How To

Leather work is a very satisfying craft. from concept to completed project there are only a handful of simple techniques and methods to get the results you are after. The tangible durability of leather makes it one of the most enjoyable mediums I have worked with. 

With our patterns you can make your own equipment and save up to 75% on the cost of high quality equipment. And because you make it you can custom design and alter patterns to meet your needs and create new designs! Our patterns are modeled after those of the 14th to 17th Century, and have been made by leather craftsman that actually involves them self’s in LARP’s and SCA competitions!

How to print our patterns:
Most of our patterns are designed full scale which means, they will need to be printed on 17 by 22 inch paper.  You may need to find a printing company such as kinko or fedex to have them printed. Most printing companies charge around .75 cents a square foot. Many will allow you either email the files to them or bring them in on a CD. (You will need to contact the printing company of your choice for their policy guidelines.)

Recommended Tools

Rotary Hole Punch & Single Hole Punch:
Rotary Hole punches come in a verity of quality grades from cheap economical to the heavier duty professional grade. These have several different sized punches in one easy to use tool. We recommend that in this case you don’t skimp on this tool; sure it may cost you a bit more but believe us when we say your hands will thank you. Single hole punches often come in sets or can be purchase individually, you will need a hammer and a bounding board when using single hole punches but it is a very easy way to get to those hard to reach places..

Razors:
It may be worthwhile to have a few of these on hand; due to the nature of leather they will lose their sharpness over time. It’s also important to have a nice grip handle (you don’t want your hand slipping while using your razor.)Razors also known Exact-o knife are perfect for detailed cuts and curve.

Rotary Cutter:
This tool will save you a lot of time on your straight cuts. It contains a sharp razor rolling blade. We recommend the use of a metal ruler to help keep lines straight, and of course a Cutting mat. This tool is a tremendous help when cutting straps!

Cutting mat:
(Also known as ''self-healing'' mats or gridded Cutting mat) these can be found at most any fabric shops such as Joann fabric. The important thing to remember here is to purchase a large enough mat to allow for all your cutting to be done on the mat.

Scissors:
When we refer to scissors, we mean heavy duty sharp scissors one which will allow you to cut leather easily. (light weight leather such as suede, you will most likely use your razor for stiff heavy leather)

Needles:
Heavy duty needles come in a verity of shapes and sizes including curved, you may want to purchase a multi pack and experiment. You may find that some sizes and shapes work better than others depending on the project at hand.  (You can often pick these up at leather suppliers or craft stores)

Waxed linen thread:
Waxed linen thread is thicker and stronger than plain cotton thread. You can find Waxed thread at almost every leather supplier shops and in some cases in craft stores. Not only will Waxed linen thread give strength to your project it will also give it a more professional look. Unlike natural sinew that you would wet and let shrink to pull your sewing tight, artificial sinew requires a lot more manual labor in pulling it tight. And don’t forget a good sturdy oversized needle for sewing.

Lighter:
Lighters are most often used to melt the end of your thread when your finish sewing to prevent any fraying.

 

Hammer or Mallet:
These can be found at any hardware store or craft store, mallets are often used in leather engraving/carving and setting Grommets, while hammers are better suited for securing Rivet and manual punching.

Plastic Block:
(Also known as a bounding board) We recommend the use of plastic blocks when working with grommets and rivets. The Plastic Block will help prevent any indentation to your work surface from the hardware used in securing Rivets and Grommets. (They are often found at leather craft stores)

Metal Ruler:
You can pick up a metal ruler at either a hardware store or most any craft store, not only will they help measure out your lines but they are also perfect for running a razor along, insuring a perfectly strait cut.

Materials

A note on leather: not all leathers are created equally. In fact you can actually cause harm to yourself by choosing the wrong materials. There are a few things to keep in mind when you look for leather.  Will the leather be in contact with your skin? If so I highly recommend a Vegi tanned leather. I have seen at renaissance fares people with chemically tanned leather sweating on hot days get chemical burns from wet leather in contact with their skin. where possible use vegi tanned leather to reduce the risk, another method is sealing your leather with an acrylic spray, though you may find you have an allergy to acrylics as well. that aside leather comes down to price / thickness / and quantity to determine the actual cost of a piece.

Thickness: (ounces)
There are many grades and quality’s of leather. For this project you can choose any thickness and grade you see fit. Leather is sold by square footage and weight by square inch. This weight refers to the thickness of the material cut at a 1 sq inch piece and then weighed and calculated. Below is a chart with average approximations for thickness in inches to weight.

Heavy Vegetable Tanned leather:
Generally this very heavy leather comes as full sides (yes... of a cow) and is both expensive and difficult to work with, however it produces the best armor due to its thickness and durability.

Split Vegetable Tanned leather:
Exactly like it sounds, they take a side and split it by creating 2 full sized pieces half as thick as the original. this created a cheaper product that is still high quality and the texture of split leather is often quite desirable. this comes in many different thicknesses (ounces) and the price tends to be fairly consistent between thicknesses.

Textured:
Textured leather is really nice looking stuff. they can make it look like almost any pattern and often do! Because of the techniques they use with rolling the pattern into the leather and finishes the leather must be very thin. so this is great for decretive pieces and book covers for example.

