Several items can be produced with leather. Some of these items include belts, purse/wallet, caps/hats, folders, pencil case, key cases and holders etc. However, there are some processes that when followed meticulously can help the leather craft man to produce functional and aesthetically pleasing articles. These processes include making a template, laying out, cutting
and assembling.
1. Making a template-
Templates for leatherwork are usually produced from flat stiff sheets such as cardboards, plastics, metal sheets etc. Templates or patterns are best made and easily altered when a paper is used. However, accuracy is required when preparing templates. Precise measurements transferred from the working drawings are used for the effective production of templates. Rounded corners of templates can be properly marked out by placing a coin of suitable size and marking round its edges.
Also, set squares can equally assist in creating templates of accurate measurements. Flimsy and fairly soft papers must not be used for the preparation and production of templates. Stiff and fairly hard papers are best suitable for the making of templates because they lie flatter on the leather and can also last longer for future use. Sharp edged cutting tools must be used for the cutting of the templates to rid it off crookedness and bulkiness of the edges.
2. Laying out-
This is the next process after making the template. The laying out of the template on the leather material must be done judiciously and economically to avoid waste. Any flaws or marks must be avoided. It is also advisable to hold the larger pieces of the pattern in position on the leather during the marking out.
Usually, a weight is placed on large templates while small templates can be held in position with the fingers before marking out. A bone folder, an awl, a sharp pencil or silver pen may be used to mark round the edges of the template. Straight edges are best ruled with the aid of a steel rule.
3. Cutting-
Sharp cutting tools such as knives and scissors are used for the cutting out of the marked templates on the leather. The pieces are cut out carefully along the outlines. A sharp knife is used alongside a steel ruler for the cutting out of straight edged designs. However, sharp scissors are used for cutting the curvy parts of marked out templates.
In the cutting process, the leather material should be placed on a hard, smooth surface such as a sheet of zinc or glass in order to achieve a sharp, firm and clean cut. If a steel ruler is to be used to guide the knife during cutting, it must be placed on the side of the line on which there is the largest area of leather to obtain a firm hold. This would ensure that a neat cut is achieved and in the event of a slip of the steel ruler, a large area of the leather will be saved. However, failure to do this would result in the cutting of the design area of the leather making the leather craft man losing greatly.
4. Assembling-
This is the bringing together of the various cutout parts or pieces of leather to create the shape and form of the intended article. Great care must be taken in doing this activity. This is essential because if wrong pieces are brought together, there would be disunity of parts which if not checked would disrupt the final outlook of the article. Some parts of the cut out pieces resemble or look alike. Owing to this, great caution must be taken in assembling the parts together. To save time and resources, some leather craft men label the various pieces to be joined with keys such as numbers or alphabets.
A leather craft man should not be over confident that he is experienced enough to do the assembling without labeling the various pieces of the article. It may be a little humbling to do this but a great spoil will definitely be avoided.
