made with a fuzzy nap on one side, and
then it is called suede (pronounced swayed). Sometimes the tannery
will make both sides usable—one smooth and one sueded. Chrome-
tanned leather is often called “garment” leather. It comes dyed in
many, many colors, and you should pick the one you want, since it’s not
a good idea to dye garment leather yourself (it’s hard to get the color
even).
Here are some kinds of chrome-tanned leather you may find:

Garment cowhide: Sometimes the suede side only is good, sometimes

the smooth side only, sometimes both are usable. This is made in many
thicknesses and colors. Sometimes it is thin enough to be sewn on a
home sewing machine.

Sheepskin suede: Really fine-grained suede; small skins.

Split cowhide suede: This is always sueded on both sides. It is what’s

left over on the underside when a cowhide is split to the thickness the
tannery wants, so it has no top or smooth grain. This suede is all right to
use as long as there will not be any strain on it—it is weak and will split
if it is used for pants, jackets, etc. This is especially true when the split
cowhide is very thin.

Sheep shearling: With the wool left on one side and suede on the other
side. You can make beautiful hats, slippers, and vests with sheep
shearling. It’s also nice just to have a shearling around! It’s called
“shearling” because the wool side has been sheared, or trimmed, to an
even thickness, usually about % to V2 inch. Mostly, shearling has a
brown or gold suede side and a white or off-white nap (wool) side, but
occasionally you will find some with dark suede and dark fur. (It’s been
dyed that way—it doesn’t come from a black sheep.)

Deerskin: Deerskin is extremely soft; the skins are small, usually rag¬
ged and full of holes and scratches, and very expensive. The color is
almost always gold.

Buck-tanned cowhide: This cowhide has been specially treated to feel

like buck, or deerskin. It’s really soft and spongy and feels somewhat

9
stretchy. Buck-tanned cowhide is usually suede on the inside, and it
makes really nice pouches, vests, soft bags, and moccasins. Quite often
you’ll see it dyed a gold color, like deerskin, but it can be dyed any
color at the tannery.

RETANNED

Leather that has been both oak-tanned and chrome-tanned is called

retanned, because it is tanned twice. It is somewhat softer than oak-
tanned leather, and somewhat stiffer than chrome-tanned. Besides
using both types of chemicals, the tannery usually soaks the hides for a
while in hot oil and wax; this is called stuffing. A retanned hide has a
slightly waxy, oily feel. Each tannery does it a bit differently.
You will be working with one kind of retanned cowhide a lot—it’s
called latigo (pronounced LAT-a-go). Latigo is a favorite of many
craftspeople, and when you begin working with it, you’ll know why. It
makes fine purses, belts, wristbands, key rings—just about anything
except clothes. Latigo is most often dyed yellow at the tannery, and
when you put a finish on it, the natural grain and markings on the hide
show through, making a really fine, interesting effect.
There are many other kinds of retanned leather, and you’ll begin to
recognize them with practice.
Shape, Size, and Thickness
When you buy sheepskin, you will probably get the whole hide.
When you buy cowhide, however, it will almost certainly be cut in
half, and it will be called a side. (Tannery machines aren’t big enough
to process a whole cowhide at once.) Here is a side of cowhide, marked
to show the belly (most stretchy part) and the backbone (least stretchy
part). The small hide on top is a sheepskin.
Another shape you might find is called a double shoulder. This cut
has a lot of waste trimmed away, and is most often found in oak-tanned,
for making belts.

Leather is measured at the tannery, in square feet. Look for the mark
on the back side of the piece. It will say the number of square feet and
quarters of a square foot. For example, 20-1 means twenty and one-
quarter square feet (2014), 10-2 means ten and two-quarters square feet
(1024), 6-3 means six and three-quarters square feet (6%). A side of
cowhide is about twenty square feet, a double shoulder of cowhide is
about ten square feet, and a sheepskin is about seven square feet.
Hides are split into different thicknesses while they are being
tanned, so they can be used for different purposes. Leather thickness is
measured in a strange way—in ounces. This used to mean the number
of ounces one square foot weighed. For example, one square foot of

li
“eight-ounce” leather would weigh about eight ounces on the scale.
Here’s the way it’s done now:

one-ounce leather = V64" thick

two-ounce leather = 2/64 or V32" thick
four-ounce leather = 4/64 or Vi6" thick
six-ounce leather = 6/64 or 3/32" thick
eight-ounce leather = 8/64 or Vs" thick

As you can see, the more “ounces,” the thicker the piece of leather.
Here’s a rough idea of the uses of different thicknesses. Remember
that a piece of leather can be stiff but thin, or it can be soft but thick,
depending on how it was tanned (oak-tanned, chrome-tanned, or re¬
tanned) as well as on how thick or thin it was split at the tannery.
•% *•

About two-ounce: Wallet linings, clothes, soft bags, pillow covers,

moccasins.

About four-ounce: Wallets, moccasins, watchbands, notebooks.

About six-ounce: Purses, wristbands, boxes, sandal straps, notebooks.

About eight-ounce: Belts, sandal top soles.

After you have been working with leather for a while, you’ll be able to
tell the weight just by feeling it.

Quality
Grading (separating according to quality) is done in different ways at
different tanneries. Sometimes a tannery separates the hides into
grades 1 (the best), 2, 3, and so on; sometimes into grades A, B, C, etc.
TR means “tannery run.” Tannery run hides are not separated accord¬
ing to how good they are. Usually, the grade is not marked on a tannery
run hide at all.
Even the top grades will have “imperfections,” since leather is a
natural material. There will be some holes, scratches, grain markings,
wrinkles, brands (see the picture)—and you can often use these as part
of the design of your project. The main way you will be able to tell
good leather from not-so-good leather is by your experience. Take time
to look around a bit; ask if you can see different grades and different
kinds of leather. A really fine piece of leather has few or no brands or
holes in it, few cuts on the back side, and a nice-looking grain (smooth)

12
side. It shouldn’t be really shiny and painted-looking, because then
you can’t see the grain, and it probably couldn’t be dyed at all.

Buying Leather
Pieces of leather are sold by the square foot. For example, the price
for a side of cowhide might be $1.75 per square foot. A side is usually
about twenty square feet, so the price for the side would be around
$35.00 (20 x $1.75). The price varies a lot, depending on the type and
grade of leather and which tannery it came from. In general, you will
find prices ranging from about $1.00 per square foot for low-grade split
cowhide all the way up to about $2.40 per square foot for oak-tanned
cowhide of the best grade with the waste removed. It’s usually worth
the extra money to get the best you can—you will have less throwaway
scrap, and you will have a much nicer project.
Will you have to buy a whole side? Each supplier is different. Ask
questions: Do you sell only whole pieces, or will you cut off a piece?
Do you have scraps? Some places sell only full sides; some sell
punched-out kits in boxes; some have straps, belts, and laces cut; some
will cut a piece off a side for you. If possible, keep looking until you
find a place where the people who wait on you know how to work with
leather themselves (you’ll be able to tell!) and are happy to talk to you
and help you get the right things. If you have a pattern, take it with you
when you go to buy, so that you can make sure it fits on the leather.
Perhaps you’ll be buying your supplies by mail order—go ahead and
ask any questions you have by letter. There is a list of stores that sell
leather, tools, and other supplies—with notes about the way they
sell—at the back of this book. Also, you can look in the Yellow Pages of

13
the phone book, under Leather. Most often, stores that sell leather also
sell leatherworking tools and other supplies.
With a bit of looking around, you may be able to find free scraps.
Remember that the company or leatherworkers would probably use
the leather themselves if it was in big, first-rate pieces—but sometimes
you can get scraps worth practicing on or even using for projects. Ask a
leather shop, a sandalmaker, a crafts teacher, a shoe repair shop, a
tannery, a leather supply store, perhaps a leather goods factory.

Lacing
For many of your projects, you’ll need to buy lacing, thin strips of
leather used to lace or sew pieces of a project together. Most leather
supply stores sell lacing by the yard or by the foot. The price is usually
from about 7 cents to 15 cents per foot. Sometimes lacing comes cut to a
certain length—often 6 or 7 feet—and sometimes you can ask for the
exact length you want.

Here are some kinds you’ll be looking for:

Latigo or oak-tanned lacing (a), to match the leather you’re using (for
purse, belt pouch, etc.). This lacing should be 3/i6 inch wide, which is a
little bigger than the hole it will go into. The lacing will stretch out a
bit as you pull it through the holes, and the lacing should end up snug
in the holes, for looks and strength.
With a little practice, you can cut your own latigo or oak-tanned
lacing, using The Strap Cutter. If possible, cut the lacing straight down
the backbone edge of the side, since that’s the least stretchy place.

Chrome-tanned (soft) lacing (b) is used for the pouch, the shearling
hat, perhaps for the knapsack. It can be used to lace up clothes—
—anything made of soft leather or suede. It should be Va inch wide—
—even wider in relation to the hole it goes through than the latigo
lacing—because it is softer and thinner and will stretch out somewhat
more. Try cutting your own soft lacing, either with The Strap Cutter or
with shears. Slight irregularities won’t matter, you’ll find, as the lacing
will straighten out when it is pulled through the holes. Often, you
won’t be able to buy lacing to match the soft leather you want—a good
reason to try cutting your own.

Calf or goat lacing (c) is thin and narrow (Vs inch wide). It is used in #0

14
(Vie") holes. This lacing usually comes in 50-yard spools; you may have
to buy the whole spool. Use calf or goat lacing for the visor and
notebook cover; it is also used for wallets and fancy lacing projects.
These laces come in many colors; you can either dye your own or
choose the color you want. Lacing made from calfskin is not much
different from that made from goatskin; goatskin has a more grainy look
and is said to be a little stronger, but the difference is not enough to
worry about—just choose whichever looks best to you.

Cordohyde (d) is the brand name of a small round cotton cord which
looks like leather. It is very useful for hanging pendants, mirrors, wall
hangings, and the like.

15
 2 .
About Tools

There are some tools you will need for sure, and some you can choose
from, depending on what you want to make. Under Basic Tools, you’ll
find the tools you definitely need for most projects. To find out what
other tools you need for a particular project, check the tool list for that
project. For example, if you want to make wristbands with snaps, you’ll
need a snap setter in addition to the basic tools. Decorating tools aren’t
in the “must-have’’ section; you can make many things without
them—but you’ll probably want to get at least one.
Look for leatherworking tools at a store which specializes in leather
supplies (under Leather in the Yellow Pages).

Basic Tools
First, the tools you must have, in the order you’ll use them.

LEATHERWORKERS’ GOLDEN RULE:

TRY IT FIRST ON SCRAP!

Pencil (a), for drawing the pattern onto the leather. It’s important to use
a soft pencil, not a hard pencil or pen, so you can erase if you make a
mistake.

Cutter, to cut the pieces out. You can use a razor cutter (b)—a single-
edged razor blade in a holder—or a pair of leather shears (c). Razor
blades are thinner than other types of blades, so they cut more easily.
Razor cutters are very inexpensive (under $1.00), and they work fine.
Leather shears are terrific, but they are expensive. A pair will cost
around $7.50 to $15.00, and the higher-priced ones are usually better.

16
If you can, get a good pair. Try them out before you buy them. They
should have serrated blades (very small bumps on the cutting edges).

Edger (d). This rounds the edge of the leather so that it wears evenly
and is more comfortable where it touches you, as on wristbands and
visors. Also, when you dye an edged piece, the edge will have a nice
dark outline. I use an edger on both the front and back of nearly every¬
thing I make, except when I am using very thin or soft leather. Edgers
come in sizes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5—the bigger the number, the more
the edger cuts off. Get yourself a #2 edger; it's a good size for nearly
everything. Edgers cost around $2.00. (They are also called edge bev-
elers.)

Punch, for making holes for things like rivets, lacing, sewing, and
snaps. You can use a drive punch (e) or a spring punch (f).
A drive punch usually costs less than a spring punch (about $1.50 for
a drive punch, $3.00 for a spring punch). It's called a drive punch
because you “drive” it with a mallet through the leather into a piece of
wood or thick rubber. To start, you really only need one size—a #5,
which makes a 5/32" hole.
The spring punch is faster to use than the drive punch. Again, you
need only the #5-size punch to start. Please don’t get a rotary-type

17
punch, with all different sizes on a wheel, even though it looks like
such a good deal. Almost always, this type of punch wears out, and the
wheel slips after a while; also, the different size punches chew up the
small copper anvil they punch onto—so the punch doesn’t cut cleanly.
Anyway, you only need one or possibly two sizes of holes.
Some leatherworkers like to have both drive and spring punches,
because the spring punch is more convenient to use, but the drive
punch will punch holes where the spring punch can’t reach, away from
the edge of the leather.

Mallet (g), for pounding your drive punch and decorating stamps. Get a
wooden, rawhide, or rubber mallet. It’s easier to pound those tools
with a mallet than with a metal hammer, and they will last longer. If
possible, try out the mallet for size before buying it. The size and
weight are not of critical importance, but a tiny toy mallet won’t do the
job well, and a great heavy one will tire your arm unnecessarily.

Rubber soling material (h), to go on top of the anvil when drive

punches or slot punches are used. Get a piece at least 3 by 5 inches,
about V4 inch thick. You can buy this where you get the other tools, or
at a shoe repair shop. It is possible to use a piece of wood underneath
the drive punches and slot punches instead of the rubber and anvil,
and many people do it that way, but I find the rubber and anvil way to
be the easiest and safest.

Anvil (i), for setting rivets and snaps and for stamping. The anvil also
goes under the piece of rubber soling material for the drive punch. You
can use any heavy, flat metal thing—a piece of scrap iron, a bench vise,
the side of a large hammer, the back of a cast iron frying pan—
—anything, as long as it is heavy, flat metal and won’t be damaged by
being pounded on.

