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Leather Working List of Categories

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What is the best leather for carving with?
How do I set a Rivet?
What is leather carving?
What is figure carving?
What is basketweave?
Can you suggest a good book to learn the basics of leather carving?
How do I cut belts or straps perfectly?
What is stropping?
How do I know when my swivel knife needs sharpening?
How do I sharpen my swivel knife?

What is the best leather for carving with?

Vegatable tanned cowhide works best because it holds the carving impressions well.

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How do I set a Rivet?

At the minimum, a hole is punched then the rivet inserted. The cap is then placed on the rivet and hit with a mallet. Note: that this may cause some distortion of the cap so it is recommended to use a rivet setter.
Rivet setters consist of 2 parts - an anvil and a concave faced tool. The anvil has a flat side for use with single cap rivits and a concave side for use with double cap rivets. The base of the revet is inserted into the hole in the leather then positioned on the anvil. The cap is then positioned with the concave faced tool atop it and is struck with a mallet to set the rivet without distorting the cap.

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What is leather carving?

Leather carving is basically cutting a pattern into the leather with a swivel knife then stamping with a variety of tools to shape and texture the pattern.

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What is figure carving?

Figure carving is the carving of birds, animals, people, trees, and objects (as opposed to patterns). Much figure carving is done with backdrops such as landscapes. Figure carving takes more practice to become skillful, but is very rewarding. In general, figure carving also requires more stamping tools.

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What is basketweave?

Basketweave is a stamping technique for applying patterns that look woven. It most commonly seen on police gun belts, although it can be beautiful in many applications.

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Can you suggest a good book to learn the basics of leather carving?

Yes, the Leatherwork Manual covers all the basics.

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How do I cut belts or straps perfectly?

Use a Strap Cutter. These are adjustable for width, fairly inexpensive, and easy to use. The only hard part is cutting the first straight edge. To do this you need a long straight edge (such as a metal bar or ruler). Lay the leather on some cardboard and cut along the straight edge with a sharp knife. It is helpful to have someone hold the straight edge while you cut it. Remnember, the strap cutter follows this edge so if your first cut isn't straight, your straps won't be either.

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What is stropping?

Stropping is used to put a fine polished edge on cutting tools. All tools cut better when stropped. A simple inexpensive strop can be made by applying Jewelers Rouge to a scrap of leather (or a practice piece). Rub a thin layer of rouge on the rough side of the leather. Hold the knife bevel flat to the leather and pull it across the leather. Repeat several times on both sides of the blade. When cutting, stop now and then to stop a few times. A properly stropped blade cuts smooth and easy.

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How do I know when my swivel knife needs sharpening?

If your swivel knife is not cutting smoothly and appears to be tearing the leather then it probably need sharpening. Unless abused, most swivel knife blades will rarely require sharpening. A good stropping should put a razor edge on the blade. If it cannot be stropped to a razor edge, or has nicks then sharpening is necessary.

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How do I sharpen my swivel knife?

You need a keen edge sharpener jig and a sharpening stone. The blade is removed from the knife and inserted in the jig. Next adjust the angle so the knife bevel lays flat to the stone. Roll the jig back and forth several times on the stone. Flip the blade and repeat for the other side. This may have to be done repeatedly for very dull blades. When you feel the blade is sharp, give it a good stropping.

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