Leathercraft

Open workshop reference

Glossary

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99 results

Alcohol-Based Dye
Finishing & Dyeing
Leather dye carried in an alcohol solvent rather than oil, which penetrates leather quickly and dries fast but can leave the leather feeling drier and stiffer with repeated coats, and can be more prone to rubbing off if the fibers are not well saturated.
See also: oil dye
Antique Finish
Finishing & Dyeing
A gel or paste finish rubbed over tooled or stamped leather and then wiped back, leaving darker color settled into the recessed cuts and stamped impressions while the raised surface stays lighter. It is used to make carved and tooled designs stand out visually.
See also: basket stamp, background stamp
Awl
Tools
A pointed hand tool used to pierce holes in leather. A diamond awl, ground to a four-sided point, is the standard choice for stitching because it cuts a slit-like hole that lets thread lie flat, rather than a round hole that stitches can shift inside.
See also: diamond awl, pricking iron
Background Stamp
Tooling & Carving
A textured stamp used to depress and roughen the areas around a carved design after cutting with a swivel knife, making the carved figure or motif stand out by contrast against a matted background.
See also: swivel knife, figure carving, camouflage tool
Backstitch
Stitching & Hand Sewing
A hand stitch made by bringing the needle back to meet the end of the previous stitch each time, producing an unbroken line of thread on the top side. It is stronger than a running stitch and is sometimes used on seams that need to resist pulling.
See also: running stitch, saddle stitch
Basket Stamp
Tooling & Carving
A stamping tool whose face is shaped to interlock with itself when repeated across leather, building up a woven basket-weave pattern over a large area when stamps are lined up edge to edge.
See also: mallet, background stamp
Belly (Leather)
Leather & Tanning
The section of a hide from the animal's underside, at the outer edges of a full hide. It is thinner, stretchier, and less densely fibered than the back, so it is typically used for less structural parts of a project or lower-grade cuts.
See also: shoulder leather, bend leather
Bend
Leather & Tanning
The firmest, most consistent section of a hide, running along the animal's back with the shoulder and belly trimmed away. Because its fiber structure is the densest and most even part of the hide, it is the preferred cut for belts, straps, and tooling leather.
See also: shoulder leather, belly leather, tooling leather
Beveling
Cutting & Construction
Shaving or cutting away the sharp square corner of a leather edge to round it slightly, typically with an edge beveler, as a preparation step before burnishing or painting the edge.
See also: edge beveler, edge burnishing
Bonded Leather
Leather & Tanning
A composite material made by shredding scrap leather fiber, mixing it with adhesive, and pressing it onto a fabric backing, sometimes with a printed leather-look surface layer. It can contain as little as 10-20% actual leather fiber and is much less durable than genuine hide leather, typically used for low-cost book covers and furniture.
See also: genuine leather
Bone Folder
Tools
A dull-edged hand tool, traditionally made from animal bone, with a pointed end for scoring and a rounded end for smoothing. In leathercraft it is used to crease fold lines, turn corners, and press down glued seams without cutting or marking the leather.
See also: burnisher, gusset
Box Stitch
Cutting & Construction
A hand-sewing technique for reinforcing a right-angle corner or turning a box-like shape in saddle stitching, working the seam around the corner in short back-and-forth runs so the stitch spacing stays even on both the outer and inner sides of the turn.
See also: gusset, saddle stitch
Buckle
Hardware & Fittings
A hardware fastener, typically a metal frame with a hinged pin (tongue), used to adjust and secure the length of a strap through a series of punched holes. Belt and strap buckles come in many frame shapes, including the common center-bar style used on most leather belts.
See also: d ring
Burnisher
Tools
A smooth-grooved hand tool, often made of wood or bone, used to rub a cut leather edge under friction and pressure until its fibers compress into a smooth, glossy surface. It is used together with a burnishing agent such as gum tragacanth or Tokonole, usually after the edge has already been beveled.
See also: edge beveler, gum tragacanth, tokonole, edge burnishing
Camouflage Tool
Tooling & Carving
A stamping tool with a broken, irregular textured face, used to blend and disguise the transition between a carved design and its stamped background so the two do not show a hard visual edge.
