Working with leather requires specialized Leather Working tools and skills. Working with raw or finished leather requires different tools, techniques and considerations. The type of leather, final use and accessibility of the finished piece are all factors when choosing which leather working method to use for a project.
Working with raw leather is different than working with finished pieces such as a briefcase or a pair of leather pants. Raw or unfinished leather needs special preparation before it can be manipulated into another form. Preparing raw leather involves removing the hair, oils and other contaminants that make it undesirable for most projects. Refreshing an older piece of raw or unfinished leather requires different process than working from new hide. With so many types of tools available, here’s an overview of some common ones used for working with raw and finished leather projects.