AY Honors/Leather Craft/Answer Key
1. List the necessary tools a beginner needs in leather craft and demonstrate the proper use of each.
Most leather craft starter kits come with the following:
- A few pieces of leather
- Stamping tools
- A Mallet
- Sharp knife (such as an X-acto)
- Leather coloring
You will also need a sturdy work surface.
The first step in working with leather is to lay out the design.
Once the design is ready, the leather should be moistened. Moistening softens the leather and makes it more amenable to having an impression made on it by the stamp. The leather is then placed flat on the work surface in front of the crafter. Then the stamp is placed on a section of the leather where the design calls for an impression to be made. The crafter carefully holds the stamp in a vertical position with the stamp face held against the leather. Then the top of the stamp is struck sharply with the mallet.
Once this is done, the stamp is moved to an adjacent area, and the mallet is brought to bear once again. This is repeated until all the areas that are to be impressed have been impressed. The crafter may switch to any number of different stamps as called for in the design.
Once the design has been stamped into the leather, the leather may be cut to shape (though cutting can also be done before stamping).
The piece is then ready for a finish. (See requirement 5).
2. Know how to distinguish different kinds of leather, such as calf, goat, and imitation leather. What leathers are most suitable for tooling?
3. Give the steps necessary in the preparation of leather.
4. Transfer a design to leather, and tool and lace some object in leather, such as a billfold, magazine cover, belt, key keeper, or small purse.
5. Show how to use leather dye.
The coloring agent is brushed on and wiped off. Repeat as desired to darken, but it's also a good idea to let the coloring dry before judging the final color.
6. What kind of finish should be used on leather?
If the leather is allowed to get wet and is then flexed, the impressions may swell and fade. Once the color has dried to the crafter's satisfaction, it should be sealed with a sealing agent, such as neatsfoot or linseed oil. This will prevent the leather from absorbing water and preserve the design.