See also: background stamp, figure carving
Casing
Tooling & Carving
Preparing vegetable-tanned leather for carving or stamping by wetting it and then letting it dry back to a specific dampness, where it is firm enough to hold a clean tool mark but still soft enough to cut and shape. Leather worked too wet leaves mushy, poorly defined lines; too dry and it resists the tools or cracks.
See also: wet molding, swivel knife, tooling leather
Chicago Screw
Hardware & Fittings
A two-piece post-and-screw fastener that threads together through holes in leather, giving a clean finished look similar to a rivet but removable and reusable with a screwdriver. It is commonly used on belts, straps, and covers that may need to be taken apart later, unlike a permanently set rivet.
See also: rivet
Chrome Tanning
Leather & Tanning
A tanning method that stabilizes hide using chromium(III) sulfate and other chromium salts, typically completing in hours to a couple of days. It produces soft, stretchy, water-resistant leather in a pale blue-grey "wet blue" state before dyeing, and accounts for the large majority of leather produced worldwide.
See also: vegetable tanning, combination tanning
Clicker Cutting
Cutting & Construction
Cutting multiple identical leather pieces by pressing a shaped steel-rule die through the material with a press, named for the clicking sound of older manual machines. It trades the setup cost of making a die for very fast, consistent cutting of a repeated pattern piece.
See also: strap cutter, pattern template
Combination Tanning
Leather & Tanning
Leather tanned in two stages, typically chrome tanned first and then re-tanned with vegetable tannins, to combine chrome tanning's softness and speed with some of vegetable tanning's firmness and tooling ability.
See also: chrome tanning, vegetable tanning
D-Ring
Hardware & Fittings
A D-shaped metal ring, usually attached to leather with a strap loop or rivets, used as a fixed connection point for straps, swivel clasps, or other hardware. The flat side of the D lets a strap sit flush against it rather than bunching, as it would on a round ring.
See also: o ring, swivel clasp
Diamond Awl
Tools
A hand awl ground to a four-sided, diamond-shaped point rather than a round one. Pushing it through leather opens a small slit that closes back around the thread, instead of a round hole that stitches can shift inside, which is why it is the standard awl for saddle stitching.
See also: awl, pricking iron, saddle stitch
Drum Dyeing
Leather & Tanning
A tannery process in which leather is tumbled in a large rotating drum together with dye solution so color penetrates evenly, sometimes all the way through the hide, rather than sitting only on the surface as with hand-applied dye.
See also: chrome tanning, alcohol dye
Edge Beveler
Tools
A hand tool with a curved, sharpened slot that shaves a thin strip off the sharp corner of a cut leather edge, rounding it slightly. Beveling an edge before burnishing removes the raw right-angle corner so the edge burnishes smoother and holds up better to wear.
See also: burnisher, beveling
Edge Burnishing
Finishing & Dyeing
Finishing a cut leather edge by wetting or coating it with a burnishing agent, then rubbing it under friction (by hand, wood slicker, or powered wheel) until the loose fibers compress into a smooth, often glossy, sealed surface.
See also: burnisher, tokonole, gum tragacanth
Edge Creaser
Tools
A tool with a grooved wheel or blade that presses a decorative line into leather a set distance from the edge, both dressing up the edge visually and marking a guide line. It is typically run along a strap or belt edge before or after burnishing.
See also: burnisher, edge beveler
Edge Paint
Finishing & Dyeing
A flexible, pigmented coating brushed onto a cut leather edge to seal and color it with a smooth painted finish, used as an alternative to burnishing bare leather to a shine. It is especially common on leathers or edge shapes that do not burnish cleanly on their own.
See also: edge burnishing, resist top coat
Exotic Leather
Leather & Tanning
Leather from animals outside the common cattle, sheep, goat, and pig group, such as alligator, ostrich, or snake, or unusual body-part leathers from common animals. Both types are valued for distinctive texture and command premium prices.
