Your shortcut to the right start
Welcome to the art of leatherworking! At Rocky Mountain Leather Supply, we’ve helped thousands of makers—from first-time hobbyists to seasoned professionals—discover the tools, leathers, and techniques that bring their ideas to life. One of the biggest challenges we see when people start leatherworking is knowing which tools are actually worth buying. Many beginners invest in bulk tool sets only to find half the tools don’t work properly or never get used. This guide will give you a clear path: the essential tools you need, which ones to skip, and where to focus your budget as you grow—so you can start creating with confidence.
Protects your table and blades while giving you a safe, even surface to cut leather on.
Rocky Mountain
Amy Roke
Made in Japan
Guides your knife for straight, accurate cuts; helps square up projects like wallets and straps.
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Your main cutting tool for patterns, panels, and details. A sharp craft or utility knife will handle most beginner projects.
Ingenuity
Rocky Mountain
Mozart (Germany)
Used to trace your patterns onto leather without ink or pencil marks, and to rough up surfaces before gluing.
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Palosanto (South Korea)
Bonds layers of leather together before stitching with an odorless glue that’s easy to clean if mistakes happen, and applied using simple tools that let you trace patterns or rough up surfaces for a stronger hold.
Amy Roke
Renia (Germany)
Rocky Mountain
Sits under your work when punching holes, protecting both your chisels and your table.
Rocky Mountain
Oka Factory (Japan)
Marks consistent stitch lines parallel to the edge of your project.
Rocky Mountain
Made in Japan
Rocky Mountain
Punch evenly spaced holes for hand stitching; 3.85mm or 4mm spacing works well for wallets, pouches, and small goods.
Oka Factory (Japan)
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Used to drive pricking irons or punches without damaging the tool; always non-metal.
Rocky Mountain
Palosanto (South Korea)
Barry King (USA)
Used to drive pricking irons or punches without damaging the tool; always non-metal.
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Blunt-tipped needles that glide through pre-punched holes without splitting the thread, paired with snips that trim thread ends cleanly after stitching.
John James (UK)
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Seals cut thread ends so they don’t fray or unravel.
Rocky Mountain
Holds your project steady so you can stitch faster and more evenly with both hands free.
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Dream Factory (Korea)
Rounds off sharp corners on edges, making them smoother, safer, and more polished.
Oka Factory (Japan)
Palosanto (South Korea)
Creates friction to smooth and shine edges after applying a burnishing agent.
Rocky Mountain
Rocky Mountain
Seiwa (Japan)
Levels and smooths cut edges in preparation for burnishing.
Rocky Mountain
Amy Roke
Rocky Mountain
Helps crease folds, sharpen edges, and open up tight card slots or pockets after gluing.
Rocky Mountain
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