Discover the world of leathercraft

Dark winter nights bring out the hobbyist!

Time flies and often you don’t get around to spending enough time doing what you enjoy most. Why not make the most of the dark, cold evenings and practice your craft of leatherwork. Leatherworking is the perfect hobby, it uses a blend of physical (requiring strength and finesse), artistic and mental focus.  Abbey England is happy to help you source all the materials you need and can even guide you with its abundance of tutoring YouTube videos. Use these as a guide to aid making classic leather goods including bags and cases, sport and leisure accessories, such as knife sheaths, dog leads and collars, as well as fashion items like boots, belts and jackets, or saddles, bridles, and harnesses.

Getting ready to craft

It’s a good idea to plan your first project before you start. Then you will only need to acquire the baseline number of tools for the project. It’s usually best to start with a simple project, what about a new keyring so you don’t lose your keys? Or you could make others envious with your own handmade belt. Or even spoil your pet dog with a trendy new dog collar. After you have made one of these, you could then progress onto more advanced projects for example a rucksack or satchel.

We have compiled a list to work from when planning your first project.

1. Choose your project – select something that interests you
2. Learn the skills you will need – some good YouTube accounts that might help with this include, JH Leather, Armitage Leather and Harry Rogers
3. Understand the basic tools you will need to carry out the project – our website can help you with this
4. Purchase your first piece of leather – and this may inspire you further.

The make

It’s useful to get a leather board to protect your leather working kit and your workbench before you start. Try to avoid gluing or dying on the area you wish to cut the leather. By having your own space and workbench area to be creative, you can escape to work on your hobby. The beauty with leatherwork is you don’t need a great deal of space.
It’s important to research what is needed for leather work and to learn the lingo for tools, leather, and techniques.  As mentioned previously, YouTube has some great guidance videos, and you can also find lots of forums specifically tailored to leatherwork. You can find a thorough list of the tools needed on the Abbey England website, but we have listed some of the most important ones below, to get you started

• Single or half head knife – this is the essential tool for a beginner, as it is small and extremely versatile
• 12” metal ruler – for measuring and cutting edges, a metal ruler is a must
• Edge tools, sizes 1 and 2 – these tools neatly remove or bevel the sharp cut edge of the leather
• Plastic mallet – this enables force to be applied to the leather without damaging it
• Stitch marker or pricking iron – as the name suggests, this is used to prick the holes
• Stitch or sewing awl - this is then used to pierce holes through the leather
• Harness needles – these come in a variety of sizes, and the more you use them, the more apparent the size you like working with will become. 

Whatever you decide to make, we guarantee that you will have fun making it. It’s a hobby that takes concentration, but once you have the end results, you will be eager to start your next project. If you would like to stock our products or would like more help with your leatherwork, please visit our website.