See also: full grain leather
Eyelet
Hardware & Fittings
A small, one-piece metal ring set through a punched hole in leather to reinforce the hole's edge against tearing, commonly used for lacing holes and light strap attachment points. Compared to a grommet, an eyelet has no separate backing washer, so it offers less reinforcement but sits at a lower profile.
See also: grommet
Figure Carving
Tooling & Carving
The traditional leathercraft discipline of cutting a design's outlines into cased leather with a swivel knife and then modeling it with stamps, such as veiners, pear shaders, and background tools, to create pictorial or floral scenes with visual depth.
See also: swivel knife, background stamp, casing
Flesh Side
General Terms
The inner side of a hide, facing what was the animal's body, which is rougher and more fibrous than the grain side. It is the side that gets skived, and it is where suede is created by sanding.
See also: grain side, suede, skiving
French Edge Skiver
Tools
A small hand-held skiving tool with an angled blade used to thin a narrow strip along an edge or in tight spots that a knife or machine splitter cannot easily reach, such as inside a curve before folding leather over.
See also: skiving, head knife
Full Grain Leather
Leather & Tanning
Leather made from the top layer of the hide with its natural grain surface left intact, not sanded or buffed away. Because the tight fiber structure near the grain is undisturbed, it is generally the strongest and most durable leather grade, and it develops its own patina with wear.
See also: top grain leather, genuine leather, patina
Genuine Leather
Leather & Tanning
An industry grading term, not a mark of quality, for leather made from the lower layers of a hide split away beneath the top grain. Despite the reassuring name, it is generally a lower grade than full grain or top grain leather, and is usually corrected and heavily coated to look uniform.
See also: top grain leather, bonded leather
Grain Side
General Terms
The outer side of a hide, where the hair once grew, which carries the leather's natural texture and markings after the hair is removed. It is typically the "right side" of finished leather, shown facing outward on a project.
See also: flesh side, full grain leather
Grommet
Hardware & Fittings
A two-piece metal reinforcement, made of a front eyelet piece and a separate backing washer set together through a punched hole, giving a stronger, more load-bearing reinforced hole than a plain eyelet. Grommets are typically used on larger openings, like a notebook cover hole or bag closure.
See also: eyelet
Gum Tragacanth
Finishing & Dyeing
A natural plant-based gum, traditionally dissolved in water, that leatherworkers apply to a cut edge before burnishing to help bind and smooth the fibers. It gives a slightly more matte, traditional finish than modern synthetic burnishing gums and can fuzz back up if the edge later gets wet.
See also: tokonole, edge burnishing
Gusset
Cutting & Construction
A shaped panel, usually a strip seamed or folded at the corners, inserted between the front and back panels of a bag or case to add depth and volume while allowing the finished piece to fold flatter when empty.
See also: box stitch, welt
Hand (Leather Feel)
General Terms
An industry term for how a piece of leather feels and drapes, soft and supple or stiff and firm, determined by the animal, tannage, thickness, and finishing. It is a subjective but widely used way to describe and compare leather quality by touch.
See also: leather temper, full grain leather
Harness Needle
Stitching & Hand Sewing
A blunt-tipped steel needle used for hand-sewing leather, sized to match the thread it carries. Because its tip is not sharp, it follows holes already made by an awl or chisel rather than piercing the leather itself, which reduces the risk of splitting the stitching line.
See also: saddle stitch, waxed thread, stitches per inch
Head Knife
Tools
A knife with a long, curved half-moon blade set with its edge perpendicular to the handle, traditionally used in saddlery and shoemaking for freehand cutting, trimming, and skiving thick leather. Its curved edge lets the leatherworker rock the blade through a cut in one continuous motion rather than sawing straight through.
See also: round knife, skiving
Hide vs. Skin
General Terms
In the leather trade, "hide" refers to the pelt of a large animal such as a cow or horse, while "skin" refers to the pelt of a smaller animal such as a goat, sheep, or deer. The distinction is one of animal size, not of species or tanning method.
