Of all the sewing jobs around, one of the hardest is sewing leather – especially hand sewing it. The toughest among us attempt it and emerge a winner. A few ammunition at our side do help to win the battle.
Related post : Hand sewing stitches for leather.
Here is a list of those tools that the leather hand sewing beginner would want to have to become a leather sewing expert. Or maybe at least – to start sewing.
The basic hand sewing leather tools
1. Good quality leather
This goes without saying but a beginner can get lost in the world of leather. There are many different types of leather – you can learn more about the many kinds of leather available for your projects here.
You can use scrap leather for your first projects and experiments and then go on to buy vegetable-tanned leather for your subsequent projects.
A 2 mm (3 ounce) is needed for outer work (making wallets, backpacks etc) and carving purposes and 1 mm is used for inner work.
Super soft and lightweight leather is most preferred for making handbags – it is easy to sew and soft to touch.
7 to 8 ounce (2.8- 3.4 mm) thick leather is used for making belts.
Buy pre-dyed leather if you are a beginner and would rather not bother about the dyeing processes. They are tooled and hand dyed and finished with a stain.
If you want to dye your own leather buy pre-dyed tooling leather. The finishing and type of tanning done can make or break leather so it is better to buy pre-dyed leather if you are a beginner in leather projects
2. Needles
You will need two good sharp thick hand sewing needles with a big eye to hand sew leather.
There are Leather needles which make holes as they sew – they are needles (also called Glovers) with a sharp tip shaped like a triangle for cutting into thick leather, without tearing the material. These come in sizes 1 to 8.
Leather needles with longer triangular point at the end are called sailmakers needles
And you will also find other types of hand stitching and embroidery needles like the long upholstery needle and curved needle handy for some of the projects.
3.Thread
You can hand sew leather with any heavy weight sewing thread – Linen thread is recommended by many experts for hand sewing leather. You can also ask the store for polyester upholstery weight thread or bonded nylon thread. But the pre-waxed leather sewing thread makes your life easy. The pre waxed nylon thread is good enough for most jobs.
If you are using ordinary sewing thread rub a little bit of beeswax on it make it strong enough and reduces tangling. Cotton thread is not usually used by the experts as it may disintegrate easily. A synthetic thread with a diameter upwards of 0.6 mm can be used.
The pre-waxed thread for hand sewing leather comes in many thicknesses and types – You get Linen Thread and Polyester Thread for hand sewing. You have to choose depending on your project.
4. Diamond Awl
This is used to make holes on the leather before you start sewing. You get them in many sizes.
5. Rulers
The long metal ones, as well as transparent rulers, are used to mark the stitching lines on leather.
6. Good Quality sharp scissors
Self-explanatory – what is sewing without a good pair of scissors.
7. Clips
As you already know you cannot use pins or basting stitches on leather- instead you can use binder clips to hold leather pieces together. You can even use (wooden) cloth pegs for thin soft leather. There are other shortcuts like using masking tapes, using stapler pins on the seam allowances where that is applicable etc.
8. Glue
You can buy shoe glue or leather glue. This is needed for attaching things before sewing them permanently.
9. Rotary cutter or cutters
Leather is best cut with a very sharp cutting tool; Cutting straight cuts, rounder corners properly is best done with a thin and sharp cutting tool. Even skiving is done with a good one. You can buy a head-knife or a leather trimming-knife. You can also use a rotary cutter or a general utility-knife (sometimes called a Stanley-knife).
You can even use a really sharp X-Acto-Blade- just ensure that it has disposable-blades because you need them really sharp to cut through leather.
10. Cutting Mat
If you are cutting with a rotary cutter or exacto-blade you need to protect the cutting surface with a mat – you can use boards or rubber mats.