Hammer (j). A metal hammer is used for setting rivets, setting snaps,
and tapping lacing flat. It doesn’t have to be a special type of hammer,
although one with a slightly rounded head is easiest to use for rivets.

Lacing needle (k). This tool makes lacing easy. There are several kinds;
the best kind is a brass tube with screw threads in one end, so you can
screw the lacing needle onto the lacing. You will probably want two
sizes: one for the heavier latigo lacing (purses, etc.) and one for the
smaller, lightweight calf lacing (visor, etc.).

18
Tools You May Want
The Strap Cutter (a). You can cut even, accurate straps, belts, and laces
with this patented tool. It uses a razor blade to cut—hidden in the two
crossbars, so you cannot cut yourself. Don’t buy the kind with the
blade sticking up out of one crossbar; it is cheaper but dangerous, and
harder to use. You can save quite a bit on leather by cutting up your
own leather into strips. The Strap Cutter costs around $8.50; you can
usually save this amount the first few times you use the tool.

Stitchmarker (b). The stitchmarker marks stitches! As you push the

wheel across the leather, points on the wheel mark a row of evenly
spaced dots. Evenly spaced stitches can be marked with a pencil and
ruler, or even with a kitchen fork—but if you do a lot of sewing or
lacing where you punch small holes, you might want this tool. Stitch-
markers come in different sizes; I recommend the one which marks
five stitches to the inch.

Smaller size punch. If you decide to make things which are sewn (like
the coin purse), or laced with small lacing (like the visor), you need
one more punch—a #0 size punch, for Vi6" holes. You can get either a
drive punch (c) or a spring punch, but remember that sewing and small
lacing often mean lots of holes, so you might want to choose the more
convenient spring punch.

Slot punch (d). This is a special kind of drive punch which makes slots
for buckle tongues, decorations, and so on. If you need to make a slot
and you don’t have one of these, you can punch two round holes, one at
either end of the slot you want to make, and connect these holes with

19
the razor cutter. Or you can nibble along with the #5 round punch
until you have a slot. Slot punches come in many sizes; the one that
makes a hole % inch long is a good choice. You can move the punch
over and punch again to make a longer slot, if necessary. Slot punches
cost about $3.00 to $4.00 and are also called bag punches.

Stamps (e), for imprinting designs in the leather. The average price of
a stamp is around $2.50. There are hundreds of stamps to choose from.
Unless you see a design you really like right away, you might have
trouble deciding which one to get. I suggest that for your first stamp,
you choose one that doesn’t make a picture all by itself (horse, rose,
fish, etc.) but will make lots of different designs when used in different
ways. Two stamps like that, used together, really increase the pos¬
sibilities. Of course, if you see a picture stamp which hollers “Take me
home!” then by all means, you should take that one home.

Marble (f). You can stamp onto your anvil, but it is really nice to have a
thick piece of marble for this job, especially if you do a lot of stamping.
If you put wet leather onto the anvil it may rust after a while, and the
low, flat, larger surface of the marble is more convenient.

Dividers or compass (g). A really useful tool for making guidelines and
planning decorations. Look for it in an art supply store, a stationery
store, or a dime store.

Swivel knife (h), for drawing designs in the leather. The part below the
stirrup-shaped finger rest swivels, making it possible to cut curved
lines easily. A swivel knife costs around $2.50.

Modeling tool (i). A modeling tool can be used to smooth out and
deepen swivel knife cuts. Some craftspeople like to use the modeling
tool instead of a pencil to make light guidelines and to trace designs.

V-gouge (j). The adjustable V-gouge makes a V-shaped cut in the

leather. It was designed to make a cut on the back side of a piece of
leather, to make it fold easily—but the V-gouge makes a fine decorat¬
ing tool also. It removes a small strip of leather instead of just slicing
through the grain of the leather as a swivel knife does, so the resulting
line is wider.

Edge creaser (k). This is a decorating tool; it makes a borderline along

the edge of a piece of leather. There are different sizes; try them out if
you can—a #3 is a good size.

20
Woodburning tool (1). An electric pen, or woodburning tool, the kind
that gets hot when you plug it in, makes a good decorating tool.

Paintbrush (m), for applying dye or paint to small areas. It’s best to
have a good quality one; cheap ones tend to fall apart, and they make it
harder to paint tiny areas. If your leather supply store doesn’t have
brushes, buy one in an art supply store. Size #3 is a good one for most
work; for very fine lines and tiny areas you might want to get a smaller
one, perhaps #0 or #00.

Snap setter and snaps. The best kind of snap setter has three parts: a
small cupped anvil (n), which goes under the rounded snap cap; a
holder (o), which holds the snap parts in place; and a pin (arrow),
which fits inside the holder and is pounded with the hammer to set the
snap. There are two sizes of snap setter. One is for the Durable Dot
snap, used for heavy leather (eight-ounce and over); the other is small¬
er, for the Baby Durable Dot snap, used for thinner leather (seven-
ounce and under). Snap setters usually cost around $3.50. Solid brass
Dot brand snaps (the best kind) are around 10 cents each; there are
four parts to each snap.

#000 glovers’ needle (p) is a sharp needle with a three-sided point. It is

used for sewing soft leather or suede by hand, with waxed thread.
#000 is the biggest size made and is by far the easiest to use.

#000 harness needles (q) are dull-pointed needles. They are used for
hand stitching, with waxed thread, when there are holes already
punched in the leather. Often, you will need two needles at once for
the seam. They are not expensive (about 10 cents each), so get at least
two.

Shoe brush (r), a great help for buffing the finished product to a lovely
gloss. A soft rag will also do it.

Other supplies. Many of the projects call for specific types of hardware
(rivets or Chicago posts for fastening; shoe tacks; D-ring and leash clip
for dog leash; buckle for belt, etc.). These are listed with the materials
at the beginning of the directions for each project. Products for color¬
ing and finishing leather are discussed in the chapter on Coloring
Leather; choose and buy the color(s) you want after you’ve chosen the
leather for a project.

Other Things to Collect for Your Workplace

You need a table to work on—something sturdy that doesn’t bounce
around a lot when you pound. It’s a good idea to put a piece of plywood
or Masonite on the top of the table or bench, so you can cut and
hammer away without worrying about the surface of the table.
Get together a stack of newspapers, for spreading on the table when
you are going to use dyes and finishes.
Regular kitchen paper towels are best for wiping off Acrylic Antique
Finish. You can also use soft rags.
Your tools will love you if you put them in a good storage place. A
box is all right to start with, but tools do tend to hit against each other
and may get dulled. The best thing is to hang them up. Then they
are always where you can find them, and they can’t get damaged. A tool
board is handy for this purpose; directions for making one are on page
77.
If you plan to make any patterns of your own, equip your workshop
with a supply of plain paper—large pieces, and heavy if possible.
Paper with squares marked on it is nice to work with.
Add a ruler or yardstick for measuring and drawing straight lines. A
square or T-square comes in handy, too, for drawing square corners.
You’ll need wax for waxing lacing. You can buy paraffin blocks very
cheaply in a grocery store or craft store; you can also use a candle end
or a piece of beeswax.

23
How Much Does It Cost to Get Started?
You can get a razor cutter, edger, #5 drive punch, lacing needle, and
a pieee of rubber soling material for around $6.00. If you can find a
mallet, hammer, anvil, and pencil at home, you’re all set to get started!
If you don’t have those, figure on spending somewhere around $16.00
all together. After that, you can choose—perhaps you want to add a
stamp or two, or maybe shears are what you really would like to have
next. Remember to check the tool list for each project you want
to make, to see if you need special tools.
You can save money and perhaps have a better set of tools to use if
you can get together with other leatherworkers. For example, you
might buy a side of leather and cut it up, rather than getting small
pieces. In some cases, quantity discounts are available; many stores
give a 10 percent discount when you buy three or more stamps at a
time, for instance. You might also buy equipment as a group and work
together.

24
Cutting, Beveling, and
Punching

The first step in making most leatherwork projects is to prepare the

pattern and draw it onto the top (smooth) side of the leather.
To use the patterns in this book, trace them onto a sheet of paper,
and cut out the traced pattern pieces. Tape pieces together along the
dotted lines, if necessary.
Now, transfer the pattern to the leather. It’s important to draw on the
top side, because it’s easier to cut and punch with the top side up. Hold
the pattern in place with your hand if it is a small pattern; if it’s too
large to hold down securely with one hand, weight the pattern down
with heavy things like an anvil, books, or shears. Draw around the
pattern with a soft lead pencil. Draw in holes and other markings, too,
by pressing on the paper with the pencil. This will mark the leather
even though the pencil doesn’t actually touch the leather. Designs can
be marked this way too, right through the paper.
 Note that some patterns (knapsack, hatchet cover, shoulder strap bag,
chessboard) are just guides for making your own full-sized pattern, so
you won’t be tracing these.

Cutting
If you are using a razor cutter rather than leather shears, put your
leather on a large piece of wood or Masonite, so you don’t damage your
table or bench. Here’s a trick for easy and accurate cutting with a razor
cutter: put your finger down on the very end of the top side of the
cutter, as the picture shows. All at once, sink the blade into the leather.
Now, with your other hand, pull the leather. Don’t move the cutter. If
you pull the leather and keep the cutter still, the cutter won’t wobble
around, and you can’t cut yourself. In any case, keep the fingers of the
hand that is holding the leather in front of the cutter, never behind
it—to make sure you don’t cut your fingers.

When the blade gets chipped or dulled, just pull the case of the
cutter off and change the blade. It’s a good idea to change the blade
often, since it’s much easier to cut with a fresh blade. The blades are
not expensive.

26
 Use leather shears the same way as ordinary scissors. Be especially
careful with them so as not to cut yourself. They are very sharp!
You may want to use The Strap Cutter to cut out parts of the
project—a strap or belt or perhaps your own lacing. If you are starting
with a full side of leather, cut these along the backbone edge of the
side (the straightest edge), since the backbone is the least stretchy part
of the side. You’ll need to make a straight edge to start from, so put the
side on a large table or on the floor. Lay it out flat, smooth top-grain
side up. Draw a straight pencil line all the way down the backbone
edge of the side, using a yardstick. Cut along this pencil line with your
shears or razor cutter. Adjust The Strap Cutter to the width you want,
and start the cut, holding The Strap Cutter by the handle (not by the
crossbars). As soon as the end of the strap comes through, take hold of
the end and pull on it. Don’t shove the leather through or pull on the
main piece of leather—just pull on the strap you are cutting off. This is
important for a straight cut.
Beveling
To bevel an edge, press down on the edger and slide it along the
edge, holding it at an angle. When you try this on a serap of leather,
experiment with the way you hold the edger to get the best angle—try
it with your edger held up higher, down lower, leaning to the right or
to the left.
As you bevel, move your other hand along, keeping it very near to
where you are edging; you’ll find it a lot easier that way, because your
other hand can hold the leather firmly in place. Don’t worry, you can¬
not hurt yourself with an edger. And you can’t cut off too much. It’s a
little harder to edge the back side of the leather than the front—you
may need to move the edger back and forth a bit instead of just sliding
it along.

To sharpen an edger, wrap a piece of very fine sandpaper (500 or 600

grit) around a ruler, and rub the edger back and forth on the edge. You
might want to sharpen your new edger before using it, since sometimes
edgers are dull when you get them.

28
Punching
First, mark the holes. The placement of the holes may be marked on
the pattern, and then you’ll be marking them on the leather at the same
time you draw the pattern. For sewing, and sometimes for small lacing,
you can use the stitchmarker to mark the placement of the holes. Until
you have had some practice with the stitchmarker, you may want to
make a very light guideline with a pencil, to show where the stitch¬
marker should go. Press the stitchmarker pretty hard for good marks;
sometimes it helps to run the marker back and forth over a short space
in the same marks until they are easy to see.
To punch holes with the drive punch/set your anvil in a secure place
on the table. A good place is over the table leg, so the anvil won’t
bounce around. If your table is wobbly, you might want to put the anvil
on the floor. Then put the rubber soling material on the anvil to protect
the cutting edge of the punch. Never pound your drive punch through
the leather into anything made of metal, concrete, or cement—if you
do, you will smash the cutting edge of the punch flat and it won’t cut
anymore.
Put the leather on the rubber, the drive punch on the leather, and
pound the punch with the mallet. At first, it will take quite a bit of
pounding, but after you’ve done it several times, you’ll find that it only
takes a couple of whacks. The punch has a place for the little “holes” to
come out—either at the top or the side—and you do not have to pick
the leather piece out of the end of the punch each time you punch a
hole.
Use slot punches the same way as drive punches. If you have trouble
getting a slot punch to cut, first look at the cutting edge to see if it has
been dulled by pounding against metal. Then, if the edge is sharp, try
tipping the punch to one end of the slot and then the other, giving it a
couple of whacks each time. Finally, hold it straight and finish off the
slot. (If the cutting edge has been pounded against metal, the unfortu¬
nate truth is that you’ll have to get another punch.)
When you use your spring punch, hold the handle as close to the end
as you can—you get more power, or leverage, that way. A new punch

may be stiff until you’ve punched a couple of holes. If you have trou¬
ble, here are some things to try. Twist the punch as you squeeze it; try
to squeeze all at once instead of slowly; and try putting the handle of
the punch on the table and pressing with both hands.
Your punches—drive, spring or slot—should last a long, long time if
you protect them from dropping against metal surfaces. They do not
need sharpening. One good way to keep a spring punch cutting well is
to put a rubber band around the handle to keep it closed when you are
not using it. Then the punch tube can never get chipped.

