Let’s backtrack a little and get that record on the turntable spinning again! Hit Replay is back this issue to pick up where we left off last time with more trending items, fads, hobbies, and practices that will seem like déjà vu!
In the last issue we went back thousands of years to discuss a practical and versatile art form that’s been gaining momentum and hitting hobbyists, enthusiasts, and professionals alike. We’re casting the spell once again, and looking into the arcane arts behind the omnipresent material that is leather. Last time on Hit Replay we talked about the tanning process that transformed animal hide into the supple, flexible, and workable material that is leather. We pick up where we left off, and follow the journey of leather from the tanner’s shop to a blacksmith’s, artisan’s, or clothier’s shop and see how these rolls of supple material are turned into everything from armour to satchels.
Dyeing & Colouring Leather
One of the most basic alterations that is done to leather after it has been tanned is dyeing. Dating back to the ancient Romans, substances used for dyeing leather were barks of various trees such as lotus, madder, kermes, and blue-stone. Often, the leather pieces would be moistened and the pigment carriers would be rubbed into the leather and slowly spread across the entire cut. In the present day, a similar method is still in use, but with spirit and alcohol-based dyes which can easily be absorbed by moistened leather.
Carving, Stamping, and Sewing
Leather carving and stamping is the complex and combined art of creating (often 3-D) designs and images upon the leather pieces. Often this is done to embellish various items such as satchels, cases, and belts, but may also stand alone as leather artwork. Examples of carved leather dates back thousands of years, with some of the most complex examples found on Roman leatherwork in sites across Britain (such as Vindolanda). Similarly, examples of carved leather work were prominent across Europe during the Medieval ages, where more modern tooling and impressions were done on leather pieces. On a related note, sewing leather was also commonplace for more practical items such as sandals, gauntlets, and various other clothing pieces.
A craftsman’s tool kit may include hundreds of tools of various sizes for carving, cutting, punching, and creasing leather, but we break it down below to the most common and basic items.
Knives: A leather worker would have a collection of knives in his or her arsenal used for various incisions, cuts, and trims of leather among which were the:
- Round/Half Moon Knife used in “clicking”, cutting leather and skiving the edges
- Paring Knife used to trim away excess leather, especially in places where the half-moon knife would be too large or unwieldly to use
- Pattern Knife
- Shears, for use in cutting leather strips and thread
Awls: Various awls—often similar to a stitching awl—and bradawls—used in indenting wood—were used in leather-working with the difference that most leather-working awls had an “S” shape.
- Sewing Awls often had a flat oval cross section, used in very much the same way as one would use one in sewing.
- Stitching Awls, having a flat rectangular cross section, are used to spread open holes in the leather to take in thread.
- Scratching Awl, similar to its use with marking wood, are used to mark places in the leather.
Hole-Punches: These tools are used exactly as they sound, which is to punch holes in the leather. Often these were used to make holes for buckles, eyelets, and rivets.
Rawhide Mallets: Mallets are used on leather for various purposes, the most common being to flatten sections of a leather cut and to drive various stamps into the leather.
Camouflage Tool: The tool creates an impression on the leather that resembles that of a seashell. Often, this tool is used to emphasize various areas of the leather carving. The tool is driven into the leather using a mallet.
Pear Shader: This is a tool used to indent the leather to create a curved appearance. The tool causes the indented portions of the leather to appear slightly darker, and gives it a curve akin to a pear’s contour.
Seeder: Another stamp tool used in leather carving used heavily in floral and repetitive designs. The seeder produces circular indentations in the leather reminiscent of seeds at the centre of a flower.
Veiner Tool: Another stamp-style tool, the veiner tool is often used to pattern leaves, or leaf-like styles such as stems and scrolls, into a piece of leather. Often coming in a variety of sizes, they create sharper edges in comparison to the pear shader and were often manipulated to produce graceful scrolls or spirals.
Using these tools, a leather craftsman can produce unparalleled works of art. From simple leather-strapped sandals of ancient antiquity to exquisite archery quivers, a craftsman’s work evokes awe and wonder.
It is not difficult to see why such an age-old practice is finding a resurgence in the present day. Increased popularity in Do-It-Yourself (DIY) and handcrafted works lent a hand to the rising interest in leather work and leather crafting beyond the typical leather jacket and apparel. Hand-crafted pieces of leather art work have grown in abundance in recent years, as well as interest in the process of crafting itself!
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