Other useful leather sewing tools
11. Thimble
Thimble or finger-gloves can protect your hands from the sharp points /edges of all your leather sewing tools. You may not think this is necessary till you get that first jab/cut.( and many more to come if you will be pursuing this hobby)
12. A stitching pony / Stitching clam
Though the names sound frivolous the jobs they do, are not – they hold the leather pieces together and make your sewing less frustrating. Once you use one of them you may decide you will not sew without them.
13. A drawing wheel
A drawing wheel/overstitch wheel makes dotted marking on fabric – these even markings are then converted to holes through which stitching is done
14. Sewing Hook Awl
This is used for sewing leather instead of using the needles. You can sew with this awl which has a hook on its eye to carry the thread.
15. Rivets and Rivet setting tools
Rivets are used as an alternative to sewing to attach two pieces of leather together.
Some optional leather sewing tools
16. Hole punch
You will need to make even looking perfect holes on leather goods like belts, bags and this tool is really helpful in that.
17. Edge paint
The edges of leather pieces will have to be painted with edge paint for a finished look.
18. Beeswax
Beeswax is used to shine leather and to grease the sewing thread
19. Adjustable groover
This is used to create stitching lines /decorative grooves/lines on leather surface.
20. Sand paper
You can use sand paper to sand the leather cut edges to a good finish. If you want a more professional and easy tool you can use an electric sander.
More advanced/optional tools in leather making by hand
21. Leather skiving-knife
Skiving the leather is not for the fainthearted – it involves thinning out your perfect looking leather piece to a lesser thickness – it is done to make the leather more supple or sometimes to lessen the bulk at the seams. You need the sharpest of tools for this – the specialized tool for skiving comes with disposable- blades. You can buy these, diagonally shaped, curved and combination of diagonal and curved.
22. Edge beveler
This is another skiving tool used to trim the edges.
23. Wool Daubers
These are used to apply leather dye/ stain or lubricant; You can also use them to polish leather to a good shine.
24. Burnisher
Burnishing is a finishing done to the edge of the leather – it can make your work look very professional. Burnishing means polishing in its basic sense. The tool for doing this a very convenient way of doing the polishing.
25. Prong punch
Prong punch is a fork like tool used to create holes evenly – you can create multiple holes at the same time. The holes can be made for stitching or lacing. Also called pricking iron – you can buy a 2mm one for a start.
26. A Leather conditioning product
You can use these to clean and condition as well as protect leather surfaces . A saddle soap is one such product.
27. Wing divider
This is mostly used in leather projects to mark/drawing lines, particularly on the leather edge. Other uses include making circles, double line for borders etc.
28. Cobbler’s hammer
When leather doesn’t behave you give it a whack with the hammer. Thick leather needs such whacks to keep its shape and make it more supple and pliable. Instead of a hammer, you can get a mallet (hide/wooden) or a maul. The cobbler’s hammer does not mark leather, which is important.
29. Carving tools
These are tools you need to carve out beautiful logos and monograms on the surface of the leather – definitely advanced. Swivel knives are the most common tool used for floral carving.
30. Dyeing tools
Leather dyeing is a different game from just sewing leather and needs specialized tools and leather stains/dyes and finishes. Leather dyeing involves, dyeing and then brushing and then sealing it with wax. It needs lots and lots of practice and then an attitude of expecting the unexpected.
Related posts :How to sew leather; Hand sewing stitches for leather; Saddle stitch
I LIKE BAG MAKING
My specialty is in making and designing patterns that are simple to use, every fabric has what is called a patch, as I do not know how to do it I can’t give advice on it that would be wrong but making a pattern or forming clothing in any form I can do, I have even designed the shoes to go with my purses but I did not put them together I just oversaw the construction with someone who knew how to do it. Good luck and I am sorry I could not help but the place that does my shoes uses glue and thread.
Hi.
I grew up like sewing job, but I was unable to fulfill my goal/dream. Now I have a thirst for persuing my dream. I am still good in repairing leather but I have never put broken base of a shoe.
I want your guidance to be able buy all basic necessary tools. I stayed in Ficksburg, Free State.
Please assist me.
Regards,
Klaas.