See also: kip leather, shoulder leather
Kip Leather
Leather & Tanning
Leather from a bovine animal in between a calf and a full-grown cow in size and age, giving it a finer grain and lighter body than full cowhide while remaining stronger than calfskin. It is often used for gloves and fine goods where cowhide would be too heavy.
See also: full grain leather, hide and skin
Laminating
Cutting & Construction
Gluing two or more layers of leather together, usually with contact cement, to build up thickness, add rigidity, or sandwich a stiffening material such as a welt between panels, a common technique in molded knife sheaths and holsters.
See also: welt, wet molding
Last
General Terms
A solid foot-shaped form, traditionally carved from wood, used by shoemakers to shape and support leather while a shoe is built or repaired around it. Custom-made lasts, molded to an individual's foot, are the basis of bespoke shoemaking.
See also: wet molding
Leather Weight (Ounce)
General Terms
A traditional way of stating leather thickness, where one ounce equals 1/64 of an inch, about 0.4 mm, so a piece described as "8-9 oz" is roughly 3.2-3.6 mm thick. It is a thickness measurement, not an actual weight, carried over from an older method of weighing a set area of hide.
See also: tooling leather, leather temper
Linen Thread
Stitching & Hand Sewing
Thread spun from flax fibers, valued in traditional saddlery and bookbinding for its strength and low stretch compared to synthetic thread. It is typically hand-waxed or comes pre-waxed before sewing, since raw linen fibers fray easily.
See also: waxed thread, saddle stitch
Lockstitch
Stitching & Hand Sewing
A machine stitch formed by interlocking a top thread and a bottom bobbin thread so the interlock sits mid-layer inside the material rather than on the surface. It is the stitch produced by a sewing machine and is generally weaker under stress than a hand-sewn saddle stitch, since a single break can let the whole seam unravel.
See also: saddle stitch
Magnetic Clasp
Hardware & Fittings
A closure made of two magnetized metal halves, one riveted or sewn to each side of an opening, that snap together when brought close and pull apart with a firm tug. It is a quick, low-profile alternative to a snap fastener or buckle for bag flaps and small closures.
See also: snap fastener
Mallet
Tools
A hammer-like striking tool used to drive stamps, drive punches, and set hardware without marring the tool handle. Leatherworkers typically use nylon/poly or rawhide-faced mallets because their softer heads absorb the blow without denting stamps, unlike a steel hammer.
See also: stitching chisel, basket stamp
Mink Oil
Finishing & Dyeing
A conditioning oil rendered from mink fat, used to replace lost oils and moisture in leather and to improve its water resistance. It tends to darken leather noticeably and permanently, more so than neatsfoot oil, so it is best tested on scrap first.
See also: neatsfoot oil, saddle soap
Modeling Tool
Tooling & Carving
A double-ended hand tool, typically with a ball tip on one end and a spoon or spatula shape on the other, used to transfer traced pattern lines onto cased leather and to smooth and burnish the surface around a carved cut.
See also: casing, swivel knife
Neatsfoot Oil
Finishing & Dyeing
An oil traditionally rendered from cattle bones and feet, used to condition vegetable-tanned leather by restoring suppleness and a degree of water resistance. It penetrates and darkens leather, and pure neatsfoot oil is preferred over compound versions that include petroleum additives.
See also: mink oil, saddle soap
Nubuck
Leather & Tanning
Full grain or top grain leather that has had its grain side lightly sanded to raise a short, fine, velvety nap while keeping the leather's natural strength, since the grain layer is only buffed rather than removed. It is more durable than suede but shows scuffs and stains more easily than an unsanded grain finish.
See also: suede, top grain leather
O-Ring
Hardware & Fittings
A plain round metal ring used as a connection or anchor point on leather goods, similar in use to a D-ring but without a flat side, so straps or clasps can pivot freely around its whole circumference.
See also: d ring, swivel clasp
Oil Dye
Finishing & Dyeing
Leather dye whose colorant is carried partly in oils rather than plain alcohol, giving smoother color gradation and generally better fiber penetration than alcohol dye, while leaving the leather more supple rather than stiff after multiple coats.
