AY Honors/Leather Craft/Answer Key

Leather Carving

Carving leather really entails using metal implements to compress moistened leather in such a way as to give a three dimensional appearance to a two dimensional surface. The main tools involved include: swivel knife, veiner, beveler, pear shader, seder, cam, and backgrounder. The swivel knife is drug along the leather to outline patterns. The other tools are struck with a wooden or raw hide mallet onto the leather adding definition. In the United States and Mexico, the western floral style of carving leather predominates. Usually, these are stylized pictures of acanthis and/ or roses. Al Stohlman is often lauded as the most influential leather carver.