Pics of homemade tools.

trentu

trentu

Joined
Mar 2, 2006
Messages
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Could someone post some pics of leather working tools a guy can make himself? There has to some guys on here that laugh at us newbie sheath makers for buying tools. Thank you guys!!!
 
There has to be some guys on here that laugh at us newbie sheath makers for buying tools
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You won't hear any laughing from me - other than tooling stamps, burnishers, a couple of rawhide mauls, a couple of knives, and a few odd ball tools for special projects the majority of my tools have been bought from the pro tool makers over the last 48 years of crafting leather.
FWIW - I've also been a knifemaker for almost as long so I'm not adverse to doing metal and wood work, but considering the time it takes to make the tools, for me any way it's been more cost effective to buy them, but then I'm a full-time pro leather crafter and time is a major consideration when you've got orders stacked up.
Besides I'd rather be working leather than building tools......:D

as always though everybody's mileage will vary....

On the other hand I just remebered this - it's is tutorial I wrote on how-to make you're own stitching pony and in the lower photo on the right is an antler handled awl I made - it uses an oversize harness needle to open up my stitching holes a bit when needed.....
http://www.wrtcleather.com/1-ckd/tutorials/_stitchpony.html
 
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trentu said:
Could someone post some pics of leather working tools a guy can make himself? There has to some guys on here that laugh at us newbie sheath makers for buying tools. Thank you guys!!!
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Use a kitchen fork to mark the spacing for stitching. Use brass nails to press stitching holes. Disposable razor knives for cutting the leather. Filed nails for stamping. Ice pick for a stitchawl. Sewing needles... buy those. :p

Stitchawl
 
This is my first sheath made out of a old police belt, I used the fork to mark out the stitching holes, I bought a marking wheel but keep going back to the fork.
Richard
Blacksheath6.jpg
 
As a hobbiest, I just get all of my specialized tools (edge bevelers, stitching groovers, etc) from Tandy. I use a regular ol' snap-off blade utility knife for cutting leather.

I use a Sharpie marker and a crochet needle for molding and boning my holsters. :D
 
I can not imagine anyone laughing because a new leathercrafter purchased, rather than made, his leather working tools. If you do not have the facility and equipment to make your own tools, it would be foolish to do so. I have made a great deal of my own tools, some because I wanted something different, some because I had time on my hands, some because I had the ability and equipment on hand to exercise that privilege.

I do suggest that you buy only the tools that you are going to use, somewhere around a dozen or so. To have an abundance of tools you do not use is a waste of money. It is not how many tools you have that makes you efficient as a craftsman, it is the manner in which you use those tools.
 
What's laughable is a newbie thinking he/she can make tools better than are available at Tandy.....sure, once you get to know how to use them you may graduate to a higher level tool, but Tandy is still the best place to start for most.
 
TXBulldawg said:
I use a Sharpie marker and a crochet needle for molding and boning my holsters.
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I've used wooden dowels in various sizes to make boning tools. I shape the working tip on a belt sander to get it as round as possible then I place the non-working end in a drill and use sandpaper to get them as smooth as possible. I've got a 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" molding sticks. I've also used the shell of a goat horn sanded and polished to bone leather.
 
rayban said:
What's laughable is a newbie thinking he/she can make tools better than are available at Tandy.....sure, once you get to know how to use them you may graduate to a higher level tool, but Tandy is still the best place to start for most.
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Who are you refering to as the newbie???

Richard
 
Tinbasher, I was really favorably impressed with that old police belt sheath the first time I saw it posted a year or so ago and I'm still impressed this time. That was a hell of a nice job, particulary considering recycled material and a bare minimum of tools. A full time pro would be hard pressed to do better.

Paul
 
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sheathmaker said:
Tinbasher, I was really favorably impressed with that old police belt sheath the first time I saw it posted a year or so ago and I'm still impressed this time. That was a hell of a nice job, particulary consdering recycled material and a bare minimum of tools. A full time pro would be hard pressed to do better.

Paul
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Thanks Paul,what made the sheath was the quality of the leather.
Richard
 
rayban said:
What's laughable is a newbie thinking he/she can make tools better than are available at Tandy.....sure, once you get to know how to use them you may graduate to a higher level tool, but Tandy is still the best place to start for most.
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After seeing what people on various knife and leather forums I frequent can fabricate, I don't underestimate anyones ability to make something.

I spent the day in one of largest holster maunfacturing companies in the world last week. They are one of Rugers official holster manufacturers, make a large volume and variety of Cowboy action shooting gear, and make miltary leahter "Tanker Holsters" for units in the Army that are currently used in theater. Most of the tools they use are handmade and not all that sophisticated. In fact the creaser they use on belts is a simple block of wood with a groove cut in it. I think many of the folks here who leather work have nicer tools than are used in this. Bottom line is, thet turn out literally tons of leather gear each year using tools that for the most part are nowhere near as nice as the Jermiah Watt tools that I use.

So what I find laughable is thinking that someone in incapable of making a nice tool because he has little experience at leatherworking. All of the really high end leather tools that people pay top dollar for are basicly made by small one man outfits. In fact, one day, I would like to make my own tools for leather working. While Tandy is a place to start, it is not the only place to start.

Oh yeah while we are on the subject of NEWBIES compared to Paul Long, Sandy Morrisey, and Chuck Burrows, who are all true gentlemen and artists, we are all newbies. Intead of making fun of one another we should be sharing what we know and encouraging people who are anxious to take up leather work and sheath making. I learned more from Sandy,Paul, Dave Cole, and Dwayne Puckett talking to them at Blade than I could have reading books or on the net. Those gentlemen didn't have to share any of there hard earned knowledge with me but they did and I thank them for it. As a result I share what little I know with anyone who thinks I have something to teach.

Trentu Go to http://www.leatherworker.net there are whole threads on the subject of homemade tools. Welcome to the world of leatherworking. I hope you make some sheaths and post pics of them here. And if you come up with some useful leather tools I, for one, would like to see those as well.

Tinbasher As always, your work is excellent.


Enough of my ranting, I'll put my "NEWBIE" hat on now, and go back to trying to reach the standards set by Paul, Sandy, Chuck, Dwayne, and the Daves.
 
nick681 said:
Oh yeah while we are on the subject of NEWBIES compared to Paul Long, Sandy Morrisey, and Chuck Burrows, who are all true gentlemen and artists, we are all newbies. Intead of making fun of one another we should be sharing what we know and encouraging people who are anxious to take up leather work and sheath making. I learned more from Sandy,Paul, Dave Cole, and Dwayne Puckett talking to them at Blade than I could have reading books or on the net. Those gentlemen didn't have to share any of there hard earned knowledge with me but they did and I thank them for it. As a result I share what little I know with anyone who thinks I have something to teach.
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I second that, in fact could not have said it better.
 
Wow . Lot's of feed back. I have made some pattern stamps that are unique by tooling the end of some 1/2" rod. Know one maker that made a hatch pattern across the rounded face of a ball peen hammer. Guess in knifemaking itself we make several tools. I like the tooled police belt idea. There are several surplus ones available. Newbie was just a term I used meaning new to sheath craft. I have a tool and die back ground so making tools is kinda easy. Just wanted to see what creative ideas were out there that could help us all save some money.
 
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