See also: alcohol dye
Overstitch Wheel
Tools
A tool with a toothed rotating wheel used to mark evenly spaced stitch positions along a line before sewing, or to press over finished stitches afterward to help even out their appearance.
See also: pricking iron, stitching groover
Patina
Leather & Tanning
The gradual darkening, sheen, and color change that vegetable-tanned and other lightly finished leathers develop with handling, skin oils, light exposure, and age. It is considered a desirable sign of a well-used, genuine leather item rather than damage.
See also: vegetable tanning, full grain leather
Pattern / Template
Cutting & Construction
A flat guide, cut from paper, plastic, or cardstock, traced onto leather to mark cutting lines and hole positions consistently across multiple copies of the same project.
See also: clicker cutting, scratch awl
Pear Shader
Tooling & Carving
A rounded, pear-shaped stamping tool used to depress and shade specific areas of a carved design, giving petals and leaves a sense of depth and dimension. It is a core tool in traditional floral leather carving.
See also: veiner, figure carving
Pricking Iron
Tools
A tool with a row of prongs used to mark or partially punch evenly spaced stitch positions in leather before sewing, keeping stitch spacing consistent along a seam.
See also: awl, saddle stitch
Rawhide
Leather & Tanning
Hide that has been cleaned, dehaired, and dried but never tanned, leaving it hard, translucent, and prone to rotting if it gets wet and stays damp. It is used untanned for laces, drum heads, and chew items rather than for stitched leather goods.
See also: vegetable tanning
Resist / Top Coat
Finishing & Dyeing
A liquid, often acrylic-based, applied to leather before antiquing to keep the antique gel from soaking into and darkening the raised, undyed surface, or applied afterward as a protective sealed layer over dye and finish. Resist and top coat are sometimes the same product used at different points in a project.
See also: antique finish, edge paint
Rivet
Hardware & Fittings
A two-piece metal fastener, a post and a cap, that passes through pre-punched holes in one or more layers of leather and is permanently set with a mallet and matched dies so the parts lock together. Common styles include solid (peened) rivets favored for heavy saddlery, tubular rivets for high-strength industrial joins, and double-cap rivets, the most common style in fashion leatherwork.
See also: rivet setter, chicago screw
Rivet Setter
Tools
A pair of concave and domed dies, used with a mallet, that seat and shape the two halves of a rivet so the cap rounds over smoothly and the parts lock permanently onto the leather.
See also: rivet, mallet
Rotary Punch
Tools
A pliers-like tool with a rotating head holding several differently sized tubes, used to punch clean round holes in leather for rivets, snaps, and lacing without needing a separate single-size punch for each hole diameter.
See also: rivet, snap fastener
Round Knife
Tools
A circular or half-moon bladed knife, sharpened around its curved edge, used for cutting thick leather such as skirting and soles where a straight utility blade would struggle. It is closely related to, and sometimes used interchangeably with, the head knife.
See also: head knife, strap cutter
Running Stitch
Stitching & Hand Sewing
A simple stitch made by passing the needle in and out of the material in a straight line, producing evenly spaced stitches on both sides. In leatherwork it is mostly used to baste pieces together temporarily or for lightweight decorative seams, not for load-bearing joins.
See also: saddle stitch, backstitch
Saddle Soap
Finishing & Dyeing
A mild cleaning compound formulated for leather, combining soap with some conditioning oils or waxes, used to lift dirt without soaking the leather. Because its detergent content also strips out some of the leather's own oils, it is typically followed with a separate conditioner such as neatsfoot or mink oil.
See also: neatsfoot oil, mink oil
Saddle Stitch
Stitching & Hand Sewing
A hand-sewing technique using a single length of thread with a needle on each end, passed through the same hole from opposite sides so each stitch locks in place. It is the standard stitch for hand-sewn leather goods because a single broken thread will not cause the whole seam to unravel, unlike a machine lockstitch.
See also: awl, pricking iron, waxed thread
Saddler's Clamp
Stitching & Hand Sewing
The traditional wooden version of the stitching pony, held between the knees or against the body rather than bench-mounted, historically used by saddlers to grip work while hand sewing away from a fixed bench.
