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KINGSMERE CRAFTS
HAND-CRAFTED LEATHER GOODS
Hand-tools for decorating leather
A veiner is used for peppering the surface and as the name indicates, impressing vein-like marks on the leather. This is to emphasise the contours of the design.
Incising tools are for cutting the design into the leather surface, to a limited depth, and the cuts are then opened, (surprise, surprise) with a tool called an opener, prior to the use of the modelling and backgrounding tools. The incising tool is very often called a hair blade tool, and in the opinion of some, gives better control than a swivel knife.
The shader is very similar to the beveller but its head is pear-shaped. It is held in exactly the same way when in use but can be pushed along whilst being struck with the mallet. This depresses the area inside the design, giving a contour relief and shading effect.
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Backgrounding and bevelling tool impressions |
Camouflage and border tool impressions |
The heads of backgrounding tools are of necessity quite small, about ¹/16" - ¹/4", and are round, oval pear-shaped or rectangular. Most useful is the pear-shaped tool, especially where you have two lines meeting. On their small heads these punches have cut into their faces dots, stars etc or are chequered. Their use helps your main design to stand out with greater relief.
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Some examples of decorative stamps |
Of the decorative stamps, of which there hundreds, I've shown only a couple of examples. Almost anything you care to think of has been turned into a decorative stamp; basket-weave, rope, roses, leaves, acorns, stars, diamonds, lions, an endless list.
Incising work is sometimes mistakenly called carving. It is nothing of the kind. Nothing is cut away from the leather surface. For incising, your leather should be at least 1·5mm thick, and quite damp before you start cutting. The leather must be laid on a firm surface, preferably a marble slab, minimum size 12"sq and 2" thick.
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