3i
 Decorating Your
Project

Any project made of oak-tanned or retanned leather can be decorated

with cut and/or stamped designs. There is one rule for decorating
leather: Do it exactly the way you like it! (Or leave it plain; leather
often has grain and other markings which are interesting and beautiful
as they are.) The only way to learn is to try something and see how it
turns out, then improve it (or do it the same) the next time. So I will not
give you any more rules—only some ideas, suggestions, and starting
places.
Whenever you cut or stamp oak-tanned leather, dampen it first. I just
run the leather under the faucet, once on the top side and once on the
back; shake off the extra water; and wait a minute or two for the water
to sink in. You might keep a wet sponge handy in case the leather gets
too dry as you go. After a little practice, you will know exactly how
damp the leather should be—not soggy wet, but evenly damp, some¬
thing like clay. When the leather dries out, it will become firm again
and hold the design you have cut or stamped into it. If you are using
latigo or another retanned leather, you do not need to dampen it.

Cutting Designs
You can “draw” on leather with a swivel knife, V-gouge, or electric
pen. The best designs for this purpose are simple line drawings, with¬
out too many tiny lines or details. You can draw directly on the leather
with a pencil before cutting, but it’s a good idea to plan your design on
paper first. You can draw a picture. Or you can make a design with lines
which divide up the space. They could be straight lines, or curved
lines, or both.

32
 A “mandala” or snowflake-type design is good for any piece where
you have some space—a wall hanging, a purse flap, a notebook cover.
Use a square piece of paper (a little smaller than the leather) which is
somewhat stiff, but which you can see through at least a little. Fold it
the way you do to make “snowflakes’’—in half, in half again, and then
diagonally in half again. Draw a simple design on the folded piece with
a heavy black felt marker. Refold the piece so you can see the design

33
on another part of the paper, and trace it. Do that again and again until
you have traced a whole design.
Other fine design ideas are just waiting to pour out of your imagina¬
tion onto your project (don’t spill any!) and they are also all around you.
Here are some places to look for designs. In some eases, you’ll want to
use the whole design just as it is, and sometimes you’ll want to take just
a part of the design, leaving out things that make it too complicated.
And sometimes what you find will just be the beginning for a design of
your own. Look for designs in stores, on package labels, on boxes; on
greeting cards; in books—if you like birds, for example, look in a li¬
brary book about birds; in coloring books—there are lots of good ones
now, on shells, butterflies, antique cars, and so on; outside—look
around at buildings, trees, flowers, leaves; on cloth—printed fabrics
often have good design ideas; in paperbacks published by Dover,
which have designs of all sorts—a few of the best ones for leather are
listed in the bibliography at the end of this book.
What should you do with the design when you find it? Somehow you
need to get it onto a piece of paper which is just the right size and
shape for your leather project. Depending on where the design is, you
can draw around it, or trace it, or look at it and draw it yourself. Re¬
member to keep it simple. If the design you want is too small and you
can’t draw it bigger, trace it onto paper that has small squares on it.
Then make bigger squares on another piece of paper and draw the
design by comparing where the lines go on the squares. You can make
a big design smaller by going from big squares to smaller ones.
When you have the design on paper, put it on the undyed leather and
hold it in place with heavy objects. Then use a pencil to draw over the
design. The leather underneath will mark easily when you press on the
paper with the pencil. Carefully look to make sure the design is all
there on the leather before you move the paper. Once the design has
been transferred to the leather, you can choose among several tools to
cut along the lines.

Swivel knife. With a swivel knife, you can draw around curves. To use
the swivel knife, put the end of your index finger on the “stirrup’’
finger rest. Hold the middle part with your thumb and third or fourth
finger, and rest your little finger on the leather. Tip the top end of the
knife away from you and pull the knife toward you. Press fairly hard to
make a deep cut. Practice making a few straight cuts first, then try some
curves and wavy lines. Notice that you can swivel the blade to make

34
curves without turning your index finger or your arm. When you’re
cutting a tight curve, try turning the leather slowly as you cut; some¬
times it’s easier that way.

Modeling tool. To smooth and deepen a swivel knife cut, run a model¬
ing tool along the cut.
V-gouge. The V-gouge makes a V-shaped cut. To use it, turn the screw
on the top to make the blade come out the bottom until it cuts as deeply
as you want. When you are cutting, keep the V-gouge flat (don’t tip it)
and slide it along, so that the cut will be even. Set your V-gouge on its
side when not in use, so the blade won’t get chipped.

Edge creaser. This tool makes a borderline around a piece of leather.

To use it, press it along the edge of your project. The line will show up
more when you put on Acrylic Antique Finish.
Woodburning tool or electric pen. Try the electric pen out on a few
scraps of the kind of leather you’re using, since it looks different on
each type of leather. It will work especially well on most chrome-
tanned leather (the soft kind). Of course, you have to make sure that
you don’t leave the hot tip in one place on the leather too long, or it
will burn a hole. With a little practice, you can write with the electric
pen.

Stamping
Stamps are great fun and easy to use. They can be used alone or
combined with swivel knife or other cut lines. Do all stamping before
using dyes and finishes so the color can sink into the deep places.
Different types of leather stamp differently. Oak-tanned takes stamps
the best; remember to dampen both sides before stamping. Latigo
(retanned) stamps fine, too, but you don’t need to dampen it first.
Chrome-tanned leather does not stamp well.
To use stamps, put your leather on either your anvil or a piece of
marble. Don’t stamp onto wood or concrete. You need a very dense
backing material for the leather, so that it cannot move out of the way of
the stamp, or bounce around. This way the stamp will make a single
good impression. Spread your fingers out on the stamp, to hold it
steady; try putting your little finger on the bottom of the stamp or on
the leather. Now hit the stamp with a mallet, not a metal hammer. If

37
the stamp doesn’t go deep enough, you can put it back, carefully, and
wiggle it a bit to make sure it’s in the same place. Then give it a few
more whacks with the mallet. Make sure you stamp deeply, so the
design will last.

Alphabet and number sets. These sets come with a single handle that
fits all the stamps. To use these, put the handle in the letter or number
you want. There is a tiny guide letter or number on the stamp. Place
this toward you, and the stamp will turn out right side up. If you stamp
a letter upside down or in the wrong place, sometimes it works to
stamp the right letter on top of the wrong one. Stamp it in deep, and it
may cover up the mistake.
Here’s a tip for spacing words, names, etc.: Measure to the middle of
the place where you want the word or words. Figure out which is the
middle letter, and stamp it in the middle place. Then you can put in
the rest of the letters, working out from the middle.

38
Shaders (a). Shaders are pear-shaped stamps which press down an area
smoothly to create a three-dimensional effect. They are usually used
inside a space outlined by a swivel knife line, like the flower petals in
the photo. To use a shader, tap the stamp lightly with the mallet, and
move the tool slightly each time you tap. If you have only one shader,
and it’s too big for the area you want to shade, tip the stamp so that
you’re only using a part of it. After you have dyed a piece done this
way, you’ll see why this stamp is called a shader; the Acrylic Antique
Finish makes the shaded area come out darker.
r

Veiners (b). These stamps are called veiners because they are used to
make the veins on leaves. They are excellent stamps for other sorts of
designs, too. When a veiner is used on a leaf, it is usually tipped
slightly so that one end goes in deeper, at the center of the leaf. In the
picture, note shaders in the flower petals and veiners in the leaves.

Geometries (c). These are really useful stamps; they make good bor¬
ders, they can be used all by themselves to cover a whole area, and
they combine with other stamps well. One special kind of geometric
stamp is the basketweave. It makes the leather look woven. A trick to
getting the basketweave even is to draw a light guideline with a ruler,
at an angle, and stamp first one side of the line, then the other side,
then the first side—use this as a guide for the rest of the stamping.

Outline Stamping or Inverted Carving. You can outline a design with

stamps called backgrounders (d) so that the Acrylic Antique Finish
makes the outline dark and leaves the design itself lighter. This is a

40
good way to make mountains and clouds, for example. For these de¬
signs the swivel knife is not used at all.
 Before stamping your project, plan your design. Try your stamps
scattered—all over the piece. Or stamp along the edges; draw a light
pencil line, using a ruler, for a guideline. Or run dividers along the
edge to make the guideline; do this lightly, or it will show. Dividers

can also be used to '‘walk” along a piece to make evenly spaced points.
Try stamping down the center line of your piece; draw a guideline
first. Or start from a center point, or points, and build out. Choose one
stamp to be the center, then see what might go around it. Or make a
wavy swivel knife line and then add stamps—oak leaf and acorn, flow¬
ers and leaves, wheat, ducks on the waves . . .
Try putting the design or parts of it in different places on the proj¬
ect, not just in one place. For a purse, make the main design on the
purse flap, but also add a small design of the same type on the shoulder
strap and on the back of the purse. On a visor, the biggest part of the

42
design is usually on the bill; put some of the same stamps on the
buckle strap, too.
 Coloring Leather

You do not have to put anything on the leather at all—if you like the
color the way it is when you buy it, leave it that way! Latigo and
oak-tanned cowhide will darken with age; the latigo turns a beautiful
golden tan, and oak-tanned usually turns a slightly reddish medium
brown. If you do choose to color your leather, I suggest that you try
putting it outside in the sun for several hours first. You can do this at
any time—before you cut any pieces out, or after the edges are beveled
and the holes punched. This will make the leather easier to color—dye
and finish will go on more deeply and evenly.
All coloring should be done after stamping, and before putting the
project together. If you stamp first, the finish will make the designs
show up. And it’s much easier to dye flat separate pieces than a laced-
up thing.
Please note that dyes and finishes are poison; it’s best to wash up
soon after using them, keep them away from your mouth and eyes, use
them in a well-ventilated area, and make sure they are well out of the
reach of small children. If you have very sensitive skin or cuts on your
hands, or you don’t want Leatherworkers’ Dirty Fingernails, wear rub¬
ber gloves.
There are three different ways to color leather—dye, Acrylic An¬
tique Finish, and paint—and you can use any or all of them on your
project. I recommend that you use the Finish (if you want to color the
leather at all), either by itself, over dye, or under paint.

LEATHER COLORERS’ GOLDEN RULE:

TRY IT FIRST ON SCRAP!
Leather Dye
Leather dye is watery thin. It comes in many colors—red, green,
navy, black, yellow, purple, tan, spice, honey, chocolate, oxblood are a
few examples. Dye sinks right into the leather; it doesn’t make dark
edges or show up the grain. It can be used to color a whole piece or
small areas of a design. You can use dye by itself, but it looks better and
lasts better with Acrylic Antique Finish over it. When you put Finish
on top of dye, it changes the color somewhat, making it less bright,
more even, and more interesting—the Finish shows up the grain of the
leather.
The color you get when you use dye (or Finish) partly depends on
the original color of the leather. For example, if your project is made
out of yellow latigo, you can imagine what happens when you put blue
dye on it! The result, of course, is green, since blue and yellow make
green. Yellow latigo does make beautiful warm colors; that’s one
reason so many leatherworkers like it. If you find you like the yellow
color base but you want to use oak-tanned cowhide for a project, dye
the oak-tanned with yellow dye, and then dye and/or Finish the pro¬
ject any color you like. Experiment on a scrap of the same leather as
your project. If you are using oak-tanned leather, dampen it before
using dye; the dye will sink into the leather better.
Dye smells strong, so use it in a well-ventilated area. If you want to
color the whole piece, fold a coarse cloth rag into a little bundle. (Don’t
use the dauber that comes with the bottle; it splatters.) Put some dye
on the rag, and blot off the extra onto newspaper. Rub the rag on your
leather. Keep building up the dye until you have the color you want.
Let the piece dry several hours or more, then put on the Finish. Keep
in mind that dye dries lighter than when you put it on.
If you want the stamping to be lighter than the rest, do the same
thing as above, but blot most of the dye off the rag onto newspaper.
Keep blotting it until it hardly shows on the paper. Then rub the rag
lightly on the leather, and the dye will just hit the high spots, not sink
down in the stamping. Let dry several hours. You can’t use Finish on
the front of this project, because it would darken the stamping, but it’s
a good idea to put Finish on the back and edges of the piece—
carefully, and wipe off the excess.
For a really nice effect, choose a piece of latigo with a lot of grain
showing, and use dye as above (blotting most of it off on newspaper)—
let dry completely, then use Finish. The grain will show through.

