I’m planning to make some leather things, so I have couple of questions regarding working with leather (thin one, not the armoury stuff):
What tools do you normally use?
How do you punch holes in it?
Where do you get the tools?
Where do you get the rivets and any other kind of fastening stuff (wax thread, for example)?
Any other good advices?
i use whatever works, depends if you want to do complicated stuff or not
a drill will do it, or a proper hole puncher, or an awl, i have even used small screwdriver.
the only place i know of is Gruts distributers over here on the shore. if you can get some time off during the week i can take you there.
same place, although steve has found a good plce for waxed thread
get a good sharp knife (not a craft knife) to cut the leather with, no matter the thickness, and keep it sharp, dont use sicssors they suck and they leave horrible edges.
Get a craft knife with the snap off blades. Regularly snap off the blades as they dull. Use a piece of scrap plywood for a cutting board.
You can get rotary hole punches from spotlight. They’re pretty crappy and cost too much, but not many places carry them. You’ll use one for riveting if you rivet. These will punch holes from about 1.5mm to about 5mm.
A more traditional way to make a (smaller) hole is using an awl. This is a short stabbing blade designed for the job.
However, if you look at medieval shoes, while they did do punch work for decoration they mostly cut slits for lace holes.
You need very few tools. I have a toolbox that has the following leather working tools:
leather needles (get them from spotlight, they are marked “leather” on the packet and have a triangular tip with three cutting edges on the tip of the needle)
small pliers (for grabbing the needle with)
craft knife
steel ruler
hole punch
There are some nice tools I’d like to have like a strap cutter and some punches for putting patterns into the leather, but I don’t do much decorative work.
TradeMe can be a good source of tools.
For rivets try Grut Distributers (www.grutdist.co.nz) you’ll pay about $50 / 1000 or get some from me if you only want 50-100
For waxed linen thread go to The Saddlery Warehouse (www.saddlerywarehouse.co.nz) it’s expensive though ($12 / 20m)
Keep some wax on hand (a candle stub is good) and when sewing long seams, rub some wax on the thread from time to time.
Generally, I would advise sewing over riveting for pretty much every application. It is more work, but it’s more like period practice and it’s stronger and lasts better.