Suede:
Suede leather usually comes in both soft and stiff flexibility. It ranges from the extremely supple to fairly ridged. suede is great for projects that need flexibility or even light weight. it looks particularly splendid as the covers for books.

Hardware / Accessories

Chicago Screws:
Come in a verity or colors and sizes, a Chicago screw is simply that a screw with two parts one post being threaded with the other matching the threads (we use Chicago Screws a lot in our projects simple because unlike rivets they can be easily removed if miss placed and don’t require any additional tools)

Snap Rivets:
A Rivet is a permanent fastener which has two parts, one post which fits into a coordinating post.  They come in a verity of colors, styles and sizes. You will need to use of a mallet and a riveting setting tool to secure the two parts together.  

Grommets:
Come in a verity of colors and sizes. They have two parts to them, a grommet and a washer and require a steel setting tool to secure them in place. (It’s best to use a rubber mallet when securing grommets, they are less likely to leave marks on your finish product) 

Installation kits for plain Grommets:
Come in verity of sizes, its important when purchasing a grommet kit to match the size to the Grommets you plan on using. Most kits consist of a base piece with a coordinating press piece.

D-Rings:
For many of the projects we will be presenting the D-ring is the easiest and most user-friendly way of securing straps. D-rings come in several flavors; we prefer the brass plated ring that is not cast for a couple reasons. Firstly is the cost of cast rings that are made from molten brass poured into moulds. Secondly are color options. If you want to get brushed steel, silver, chromed, or antiqued rings its totally cost effective. The usual ring we use is 1-1/4th rings. But 1" would work equally as well.

Rings:
This is a very basic steel ring that is used in fastener and to allow connecting points that are flexible. The usual size we use is two inch rings however you can use rectangular rings in most all cases while still providing the required flexibility.

Snaps:
Come in a verity of colors and sizes some may be easily sew into place while others may need a installation kit.

Laces:
Leather laces can be found at almost any leather supplier and in some craft stores, you could even make your own from left over scraps.  The thickness and length may vary with each project, but in general most standard sizes will work.

Elastic:
Come in a verity of colors and sizes and can be found at almost any fabric shop or craft stores. This is rarely used in our projects, but it is definitely useful if you are willing to incorporate into various projects.

Techniques

Sewing:
When working with very light weight leather you can simply sew using a heavy duty needle, when working with heavier weight leathers you will need to hole punch the holes in the leather before stitching. Though in both cases you get a much cleaner appearance with punched holes. Below are some examples of stitching techniques. in most project we do any significant stitching we use a saddle stitch or a whip stitch that overlaps on its self making an X. The reason for this is a tight stitch can produce a wavy edge that doesn't look very good as well as the added strength.

There are four basic styles of stitches:

                Saddle stitch: Requires the use of two needles at once passing though the same hole in            opposite directions and then pulling the thread tight.

                Running Stitch: This is created using one needle passing back and forth through the                 leather.

                Whip Stitch: Is created by passing though the leather on one side and then crossing over        the edge of the leather and returning the same side.

                Cross Stitch: Requires the use of two needles crossing each other when pulling through the leather. Creating an X.

Whip Stitch
Length of Lace = 3.5 Times length being sewn

Whip Stitch
Length of Lace = 7 Times length being sewn

Whip Stitch
Length of Lace = 1.5 Times length being sewn

Whip Stitch
Length of Lace = 3 Times length being sewn

Cross Stitch
Length of Lace = 6 Times length being sewn

Cutting:
When cutting with a Rolling razor or an Exact-o knife it’s important to use a cutting mat and eye protection and of course read all safety directions found on the packaging. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Also when cutting straight lines we recommend the use of a metal ruler as a guide.

Layout:
Working with leather is much like working with fabric it is important to keep in mind the natural grain of the leather when tracing your pattern piece. Each piece of leather is unique and will have its own texture and natural grain. You want your finish product to have a natural looking flow.

Resizing :
Most of our Armor Patterns are in men’s sizes (unless otherwise indicated.) All of our patterns can easily be enlarged or scaled down to change the size, in general the shape of the armor won’t change between sizes. 

Riveting:
Riveting is a great way to get a strong permanent attachment. if you are riveting something that is articulated take extreme caution not to over compress the rivet or you will lose mobility.

1.       Punch hole in leather

2.       Place the longest post through the hole in the leather

3.       Place the shorter coordination post on top

4.       Using a hammer and a bounding block hit the top post 2 to 3 times to secure a nice hold

Chicago Screws:
Chicago Screws are by far are the most user friendly fasteners and don’t require any additional tools.

1.       Punch hole in leather

2.       Place the long post end through the hole in the leather

3.       Place the shorter coordination post on top and screw the two posts together.

 Grommeting:
It’s important to work carefully and slowly, it is impossible to "unset" a grommet. There are many techniques when it comes to setting a Grommet. The most common technique requires the assistance of a grommet sitting tool, which can be found at most craft stores. You will also need a rubber mallet for hammering the grommet pieces together.  For the best results read the instructions thoroughly so you know you are doing it correctly and plan on a few test grommets on some scrap material if possible.