Tools of the Trade: The Essential Equipment of Leathercraft

Leathercraft is a craft steeped in heritage — a meeting of patience, skill, and the right tools. Every mark, every stitch, every smooth edge owes its quality to the tools that shape it. Many of these have changed little in centuries, their designs refined by generations of saddlers and harness makers who understood the balance between precision and feel.

In this post, we take a closer look at some of the timeless instruments that define traditional leatherwork — the tools that turn a piece of hide into something durable, elegant, and unmistakably handmade.

The Head Knife

Few tools carry the prestige of the head knife. With its distinctive crescent-shaped blade, this is the workhorse of the leather bench — capable of sweeping through thick hides, trimming fine details, and shaping curved patterns with equal grace.

The broad, curved edge allows for fluid motion, letting the craftsman cut with accuracy and rhythm rather than brute force. Used properly, it glides cleanly through the leather’s fibres, leaving a smooth finish ready for edge work or stitching.

Sharpening a head knife is an art of its own. The continuous curve demands patience, fine abrasives, and regular stropping to maintain a perfect edge. Many craftspeople treat their knives almost as extensions of themselves — handles worn smooth from use, blades honed to personal preference, and an unmistakable patina that speaks of years in the workshop.

The Plough Gauge

For anyone cutting straps or belts, the plough gauge is indispensable. It combines knife and guide into a single precision instrument, designed to slice perfectly even strips from a full hide.

The gauge runs along the leather’s edge, while an adjustable fence determines the width. Once set, it cuts each piece with remarkable consistency — a necessity for saddlery work where every strap must match in both form and strength.

The rhythmic sweep of the plough gauge, the soft curl of leather as it parts, is a deeply satisfying part of the process. Many older gauges, made of brass and steel, still find daily use decades after manufacture — proof of their enduring reliability.

The Edge Shave

The edge shave (sometimes called an edge plane) may not be the most glamorous tool in the workshop, but it’s among the most transformative. Its task is to refine the edge of cut leather — thinning, levelling, and shaping it to a clean, elegant line.

Used correctly, it gives the leather a symmetry that can’t be achieved by cutting alone. The shave removes just the right amount of material, ensuring smooth edges that take polish beautifully and sit flush against adjoining pieces.

It’s a tool that rewards finesse. Too much pressure, and the edge can bite unevenly; too little, and the result is coarse. A well-tuned edge shave and a steady hand can lift a piece of work from competent to exceptional.

The Curved Awl

The curved awl is the silent hero of shaped stitching. While a straight awl works well for flat seams, the curved version allows the leatherworker to pierce holes that follow rounded lines — perfect for the contours of saddles, flaps, and harness work.

Precision is everything. Each stroke must be consistent, every hole perfectly angled so that the thread runs evenly along the curve. It’s a tool that requires practice, but once mastered, it produces stitching that not only looks superb but also enhances the structure and durability of the piece.

The curved awl embodies the connection between tool and touch — the craftsman’s intuition made visible through every clean, aligned stitch.

The Knife (with Curved Cutting Edge)

Distinct from the head knife, the curved knife (or paring knife) excels at fine detail. Its narrow, curved blade lets the leatherworker manoeuvre easily in tight spaces, trimming intricate patterns or paring down edges for delicate work.

This is the blade for control — for when millimetres matter. Whether used for shaping billets, refining stitch lines, or skiving thin folds, the curved knife offers balance and precision.

Each craftsman eventually customises their knife — grinding, polishing, and sharpening to suit their own working style. In doing so, the tool becomes uniquely personal, its edge literally shaped by the hand that uses it.

The Dividers

The dividers are deceptively simple: two pointed legs and a fine adjustment screw. Yet they’re indispensable for marking stitch lines, spacing holes, and maintaining symmetry.

With one leg tracing the leather’s edge and the other marking the surface, dividers provide consistent, accurate guides for stitching or decorative creasing. In the days before rulers were common in the workshop, they were the universal measure of precision.

Used with a steady hand, dividers produce that subtle, perfect spacing that distinguishes handmade leatherwork from machine output — a quiet sign of craft, not automation.

The Washer Cutter

While less common than other tools, the washer cutter plays an important supporting role. It’s designed to punch small circular pieces from leather — often used as reinforcements under rivets, or as decorative spacers in traditional tack work.

The cutter’s rotating blade slices cleanly through the hide, creating precise, uniform discs. Craftspeople sharpen them regularly to prevent tearing and maintain crisp edges.

In a trade that values detail, even these small washers contribute to the finished product’s durability and beauty. Every component, however minor, deserves care — and the washer cutter ensures that care is exact.

The Pricking Iron

The pricking iron is the bridge between design and execution. It marks the stitch holes that define the rhythm and flow of every seam. Each tooth leaves a neat, angled impression, guiding the awl and ensuring perfect spacing for hand stitching.

Whether two teeth or eight, the principle remains the same — even tension, consistent angles, and clean alignment. Fine saddlery work often relies on a sequence of irons in different sizes to adapt to curves, corners, and straight runs.

There’s a satisfying discipline to using pricking irons. Each mark must be deliberate and even — an echo of the craftsmanship that’s gone into every saddle or bridle for centuries.

The Splitting Machine

When it comes to working with thick hides, few tools are as vital as the splitting machine. Its purpose is to thin leather evenly, maintaining its strength while achieving a uniform thickness across multiple pieces.

The hide is fed across a wide, razor-sharp blade, which shaves off layers with mechanical precision. For saddlers, this consistency is key — matching linings, billets, and panels requires both accuracy and sensitivity to the material.

It’s a tool that combines human judgement with mechanical finesse. Knowing exactly how much to take off, how the grain behaves, and how to maintain an even feed are all part of the craftsman’s skill.

The Screw Crease

The screw crease is one of the most elegant tools in the saddler’s collection. Its adjustable twin blades run along the edge of leather to create fine, parallel grooves — decorative yet functional.

Beyond its visual appeal, creasing helps guide stitching, adds definition, and lends structure to the finished product. When the tool is warmed, it darkens the line and compresses the grain, giving that unmistakable professional touch seen on fine bridles and belts.

Mastering the screw crease takes patience and a steady pace, but the results — crisp, even lines that subtly enhance the leather — are worth every moment.

The Stitching Awl

The stitching awl is perhaps the most quintessential leatherworker’s tool. It pierces the leather, guiding thread through each hole to create the strong and traditional saddle stitch — renowned for its durability and beauty.

The blade’s diamond-shaped cross-section cuts a slit rather than a round hole, preserving the integrity of the leather while letting the thread sit snugly in place. Used in tandem with the pricking iron’s guide marks, the awl creates seams that are both functional and flawless.

To watch a skilled craftsman use an awl is to see muscle memory in motion — a rhythmic pattern of pierce, thread, tighten — a sound and sight that’s remained unchanged for centuries.

Conclusion: Tradition in Every Tool

Every tool in a saddler’s workshop tells part of a larger story — one of precision, patience, and respect for the craft. None are decorative; each serves a purpose honed through generations of use.

At Clansman Saddlery, we continue to work with these traditional tools every day. They connect us to the craftspeople who came before — those who understood that good work doesn’t come from haste, but from mastery of the tools that make it possible.

Leatherwork is, at its heart, a conversation between hand, material, and history — and these tools are the language that binds them together.