See also: stitching pony, saddle stitch
Scratch Awl
Tools
A simple, round-pointed awl used to scribe layout lines or transfer pattern marks onto leather rather than to sew through it. Because its point is round rather than diamond-shaped, it does not cut a clean stitching slit, so it functions as a marking tool, not a sewing tool.
See also: awl, modeling tool
Seam Allowance
Cutting & Construction
The margin of material left between a piece's cut edge and its stitch line, which needs to be accounted for when drafting a pattern so the finished, sewn piece comes out the intended size.
See also: pattern template, stitches per inch
Shoulder (Leather)
Leather & Tanning
The section of a hide covering the animal's neck and shoulders, cut away from the back and belly during splitting. It tends to be looser and more wrinkled from neck movement than the back, making it better suited to structural pieces than fine visible surfaces.
See also: belly leather, bend leather
Skiving
Cutting & Construction
Thinning leather by shaving down its flesh side at an angle, typically along an edge or fold line, to reduce bulk before folding, gluing, or stitching layers together.
Snap Fastener
Hardware & Fittings
A hardware closure made of interlocking socket and stud halves that click together and pull apart with moderate force, set into leather using matching cap and post pieces on each side. Snaps are commonly sized by "line" number, for example line 24 for medium-heavy leather, which refers to the diameter of the fastener.
See also: snap setter, rivet
Snap Setter
Tools
A matched pair of dies, used with a mallet or hand press, that flare or crimp the socket and stud halves of a snap fastener onto leather so the two pieces click together securely.
See also: snap fastener, rivet setter
Stitches Per Inch (SPI)
Stitching & Hand Sewing
A measurement of how many stitches occur in one inch of a sewn seam, set by the spacing of the pricking iron or chisel used to mark the stitch line. Finer SPI (more, smaller stitches) suits thin leather and delicate items, while coarser SPI (fewer, larger stitches) suits thick, heavy-duty leather.
See also: pricking iron, saddle stitch
Stitching Chisel
Tools
A tool similar to a pricking iron but with fully pointed prongs that punch stitch holes all the way through the leather in one strike, rather than only marking their position. Stitching chisels are typically used on thinner leather, while pricking irons are preferred on thicker leather where the holes are opened afterward with an awl.
See also: pricking iron, awl
Stitching Groover
Tools
A tool that cuts a shallow channel into the grain side of leather along the stitch line, so the finished stitches sit recessed below the surface and are protected from abrasion. It is also called a hand stitch groover.
See also: pricking iron, saddle stitch
Stitching Pony
Tools
A clamp, traditionally straddled like a saddle, that holds two pieces of leather firmly together along the sewing edge so both hands are free to pass needles through when saddle stitching. Modern versions are often bench-mounted rather than straddled between the knees.
See also: saddle stitch, harness needle
Strap Cutter
Tools
A tool with an adjustable fence and a fixed blade used to cut long, straight, consistent-width strips of leather for belts and straps by pulling the leather through against the blade.
See also: round knife, clicker cutting
Suede
Leather & Tanning
Leather with a soft, napped surface produced by sanding the flesh side of a hide, or from the inner splits left over after a top grain layer is removed. Because it is made from a weaker, less dense fiber layer, suede is generally less durable and less water-resistant than grain leather.
See also: nubuck, flesh side
Swivel Clasp
Hardware & Fittings
A spring-loaded hook hardware piece, mounted on a swiveling eye so it can rotate freely, used to attach straps or lanyards to a D-ring or O-ring while letting the strap twist without tangling. Also called a trigger snap or lobster clasp, depending on its shape.
See also: d ring, o ring
Swivel Knife
Tools
A carving knife with a blade mounted in a barrel that rotates freely between the leatherworker's fingers, letting curved cut lines be followed smoothly. It is pulled toward the user while the other hand steadies and turns the leather, and is the primary tool for cutting outlines in leather carving.
