A Beginners Guide to the Art of Leather Crafting: Simple Leatherworking Step-by-Step Techniques with Tips to Creating Exquisite Leather Projects

By Clarence A. Wolk

Welcome to the beautiful world of the art of leather crafting for all time!

 

An essential guide for beginners and experienced hands alike

Easy-to-understand compendium with well-described leather preparation processes

Gain invaluable tips on the use of leather working tools such as punches, stamps, bevellers, etc, and other leather preservation and working methods

Acquire leatherworking skills such as lacing & braiding, embossing, forming, and stamping, etc.

 

The art of leather crafting is as old as mankind itself and this piece of the historical growth of man is a pleasurable and productive process that has evolved through the years. 

Beginners, intermediate, or experienced-level leather craftspeople looking for varying types of information that will give a boost to their confidence, A Beginners Guide to the Art of Leather Crafting is your go-to companion in this beautiful craft. 

 

Clarence gently eases you into what leather is all about, the types of leather, how it is produced, and the different tools of importance used in shaping and working on leather. High-level tips are given on simple DIY leather projects. 

 

Also included is an in-depth description on the process of leather finishing which encompasses leather paints, dyes, stains, waxing, and sealants. Descriptions are given on how to apply these materials onto your leather surface to preserve them and give them a unique look.

 

This book will provide you with the essential skills that you required to make projects such as grips for wooden cabinets, leather jewelry, leather pouch, leather charm accessory and so much more!

 

Begin your leather crafting journey today!

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: NKK
• Release date: Jun 22, 2024

Book preview

Chapter One

What is Leather?

One of the oldest and most commonly used materials for craftwork is leather. Leather is a tough yet relatively flexible material obtained from animal skin. However, leather cannot just be described as animal skin. It is the refined type—tanned animal skin.

A kind of leather is obtained from domestic animals like cows and sheep. These aren’t as valued as the ones obtained from wild animals. Examples of these wild animals include reptiles, deer, kangaroo, etc. The only issue with the leather from wild animals is its reduced availability. 

Most wild animals today are reaching the extinction level. So, the rate at which the government allows their hunting has reduced drastically. There are also concerns about the environment and ecological balance. 

As we go on in this book, we will discuss everything you need to know about leather and leather crafting.

Uses of Leather

We will discuss the uses of leather according to the types of animals they are obtained from. The reason is that different animals have different kinds of skin. These skins are usually taken through a process known as tanning, which differs from one skin type to the other. For example, one kind of skin may not be able to tolerate as many processes as the other would.

Buffalo: The leather is obtained from buffaloes and has an average dimension of 40 square feet. It also has features that are similar to cowhide and pigskin. Pigskin and buffalo skin have the same grain composition. That’s why it is commonly used for making footwear—shoes, boots, etc.

Calfskin: This leather is obtained from young cows. It can be as long as 18 square feet. The grain composition is very fine and yet, tightly clustered. It is also used in the production of footwear.

Cowhide: This leather is obtained from adult cows. This is the one that is most commonly used for leather projects. The dimension of this leather ranges from 18 to 24 square feet. Cowhide is also very durable, making it useful for the embellishment of furniture, production of footwear, production of handbags and belts, etc. 

Deerskin: This leather has a length that ranges between six and twelve square feet. It is one of the most flexible forms of leather, with a softness that affords any tool to work its way through it. As a result of its flexibility and lightweight, deerskin is great for the production of garments.

Goatskin: This kind of leather is about 12 square feet long. It is rigid and durable, coming off with colors that are bright hues. As a result of its ornate form, it is used in the production of women’s shoes.

Kangaroo: This leather has the following features—thinness, durability, etc. This leather is peculiar as it has a higher mass ratio than any other leather type. As a result, this leather is great for producing sporting shoes. It can also be braided for ornate purposes after it has been cut out into tiny strips.

Pigskin: This leather type has a length that ranges between 10 and 20 square feet. The grains have a rough and grainy outlook. It is usually refined to give it a finer and smoother grain. Pigskin is great for making clothes, shoe linings, leather purses, etc.

Reptiles: The leather obtained from reptiles has various grain arrangements and textures. That is why it can be used for the production of footwear—boots, shoes, etc.—as well as belts, wallets, and bags.

Sheepskin: The leather obtained from sheep is the most delicate. Its thinness also allows for it to be used in the production of clothes. The sheepskin can also be used for seat embellishing and linings for saddles. 

Classification of Leather

There are two major classifications of leather. They include the following;

Leather obtained from plants: Most people do not know that leather can also be obtained from plants. The kind of plant being referred to here is trees. After existing for several years, trees form a relatively dense bark that takes on the form of leather. This leather comes out firm, with very minimal elasticity.

Chrome tanned leather: Once chromium is introduced into the tanning process for leather, it becomes chrome tanned leather. This type of leather is so soft and flexible that a tool can easily be worked through it.

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Production of Leather

Leather is produced by a process called tanning. The starting material is known as animal hide or skin. The procedures for the conversion can either be via vegetable tanning or chrome tanning.

Here, we will discuss everything you need to know about the processes involved in converting animal skin to leather.

Tannic acid is usually used to facilitate the tanning process. However, instead of animal skin, the bark of trees is used as the starting material. Leather made from this process is usually embellished by carving or stamp designs. The reason for that is its thinness. 

For ‘chrome-tanned leather’, the mineral used to facilitate the tanning process is potassium dichromate. The kind of leather obtained here is usually soft and easy to ply. The final leather from chrome tanning is resistant to water and soft. If you also snip across this leather, you will see a relatively blue or green color. The color is a result of the minerals employed in the tanning process. 

Let’s study the different procedures involved in the production of leather;

The animal’s hide or skin is salted generously to prevent it from rotting. 

When the tanner is ready to work on the skin, he washes it first to get rid of the salt. This process would also add moisture back to the dried-out leather.

Once the animal skin is ready to be worked upon, it is immersed in limewater. This process works to loosen the hair attached to the skin.

The animal skin is then rinsed again to eliminate the limewater and hair. The result is called rawhide, which has its uses too.

The rawhide has collagen fibers that are converted to leather via chemicals. Here, careful use of the chemicals is required. In the past, vegetable tanning involved processes that could span a whole year. However, in modern times, the processes can be finished within a month. On the other hand, chrome tanning is done in large rotating drums.

The leather is washed after the tanning process. If the leather is used for ornate projects, it can be taken through a dyeing procedure. 

This process isn’t mandatory in the processes involved in producing leather. It entails the working of fats into the leather. This process allows it to