45
 To color areas of a carved design, pour a little of the dye into the
bottle cap, and move the cap close to the place you’re dyeing, with
newspaper under it. With a small paintbrush, fill in the areas. Don’t
worry about getting the edges of the design perfectly even, since the
Acrylic Antique Finish will make them all dark anyway. Use plenty of
dye—go over the area a couple of times—because the dye dries lighter
than it looks when it’s wet. Let the piece dry for at least six hours, to
make sure it doesn’t smear. Then use the Finish.
Acrylic Antique Finish
If you want to use one type of coloring only, this is the kind to get.
Try to get Acrylic Antique Finish, not just Antique Finish, because the
non-acrylic kind does water spot, and nothing you put over it can stop
it. The brand I recommend is Angelus.
Acrylic Antique Finish (sometimes called Finish) darkens the bev¬
eled edges, the stamping, and the back of the piece so they are darker
than the rest, and it brings out the grain in the leather. It is thick—
—about like a milkshake—and comes in several shades of brown (red
brown, cordovan, mahogany, light brown, etc.). It has wax and a sealer
in it, so the finish won’t water spot, and it can be buffed up to a glossy
shine.
Here’s the way to use Finish: Smear it on really thick, and wipe it
off. First spread out some newspapers, and have ready kitchen-type
paper towels (not the hard, scratchy school restroom kind) or soft rags.
Try to get some shearling scraps for applying Finish, because it’s a lot
easier and you’ll probably do a better job if you have them. Otherwise,
try a damp sponge or a folded-up rag. Your project should be all cut out,
edges beveled, holes punched, and any stamping done. Take one piece
at a time. If it’s oak-tanned, dampen with water. Oak-tanned leather is
somewhat drier than latigo, and Finish tends to dry too fast (before you
can wipe off the excess) unless you dampen the leather first.
Shake the bottle. Now, with a little scrap of shearling, smear on
plenty of Finish. Turn the piece over and do the back, then turn the
piece right side up and smear the Finish around on the front again. If
the Finish looks like it’s getting dry, put some more on.
 Move the leather to a clean spot on the newspaper, take the paper
towel, and wipe off the excess Finish. It works best if you wipe rather
lightly, around and around in a circle, so that it doesn’t streak. If it dries
before you can get it off, or looks really dark and streaky—no problem,
just put some more Finish on to loosen it up. If your paper towel gets
all loaded up with Finish, move to a clean spot on the paper towel, or
get a fresh one. Don’t rub hard at all—the main thing is to get it on
thick and wipe it off. You don’t have to wipe off the back side. If the
color you get isn’t dark enough, do it again—but if you want very dark
leather, you’ll have to use a dye first. To get extra Finish out of the
holes, slap the piece down onto a clean area of newspaper, then check
to see if the front needs wiping off again.

Now move the piece to a separate spot to dry for a few minutes.
Notice how the edges and stamping are dark, and the grain and other
natural markings show up.
Acrylic Antique Finish is gooey, messy stuff. You can clean up your
hands with soap and water; do it right away or you may have a little left
here and there. If you get some on your clothes, just wash them as
quickly as possible.

48
Leather Paint
Leather paint is acrylic paint, specially mixed so that it will stick to
leather and not crack when the leather is bent. Unlike leather dye,
paint does not sink in, but sits right on top. Paint should be applied
after Acrylic Antique Finish and dye—it’s the last thing. If you put it
on first, the Finish or dye will smear it or take it off entirely.
Leather paint makes really bright colors, brighter than dye or Finish.
It is best used for small areas only. You can get white, black, red, blue,
yellow, green, orange, violet, and many others—and you can mix your
own colors if you like. Mix tiny bits at a time, in the cap or in a water-
color tray—a drop of this and a drop of that—and you can make fantas¬
tic colors!
Stir the paints well before using them, since the parts separate. Pour
a small amount into the cap—it’s easier to control how much you get on
the brush that way. Carefully wipe your brush dry after rinsing it with
water; even a small amount of water in the paint makes it look watery
on the leather. Dip in the brush and get a tiny bit of paint, then color
your design. It might need two coats.
If you let the paint dry, you can put another color on top of the first;
for example, you might want to add black spots to a red ladybug, or
some white highlights on a pink rose.
Be sure that the paint has a chance to dry thoroughly—twenty-four
hours—before any rough use.
Putting* Your Project
Together

Nearly always, this is the last step—put the pieces together after deco¬
rating and coloring.

Rivets
Rivets are an excellent way to fasten pieces of leather together. Use
rivets when you want a permanent fastening (unlike snaps). They are
most useful in projects where you need to hold together relatively
small areas: to hold on a belt buckle, a key ring, a dog leash clip; to
fasten a strap to a larger piece of leather, as in the knapsack and shoul¬
der bag. Get solid brass Speedy Rivets (cap and post).
Here’s how to put a rivet in. Punch #5 holes in the two pieces of
leather you want to rivet together. Put in the rivet pieces—post (a) up
through the bottom, and cap (b) on top—and squeeze them together a
little with your fingers. Set the leather and rivet on your anvil, cap side
up, and use your metal hammer to smash the rivet flat. Don’t be timid;
the rivet really must be flat to hold the pieces together. If the top or
bottom of the rivet is rounded or sticks out from the surface at all, you
didn’t hit hard enough—put it back on the anvil and give it a few more
whacks.

If you set a rivet properly, it will not come out. Just in case you put
one in the wrong place, here’s how to take it out. Pound a nail set (or a
big nail if you don’t have a nail set) through the top side of the rivet
until the two parts are pushed apart. (This ruins the rivet, of course.)

Chicago Post and Screw

This two-part fastener can be used instead of a rivet, in a place where
you would like to be able to remove the fastener without destroying it.
To use a Chicago post and screw, punch holes in the two leather pieces
(the hole should be a little bigger than the one a #5 punch makes, so
just enlarge the hole slightly with your punch). Put in the two parts and
screw them together. You can do this with your fingers, usually, or use
a dime or screwdriver. Chicago posts are good for belts, because they

5i
are not as bulky as belt snaps, and the buckle can be changed later,
without the use of tools.

Snaps
Use these when you want to open and close the two leather pieces
frequently—on a wristband or coin purse, for example.
Get the best kind of snaps: solid brass, four parts to each snap—
Durable Dot for heavy leather (eight-ounce and over), and Baby Dura¬
ble Dot for seven-ounce and under. Look for the two parts which have
a rounded shape—they are the two top parts, the button and socket.
The two flat-bottomed ones are the bottom parts, the stud and eyelet.
Punch holes in the leather where you want to set the snap. For the
top part, put the snap parts—button (a) and socket (b)—in the leather.
The button is on the smooth side of the leather. Put the small rounded
“anvil” on your big anvil, and put the leather on the anvil, smooth side
down. Look at the snap setter, and you will see a hole at each end; one
is bigger. Use the big hole on the top of the snap. Put in the pin and hit
the pin with the metal hammer several times—not a hard whack, but
several taps. Take away the setter, and see if the snap is on securely. If
not, put back the setter, and hit it again.
For the bottom part, you don’t need the round anvil, since the bot¬
tom parts are flat. Put in the stud (a) and eyelet (b); the eyelet is on the
smooth side of the leather. Put the leather on the anvil right side up,
and use the small hole end of the setter.
Glue
Glue is best used only when you are going to have another kind of
fastener also; usually it can’t hold well enough by itself. However, you
might use glue by itself to turn up the hem of a vest, skirt, or pouch, or
to cement a new rubber heel on a pair of sandals. Rubber cement is the
kind to get. It comes in a small tube or a can with a brush—the can with
a brush is easier to use.
To do a good job: If the area to be glued is smooth, scratch and rough
it up as best you can with sandpaper. Spread a thin, even layer of rub¬
ber cement over both surfaces you want to put together. Make sure the
cement goes all the way out to the edges. Then wait about twenty
minutes before you put the layers together. Sounds strange, but that’s
the way it works. If you can put the two parts in the sun while you are

55
waiting, they will stick better. After about twenty minutes—when the
glue is no longer wet, but just sticky—put the two pieces together.
Squeeze and smooth them with your hands, especially around the
edges. It’s also good to tap everything flat, gently, with the metal ham¬
mer.

Lacing
Lacing means putting the parts together with leather strips; sewing
is done with thread. You can choose either method to put any pieces of
leather together, and the kind of stitch you use depends on your pre¬
ference as well. For your first several projects, use the method
suggested in the directions; then you’ll have a better idea of the
stitches and which ones you like to use.
First, punch the holes for the lacing to go through. Lacing looks and
holds best when the holes are spaced relatively close together. For
latigo lacing, holes about V2 inch apart are good. For the thinner calf
lacing, I use a 5-to-the-inch stitchmarker to space the holes.
For a really fine-looking project, the lacing should fit the holes. Since
lacing does tend to stretch out a little, I choose lacing that is just a bit
larger than the hole. For example, use lacing that is 3/i6 inch wide for
the holes you’ll make with your 5/32" punch (that’s V32 inch bigger than
the holes).
How long a piece of lacing do you need? For a running stitch, use a
piece about IV2 times as long as the seam, for whipstitch about 3V2

times, and for cross stitch about 5 times. These are not exact measure¬
ments, because it depends on the spacing of the holes and how tightly
you lace; if in doubt, use a little extra.
Wax the lacing to make it slip through the holes easily. Just pull the
dyed lace over a piece of paraffin (the kind you get in the supermarket
for candles and jelly glasses) or beeswax or even an old candle end. Be
sure to keep the wax away from any undyed leather, because even tiny
bits of wax will make the leather not take dye.
Use a lacing needle. Cut a long, narrow point on the end of the lacing
and screw the needle on as far as it will go. If you don’t get it on firmly
on the first try, unscrew it, cut a new tapered end on the lacing, and try
again. If you should happen to pull the lacing out of the needle, leav¬
ing a bit of lacing in the end, hold the needle over a candle flame (hold
it with pliers so your hand doesn’t get burned) until the bit of lacing
burns out. It’s nearly impossible to pick it out.

56
 Pull the lacing snug as you go—pull on each stitch. The best way is
to poke the lacing needle through the holes, take hold of the lacing,
and draw it almost all the way through. Don’t hold onto the needle
when pulling it through. Then move your fingers close to the project,
make sure the lacing is straight and not twisted, and pull it through the
rest of the way. Keep checking as you go to make sure you haven’t
missed any holes; it’s no fun to have to pull stitches out.
Twisted lacing? Twisted lacing looks terrible, and it’s easy to avoid.
Just straighten out the lacing each time before you put in the needle,
and check it before you finally pull it snug. This is much easier than
trying to straighten the lacing out after it is pulled tight.
What about the ends of the lacing? With latigo lacing, you can tie a
single knot in the end; the knot will be big enough so it won’t pull
through the holes. For calf lacing, a single knot probably isn’t big
enough and might pull through. Sometimes you can tie two lacing ends
together in a square knot. If there is no other lacing end to tie to, try
lacing backward a stitch or two, into the same holes you just used, and
tie the lace to itself on the back side of the project.
There are many, many lacing stitches. The projects in this book use
just three: the running stitch, the cross stitch, and the whipstitch, de¬
scribed under sewing. Fancy lacing stitches are fun to do and very

57
decorative; see the bibliography on page 128 for some good books on
lacing.

Running stitch: One piece of leather overlaps the other; both pieces of
leather have the top grain side up. Pull the lacing out the first hole, in
the next, out the third, and so on, going through both layers of leather
each time.

Cross stitch: Put the two pieces of leather side by side, not overlap¬
ping, with the edges to be laced just touching. IPs very helpful to have
two lacing needles for this stitch—one for each end of the lacing, as
shown—but if you have only one, you can switch it back and forth from
one end of the lacing to the other as you go. Start with the middle of the
lacing in the first holes; pull one end of the lacing through each hole
(a). Then, with one needle, cross over to the other side, and go in the
second hole. With the other needle, cross over and go in the second
hole on that side (b). Make the lacing cross, on the back, to its original
side, and come out the third hole up. Contine this way (c). Tie the
lacing ends in a square knot when the seam is finished.

58
Sewing
On soft leather you can sew with a glovers’ needle (sharp point) and
waxed nylon thread, without punching any holes first. (The thread
comes already waxed; you won’t have to wax it.) If you have trouble
threading the needle, cut off the end of the thread to make a point. (You
won’t be able to make it very pointed; just cut it at an angle.) Put the
thread end on your anvil and tap it gently with the hammer. Since the
thread is waxed, this will stick the end together better and make it
easier to put through the eye of the needle.
The whipstitch is a good one to use. In the whipstitch, the thread
goes through the two layers of leather, over the edges, and through
again. Sometimes the layers are placed with the right sides (outsides)
together, sewn, then turned right side out, as in the pouch and knap¬
sack. (The whipstitch can also be used with the holes punched first,
and it can be done with lacing as well as with thread.) Keep the stitches
close together so they will look good and hold well. If you have any
trouble getting the needle through the layers, push the end of the
needle against the workbench or other hard surface to help it almost all
the way through, then pull. This way, you won’t hurt yourself on the
sharp edge of the needle.
 For stiff or thick leather, mark the hole spacing (about five holes to
the inch), punch holes with a small-sized punch (#0, Vi6"), and sew the
seam using waxed nylon thread and harness needles (dull point).
Here is an excellent stitch—the double running stitch or saddle
stitch. In this one, the thread goes through each hole twice. Use a
length of thread about three times the length of the seam. Put a harness
needle on each end of the thread, and start with the middle of the piece
of thread in the first hole—so that one needle is out the front and one is
out the back (a). With one of the needles, do a running stitch for a few
stitches—in and out and in and out, not skipping any holes (b). Then

mm: -

«_.•
±m
 drop that needle and pick up the other one. Do a running stitch with
that needle, going through the same holes again—filling up the spaces
left by the first needle (c, d). Do only a few stitches at a time with each
needle, so you can pull the sewing tight. Sewing first with one needle
and then with the other, sew to the end of the seam.

c
 With the double running stitch, both threads end up in the same
place, so you can run the top one through a hole to the back side and tie
the two together in a tight square knot. Then tap the knot with the
metal hammer. Tap the seam gently with the hammer to flatten it.

Buffing
When the pieces are together, you’re finished! If you are working
with latigo or oak-tanned leather, you might want to buff up the project
to make it shine a little. You can polish it with a rag or buff it with a
shoe brush. For a really glossy look, if you like, you can put on a little
wax and buff. Wait several hours to do this, so the Finish won’t smear.
Use a neutral (no color) shoe cream like Propert’s or Meltonian brand
(don’t use shoe polish; it comes off). Put on tiny dabs (you can use your
fingers), then buff away until you get a beautiful, natural-looking shine.

