Leathercrafting is one of those ideal DIY, quarantine-compatible hobbies. So it is no surprise that it has been becoming more and more popular these days. From master craftsmen working on top-end leather to the newbie working on their first strip, all of them need supplies.

If you’re someone that’s been looking to get into leathercrafting, then you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll be going over the 5 most important supplies for you to have!

1. A Head Knife

You can’t cut leather with any old kitchen knife. It takes a special kind of knife or scalpel to properly cut leather. There’s a wide variety of shapes that you’ll find handy, but at first, the most important one is simply a “head knife.”

A head knife is called that because its blade is much closer to horizontal than a regular knife. This makes its edge be reminiscent of ahead. A head knife is pretty much the most versatile leathercrafting tool out there. It can cut, pare, and skive. 

It’s probably the most iconic leathercrafting accessory. A head knife is pretty much a leathercrafter’s insignia.

Always pay attention to the wide blade as to not cut yourself. In general, you’ll want to sharpen your knives very often, as a dull knife is a lot more dangerous. To cut with a head knife is pretty simple. You just put it down and apply pressure, the knife does the rest.

2. A Strong, Plastic Cutting Board

On the subject of cutting things, leatherworking requires you to use some pretty sharp tools. If you want to prevent everything under your knife to suffer from your leather crafts you’ll need a cutting board.

Ideally, you’ll want a plastic one. While a wooden one can work, it’s much more likely to damage your knife, and vice-versa. Poundo boards are used pretty universally in the leathercrafting world, and they’re thin enough to not present much of an issue when cutting.

Ideally, you’ll want a plastic one. While a wooden one can work, it’s much more likely to damage your knife, and vice-versa. Pound boards are used pretty universally in the leathercrafting world, and they’re thin enough to not present much of an issue when cutting.

3. Leather Glue

Leather glue is an adhesive that we use to combine two pieces of leather. This is often done before sewing to keep the pieces in place. Alternatively, you can even use it instead of sewing, and use permanent glue to join two pieces of leather together permanently.

There’s a couple of different types, however, they can be used on pretty much any leather, making them critical to almost any beginner-level project.

When picking out which glue to use, you always want to keep in mind whether you want the bond to be temporary or permanent. There are specialized glues for pretty much anything you can think of, so don’t hesitate to look for the perfect one for you!

4. More Knives!

If you thought we were done with knives after the head knife, you were very, very wrong. Leatherworkers need a lot of knives because the intricacy of the cuts that they make is unique. This, in turn, means that you’ll need a lot more than your head knife.

First of all, you’ll need a couple of skiving knives. These are usually quite varied in the looks department, however, they’re mostly used for more precise cuts than your head knife.

You’ll also need a trimming knife, though that depends on how processed the leather you work with is. 

Finally, you’ll need a rotary cutter. This isn’t quite a knife, but it’s a quick way to slice apart thick leather.

5. A Hole Puncher

Whether you want to make a belt or simply an intricate design, a hole puncher is something you’ll need.

It’s quite similar to the rotary cutter, you simply press it upon the leather and move your arm forward. Then, due to the pressure and sharpness, circular cuts are made into the leather.

You can punch holes for purses, bags, belts, and whatever else you want! While it might not be the most versatile tool, it does its job well.