Glossary

The language of the craft, as it’s used in our tutorials. Every entry links somewhere you can see the thing itself. This list grows as the knowledge base does.

Vegetable-tanned (veg tan) leather

The leather Prince recommends for armor work. It takes wet forming, tooling, and dye. See starter tools.

Weight (ounces)

How leather thickness is measured. Different jobs want different weights; straps, for example, run roughly 5 to 10 ounces. See making buckle straps.

Latigo

A pre-finished leather that’s a simple choice for straps, since it needs no dye or finishing afterward.

Wet forming (wet molding)

Shaping dampened veg-tan leather over a form so it holds structure when dry. The core shaping technique of leather armor. See wet forming.

Tiled pages

A PDF print mode that splits a large pattern piece across multiple sheets you tape together. Required for printing our patterns at home. See printing your patterns.

Mockup

A cheap test build in paper or foam to confirm fit before cutting final material. See mockup fit testing.

EVA foam

High-density craft foam used for mockups and full cosplay builds; Prince uses 4mm high-density EVA for mockups. See foam or leather.

Swivel knife

The tool that cuts decorative lines into leather; the signature look of the fantasy and elven series. An add-when-ready tool, not a day-one one.

Immersion dyeing

Dunking a piece in alcohol-based dye for fast, deep, vibrant color. Uses a lot of dye, can be messy. See dyeing vs airbrushing.

Patina

The natural darkening and character dyed leather develops with age and sunlight; prized by many builders.

Keeper

The ring or small strap that holds a buckle tongue in place; required with heel bar buckles.

Chicago screws

Screw-together fasteners used like removable rivets; also a sturdier way to assemble foam mockups.