When leather is exposed frequently to sun, water, or wear, it tends to

dry out and crack. To help prevent this, apply neat’s-foot oil or silicone
oil about once a month, depending on how much the article is used.
Lexol is a very good brand of oil to use. You can put it on with your

63
fingers. For areas larger than a few square inches, I like to apply it this
way, for a thin, even coat: Dampen a rag with warm water, squeeze out
the excess water, pour on a little Lexol, and squeeze again to coat the
rag evenly. Rub the rag lightly on the article several times. This treat¬
ment not only preserves leather, it also makes it look better, clearing
up small scratches. The oil may darken the leather a little—sometimes
temporarily, sometimes it stays darker. (Don’t use oil on suede; it gums
down the nap.)

64
 7 .
Projects

Pendant

MATERIALS
6-7 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, piece about 2" x 3"
Finish; dye, paint if desired
yarn, cord, or thong for hanging pendant

TOOLS
cutter
edger

65
 #5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, anvil, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet; anvil or marble

1. Cut the leather to the shape you want. (Plan the shape on paper first
if you like, then draw around pattern onto the leather.)
2. Bevel the edges.
3. Punch a hole at the top, to hang the pendant from.
4. Decorate with stamps, holes, swivel knife, whatever you like!
Dampen oak-tanned before stamping or carving.
5. Use Acrylic Antique Finish—smear it on thick, then wipe it off. Let
dry about twenty minutes. Color the stamped places with paint if
desired.
6. Let the pendant dry thoroughly—several hours if it has been
painted—then buff it up.
7. Put in a piece of thong, yarn, or string, and tie the ends in a knot.

Barrette

MATERIALS
8-9 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, piece about 3" X 5".
Barrette can be made out of 6-7 oz. leather but will hold its
shape better when made of 8-9 oz.

66
 Finish; dye, paint if desired
stick—about 4%" of lA" dowel or a candy-apple stick or a twig

TOOLS
cutter
edger
%" drive punch (optional) or #5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, anvil, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet; anvil or marble

1. Trace the pattern and cut it out. Or make your own pattern by
folding a piece of paper in four and cutting a shape you like. Draw
around the pattern onto the leather. Mark where the holes go, but
do not cut them out.
2. Cut out the barrette.
3. Bevel the edges.
4. Punch the holes. If you don’t have a %" drive punch, you can nibble
out a hole with your #5 punch—it won’t be perfect, but it will work.
5. Decorate as desired. Dampen oak-tanned before stamping or
carving.
6. Color and finish as desired.
7. Buff up the barrette when dry.
8. You can put points on the stick with a pencil sharpener (don’t make
it too sharp), and color it with Acrylic Antique Finish or leather dye
if you want it to be dark.

67
 Light Switch Plate

MATERIALS
4-7 oz. yellow latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, piece big
enough for the pattern
Finish; dye, paint if desired

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 punch, slot punch (optional)
for drive punch: mallet, anvil, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet; anvil or marble

1. Trace the pattern, and cut it out. Check to make sure that the size
and the screw holes are right for your switch. Or make a pattern
yourself. The outline can be just about any shape, but keep in mind
that a very complicated shape will be more difficult to cut than a
simple one.
2. Hold the pattern on the leather, and draw around it with a pencil.
Mark the holes.
3. Bevel the edges.
4. Punch the holes. The slot for the switch can be made with a slot

68
 punch, moving the punch over and punching again to make a wider
hole. Or make holes with the #5 punch at the ends of the slot, and
connect the holes with the cutter.
5. Decorate the leather. Dampen oak-tanned before stamping or
carving.
6. Color and finish as desired.
7. Wait until the Finish and paint are dry—an hour or so—then buff
up.

Key Ring

MATERIALS
6-7 oz. yellow latigo, piece big enough for the pattern
metal key ring
solid brass rivet
Finish; dye, paint if desired

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 punch

69
 for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet; marble (optional)
metal hammer
anvil

1. Trace and cut out the pattern. Or to make your own pattern, get a
piece of paper about 2l/i inches wide and about 4 inches long, and
fold it in half the long way. Draw and cut out a “half key ring”
shape, then unfold the paper—cutting the pattern from folded
paper will give you an even shape, with both sides the same. Make
sure you leave the top part long enough to go around the ring, as in
our pattern. Draw the pattern onto the leather, using a pencil.
2. Cut out the leather piece.
3. Bevel the edges, front and back.
4. Wrap the leather around the key ring, so you can tell where to make
the holes for the rivet. Punch the holes. You can punch both layers
at once, with the leather wrapped around the ring, or you can mark

70
 the holes with a pencil, take away the ring, and punch the layers
separately.
5. Stamp, or otherwise decorate.
6. Use Acrylic Antique Finish. When the Finish is dry (about fifteen
minutes), paint if desired. Wait again after painting, so you won’t
smear the paint when you put in the rivet.
7. Wrap the leather around the key ring, put in the rivet, put the whole
thing on your anvil, and smash the rivet flat with the metal hammer.
Let the key ring itself hang off the side of the anvil when you pound
the rivet, so you won’t hit the ring.
8. When the key ring is thoroughly dry, you can buff it up if you like.

Wristband

MATERIALS
6-7 oz. yellow latigo, strip about %" wide
Finish; dye, paint if desired
solid brass snap

TOOLS
cutter
edger

71
 #5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
snap setter
metal hammer
anvil

1. Measure the wrist, and add about % inch for overlap. Add more if
you want the band to fit loosely. (For a braided wristband, add about
F/4 inches to the wrist measurement.) Cut the leather strip to
length.
2. Bevel the edges, front and back.
3. Punch holes for the snap—one in each end.
4. Decorate however you like—stamps, holes, swivel knife, V-gouge.
Or for a braided wristband, see directions for braided belt.
5. Use Acrylic Antique Finish, making sure you darken all the edges
and the back. Wipe off the extra Finish. Let the wristband dry a few
minutes, then paint it if you want to. Let the paint dry for fifteen
minutes or so, so that it won't smear while you’re doing the snap.
6. Set the snap.
7. After a couple of hours, the paint will be really dry, and you can buff
the wristband to a glossy shine.

Mirror or Picture Frame

 MATERIALS
6-7 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, piece big enough for
the pattern
Finish; dye, paint if desired
cardboard
2%" x 4" mirror, or a picture or photo
rubber cement
8" or so of thong, cord, etc. for hanging

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, anvil, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet; anvil or marble

1. Trace and cut out the pattern, if you want this size and shape—or
make your own pattern. To do that, cut paper to the size you want.
 Fold the paper in four and cut the shape. Cut the hole for the mirror
or picture, making the hole smaller than the mirror or picture.
2. Hold the pattern on the leather by weighting it down with some¬
thing heavy, like your anvil, while you draw around the pattern
with a pencil.
3. Cut out the leather piece. Cut the hole for the mirror or picture.
4. Bevel all the cut edges.
5. Punch the holes for hanging.
6. Decorate the leather. You might plan a design on the paper pattern
first, and transfer the design to the leather by pressing through the
paper to the leather with something like a pencil, a nail, a modeling
tool, or an awl. You won’t have to press hard enough to cut the
paper, just enough to transfer the design. Dampen oak-tanned be¬
fore stamping or carving.
7. Color and finish as desired. This is one project where it’s a good
idea not to put any Finish on the back side, because the glue will
work better if you don’t.
8. For a picture or photograph: Cut out a piece of cardboard, about Vs
inch smaller all around than the leather (so it won’t show). Punch
holes for hanging in the cardboard—put the leather over the
cardboard and mark through the hanging holes. Punch holes in the
cardboard at the marked spots.
Try out the placement of the picture before gluing it down: put
the picture on the cardboard, then put the leather on top. Adjust
the picture so that it looks the way you want it to, then take away the
leather and make pencil guidelines on the cardboard, around the
picture. Glue the picture to the cardboard, then glue the leather on
top. Put in the thong or cord, and tie a knot. Buff up the leather.
9. For a mirror: You’ll notice that a mirror is not flat, like a photograph,
and if you did a mirror the same as a picture, there would be a bump
showing. So cut out two pieces of cardboard, both about Vs inch
smaller than the leather, all around. Set the mirror on one of these
cardboard pieces and draw around it. Cut on the lines to make a
hole just the size of the mirror, so the mirror can fit right into it. It
doesn’t have to be perfect, because the leather will cover it. As in
step 8, punch holes for hanging in both pieces of cardboard.
Now glue the cardboard with the hole to the cardboard without a
hole, glue in the mirror, and glue the leather on top. Put the thong
or cord through the hanging holes, tie a knot, and buff up the mirror
frame.

74
Coin Purse

MATERIALS
4-7 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, piece big enough for
the pattern
Finish; dye, paint if desired
waxed nylon thread
Baby Durable Dot brass snap

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#0 punch, #5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
snap setter
metal hammer
anvil
2 harness needles

1. Trace and cut out the pattern, put it on the smooth side of the
leather, and draw the pattern onto the leather with a pencil.
2. Cut out the two leather pieces.
3. Bevel the edges, front and back.
4. Punch the holes—#0 for the sewing holes, and #5 for the snap
holes.
5. Put on the design, if you want one, with stamps, swivel knife,

75
set snap top here
 V-gouge, etc. If you are using oak-tanned leather, dampen the
pieces before stamping or carving.
6. Coloring is next. When the Finish is dry, add paint if you like, with
a tiny brush. Let paint dry before setting snap.
7. Set the snap. Note that you set the snap before sewing the coin
purse together, because it would be hard to get the snap setter
inside the purse after it is sewn.
8. Sew the pieces together. Use the double running stitch, page 61.
At the end of the seam, get both threads to the same side of the
purse, and tie a square knot.
9. Put the coin purse on the anvil, and gently tap the sewing flat,
using the metal hammer.
10. Buff the coin purse with a shoe brush or rag, to polish it up a bit.

Tool Board
Here’s a good way to keep your
tools handy and safe. Make it for
leatherworking tools, woodwork¬
ing tools, drawing tools, or just
about any kind.
 MATERIALS
leather straps—4-9 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, V2" to 1"
wide
a piece of plywood (V2" or %" thick) or other wood, big enough
to lay your tools out on—the one in the picture is 20" x 21"
shoe tacks (the kind that clinch) or carpet tacks—long enough
to go through both the wood and the leather

TOOLS
felt pen
cutter
metal hammer
anvil
^ V

1. Gather together the tools you are going to hang on the board. Lay
the board flat, and arrange the tools the way you want them. Use a
felt pen to draw around each tool onto the wood. This way, you’ll
know instantly where a tool goes when you’re putting it away.
2. Put one of the tools in its place, and wrap a piece of strap over it,
where you want to hang it. Don’t forget that if the tool has a tapered
shape, the wider part has to be above the strap, or the strap won’t
hold it up. Mark and cut the strap to the correct length. Put the strap
over the tool again, and mark with pencil where the strap ends come
to on the wood. Take away the tool. Set the board on the anvil so
that the anvil is right under the place where you will attach the
strap. Using a metal hammer, pound a tack through the leather and
through the wood, onto the anvil. The anvil will clinch the tack and
make it hold. Then tack down the other end. You can use a separate
piece of strap for each tool, or you can put tools in a row, using a
 longer strap, with tacks in between the tools. For very small tools, or
ones that won’t hang that way, you might tack a leather pocket to
the wood. This would be good for lacing and sewing needles, for
example.
3. The tool board can be simply leaned up against a wall, or it can be
hung on the wall by a leather thong.

Pouch

MATERIALS
2-2Y2 oz. chrome-tanned leather or suede, enough for two of
the pattern pieces (take the pattern with you when you go
to buy the leather)
materials for decorating—beads for drawstring ends, dif¬
ferent colored leather or suede, etc. (optional)
waxed nylon thread—5 yards is plenty
rubber cement
lacing for the drawstring, or enough of the soft leather to cut
your own—about 2 feet of lacing is plenty

79
mark these holes but do not punch them until hem has been glued down

ooooooooo

cut 2 from leather

 TOOLS
cutter
#5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
electric pen (optional)
#000 glovers’ needle (sharp point)
paper stapler (optional)
metal hammer
anvil

1. Trace and cut out the paper pattern. Hold it in place on the leather
with something heavy, and draw around it with a pencil. Mark the
holes at the same time.
2. Cut out the two pouch pieces.
3. Decorate the pouch as you like. Remember that chrome-tanned
leather won’t take stamping and carving. Electric pen often works
well on soft leather—try it on a scrap—or you might sew or glue on
different colored shapes, or do some fancy lacing on the front. Or, of
course, you can leave it plain!
4. Place the pieces with right sides together, and whipstitch around
the pouch, leaving the top edge open. Use waxed thread and a
glovers’ needle, and keep the stitches quite close together for
strength. To keep the pieces from sliding around while you are
sewing, you can use a regular paper stapler to “pin” them together
in several places. Remove staples after sewing by carefully prying
them open.
5. Spread rubber cement on the top two inches of the wrong side of
the pouch. Let the glue dry for about twenty minutes, then turn
down the hem (1 inch) and tap it flat with the metal hammer, on the
anvil. Turn the pouch right side out. You can also tap the sewing
flat.
6. Punch the holes, and thread in the drawstring.

8i
Shearling Hat

MATERIALS
shearling suede (chrome-tanned sheepskin, suede on one
side, wool on the other side), enough for three of the pat¬
tern pieces (take the pattern with you when you go to buy
the leather)
10 feet of Va lacing, about 2-3 oz. chrome-tanned leather or
suede

TOOLS
cutter
#5 punch
for drive punch: anvil, mallet, rubber soling material
lacing needle for Va" lacing (2 needles for greater conve¬
nience)

1. Trace the pattern, cut it out, and tape the two parts together. Punch
holes in the paper pattern. Paper is not as easy to punch with a
leather punch as leather is, so put a piece of scrap leather under the
paper, and punch through both.
2. Place the pattern on the suede, hold it there with a heavy object,
and draw around the pattern with a soft pencil. Mark the holes, too.
If you can’t get the pencil to mark on the suede, use a pen—but
make sure you’re drawing in the right place, since you can’t erase
the pen marks! Draw three of the pattern pieces.
3. Cut out the three pieces.
4. Punch the holes.

