What leather carving is
Leather carving, often called leather tooling, is the art of cutting and stamping designs into dampened vegetable-tanned leather. You cut the outlines with a swivel knife, then use stamping tools to bevel, shade and texture the design. Carving is slow to learn, but the basic steps are straightforward. Most beginners can start with a few tools and a simple pattern.
Choose the right leather
Use vegetable-tanned leather only. It absorbs water and holds carved and stamped impressions. Chrome-tanned leather, oil-tanned leather and most pre-finished leathers won’t hold a tooled impression. If you are unsure what you have, see how to identify chrome-tanned leather.
For practice, 6 to 8 oz (about 2.4 to 3.2 mm) is a good weight. For reference, 1 oz is 1/64 in (about 0.4 mm).
The basic tool kit
A basic kit covers most beginner patterns:
- Swivel knife for cutting the outlines
- Beveler for lifting the leather next to the cuts
- Pear shader for smooth depth and curvature
- Backgrounder for pressing down the area around the design
- Camouflage tool for texture
- Veiner for curved lines
- Seeder for flower centers
- Stylus and tracing film for transferring the pattern
- Maul for striking the tools, and a stone slab to work on
Many stamping tools carry Craftool letter codes: A backgrounder, B beveler, C camouflage, F figure beveler, P pear shader, S seeder, U mule foot, V veiner and X basketweave. You don’t need a big set to start. Six to eight tools cover most beginner patterns.
For more on the knife, see best swivel knife for leather carving: a buyer’s guide.
Set up a workspace
- Work on a granite or marble slab about 1 to 2 in thick. Put a rubber or poundo board under it to deaden the noise.
- Use a poly or rawhide maul or mallet, roughly 12 to 32 oz depending on preference. Never use a metal hammer.
- Tape the back of the piece with packing tape or self-adhesive shelf liner. This stops the leather from stretching while you tool.
The carving sequence
Most projects follow this order:
- Case the leather. Dampen it, then wait until the color nearly returns to natural. For how wet is right, see are you supposed to wet leather before tooling.
- Trace the pattern onto the cased leather with tracing film and a stylus. For sources of patterns, see free leather carving patterns.
- Cut with the swivel knife. Cut about a third to half of the leather’s thickness. For the grip and the pull, see swivel knife carving: how to hold and cut clean lines.
- Bevel the edges of the cuts, so the design stands out.
- Shade with a pear shader to add depth.
- Background by pressing down the area around the design.
- Add texture with the camouflage tool, veiner or seeder.
- Make decorative cuts last.
- Dye, after the leather has fully dried.
- Finish the piece.
Decorative cuts come last. Beyond that, the order varies by instructor, so follow the one that works for your design.
Styles of leather carving
Several styles are common, and many pieces combine more than one:
- Sheridan uses dense floral work, with flowers, scrolls and heavy decorative cuts. A good first floral piece is a rose and leaf; see floral leather carving with basic rose and leaf designs.
- Western floral is the traditional floral style. It is seen on many western saddles, tack and accessories.
- Figure or pictorial carving shows animals, people or scenes.
- Geometric and basketweave designs use repeating straight lines and rows.
- Filigree carves a design, then cuts out the background so an underlay shows. See filigree leather carving.
- Embossing pushes a design up from the back of the leather so it stands out.
- Inverted carving is a less common style that reverses the usual relief. Study examples before you try it.
Tooling isn’t limited to floral work. Many carvers use it for contemporary designs, such as animals, pop culture or abstract art.
Your first projects
- Basketweave stamping is a good first project. It needs no swivel knife, and it builds consistency in your strikes. For a belt version, see how to carve a leather belt.
- Small items such as coasters, bookmarks, keychains and card wallets are good first projects. They are quick to finish and forgiving of mistakes.
Finishing
Once the carving is dry, finish the piece in this order:
- Apply a resist such as Neat Lac, Super Sheen or Bag Kote. The resist is applied before the antique so that the antique stays in the recesses.
- Antique the piece. Our antiquing guide covers the method.
- Add a top coat, such as Resolene, to protect the surface.
Tool the leather before you dye it, and dye and finish only after the leather is fully dry.
Common misconceptions
- Wetter is not better. Overcased leather goes mushy and won’t hold crisp impressions.
- A swivel knife cut isn’t decorative on its own. Beveling makes the design read.
- Not every leather can be carved. Chrome-tanned and most pre-finished leathers don’t work.
- You don’t need a big tool set. Six to eight tools cover most beginner patterns.
- Tool order varies by instructor. The one firm rule is that decorative cuts come last.
Safety
- Swivel knife and craft knife blades are very sharp. Always cut away from the hand that holds the leather.
- Use dyes and solvent finishes with ventilation and gloves.
- Use a poly or rawhide mallet, not a metal hammer.
Other ways to mark leather
Carving is one way to decorate leather. Stamps and machines are others. For a stamped brand, see leatherworking maker’s mark. For fine line work done by hand, see how to etch and engrave leather by hand. If you are considering a laser, can a laser engraver be used on leather and what laser is best for leather cover the basics.
Where to go next
- How to carve a leather belt for a practical first large project
- Floral leather carving for rose and leaf designs
- Swivel knife carving for grip, angle and clean cuts
- Filigree leather carving for cutout backgrounds
- Can I use an exacto knife to cut leather? for cutting tools beyond the swivel knife