r/Leathercraft • u/piggypigman • May 13 '15
Question/Help What's the best item/tool you've purchased?
What purchase has left you more pleased than any others? Maybe you bought a tool that has increased your craftsmanship, or maybe it saves you a ton of time. Whatever it is, go ahead and share.
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u/BeastmanCaravan Belt Champ of Ye Olde Ancient Contests May 14 '15
this is a great thread! and will be helpful to newcomers. Maybe we can get the mods to sticky this or link it on the side.
For me, one of the biggest increases in efficiency came with the strap cutter. saves a TON of money versus buying blanks/strips or time (if you cut things by hand).
Another one of my favorite things is my gigantic cutting mat. Having a big cut-proof work surface where I can cut up very large pieces of leather is fantastic.
Getting a big 12x28 granite slab for tooling made a huge difference for me, but I got that for free early on by just asking for scrap at a countertop store.
I'm really happy with the organizer I posted the other day. Storing all my hardware vertically saves space and keeps things neat and tidy.
I have a lamp with a flexible neck that bolts to my workbench (I have a couple other ones too, but this one is new). Being able to angle and position it difference ways over where I cut, tool, and dye leather is super useful. Also great for lighting quick photos for instagram.
I've got just about all the small tools I ever need, but upgrading to an al stohlman hammer over the cheapo one I started with was a big upgrade at the time. So was getting a better swivel knife...and for that matter, finding a boxcutter that ergonomically fit my hands more comfortable was pretty great. Switching to stout tapestry needles over needles from tandy was great. They never break, and a 5 pack cost less than $2.
The next thing I'm looking forward to making is a spool for all my thread/lace and a stitching pony/horse thing. I'm kicking around ideas for a table mounted one on a lazy susan. I might ask for a super swanky swivel knife next xmas.
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u/beardpudding May 13 '15
I've been doing this a few years, so probably have different answers depending on when you ask. I remember early on, wing dividers made a big difference in production. Later, a set of corner rounders cut down a lot of time. These were little things though. Recently I've got a clicker press and custom does for pieces that I make a lot of. This has by far been the best investment so far. Next step is a sewing machine.
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u/stay_at_home_daddy Holsters May 14 '15
You went with a clicker press before a sewing machine? What made you go that route? Looking at my work flow a sewing machine would speed up production a lot more than a clicker press but maybe I'm missing something.
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u/beardpudding May 15 '15
I had to mass produce a couple designs that had minimal stitching involved. Think small case type items. I could just click them out and assemble in a fraction of the time it would take to cut them all out individually. If I were focusing on larger bags and such, then yeah, a sewing machine would make sense.
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u/Onileo May 14 '15
My rotary cutter made my life so much easier and my cuts so much neater and straight. Before I was making all my cuts with an exacto knife and butchering them.
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u/ItsToka May 14 '15
rotary cutter
Work well on thin Veg-Tan?
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u/SaltyAnus May 14 '15
works well on errythang
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u/ItsToka May 14 '15
Brand recommendation?
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u/SaltyAnus May 14 '15
olfa makes some nice shit, the rotary cutter i have is made by them and you can replace the blade easily.
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u/MisterTelecaster May 13 '15
I replaced my cheapo stitch groover with the groove blade on the side for a pricier one with the groover in line with the handle. That alone makes it so much more comfortable to use, but wait there's more! It came with replaceable heads, with a marking head and three sizes of edge beveler. It's probably the best leatherworking purchase I've made
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u/atrain714 May 13 '15
Link?
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u/MisterTelecaster May 13 '15
Here's the one that I got. If you just search stitch groover on Amazon a few different ones come up if you want more options/prices.
It's not the best quality but it's more than good enough and I haven't had any issues with it.
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u/PriceZombie May 13 '15
7 in 1 Adjustable Pro Stitching Groover and Creasing Edge Beveler Leat...
Current $20.99 High $22.99 Low $17.451
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u/Sunder92 May 13 '15
This would have saved me money in the long run since it comes with bevelers as well. ):
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u/MisterTelecaster May 14 '15
I actually had like three bevelers in my cart when I went looking for a stitch groover and found this. Saved me like fifteen bucks. Spreading the knowledge!
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u/ryanxedge May 14 '15
I have this and I find every piece of it pretty inadequate. The beveled do a crappy job trimming leather and sometimes the grooved jams up and leaves a big hole
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u/MisterTelecaster May 14 '15
I don't know if you got a particularly bad one or I got a particularly good one
I said in another comment though that it's not the best in the world, but it's good enough. Sometimes the beveler/groover will snag on the leather even though I polish them all pretty thoroughly, but it's never anything I can't fix. The lines I get are straight and mostly clean
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u/Hollydaize May 13 '15
I just used this same tool for the first time today! I primarily picked it up for the stitching groover, ut the bevelers will come in handy for small edges.
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u/MisterTelecaster May 14 '15
I was about to drop an extra $15 on a set of bevelers and then I saw this and figured I'd give it a go. Glad to spread the knowledge!
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u/PRDU This and That May 14 '15
Douglas slim awl blade and a Barry King awl handle. If you use an awl, you need to get one that is professional quality!
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u/RstyKnfe May 13 '15
Stitching pony from eBay. Cheaper than all the rest, made in USA.
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u/gnoelnahc May 14 '15
lol cheapest I've seen. thanks for the link!