82
trace and cut out 2 pattern pieces and tape them together along dotted lines before
marking the leather

JC
C

CO
<D
03
-C
03
co

CD
5. Cut the 10-foot piece of lacing into three equal pieces, one for each
seam. Lace the hat pieces together, using a cross stitch (see page
58). Start at the top or bottom, with the middle of the lace in the first
holes. Tie the lacing ends in a square knot, and tuck the knot inside
the hat. Turn up the brim. At first, the little pieces on the top of the
hat stick straight up, but later they will turn down and show the
furry side.

Ktrigami Candle or Plant Hanger

This project looks complicated, but it isn’t.
It is easy to do if you read the instructions!
“Kirigami” means “paper-cutting” in Japa¬
nese, and the pattern is made by cutting
folded paper, as you can see. After you have
made a few of these, you will see how the
pattern works, and perhaps you’ll want to
make larger ones by adding rings or by fold¬
ing paper and making a new pattern.
 MATERIALS
about 7 oz. retanned cowhide. Dark brown waxhide (a re¬
tanned cowhide with lots of wax and oil) is best, because it
cuts easily and doesn’t need dye or finish. You can also use
latigo. Take the pattern with you when you go to buy the
leather
about 9 feet of 5/32" lacing to match the main piece of leather
for hanging the kirigami
masking tape

TOOLS
razor cutter
#5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, anvil, rubber soling material
a piece of wood at least 1 foot square to cut on
a nail
metal hammer

1. Trace the pattern, and cut out the paper circle—don’t cut the slits in
the pattern.
2. Tape the pattern to the leather piece with masking tape. For this
project, the pattern must not move even a little, or the slits will be
placed wrong. Mark through the pattern onto the leather with your
pencil; mark all the lines and holes. Make sure you get all the lines,
since it would be hard to put the pattern back in the right place if
you miss one! Mark the outside ring around the pattern, too.
3. Take away the pattern. Put the leather on the piece of wood, and
drive the nail through the exact center of the leather, into the wood.
The leather can pivot or spin around the nail, and that’s what will
make it easy for you to cut.
4. Check your razor cutter to make sure you have a good blade in it. I
always put in a new blade for this project.
Start cutting from the outside circle. Sink the blade into a place on
the outside circle, through the leather into the wood, and start
slowly pulling the leather. Keep the cutter straight up and down,
and don’t move it, just pull the leather. The cutter will cut right on
your pencil line, in a perfect circle. On the next ring, where the
pencil line stops, pick up the cutter—and put it back down where
the line starts again. Cut all the slits this way, and cut out the center
circle. Then pull the nail out.

86
5. Punch all the holes.
6. Cut a one-foot piece of lacing. Push the ends through the two center
holes in the small circle, and tie single knots on the underside. This
makes the “topknot” for the hanger. If you have any trouble pushing
the lacing through the holes, cut a slanted end on the lacing, and
make the holes a tiny bit bigger with the punch.

87
7. Cut the rest of the lacing in half, so you have two pieces about 4 feet
long. It doesn’t matter exactly how long they are, as long as they are
the same. Push the two laces through the holes in the “topknot.”
Then put each end through a hole in the basket part. Tie a single
knot in each. Adjust the laces to make them hang evenly, and pull
on the bottom to stretch the basket part into shape.
 MATERIALS
buckle, with or without a tongue. When you buy your mate¬
rials, choose the buckle first, so you can get the leather to fit
it
about 8 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, a strip wide enough
to fit the buckle and about 3V2 to 4 feet long, depending on
waist measurement (see steps 1 and 2)
Finish; dye, paint if desired
2 rivets or lA” Chicago posts

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 punch, slot punch (optional)
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
metal hammer
anvil

1. First, measure the person you are going to make the belt for. Mea¬
sure right where the belt will be worn. If you absolutely cannot
measure the person, since it’s a surprise or something, you can use
the pants size—but to be safe, add one or two inches. Pants sizes
almost always turn out to be smaller than the person’s actual mea¬
surement.
2. To the measurement, add IV2 inches. Cut the belt strip off at that
length. For example, if the person measures 28 inches around,
where the belt will be worn, add IV2 inches, and cut the belt strip off
at 35V2 inches.
3. With a pencil, draw a point on one end of the belt strip. Cut the
point.
4. Bevel the edges of the belt strip, front and back.
5. Decorate the belt with stamps, swivel knife, etc. If you are using
oak-tanned leather, dampen it before stamping or carving. It’s a
good idea to try out the design you plan to use on the scrap you cut
off.
6. Use dyes, Finish, paints to color the belt. You don’t need to wait
until your oak-tanned belt is dry before dyeing it—the dyes actually

89
 work better when the leather is damp. Let the belt dry about an
hour before putting on the buckle, to make sure it doesn’t smear.
7. Put on the buckle.
If the buckle has a tongue (a), punch a slot in the belt end for the
tongue to go through. Make the slot in the middle of the strip, about
IV2 inches from the end. It should be about 1 inch long. If you don’t
have a slot punch, you can nibble a slot with your #5 punch, or you
can punch a hole in each end of the slot and connect the holes with
the cutter. Wrap the belt around the buckle, with the tongue in the
slot. If you are using oak-tanned leather for the belt, dampen the
 buckle end of the belt when you wrap it around the buckle, if it isn’t
damp already. This will make the belt fold nicely around the buck¬
le. Check to make sure that the buckle is on the right way before
putting in the rivets or Chicago posts. If you use Chicago posts, you
can change the buckle later. Chicago posts usually need larger
holes than rivets, so just make the holes a little bigger with your
punch. If you do use rivets, hold the buckle off the side of the anvil
when you pound, so you won’t hit the buckle and split the leather.
If the buckle does not have a tongue (b), you don’t need to make a
slot. Just wrap the belt end around the buckle (dampen it if it’s
oak-tanned) and make sure it’s in the right way. Then punch holes
and put in the rivets or Chicago posts.
8. Punch the holes on the other end. Make at least three holes, about
one inch apart. The best way to tell where to put the holes is to put
the belt on the person and mark where they should go. If you can’t
do that, measure along the belt to the person’s waist measurement
(measuring from the end of the buckle) and punch a hole at that
spot. When you can’t try on the belt to mark the holes, you’d better
punch four or five holes, maybe two on either side of the measure¬
ment. If the #5 holes are too small for the buckle tongue, just nibble
them a tiny bit bigger with your punch.
9. Belts look especially good when they are buffed up with a shoe
brush or rag. Make sure the belt is dry before buffing. You can apply
a tiny bit of neutral shoe cream before you brush the belt, if you
want it really glossy.

9i
Braided Belt

MATERIALS
buckle, with or without a tongue (when you buy your mate¬
rials, choose the buckle first so you can get the leather to fit)
strip of latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, about 8 oz., wide
enough to fit the buckle and about 3V2 to 4 feet long, de¬
pending on the waist measurement (see step 1, below)
practice strap of the same or similar leather, IV2" wide and 12"
long
Finish; dye, paint if desired
two rivets or lA" Chicago posts

TOOLS
razor cutter
edger
#5 punch, #0 punch (optional), slot punch (optional)
for drive punch: mallet, anvil, rubber soling material

This braid looks impossible, because there’s no end to it, so I call it

Mystery Braid. You can put it on any strap—a belt, shoulder strap,
wristband, or a decorative strap on any project. Get a strap to learn on,
and practice the braid a few times before you do the belt. It’s not hard
to do—just hard to explain.

92
1. Measure the person who will wear the belt as in step 1, page 89.
Add 9V2 inches to the measurement instead of W2, because the
braid takes up a little of the length, especially if your braid is tight.
If the belt turns out to be too long, you can always cut off the end.
Cut the belt to length.
2. Cut the end in a point, as in step 3, page 89.
3. Decide how long you want the braided part of the belt to be. You
can braid a short section in the middle of the belt, or braid most of
the length, as in the picture.
4. Mark the slits for the braid. For your practice strap, start the slits
about one inch from each end. For the belt with full-length braid,
start the slits about 5 inches from the buckle end and 8 or 9 inches
from the point end. Measure and mark the strap or belt into three
strips of equal width. Make pencil dots in several places along the
leather and connect them with two ruled lengthwise lines.

5. Before you cut, make sure your razor cutter has a good sharp blade.
(I put in a new blade each time I cut braid slits.) Sink the blade in
at one end of the pencil line, hold the blade straight up and down,
and pull the leather with your other hand. Do not move the razor
cutter at all. Pull slowly, and keep moving your pulling hand up
closer to the cutter. Watch what you’re doing, and you’ll be able to
cut exactly on the line. Cut the second slit the same way.

93
6. Punch a tiny hole (#0 punch) at each end of both slits. You don’t
have to do this, but it makes the slits easier to edge and nicer-
r

looking.
7. Bevel all the edges, front and back. To edge up close to the end of
a slit, put the strap on the edge of the table and hold it so that one
of the small strips hangs off the edge.
8. If you want to use Acrylic Antique Finish, use it now. Put it on
really thick so as to get Finish on all the edges, then wipe off the
extra, as usual. Let the strap or belt dry for about half an hour.
9. Now, braid! Start from the end close to you (the lower end), and
braid in the usual way: put left over middle, then right over mid¬
dle. Stop right there. Hold onto the braided part with your left
hand to keep it from untwisting.

Now, at the other (upper) end of the strap, you’ll see that the
strip which begins at the left-hand corner passes between the
other two. Put the upper end of the strap back through that same
space and bring it around to the left, keeping the front side facing
you. Don t let go of the braid with your left hand. At this point,
your strap will look like a twisted mess; the middle strip will have
a real corkscrew look (3). That’s fine.

94
 When you stopped braiding, you had just put right over middle.
So put left over middle, then right over middle, then left over
middle. Stop again (4).

95
 You are going to twist the top of the strap through again. Hold
onto the braided part with your left hand, as before. Again, you’ll
see that the strip which begins at the left-hand corner passes be¬
tween the other two. To see this more clearly, you can pull the top
apart a bit (without letting go of the braid). Put the end of the strap
through that same space and bring it around to the right, keeping
the front side facing you.
For your practice strap, stop now; you have one cycle of braid.
For the belt, repeat the process, putting right over middle and left

9h
 over middle and then twisting the top end through, until the braid
fills the belt strap. Each two times that you put the end through,
you should come out with a flat braid.
10. Put the buckle on the belt and punch holes in the other end as for
the plain belt (steps 7-8, pages 90-91).

Visor

MATERIALS
6-7 oz. yellow latigo (take pattern along when you go to buy
leather)
Finish; dye, paint if desired
2 feet of Vs" calf or goat lacing
%" buckle
one rivet

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#0 punch, #5 punch
%" or 3A" slot punch (optional)
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material

97
visor bill
insert rivet bottom here
 decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
lacing needle
metal hammer
anvil

1. Trace the pattern pieces, cut them out, and tape them together on the
dotted lines.
2. Use a pencil to draw the pattern on the smooth side of the leather;
mark the holes, too. Notice that there are only two leather pieces
(bill and strap). If you have more than two, you forgot to tape the
paper pattern pieces together; fix it before cutting the leather!
3. Cut out the leather pieces.
4. Bevel the edges, front and back.
5. Punch holes—#0 for lacing the pieces together, and #5 for the
rivet. Punch the slot for the buckle tongue, as the pattern shows. If
you don’t have a slot punch, nibble a slot with the #5 punch. Don’t
worry if it isn’t perfect; it won’t show. On the other end of the
strap, the holes for the buckle tongue can be either #0 or #5,
depending on how big the buckle tongue is—try one out to see. If
#5 is too big and #0 is too small, you can make one halfway in
between by nibbling with the #0 punch.
6. Decorate as you wish. When you plan your design, note that the
lacing holes are on the lower edge of the strap. Don’t get it upside
down!
7. Dye the pieces if you are going to, then use Acrylic Antique
Finish. Last, use paint to color small areas. Give the pieces an hour
or so to dry if you use paint, so the designs won’t smear.
8. Place the bill piece over the strap piece and lace the strap and bill
together. Use a running stitch (page 58). At the lace ends, you can
lace backward for one stitch and tie the lace to itself. Put the visor
on the anvil, and gently tap the lacing flat with the metal hammer.
9. Put in the buckle (check to make sure it goes in the right direction
before you do the rivet—see photo on page 90) and then put in a
rivet. Hold the buckle off the edge of the anvil, and pound the rivet
flat with the metal hammer.
10. Buff up the visor, and it’s done! It may seem stiff at first, but it will
soon mold to fit your head; that’s one of the nicest things about
leather.

