A Beginners Guide to Leatherworking Terminology

Leather­work­ing is a fas­ci­nat­ing craft with a rich his­to­ry and a unique vocab­u­lary. Whether you’re a begin­ner or an expe­ri­enced arti­san, know­ing the ter­mi­nol­o­gy used in leather­craft is essen­tial for mas­ter­ing the craft and com­mu­ni­cat­ing effec­tive­ly with fel­low enthu­si­asts. In this guide, we’ll break down the most com­mon leather­work­ing terms, from types of leather to tools and tech­niques. By the end, you’ll have a sol­id foun­da­tion to con­fi­dent­ly nav­i­gate the world of leather­work­ing.

Types of Leather

1. Full-Grain Leather:
   The high­est qual­i­ty leather, made from the top lay­er of the hide. It retains the nat­ur­al grain and is high­ly durable, devel­op­ing a beau­ti­ful pati­na over time.
2. Top-Grain Leather:
   The sec­ond-high­est qual­i­ty, slight­ly sand­ed to remove imper­fec­tions. It’s more pli­able than full-grain but less durable.
3. Gen­uine Leather:
   A term often mis­un­der­stood. It refers to real leather but is typ­i­cal­ly made from the low­er lay­ers of the hide. It’s less durable than full-grain or top-grain leather.
4. Bond­ed Leather:
   Made from left­over leather scraps bond­ed togeth­er with adhe­sive. It’s the least durable and often used for low-cost prod­ucts.
5. Suede:
   Cre­at­ed from the under­side of the hide, giv­ing it a soft, napped tex­ture. It’s less durable than full-grain leather but prized for its vel­vety feel.
6. Nubuck:
   Sim­i­lar to suede but made from the top side of the hide, light­ly sand­ed for a soft, vel­vety sur­face. It’s more durable than suede.
7. Veg­etable-Tanned Leather:
   Tanned using nat­ur­al plant-based mate­ri­als. It’s eco-friend­ly, ages beau­ti­ful­ly, and is often used for tool­ing and carv­ing.
8. Chrome-Tanned Leather:
   Tanned using chromi­um salts, result­ing in soft­er, more pli­able leather. It’s com­mon­ly used for cloth­ing and acces­sories.

Leatherworking Tools

1. Awl:
   A point­ed tool used for pierc­ing holes in leather.
2. Stitch­ing Groover:
   A tool that cre­ates a groove along the edge of the leather to ensure stitch­es sit flush with the sur­face.
3. Edge Bevel­er:
   Used to round off the sharp edges of leather for a smoother fin­ish.
4. Mal­let:
   A ham­mer-like tool used to strike chis­els, stamps, or punch­es with­out dam­ag­ing the leather.
5. Skiv­ing Knife:
   A sharp knife used to thin out leather for fold­ing or stitch­ing.
6. Stitch­ing Pony:
   A clamp-like tool that holds leather pieces in place while stitch­ing.
7. Prick­ing Irons/Stitching Chis­els:
   Tools used to cre­ate even­ly spaced holes for stitch­ing.
8. Bur­nish­er:
   Used to smooth and pol­ish the edges of leather.

Leatherworking Techniques

1. Tool­ing:
   The process of dec­o­rat­ing leather by stamp­ing or carv­ing designs into its sur­face.
2. Stitch­ing:
   Join­ing pieces of leather togeth­er using thread. Com­mon stitch­es include the sad­dle stitch and run­ning stitch.
3. Dye­ing:
   Apply­ing col­or to leather using dyes or stains. This can be done to enhance the nat­ur­al col­or or cre­ate unique designs.
4. Bur­nish­ing:
   Smooth­ing and pol­ish­ing the edges of leather to cre­ate a fin­ished look.
5. Skiv­ing:
   Thin­ning the leather to make it eas­i­er to fold, stitch, or reduce bulk.
6. Emboss­ing:
   Cre­at­ing raised designs or pat­terns on leather using heat and pres­sure.
7. Lac­ing:
   Using leather strips or cords to bind pieces of leather togeth­er dec­o­ra­tive­ly or func­tion­al­ly.

Leather Finishes

1. Ani­line Fin­ish:
   A trans­par­ent fin­ish that high­lights the nat­ur­al grain and imper­fec­tions of the leather.
2. Semi-Ani­line Fin­ish:
   A light pro­tec­tive coat­ing applied over an ani­line fin­ish to increase dura­bil­i­ty.
3. Pig­ment­ed Fin­ish:
   An opaque fin­ish that adds col­or and pro­vides a pro­tec­tive lay­er, often used for uphol­stery.
4. Patent Leather:
   A high-gloss fin­ish achieved by apply­ing mul­ti­ple lay­ers of lac­quer.

Common Leather Measurements

1. Ounce (oz):
   A mea­sure­ment of leather thick­ness. One ounce equals 1/64 of an inch. For exam­ple, 4 oz leather is 4/64 inch­es thick.
2. Square Foot (sq ft):
   A mea­sure­ment of leather area, used to deter­mine how much leather is need­ed for a project.

FAQs About Leatherworking Terminology

1. What is the dif­fer­ence between full-grain and top-grain leather?
   Full-grain leather is the high­est qual­i­ty, retain­ing the nat­ur­al grain, while top-grain leather is sand­ed to remove imper­fec­tions and is more pli­able.
2. What is veg­etable-tanned leather best used for?
   Veg­etable-tanned leather is ide­al for tool­ing, carv­ing, and items that devel­op a pati­na over time, such as belts and wal­lets.
3. What tools do I need to start leather­work­ing?
   Basic tools include an awl, stitch­ing groover, mal­let, prick­ing irons, and a skiv­ing knife.
4. How do I care for leather?
   Clean leather with a damp cloth and mild soap, con­di­tion it reg­u­lar­ly, and store it in a cool, dry place.

Conclusion: Mastering the Language of Leatherworking

Know­ing leather­work­ing ter­mi­nol­o­gy is the first step toward becom­ing a skilled arti­san. Whether you’re iden­ti­fy­ing types of leather, select­ing the right tools, or learn­ing new tech­niques, this guide pro­vides a sol­id foun­da­tion to help you nav­i­gate the craft with con­fi­dence. Leather­work­ing is a reward­ing and time­less art form, and by famil­iar­iz­ing your­self with its lan­guage, you’ll be well-equipped to cre­ate beau­ti­ful, durable pieces that stand the test of time.