The Tools You Actually Need to Start

If you’re just getting into leathercraft, you might think you need to buy a lot of tools. In Prince’s words, that’s usually the first mistake. Leathercraft can get expensive over time, but starting out doesn’t have to be: you only need a few things to begin making leather armor.

Watch: You don’t need expensive tools to start leathercraft

The short list

1. The right leather first

   Prince recommends vegetable tanned leather for armor work. Material choice matters more than any tool in your kit; the weight (thickness) to buy varies by project, and each pattern’s tutorial names what Prince is using for that build.

2. A utility knife or box cutter

   Nearly every hide Prince touches gets cut down into rough, manageable parts with this style of knife. It’s cheap, it stays useful forever, and it gets you by until you decide to add shears or other cutting tools.

3. Shears for cutting out parts

   For most projects Prince cuts the actual pattern pieces with craft tool shears. Traditional leather artists often use a head knife, but shears are the more approachable pick for armor parts.

   Watch: cutting tools, in How To Start Crafting Leather Armor (2:41)

4. A hole punch set with interchangeable heads

   Armor pieces attach to each other with rivets, snaps, screw posts, and straps, and all of that hardware needs holes. A punch set with interchangeable heads is, in Prince’s words, a fairly essential early purchase that covers any hole size you’ll need.

5. A firm surface to punch against

   You’ll want something firm backing the leather when you punch; Prince uses a poly board for this in the tools video above.

Worth adding later

A swivel knife is what cuts the decorative lines you see across the fantasy and elven series. Prince calls it a controversial beginner pick, because some leathercrafters go their whole lives without one, but he values the flexibility and artistry it adds. It’s an add-when-ready tool, not a day-one requirement.

When you’re ready to invest properly, Prince walks his personal first-tools recommendations, what he calls the Beginner Plus package, in the video below.

Watch: the Beginner Plus tool picks, in New Leatherworkers: Start HERE! (9:58)

Common questions

Where to go next

Deciding between leather and foam for your first build? See Foam or leather? Ready to start? Print your patterns and mock up the fit before you cut.