Leather cuts for clothing and accessories

Leather cutting is one of the most crucial steps in making leather crafts and fashion accessories. It may seem easy at first glance, but making perfect leather cuts is a demanding skill that not many leather workers possess. From my personal experience as the owner of a leather goods store and factory, I can attest to how difficult it is to find the right artisans to make leather garments and accessories.

Leather is not like any ordinary fabric. As a natural material, it has its own irregularities, with surface properties that are not uniform throughout the hide. Handling such a stiff material is a task in itself, and only seasoned leather goods makers can do it properly. I have had experience with some amateur workers and some of the finest ones with decades of experience in leather crafting, and the difference is significant.

In this article, I am going to share some very important insights on leather cutting. I am not saying that you will become a skilled leather worker just by reading this article, but you will definitely gain a clear understanding of leather cutting and how to make high-quality leather items.

How to cut leather

Before actually starting cutting the leather, you should have a good idea of the type of leather you are working on and not only this you should also know your tools better. After that, you have to prepare your leather piece to work on. And the most important things when working with a luxurious thing like leather are practice and patience.

As we go further down the article we will discuss everything in detail like which factors to keep in mind and what kind of tools you should have. But before that, you should always consider the safety first whether it is leather or something else you are working with. If you are dealing with dangerous objects like sharp tools, you should always consider following safety precautions.

Safety Considerations:

Sharp Tool Safety: You should always wear safety gloves and emphasize the importance of safe handling and storage of sharp tools.

Eye Protection: You must be wearing safety glasses to protect your eyes from flying leather scraps.

Proper Workspace: You should have a well-lit and organized workspace for safe and efficient cutting with proper ventilation and safety equipment like fire extinguishers and a first aid kit in place.

Factors affecting leather cutting

Types of Leather

Types of leather can play a significant role in leather cutting. The types of leather such as full grain leather, top grain leather, and split leather are all very different in terms of strength and stiffness. Full grain is the toughest of all and suede on the other hand is subtle.

Leather Thickness

Leather thickness can also play an important role when it comes to leather cutting and handling. You may need some heavier tools and sometimes an extra hand to handle thicker hides like cowhide leather, camel leather, and many more.

Grain Direction

Just like hair on skin has a direction, leather also has a grain direction that is crucial to consider and work with. You should always cut in the direction of the grain or parallel to it whenever possible to achieve straight and clean cuts.

Essential Leather Cutting Tools

The world of leather working tools is vast, and covering every tool in detail is beyond the scope of this article. Therefore, we will focus on the main categories of tools and some special tools that fall under those categories.

Leather cutting knife:

Well, the process of cutting the leather cannot take place without the cutting tools so we have placed them in the top category of leather working tools. There are mainly two types of cutting knives used in leather working rotary knife which is ideal for straight cuts and utility knife which can be used for more intricate work. However, there are a few other common types of tools used for leather cutting, including heavy-duty scissors, head knives, swivel knives, V-gouge knives, skiving knives, and hole punches.

Cutting Board:

A thick sturdy wooden cutting board can be a good option, especially for cutting thick leather as it can provide the needed space and it will also resist the blade from penetrating the board.

Some people suggest self-healing mats but in my personal experience self-healing cutting mats are good for general crafting purposes, they aren’t ideal for cutting leather as leather is a thick material that requires a deeper cut compared to paper or fabric.

A self-healing mat might not provide enough depth for the blade to pass through the leather cleanly. There are some leather working boards available in the market that are specifically designed for leather.

Sharpening Tools:

All your leather-cutting tools should be sharp enough to cut through the leather easily. For instance, a blunt leather knife won’t be able to cut leather neatly, leaving behind uneven edges. So you should keep a sharpening tool handy, It will not only keep your tools in good shape but will also save you time.

Marking Tools: You should have a proper set of marking tools like leather awls, marking pens, and rulers.

Preparing Your Leather for Cutting

Now with all the tools and safety measures in place, you can start preparing leather to cut. Which involves various things. Here’s the overview:

Mark a cutting line:

Before cutting mark the leather with suitable marking tools like marking pens, and awls, and if it is a straight cut then you should use a ruler. Always keep in mind that marking should be done on the opposite side of the leather for instance if you are making a leather jacket with top grain leather then you should create marks on the flesh side of the leather.

