I know there are a lot of people out there who want to get into leather work but have no idea where to start. The aim of this thread is to provide a good introduction and starting point for someone who's curious about leather working.
Part I: The ToolsLeather working is much easier to get into compared to metal working as it requires a significantly smaller investment in tools. Sure, you can easily spend thousands of dollars on specialty tools and/or machines to work leather, however you only need a few key things to start out with; in fact, you likely have most of them in your tool box right now.
There are two sections here: basic leather work and leather carving. Basic leather work is where the necessities come in, and you can make some great looking and functional armor without ever learning how to tool leather.
You need something to cut the leather. I find that a razor knife works well. You'll want to be sure to keep a steady supply of fresh blades on hand, as it's easy to slip and cut either your project or yourself with a dull blade. When the blade starts to drag excessively, it's time for a new one. You can get razor knives and blades anywhere that sells hardware.
If you have really thick leather, you can also use a scroll saw with a fine-toothed blade for cutting metal. I've also found that for long, straight cuts, a fabric rotary cutter works very well. Again, you'll want to be sure to keep an eye on the sharpness of the blade. There are also a number of specialty leather cutting tools like head knives, but they're more of a luxury and beyond the scope of this tutorial.
You'll probably also want some kind of straight edge and measuring implement. I use a couple here; a cheap clear protractor for smaller work and a large metal framing square.
To mark on the leather, I generally use a sharpie marker as most of my pieces are dyed black. If you're going to be dying a piece a lighter color where a black mark might show, it's generally best to mark out the pattern on the flesh (back) side of the leather.
You will also need a way to punch holes in the leather regardless of if you're riveting or lacing. Pictured above is a
cheap punch set. This will work very well for thinner leathers (generally thinner than armor grade) such as straps or belts and will leave a much nicer hole.
If you're going to be putting holes into thick leather (12 oz.+), I recommend a regular drill. The holes won't be as pretty, but that doesn't matter too much if you're putting rivets in them. Speaking of rivets...
These are the rivets you'll want to get for armor. Others can be used, however generally aren't as durable. There are several sizes. For structural use or rivets that will see a lot of stress, I recommend the #9 1" rivets. The #12s can be used for decorative work as they're smaller, but the #9s can be used as well.
To set the rivets, a
rivet setter is required. It has a hole and a concave area on one end. The hole is used to set the burr (like a washer) securely on the post, and the concave area is used to help flatten out the cut end of the post.
A couple smashing implements will be needed. I use a $3 rubber mallet and a $3 claw hammer. The mallet is used on the rivet setter (and all steel tools) to prevent deforming them, and the claw hammer is used on the rivet itself to peen after setting the burr and cutting the post to length. A ballpeen hammer is ideal here, however pretty much any hammer will work.
You'll also want a hard surface to do the setting & peening on.
A pair of bolt cutters or snips are needed to trim the rivet posts to the proper length after setting the burr. You're likely going to need some hefty ones. You can again get these at any hardware store.
You're also going to want to dye the leather. There are many types available.
Fiebling's is generally regarded as the best for armoring purposes. You want the alcohol/spirit based dye. The Tandy Eco-Flow shown above can work, however I would really recommend the spirit dye for armor.
You can apply it several ways. I generally use disposable foam brushes, but sponges, rags and wool daubers work as well.
These tools should get you through the basics of armoring. Coming soon: leather carving tools.