Getting Started in Leatherworking, Part 6

There are many blogs and forum posts out there answering the very common question, "How do I get started in leatherworking?" While I certainly don't have all the answers, and there are people who are more experienced, I figured maybe it will help someone to hear the things I wish I'd known when I got started.

Step 6: Buy the best tools and supplies you can afford.

As mentioned in Part 3 of this series, there are a LOT of tools that you can buy to get yourself started in leatherworking. It will add up quickly when you're not sure what you want to do!

If you're certain you really want to get into the craft, regardless of it being a hobby or a profession, I can't emphasize enough how buying the best tools and supplies that you can afford will really increase the enjoyment you have in working on your projects.

To make an analogy, I had a friend who worked at a music store and he told me a story about a woman who came in with her daughter to trade in her flute. The girl had put a few years into practicing the flute, but she did NOT enjoy it...in fact, she looked miserable just being there because she enjoyed music but was coming to terms with the idea that her chosen instrument was not for her. My friend noticed what they were trading in was a low-end "starter" flute that many parents purchase when they're not sure if their kids are really interested in playing an instrument. Before proceeding with the trade, he asked the girl to play him some scales on a much higher-quality instrument. She took it reluctantly, and to even her surprise, the sounds she produced were amazing. All that practice she'd put into the instrument, and it turned out the instrument was holding her back.

I bring this up because I've purchased cheap tools from Amazon myself, and my first bag was made from "craftsman" quality veg-tan. Yes, it is possible to make good items even from low-quality supplies and tools, but I can definitely say that the items I've made with better leather, supplies, and tools have been much more fun to make. Even upgrading my thread and needles made hand-stitching more enjoyable when it used to be a chore.

Try to pick a few things you will use a lot: If you are into tooling, get a nice swivel knife and mallet, as well as upgrade your tooling leather to at least a medium-quality option. If you are more interested in making items from chrome-tanned leather, invest in decent stitching chisels and an awl, a good maul, needles and thread, an edge beveler or two, and something to treat your edges.

This way you won't invest a lot of money into crap tools you end up throwing away, and if you later decide that leatherworking isn't for you, there are plenty of resources (start with Facebook before Craig's List, and also look at the Leatherworker.net forums) where you can easily sell off your good tools quickly to those who would appreciate them, and at a price closer to what you paid.