100
Dog Collar

MATERIALS
6-7 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, a strip about 4"-5"
longer than the neck measurement and whatever width
looks right for your dog (%" is a good width for a dog that
eats medium-sized Milkbones)
Finish; dye, paint if desired
buckle to match the leather width (solid brass is best)
D-ring to match the leather width (solid brass is best)—to
hold tags
2 rivets, solid brass
neat’s-foot oil or Lexol (optional, for later use)

TOOLS
cutter
edger
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
#5 punch, slot punch (optional)
for drive punch: rubber soling material
metal hammer
anvil

101
1. Measure the dog’s neck—not really tight, but just the way you want
the collar to fit. Add about 4 inches for overlap and the buckle,
perhaps a little more for a very big dog. Remember, you can always
cut the collar off if it’s too long. Cut the leather strip to length, and
cut a point on the end of the strip, to make it go through the buckle
more easily.
2. Bevel the edges, front and back.
3. Decorate the collar as you like. Remember to dampen the leather
first if you are stamping on oak-tanned cowhide.
4. Use Acrylic Antique Finish, then paint if desired.
5. Punch a slot for the buckle tongue. Start the slot about IV2 inches
from the unpointed end of the strip; the slot should be about % inch
long. If you don’t have, a slot punch, you can nibble a slot with the
#5 punch.
6. Put in the buckle, and check to make sure that it’s going the right
way. Then punch holes for a rivet to hold on the buckle. When you
pound the rivet, hold the buckle off the side of the anvil so you
won’t hit the buckle with the hammer. Slip on the D-ring, with its
flat side between the collar and the overlap, then put in another
rivet to hold the D-ring in place. Again, hold the buckle and D-ring
off the side of the anvil.
7. Buff up the collar when it’s dry, and try it on the dog to see where to
punch the holes for the buckle. Punch the holes, put the tags on the
D-ring, and present the collar to its proud owner!
8. Dog collars and leashes usually get a lot of wear, in all kinds of
weather, so put some oil on after a few weeks, to keep the leather
from drying out and cracking. Neat’s-foot oil or Lexol works fine.
Repeat the application of oil every month or so.

Matching Leash

MATERIALS
6-9 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide, strip 6 feet long or
longer; width—again, whatever goes with your dog, also
depending on the width of the leash clip you find. %" is a
good width for a medium dog
Finish; dye, paint if desired

102
 leash clip
2 rivets
neat’s-foot oil or Lexol (optional, for later use)

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
metal hammer
anvil

1. Decide how long you want the leash. Add about 6 inches for the
handhold, and cut the strip to length.
2. Bevel the edges, front and back.
3. Decorate with stamps or whatever. Dampen oak-tanned first.
4. Apply Acrylic Antique Finish heavily, as usual, and wipe off the
excess. When the Finish has dried for a few minutes (fifteen or so)
you can paint the stamped places if you wish.
5. Wrap one end of the strap around the leash clip, punch holes, and
put in a rivet.
6. At the other end, turn the strap back to make a place to hold onto the
leash—about 6 inches is good—punch holes, and put in a rivet.
7. Polish up the leash with a shoe brush or a rag.

Belt Pouch

MATERIALS
6-7 oz. yellow latigo (take the pattern with you when you go
to buy the leather)
Finish; dye, paint if desired
4 rivets
1" brass ring
3/i6" latigo lacing, about a yard is plenty

103
 TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 punch
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
metal hammer
anvil
lacing needle

1. Trace the pattern, and cut it out.

The shape of a belt pouch is one thing everyone seems to want a
special way. If you want yours longer, narrower, wider, etc., you
might want to try your hand at making your own pattern. You can
see that the holes have to match up, and that the front and back
pieces should be the same shape. Try folding the paper to get an
even or symmetrical shape. When you think you have the size and
shape you want, tape the pattern together to make sure it works
and it’s what you want. Also, instead of starting from scratch, you
can start from this pattern and add or take away—why not try it?
2. Draw around the pattern onto the leather, using a pencil. Mark the
holes, too.
3. Cut out the five leather pieces.
4. Bevel the edges, front and back.
5. Punch holes, for lacing and rivets. Cut the slit and punch the hole
for the ring.

104
 o

belt pouch back and flap

attach belt loops here

o o
o o
o o
o o
o

o
belt pouch gusset

o
o
o o
o o
o o
o o
o o
 belt pouch front

6. Decorate as you wish—stamps, swivel knife, V-gouge . . .

7. Use dye, paint, and/or Acrylic Antique Finish. Finish the lacing,
too.
8. Rivet the straps to the back/flap piece.
9. Tie a 6-inch piece of lacing to the ring. Put the lacing ends through
the holes in the front piece, and tie the ends together on the inside
in a square knot. Tap the knot flat with the hammer, on the anvil.
10. Lace the pieces together—lace the front to the gusset (side and
bottom), then the back/flap to the gusset. Use a running stitch, with
the gusset underneath the other piece, and tie a single knot at the
lace ends.
11. Buff up the belt pouch.
Notebook Cover

MATERIALS
paper: get this part first so you’ll know how much leather you
need. You can use a whole spiral notebook, either remov¬
ing the paper covers or leaving them on. In this case you
will lace the leather cover to the spiral. Or you can use a
stack of punched notebook paper; for this you’ll need rings.
Stationery, art supply, and dime stores have blank paper,
notebooks, date/phone books, photo albums, diaries, etc.
that you can use.
rings, if you’ll be using them—get the kind that snap open
and shut (also from stationery store)
lacing, if you’re using a spiral notebook
4-9 oz. latigo or oak-tanned cowhide

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 drive punch, #0 punch (for calf lacing)
for drive punch: mallet, anvil, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet; anvil or marble
lacing needle (optional)

1. Make a pattern. Wrap a piece of paper around the notebook insides,

to make sure the leather will be big enough (a). Allow a little
extra, especially if the leather is thick. Remember, if you cut the
leather too big, there’s no problem—you can just trim it. But if you

108
 cut it too small, there’s nothing you can do, except go get a smaller
notebook filler.
2. Draw around the pattern onto the leather, and cut out the leather.
3. Bevel the edges, front and back.
4. Mark hole placement for the rings or lacing. For a spiral notebook:
Draw a light ruled pencil line down the middle of the leather piece,
on the inside. Set the notebook next to the line, and make a dot on
the line where each ring of the spiral touches the leather. Take
away the notebook. Mark two rows of dots for holes, one on either
side of the center line and about lA inch away, using the first dots
you made as a guide to spacing the holes. For rings: Place the whole
stack of paper on the leather where it will be when the notebook is
finished. Fold the leather over the paper to make sure the place¬
ment is correct. Open the leather flat again—carefully, so as not to
move the paper—and mark through each paper hole to the leather.
Put the paper on the other half of the leather to mark holes in that
half.
5. Punch holes for the rings or lacing (b). Hole size depends on the
lacing: #0 for calf lacing, #5 for latigo.
6. Decorate the leather—stamps, carving . . .
7. Color the leather as you like, front and back. Dye the lacing at the
same time, if it isn’t dyed already. Let dry thoroughly.
8. Put the paper inside the leather cover. Dampen oak-tanned leather
where the cover folds, to make it mold to shape. Put in the rings or

109
 lacing. To lace a spiral notebook in, use a whipstitch: thread the
lacing through the leather, around the spiral, and through the
leather again. Tie the ends of the lacing to a stitch on the inside of
the notebook cover.

Hatchet Cover

MATERIALS
5-7 oz. latigo or oak-tanned leather (take the pattern with you
when you go to buy leather)
Finish, if desired
rubber cement
waxed nylon thread
brass snap
neat’s-foot oil or Lexol for later use (optional)

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#0 punch, #5 punch

no
 for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
stitch marker (optional)
2 harness needles
snap setter
metal hammer
anvil

1. Make a pattern—follow the diagram. Draw around your hatchet.

Leather takes up space when it’s wrapped around something, and
you need room for the stitching, so add V2 inch on the lower edge
and on the cutting edge. Check the pattern by wrapping it around
the hatchet and taping the paper together. It should fit loosely.
2. Draw around the paper pattern onto the leather, and cut out the
piece.
3. Cut the slits for the belt to pass through, and punch #5 holes, one
at each end of both slits. These holes help to spread out any strain
on the slit, so it won’t tear.
4. Bevel all the edges, front and back.
5. Stamp in designs, if you are going to. Dampen the leather first, if
it’s oak-tanned.
6. If desired, apply Acrylic Antique Finish thickly on front and back,
and wipe off all the excess. Let the piece dry for about twenty
minutes. (The hatchet cover in the photo was done without Acrylic
Antique Finish.)

111
 7. To line up the edges for the sewing holes, you can rubber cement
them together. Apply rubber cement to both layers, wait twenty
minutes, then stick them together. (Dampen the leather, if it is
oak-tanned, to make it fold more easily.) Mark the hole spacing—
about five holes to the inch—and punch.
8. Stitch the seam, using waxed nylon thread, harness needles, and a
double running stitch (page 61). At the end, get both needles to the
same side of the leather, and tie the threads in a square knot. Put
the leather on the anvil, and gently tap the whole seam and the
knot flat with the hammer.
9. Slip in the hatchet, and mark where the snap should go. Punch
holes, and set the snap. Oak-tanned leather can be dampened
again to make the hatchet cover conform well to the shape of the
hatchet.
10. Buff up the hatchet cover—use neutral shoe cream wax if you like
more shine than you get with the shoe brush by itself.
11. A hatchet cover usually gets a lot of outside wear, and it could use
some oil every few weeks to keep the leather from drying out and
cracking.

Chessboard or Checkerboard

MATERIALS
5-6 oz. oak-tanned cowhide or 6-7 oz. yellow latigo, piece at
least 24" square
dye, preferably a very dark color
%" plywood, piece 22" square
rubber cement
about 60 tacks—shoe tacks or upholstery tacks; any kind will
do
felt or suede for the back side, piece 22" square (optional)
Finish

TOOLS
cutter
V-gouge
decorating tools (stamps, etc.) if desired

ii3
 for stamping: mallet; anvil or marble
metal hammer

1. Make a pattern. Use a large piece of paper and a T-square, or

something to make good square corners with. First draw a perfect
square, 16 inches on each side. Mark off the little squares with a
ruler—eight squares on a side, each one 2 inches square. Draw the
lines. Keep checking to make sure that all the squares come out the
same. Then measure out from the 16-inch square, 31 2 3A inches on
each side. This will give you a big square, with 3 inches all around
the chessboard for a border, plus % inch to fold around the
plywood edges. Cut out the big square. It’s better to plan the
chessboard on paper like this, instead of directly on the leather,
because any mistakes you might make when planning would show
up at least a little.
2. Place the pattern on the leather, and hold it down firmly with
heavy objects: books, shears, anvil, etc. Draw around the pattern
with a pencil, and draw over the lines for the small squares, with
the pattern still held in place. Just draw on top of the paper, using a
ruler as a guide. If you press medium hard, the pencil will make a
mark on the leather. You might take a careful look to check the
markings. Take off the pattern and check the lines with the ruler.

114
3. Cut the leather square out (the big square).
4. Practice making V-gouge cuts on a scrap of the same leather. The
cut should be deep enough to see clearly, but less than half the
thickness of the leather, or the leather will be weakened. When
you have the V-gouge adjusted and are familiar with the way it
works, slowly make the cuts in the chessboard, along the lines for
the small squares. If you like, you can also make other cuts in the
border for decoration; if you do, draw the lines with the pencil
first. Go slow, and keep the V-gouge flat on the leather.
5. Use stamps to make designs in the border, if desired. If you are
using oak-tanned leather, dampen it before stamping. Make light
pencil guidelines first, to keep the stamping even.
 6. Dye every other square, as shown. Use leather dye (not paint, not
Finish) and a small paintbrush. A very dark color will give the most
contrast. To help in dyeing the squares without mistakes, pour a
little of the dye into the cap of the bottle, and set the cap on a thick
piece of cardboard near the square you want to dye. Then you
won’t be moving the brush over the whole chessboard each time
you need more dye. The dye smells strong, and this step should be
done in a well-ventilated area. You can set some cardboard squares
on the squares you dont want to dye, to protect them from
splashes, but don’t use tape, because it marks the leather. Don’t
worry about getting dye into the V-gouge lines; the Finish will
darken them anyway. To get a dark color, go over the dyed squares
at least twice with the dye. Let the dye dry several hours—
overnight is best.
7. Measure and cut a %-inch square out of each corner of the leather.
This is to let the leather fold around the wood.
8. Turn the leather upside down on a smooth surface, and put the
plywood piece on it. The corners of the plywood piece should be
right at the corners of the little cutout squares. Draw around the
plywood onto the leather, to mark where the leather will fold. Take
away the wood, and make V-gouge cuts along the lines, on the
back side of the leather—to help the leather fold smoothly around
the wood.
9. Apply rubber cement to the wood, top and sides, and to the back
side of the leather. Make the glue coat even and fairly heavy, and
make sure it goes all the way to the edges. Let the glue dry until it
is no longer wet—about twenty minutes—setting it in the sun
helps. Then lay the leather face down on a smooth surface, and
press the wood in place, carefully.
Turn the chessboard right side up, and dampen the edges (on
the top side of the leather) so that they will mold around the wood.
A sponge works well for this. Press the edges to the wood with
your hands, then stand the chessboard on edge and tap the sides
flat to the wood with the hammer. Make sure the surface of your
hammer is smooth, and then tap gently all over the chessboard to
flatten it and make the glue stick. If there are any little bits of glue
on the top side of the leather, let them dry, and rub them off with
your fingers.
10. Dampen the surface and edges of the chessboard evenly, if you are

116
 using oak-tanned leather. Apply Acrylic Antique Finish thickly to
the entire surface and edges, all at once. Don’t rub the finish in,
just smear it all over. Then wipe off all the excess, right away,
using paper towels and a light circular motion, to avoid streaks. If
the surface is not evenly colored, put on Neutral (no color) Acrylic
Antique Finish thickly, and wipe it off. Let the chessboard dry for
an hour or so.
11. Stand the chessboard on edge, and pound in tacks around the
edges—perhaps one tack every 2 inches.
12. If you like, cut out a 22-inch square piece of felt, soft leather, or
suede, and glue it to the back of the chessboard.
13. When the Acrylic Antique Finish has dried overnight, you can use
a neutral shoe cream (wax) and a shoe brush to buff up the
chessboard. Or for a little less shine, just use the shoe brush.