And if you don’t want to mark directly on the leather as I do then you can create a marking on a piece of cardboard and then use that cardboard to piece as a stencil to cut the leather but you have to make sure to fix it firmly on leather as it can shift and ruin your leather piece.

Pattern Transfer:

Just like we have explained using cardboard pieces as a stencil there are other methods for transferring patterns onto leather, such as tracing, using templates, or carbon paper.

Securing the Leather:

You can use various methods to properly secure the leather to your work surface to prevent slipping during cutting but I am going to tell you some of the most effective and easiest ones you can use clamps such as C clamps and spring clamps, heavy weights with smooth surface like books or leather weight can also provide enough support sometimes if you are working with heavier hides. Some people even use tapes and adhesives but that will only make the task more complicated and create a sticky mess.

Leather cutting

Now that you have prepared the leather and all the tools in place, you can start cutting the leather. Before getting your hands on an actual leather material that is expensive you should do some practice with cardboard or similar materials and when you are confident enough then only you should work on actual leather material. We have divided this section into various subsections like how to cut thin and thick leather, how to cut straight leather, and more. Here’s the overview of the cutting process

How to cut thin leather types

Well to cut thin leather types which are very fragile and prone to move easily with the cutter, you should use a rotary cutter instead of a utility knife as a rotary cutter will prevent the leather from creasing while cutting and you will be able to apply the necessary pressure while cutting. A rotary cutter will spread the force more evenly and you will get a clean cut.

Alternatively, you can also use scissors to cut the thin leather pieces if you dealing with the smaller-sized hide.

How to cut thick leather types?

Thick leather is comparatively easier to cut than thinner leather. Yes, you heard me right! You just need a utility knife and a ruler to guide your way through the leather. Thick leather, as mentioned earlier, often doesn’t need to be fixed to the surface due to its weight and thickness. However, you should never use scissors when working with thick leather, as they can cause pulling and result in an uneven cut.

How to cut leather straight?

To cut leather straight, place the leather piece on a surface with the grain side up. Position the ruler in place, then start cutting with a utility knife, keeping the knife close to the ruler’s edge. Cut the leather slowly and steadily. If you are dealing with thick leather, you may not be able to cut through it in one pass and may need to make multiple passes. Keep it gentle and slow, as once it goes wrong, there’s no coming back. Even after making the first pass, keep the ruler in place to guide you for the next cut.

How to cut leather straps?

To cut thick leather pieces like leather bag straps or leather belts you can use above mentioned method that you would use to cut thick leather. It can be really difficult to cut thicker leather that is extremely strong so you can take the help of a leather worker.

Leather cutting tips

Sharp Tools are Essential: A sharp rotary knife or utility knife is vital for clean and precise cuts. Invest in a good quality tool and keep it well-maintained.

Conquering Curves: Pivot your wrist and maintain a consistent cutting angle for smooth curves. Practice on scrap leather first.

Layering for Efficiency: Securely layer multiple leather pieces and cut through all layers simultaneously with a sharp blade (suitable for thinner leather).

Blade angle: Keep your blade perpendicular to the leather (vertical) so that you get straight edges that will not need any sanding during the burnishing process. It is easier said than done so one way to achieve this is to put the weight of your upper body on your working arm and try not to extend your arm to work further on leather as it will be much more difficult to control

Round corners: If you want to make smooth curves on corners then you can use a geometrical pair of compasses so that you can create edges with the desired radius. You can also use a coin to mark the corners.

Conclusion

In conclusion, If you ask me if real leather has any alternative, I would say that real leather holds a special charm that cannot be replicated by any artificial material. Leather’s natural essence and the uniqueness of each skin give it an irreplaceable character. While some cheaper options like vegan leather and faux leather are available, can they replace real leather? In my view, nothing can replace the authenticity of natural leather.

If you have any doubts, feel free to ask in the comment section, and for more information on leather products, you can check our other articles or you can contact us. LeatherBlues is known as one of the best stores for real leather products. Explore our amazing collection of leather garments and services.

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