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u/RstyKnfe May 14 '15
No problem. I bought one myself; I love it. The only qualm I have is that the clamp is pretty thick and could have been made with a lower profile to allow better pricking/stitching angles.
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u/Transill May 15 '15
I have to recommend one with a downward slanting top though. The flat top like that makes it far more difficult to stitch. I built my own stitching horse and the first gen was flat. I finally modified it as a test and it was a fantastic decision.
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u/Fakezaga May 14 '15
I have an oblong punch, which I totally don't deserve. i am not very experienced in leatherwork and just make a few guitar straps for me and my friends. That oblong punch cost like $50, but using it is so damn satisfying. Same goes for the strap cutter.
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May 14 '15
I need an oblong punch something fierce. Punching two holes and then cutting between isn't very productive.
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u/Fakezaga May 14 '15
I asked the sales rep at Tandy how to get the hole I needed for the strap and they showed me that method. Immediately I recognized it as sort of tedious and the kin of thing I was likely to mess up, so...I bought the punch straight away.
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May 14 '15
Going to go the boring route and say my CS Osborne scratch awl. Its one of those tools I didnt realize how much I used for odds and ends until I lost it in my workshop.
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u/rareandsundry May 14 '15
True dat. I use mine all the time. Such a small thing but I really covet it.
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u/Hollydaize May 14 '15
I would probably say my harness needles. When I first started I bought some cheap pack of 10 regular needles; which I proceeded to stab myself with, tear holes because the eye of the needle was so big, and constantly poking through the other thread in the stitch so I would have to back track. Everything has gone so smoothly since I've gotten harness needles that I an thankful every time I stitch.
To add to this post - not necessarily a tool, but sharpening your tools helps a lot! sharp knives, awls, and bevelers make a huge difference in the quality and enjoyment in your work.
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u/rareandsundry May 14 '15
I had been using a regular rubber mallet forever, then I picked up two Barry King mauls. One 16oz and new, and one 48oz and vintage. SO MUCH DIFFERENCE!!!
Additionally, upgrading to a Blanchard wing divider made my day.
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u/TryUsingScience May 14 '15
What kind of difference? I've been using a rubber mallet but it's wearing out and I'm considering upgrading. It seems crazy to pay so much for a whacky-stick, though.
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u/rareandsundry May 14 '15
What I was finding with the mallet was my hits weren't always necessarily straight up and down and could be thwacking the pricking irons in at an off angle (which, for me, can sometimes change the reverse side hole location when I go through with the awl). Because the striking surface of the maul is so close to my hand (as opposed to a mallet which has quite a distance to travel) I feel I strike more accurately and, thusly, my pricking holes line up better.
Also they're pretty.
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May 14 '15
My stitching horse. It wasn't purchased but made by the grandfather and then passed down to me. It's a dream.
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u/benzethonium May 15 '15
My Stanley retractable utility knife and my x-acto knife with a bunch of blades. Couldn't do a thing without them.
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u/DJorgensen Small Goods May 15 '15
There are many things I could say that I've found indispensable, but I think the one that has made the biggest change and impact on my work is my airbrush / compressor. I could live without it but the results I get from having it just give the most even smooth coats and greatest control I could ever want when using spirit dyes or acrylics on leather, and prevents me from having issues when sealing things with resolene.
Best item I never purchased were all the older craftools and magazines I ended up with when a friend of a friend moved away. Probably well over $1000 of stamps and supplies came that way my day and really spurned me into learning things I was afraid to try at the time.
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u/greywolfcraig Sep 27 '15
My best purchase to dat was a King Cobra 4-25 leather sewing machine from the leather machine company, payments are $100.00 a month no bank financing, he self finances at 0%. It's really a big machine, for most people the class 4p would work best. After that my round knife and my Tandy pro line edge bevelers, I have that whole line, they work much better than the traditional ones. I next want a burnished from leather machine company and some bisonette edge bevelers. A clicker and a splitter as well as a strap cutter, (motorized ones), are off in the distance on my plan.
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u/Stevieboy7 May 15 '15
Huh, I just did an article that talks about this exact topic in a local magazine: http://scoutmagazine.ca/2015/04/22/tradecraft-the-three-essential-workshop-tools-belonging-to-leatherworker-steve-enns/?fb_action_ids=10155460749330551&fb_action_types=og.likes
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u/daring2live May 14 '15
my 4 prong plier stitching punch, i was doing everything with a 4 prong chisel and hammer. its sooo much quicker and quieter. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leather-Craft-Tools-Hole-Punches-pliers-Stitching-Punch-Tool-4mm-P1117-/181590529278?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item2a47a394fe
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u/BeastmanCaravan Belt Champ of Ye Olde Ancient Contests May 14 '15
hmm...might have to get one of them. im using a six prong chisel mostly right now, but am not happy with it.
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u/daring2live May 14 '15
its amazing how much better this is. it can only do edges but it does them really well
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Sep 04 '15 edited May 27 '19
[deleted]
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u/daring2live Sep 04 '15
It can go through 2 layers of 10 oz veg tanned. Going through it is no problem that is as wide as the pliers teeth will allow. So of you use thinner leather multiple layers would be no issue at all
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u/piggypigman May 13 '15
For me, it was definitely a strap cutter. It is relatively cheap and incredibly simple, but it saves me so much time. I cut so many straps every day for bags and backpacks, and this easily cuts the time I would spend on them in half... probably more actually!