Blacksmithing
and Cutlery
by Gérard HEUTTE
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Tools for leatherworking
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For cutlery, leatherworking is often necessary to associate a
functional and aesthetic scabbard to the knives.
For that, you will need raw material and the right tools.
Special tools
Certain tools necessary for leatherworking are
specific. It will be necessary to get them in specialized
shops. I bought mine on a stand during the BKS Knife Show
in Gembloux.
You can always try to do without, but it is difficult.
I have try one moment to work with substitutes: Not easy
to use, and poor results...
Some good tools, it is like an investment!
Here are what I will name the "Just necessary":
Creaser : This tool is used to
form a groove parallel to the edge of leather. Two types of tool
can be found:
> Cutting: A small circular opening with sharp edges makes
possible to cut out a small chip. It is used on leather dry
and preferably rather thick.
> Blunt: This tool marks the leather without notching it.
It is used on leather humidified beforehand to make it
malleable. Its advantage is to avoid deteriorating the
surface of leather. It is that which is represented opposite.
The small screw makes possible to adjust the distance
between the groove and the edge of support.
Pricking wheel : This
wheel is used to mark the location of the future holes of the seam.
It prints a light mark on leather. You will pass it in the
groove created with the Creaser. Be careful about the "turns" where
it is easy to skid and to damage the
surface of leather. There are several spacings (interval between
the teeth). The choice is especially a question of aesthetics
rather than of solidity...
Awl : The awl is a kind of
needle, very sharp-edged, in the form of rhombus. It is
generally bought without handle! The first thing to be made is
to put it in a handle. You can use a small
handle bought in a shop or to make one as on the photograph. It
must be comfortable to be able to push strongly without
damaging the hand palm...
You will direct the holes at 45° with regard to the
groove and by positioning them on the marks left by the pricking wheel.
Needles : The needles to sew leather
have a round tip. Indeed, they do not perforate leather, but use the
holes made by the awl.
Edge beveller : This tool is used
to make a chamfer on the edge of leather. The sharp part,
located at the bottom of the slit, takes support with 45° on the edge
to be eliminated. By slipping the tool along leather, you can cut
out a fine ribbon on the angle.
Standard tools
Some very current tools will render great services.
Punch : One will easily find
this tool in the do-it-yourself shops. The most useful
diameters are 3, 4, 5 and 6mm.
Cutter : Essential to cut
leather. If possible, choose a model whose blade can be locked.
For consequent thicknesses of leather (> 3 mm), choose a cutter for carpet.
Board : A board will be used
as martyr for the cutting operations and with the punch.
Spring grips : These grips
will be useful to maintain the pieces of leather during the operations
of marking, joining... Attention, this kind of grip tends to
easily mark wet leather. For the mouldings, take care
to intercalate a leather fall between the part to be maintained and
the bit of the grip.
Dividers : This tool makes possible to defer distances easily and to mark leather.
Choose preferably a model with an adjustable angle trough a screw which
ensures a maintenance of the spacing.
Chisel : A small chisel
(well sharpened) will be able to help for particular cuttings, like
making a slit between two holes.
The consumable ones
Of left on the right: Linen thread - Dyeing for the edges - Closings - Rivets
Wire : You will find
in the shops various types of wire. My preference goes to the
more traditional, namely the pitched linen thread which is generally
used by the saddlers. It is a little "sticky" and slips
easily even into the narrow holes.
Glue : It is necessary to use
specific glue for leather. In general, it is necessary to
apply the adhesive on to two surfaces, to let dry (15 to 30 minutes) and
to press. Attention, this type of adhesive does not make it
possible to reposition the parts. First trial should be aimed
just! To consolidate the assembly by strongly pressing on
all the surface of joining. You can then maintain the parts to
be glued under press.
Dyeing : The dyeing can be
used on leather to modify its color. I find simpler to directly
buy the leather of the good color. The application of the
dyeing asks for a certain practise to have good results.
You can also find dyeing special for the edge of leather.
Rivets : You will easily find
brass rivets in the good do-it-yourself shops. The
important points for the choice are the diameter and the length which
depends on the thickness of the matter (in general two or three
layers of leather).
Closings : Many types of
closings exist. Simplest are the buttons as on the photograph.
They are easy to set up and to use. They exist out of
brass or nickel.
Wax : I use natural
colourless waxing, containing beeswax. It is rather expensive,
but gives good results. I use it on all the scabbard,
outside like inside.
Leather
The raw material is fundamental. There
are two type of leather:
Chemical tanning leather (chromium oxide) is most current and
the least expensive. Unfortunately there isn't much to do with it!
Vegetable tanning leather (bark of oak) is more difficult
to find (specialized stores). It is rather expensive
(about 60 euros for one square metre). It exists in various thicknesses and colors.
For the scabbards, the good thickness is 2 or 3 mm. The
advantage of this leather is that it can be moulded. Soak
it in warm water for 30 minutes. Give it a shape.
It will keep this shaped once dry! To prevent the
later deformations, it is enough to close the pores of leather with a
good waxing!
Substitutes of the special tools
Here are some ideas for tools of fortune.
However, it is necessary to keep in mind that nothing replaces
good tools!
Creaser : One will be able
to substitute a smoothing-stick to him which one will make out of hard
wood (boxwood, houx, hawthorn). On such a tool, one will not be
able to regulate the distance between the groove and the edge.
See opposite.
Pricking wheel :
You will be able to mark regular locations by using a fork. The
major difficulty will be in the curves!
Awl : You can make an awl by abrasion starting from a piece of hard steel.
Be careful to respect the rhombus profile and not to
soften steel during this operation. Not very profitable
considering the price of an awl...
Needles : It is enough
to round the point of a large sewing needle. Just as for
the awl, the price of a needle does not justify this operation.
Edge beveller : This tool is very difficult
to replace. You can make one by starting
from a 5mm rod where you can make a slit before harden it.
And soon a tutorial on the way for using all that to create a scabbard...
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