See also: casing, wet molding, figure carving
Temper (Leather)
Leather & Tanning
A tannery's description of how firm or soft a piece of leather is, ranging roughly from firm (stiff, rigid) through regular and mellow to soft (very flexible). Temper is a separate property from thickness: a thick piece of leather can still be soft-tempered, and a thin piece can be firm.
See also: full grain leather, tooling leather
Thread Size
Stitching & Hand Sewing
The thickness of sewing thread, commonly given as a ply count or a diameter in millimeters, chosen relative to both the leather's weight and the width of the stitch holes. A common rule of thumb is to keep thread diameter roughly a third of the stitch spacing, so it fills the hole without crowding it.
See also: stitches per inch, waxed thread, harness needle
Thread Tension
Stitching & Hand Sewing
How tightly the thread is pulled while forming each stitch. In hand saddle stitching, consistent tension keeps stitches sitting evenly in the leather without puckering the material or leaving the thread loose and loopy.
See also: saddle stitch, stitches per inch
Tokonole
Finishing & Dyeing
A brand-name water-based burnishing compound, originally developed as a gum tragacanth substitute, applied to cut edges before rubbing them smooth with a slicker or burnisher. It gives a glossier, more water-resistant finish than plain gum tragacanth and has become a standard product among modern leatherworkers.
See also: gum tragacanth, edge burnishing, burnisher
Tooling Leather
Leather & Tanning
Firm, undyed vegetable-tanned leather, usually from the bend of the hide, chosen because it holds carved lines and stamped impressions cleanly once dampened. It is the standard leather choice for hand-tooled and carved projects.
See also: vegetable tanning, bend leather, casing
Top Grain Leather
Leather & Tanning
Leather from the same top layer as full grain, but with the outermost surface sanded or buffed to remove natural marks and imperfections, then often given a printed or embossed finish. This makes it more uniform in appearance than full grain but slightly weaker, since some of the dense outer fiber layer has been removed.
See also: full grain leather, genuine leather
Vegetable Tanning
Leather & Tanning
A tanning process that uses plant-derived tannins (from bark, wood, or leaves) instead of chromium salts. Vegetable-tanned leather is firmer, holds tooling and edge burnishing well, and ages by darkening and developing a patina, but takes longer and costs more to produce than chrome tanning.
Veiner
Tooling & Carving
A stamping tool with a narrow, curved face used to impress the vein lines running through leaves and petals in floral leather carving.
See also: pear shader, figure carving
Waxed Thread
Stitching & Hand Sewing
Thread, usually linen or polyester, coated in wax so the fibers of a twisted or braided cord bind together, resist fraying, and grip against themselves inside a stitch hole. Waxing also helps the thread slide through leather more smoothly while sewing.
See also: linen thread, saddle stitch
Welt
Cutting & Construction
A strip of leather set between two layers of a construction, most often along a stitch line, to protect the stitching from abrasion or cutting. In a knife sheath, a welt between the front and back panels keeps the blade's edge from slicing through the stitches; in shoemaking, a welt strip anchors the upper to a stitched-on sole.
See also: laminating, gusset
Wet Molding
Tooling & Carving
Shaping vegetable-tanned leather over or into a mold while it is thoroughly wet, then letting it dry in that shape so it holds the form permanently once the fibers set. It is the technique behind rigid molded holsters, sheaths, and cuffs.
See also: casing, tooling leather
Whip Stitch
Stitching & Hand Sewing
A stitch made by looping thread diagonally over the edge of two pieces of leather repeatedly, binding them together along the seam. It is common on lacing-style edges and soft leather goods, and is typically both decorative and functional.
See also: saddle stitch, running stitch
Wing Divider
Tools
A compass-like tool with two adjustable pointed legs, used to scribe parallel guide lines a fixed distance from an edge, such as a stitch line, or to step off equal measurements across a pattern.
See also: stitching groover, pricking iron
Zipper Pull
Hardware & Fittings
A small leather or hardware tab attached to a zipper's slider to make it easier to grip and pull, often added as both a functional and decorative touch on bags and cases.
See also: magnetic clasp