For Measuring and Cutting

A lot of the time you'll spend working leather will be getting a piece from one size to another. It is critical that you are able to measure accurately and cut with ease.

A. Sharp scissors for cutting light leathers and minor trims to heavier pieces. Buy them anywhere for a couple of bucks. Required. Sewing scissors are best for final trimming felt lining... sewing store, of course!

B. Utility knife for most cutting. The blade is replaceable.. switch it often as heavy leathers dull them quickly. $3-4 at your local hardware store or Wal-Mart. Grab at least one pack of extra blades, too.

C. Multi-stripper, used to cut uniform strips in and from leathers. You can buy a commercial version at The Leather Factory (#3110) for $50, or rig something like Sartan's stripper. Optional, but nice to have for floggers.

D. Rulers for measuring and use as a straightedge. Steel is better than aluminum, but either works. Hardware store or Wal-Mart for a few dollars. Required, and it's nice to have a couple of sizes. Make sure at l;east one side is gradiated in 16ths of an inch.

E. Square, used to cut and draw right angles. Also useful for measuring and as a straightedge. I recommend the smaller one (8" x 12"), which costs about $6. The larger one, 24x18, is also useful, but more expensive. Both available at hardware stores everywhere. Do NOT buy the five dollar version of the large square! Almost required.

One other item is so useful that you just have to have one:

The Strap-Cutter, WWL Hardware part WT-003 and pictured above, makes uniform strips of leather so fast you won't believe it. In runs $16.50, and even though it is just a couple little pieces of wood and a few screws, I wouldn't be without one. Keep extra blades on-hand.

A.	Sharp scissors for cutting light leathers and minor trims to heavier pieces. Buy them anywhere for a couple of bucks. Required. Sewing scissors are best for final trimming felt lining... sewing store, of course!
B.	Utility knife for most cutting. The blade is replaceable.. switch it often as heavy leathers dull them quickly. $3-4 at your local hardware store or Wal-Mart. Grab at least one pack of extra blades, too.
C.	Multi-stripper, used to cut uniform strips in and from leathers. You can buy a commercial version at The Leather Factory (#3110) for $50, or rig something like Sartan's stripper. Optional, but nice to have for floggers.
D.	Rulers for measuring and use as a straightedge. Steel is better than aluminum, but either works. Hardware store or Wal-Mart for a few dollars. Required, and it's nice to have a couple of sizes. Make sure at l;east one side is gradiated in 16ths of an inch.
E.	Square, used to cut and draw right angles. Also useful for measuring and as a straightedge. I recommend the smaller one (8" x 12"), which costs about $6. The larger one, 24x18, is also useful, but more expensive. Both available at hardware stores everywhere. Do NOT buy the five dollar version of the large square! Almost required.