To get started making handmade bags you’ll want to start with a small, but essential set of tools. We will add to your tool kit as we go along, but these tools will get you started. The first things you will need are a self healing cutting mat, rotary cutter and metal ruler. You will use these tools to cut your patterns out of the leather.For tracing rounded or curved shapes, such as bag flaps and handles, you will need a set of acrylic templates or a pair of French curves. Now that we have our patterns cut out we can move on to our stitching tools.
You will need a pair of diamond pricking irons to make the holes in your leather for your stitches. To sew your leather together you will need a glovers needle and some heavy waxed thread. You will use a stitching pony to hold your leather at the right height for stitching. You will also need a rawhide mallet to gently tap your pricking irons through the leather. These are the essential tools you will need to join two pieces of leather together.
Next you will want to bevel the edges of your cut leather to prevent them from scratching you as you handle your finished bag. To bevel the edges you will need an edge beveler. To finish and protect the cut edges of your leather you will need a wooden slicker and some gum tragacanth. You will also need some sand paper to smooth out any rough edges before you slick them.
Now that we have our essential tools for cutting, stitching and edge finishing we can move on to hardware tools. You will need a set of punches for your rivets, snaps or eyelets. You will also need some setters for setting your hardware. A poly head mallet will come in handy for setting your hardware, you don’t want to scratch or dent your finished bag. Finally, you will need a place to store all of your new tools. I recommend a tool box or tackle box to keep everything organized and easy to find when you need it.
The better your tools the better your skills will become. Start with the basics and add new tools as you need them. It’s also a good idea to keep your essential tools sharp and well maintained.