You can make other game boards in the same way—Parchesi, for
example.

Knapsack

MATERIALS
leather: oak-tanned is probably too stiff, but almost any other
kind of leather will do, depending on whether you prefer a
soft or stiff knapsack, how lightweight you want it to be,
etc. Heavy chrome-tanned (about 4-5 oz.) or lightweight
latigo (about 4-5 oz.) would work well. Take the pattern
with you when you go to buy the leather
2 shoulder straps about IV2" wide and about 18" long, the
same finish leather as the main piece or a little heavier;
chrome-tanned or latigo
Finish
about 8 feet of lacing or heavy waxed nylon thread,
whichever you would like to use, for the side seams
2 snaps to hold flap shut
8 rivets for attaching straps

117
 TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 drive punch, #0 punch if you are sewing
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
lacing needle (if you are going to lace the seams) or harness
needle (if you are going to sew the seams with thread)
metal hammer
anvil
snap setter

1. Make the pattern—it’s a rectangle, 12 inches wide and 25% inches

long. Cut out the corners to make the flap as shown, 1% inches
down and 2V2 inches in on each side. Fold the paper pattern up so
that it looks like the knapsack—letting about IV2 inches fold over for

118
 the flap—and see if it's the size and shape you want. Change it if
not.
2. Draw the pattern onto the leather, holding the pattern in place with
something heavy. Cut out the leather piece.
3. Bevel the edges, if the leather is heavy enough. Bevel the shoulder
strap edges, front and back.
4. If you are using lightweight latigo, you can put Acrylic Antique
Finish on the piece now. Use Finish on the shoulder straps.
5. Punch holes for lacing or sewing the side seams. For lacing, the #5
holes should be about Va inch from the edge, and V2 inch apart, or
closer. For sewing, the #0 holes should be very close together—
about four holes to the inch, and about Vs inch from the edge. Mark
the holes on the front part down to the fold line. Punch these holes,
then mark through them to the back piece, and punch those holes. If
you try to punch both layers at once, the pieces will slip around.
6. Fold the piece so that it is wrong side out, and sew or lace the side

V/2
fold line

fold line
 seams. You can use any kind of stitch you want—running stitch,
whipstitch, double running stitch, ’even cross stitch. Make the
thread or lacing tight, for strength.
7. Turn the bag right side out. To make the sides lie flat, put the bag on
the anvil and gently tap the sewing or lacing flat with the metal
hammer.
8. Put some things in the bag, just as you will when using it, and mark
where you want the snaps to hold the flap shut. Punch #5 holes, and
set the snaps.
9. Have someone help you mark where you want the shoulder straps
to be attached to the bag and how long you want them. 18 inches
should fit most people. Punch holes in the bag and the shoulder
strap ends, and rivet on the straps. To punch a hole in the bag, you’ll
have to use a drive punch. Put the anvil and rubber soling piece
inside the bag, so they’ll be under the place where you want to
punch. When you set the rivets, place the anvil inside the bag,
under the rivets.

120
Shoulder
Strap Bag

MATERIALS
6-7 oz. yellow latigo (take the pattern with you when you go
to buy the leather)
shoulder strap to match, about 3 feet long, IV2" wide
Finish; dye, paint if desired
a button (at least 1" in diameter) for the front—could be
wood, bone, brass, leather—this is up to you; button
should have large holes (see step 8)
3/i6" latigo lacing to match leather, about 7 feet long

TOOLS
cutter
edger
#5 punch, #0 punch (optional)
for drive punch: mallet, rubber soling material
decorating tools (stamps, etc.)
for stamping: mallet, marble (optional)
lacing needle
metal hammer
anvil

1. Make the pattern. To make a shape that is the same on both sides,
fold the paper in half to draw the curve. To make the front piece
the same curve as the back and flap, make one first and draw

121
 around it to make the other. You can change the measurements to
whatever you like, as long as the frout and back match, so that they
can be laced together. Also, the flap can be any shape you choose.
Mark holes in the pattern, for lacing. The middle of each hole
should be lA inch from the edge of the pattern. The holes should
be about V2 inch apart, from the middle of one hole to the middle of
the next hole. Mark the holes on one of the pattern pieces, then
punch holes in that pattern piece and use it to mark the other
pattern piece. This is to make sure that the holes line up.
2. Hold the pattern in place with something heavy and draw around
the pattern onto the leather.
3. Cut out the leather pieces. Also cut out a shoulder strap about 3
feet long and IV2 inches wide. Make slits in the ends of the shoul¬
der strap, dividing the strap in two, for about 2 inches.
4. Bevel all the edges, including the slits in the strap.
5. Punch the holes. Punch #0 holes at the ends of the slits on the
strap for a nicer finish.
6. Decorate as you wish, with stamps, swivel knife, holes, etc.
7. Color the leather pieces, including the lacing.
8. When the purse pieces have dried for about fifteen minutes, put
the button on the flap. Punch two holes in the flap where you want
the button, and lace the button on. Tie a square knot in the lacing
ends, on the inside of the flap. Leave the button a tiny bit loose, so

shoulder bag back and flap 15"

9" shoulder bag front

 there will be room for the lacing, which will wrap around it. If you
can’t get lacing through the holes on the button, you could use
heavy waxed nylon thread instead.
Punch a hole near the bottom of the front piece, and put in the
piece of lacing that will wrap around the button. Tie a single knot
on the inside of the front piece, to hold it there. And tie a single
knot at the end of the lace, to make it look good and be easy to use.
9. Lace the front and back/flap pieces together. Use a lacing needle
and a running stitch, page 58. Tie a single knot in the end of the
lacing. Put the back/flap over the front piece, and lace in and out
and in and out... It may not look like it will work, but it will! Pull
the lacing snug as you go. Tie a square knot in the lacing ends, and
tap on the knot with the hammer, on an anvil, to flatten the knot.
10. Punch holes and rivet the shoulder strap onto the bag.

11. Buff up the bag with a shoe brush or a rag, and some neutral shoe
cream if you like a really glossy look.

The bag will probably seem a bit stiff at first, but it will soften and
shape to a rounder look as you use it.

123
Scraps
When you’ve made a few things out of leather, you’ll notice a grow¬
ing pile of scraps—good leather, but strange shapes and sizes. There
are many things you can do with scraps. You can make regular projects
out of them, by piecing them together—sewing, lacing, or riveting.
Here are a few other ideas:

collage door plaque

earrings dried flower holder
ring gingerbread person, Christmas tree ornament
earmuffs leather “beads”
puzzle handles, drawer pulls, hinges
Suppliers
w
l-H
H
h a. O-.
£ O-. ffi C/3
<3 C/3 H
U i—i
O-.
H U
05 o g
l-H 05
W
W r\ Oh
hJ &
Q C/3 05 05
05 H Oh
p
O hJ o
S H 05
C/3 hH
HH 05 H O
5 £ Oh
HH 05 O-.
O <5 C/3
05 £ O
W Oh U
l-H O— 05 o
05 ffi C/3 h5 C/3 05 h5
H p 5h h-3 H <
<5 2 05 O H H
W W H U O C <
c/3 C/3 < H Oh U

Berman Leathercraft
147 South Street yes yes yes yes yes no yes
Boston, Mass. 02111

Century Leather Co., Inc.

110 Beach Street yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Boston, Mass. 02111

Cleveland Leather Co.

2824 Lorain Avenue yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Cleveland, Ohio 44113

Colo-Craft
1310 S. Broadway yes no yes yes yes yes yes
Denver, Colo. 80210

The Dead Cow

1040 River Street yes yes yes yes yes yes no
Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060

D’Narb Ltd.
100 Myrtle Avenue yes yes yes yes yes no yes
Havertown, Pa. 19083

Double D Leather Co.

6212 D Madison Pike yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Huntsville, Ala. 35806

Drake Leather Co., Inc.

3500 W. Beverly Blvd. yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Montebello, Calif. 90640

Funk and Rose

212 S. 15th Avenue yes yes yes no yes no yes
Minneapolis, Minn. 55404
 o^.

(X. x.
x. E CO
U CO H
HH
X.
H U
PS 2 W
W HH
W rs Ph 0“
Q <Z)
r . w PS
PS H Ph
E
O •J 0
W hH
E
PS H 0
5 z
HH PS Z Pm
x.
s ffj 0 CO
Pi O
>< W O
HH X. § o
PS X C/D □ CO PS H-l
H Ph hS H <
•J
<3 2 X O H H
w W H u O < <
cn X C/D < H Ph U

Leather
19 E. Woodside Avenue yes yes yes yes yes no no
Ardmore, Pa. 19003

Leather, Etc.
2033 University Avenue yes yes yes yes yes yes no
Berkeley, Calif. 94704

Leather Unlimited Co.

P. O. Box 23002 yes yes yes no yes yes yes
Milwaukee, Wis. 53223

The Leather Works

628 Emerson Street yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Palo Alto, California 94301

Leathe re rafters’ Supply Co.

25 Great Jones (E. 3rd) Street yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
New York, N.Y. 10012

Leon Leather Co., Inc.

1738 East 2nd Street yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076

Mac Leather Co.

424 Broome Street yes yes yes yes yes no yes
New York, N.Y. 10013

Natural Leather
203 Bleecker Street yes no yes no yes no yes
New York, N.Y. 10012

New Haven Leather Co., Inc.

254 State Street * yes no yes yes yes no no
New Haven, Conn. 06510

*(in Conn, area)

126
 O-.
C/3
W
l-H
H
H a.
as C/3
C/3
i—I
H
O-.
g U
PC I—( W
H &H 5
w PC
z> 6
o PC
H o
5? til

s < C/3 a-.

£ O
PQ PC o
W
H <
H H
W C <
c/3 &H U

J. G. Read & Bros. Co., Inc.

101 21st Street, Box 469 yes no yes yes yes yes yes
Ogden, Utah 84402

Richmond Leather Co.

1839 West Broad Street yes yes yes yes yes yes yes
Richmond, Virginia 23220

S-T Leather Co.

329-33 E. Long Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
and yes no yes no yes no yes
4018 Olive Street
St. Louis, Mo. 63108

Southwestern Leather &

Shoe Findings Co.
27 N. 3rd Avenue, Box 3555 yes yes yes no yes no no
Phoenix, Ariz. 85030

Worth Leather Co.

151 Allen Blvd. yes yes yes yes yes no yes
Farmingdale, N.Y. 11735

Tandy Leather Co.

Many stores (look in the yes kits yes no yes yes yes
phone book)

127
Suggestions for Further Reading

BRAIDING AND LACING

Faulkner, Jan. Leathercraft by Hand. New York: Walker & Co., 1973.
Grant, Bruce. Leather Braiding. Cambridge, Md.: Cornell Maritime Press,
1961.
How to Lace. New York: Drake Publishers, 1947.

CARVING

Cherry, Raymond. General Leathercraft. Bloomington, Ill.: McKnight &

McKnight Publishing Co., 1955.
Stohlman, Al. How to Carve Leather. Craftool, 1952.
Stohlman, Al. Inverted Leather Carving. Craftool, 1961.
Stohlman, Al. Tech Tips. Craftool, 1969.

DOVER BOOKS FOR DESIGN IDEAS

(The following books are published by Dover Publications, New York, N.Y.)

African Designs from Traditional Sources by Geoffrey Williams, 1971.

The Book of Signs by Rudolf Koch, 1955.
Chinese Folk Designs by W. M. Hawley, 1949.
Decorative Art of the Southwestern Indians by Dorothy Smith Sides, 1961.
Design Motifs of Ancient Mexico by Jorge Encisco, 1947.
Greek Ornament, edited by Patrick Connell, 1968.
Hornung’s Handbook of Designs and Devices by Clarence P. Hornung, 1946.
A Treasury of Design for Artists and Craftsmen by Gregory Mirow, 1969.
Victorian Stencils for Design and Decoration, selected by Edmund V. Gillon,
Jr., 1968.

128
 /

Boston Public Library /<7/^f

CO DM AN SQUARE
BRANCH LIBRARY

IT 290
, GT6

9800009ft**

The Date Due Card in the pocket indi¬

cates the date on or before which this
book should be returned to the Library.
Please do not remove cards from this
pocket.
oemco,
’• •' •>.

r
 THIS BOOK IS A LIPPINCOTT SOFTCOVER ORIGINAL BINDING

LEATIIEKWORK
Here is a book that will bring you the joy of working with leather.
Now you can turn this beautiful, durable, natural material into hand¬
somely designed, useful articles. Leatherworker Sylvia Grainger tells
you how to shop for leather; presents the tools you need to get started
and shows you how to use them; and explains in detail the six basic
steps in creating a leatherwork project. Clear close-up photographs
illustrate every stage.
Complete directions are given for all of these items, many with ■•)c

same-size patterns:

PENDANT BELT

LIGHT SWITCH PLATE BRAIDED BELT

BARRETTE VISOR

KEY RING DOG COLLAR

;\ '

vi, f...
\ WRISTBAND MATCHING LEASH
A/-
K PICTURE FRAME BELT POUCH

/ COIN PURSE NOTEBOOK COVER

ft >

TOOL BOARD HATCHET COVER

V ■' 1 ' it
POUCH CHESSBOARD
A- >, • ;
\, V SHEARLING HAT KNAPSACK
V Vfi
-1 ’■

V ■ KIRIGAMI PLANT HANGER SHOULDER BAG

Sylvia Grainger owns and manages The Leather Works, a leather-

craft supply store ip Palo Alto, California. She designs leatherwork
projects and teaches leatherwork classes for adults and children.