Best Practices for Cutting Leather

In this video, Daniel Reach goes over a few best practices to keep in mind when cutting leather. He goes over everything you need to know from how to handle your blade properly to cutting direction and helpful tools.
For more supplies and project inspiration, visit weaverleathersupply.com
Tools Used in this Video:
Rotary Cutter: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Craft Knife: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Snap Off Knife: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Straight Edge: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Awl: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...

[@Freeman-Dl70]

I save all of my used , worn out blades to forge a knife out of. After i get some free time, I'll be assembling my forge.

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

That's a cool idea!

[@chainreaction8977]

Blade bottle, brilliant.

[@geradsarb3332]

For the past several years I have been using a Husky folding utility knife to cut my pieces. It's durable, easy to control, and blades are cheap. The replacement blades I get also come with a dispenser that safely stores the old blades.

[@brianhigdon8535]

I have a coffee can with a slit in the top for my used blades

[@knight4today]

I use a butter tub.

[@Lorddanielrushton371]

I like the blade bottle idea, I'm using a soda can with tape to cover the whole.

[@RedCoyote]

Not a blade tip, but the blade bottle trick made me want to share a trick I use with thread bits: I use old medicine bottles to store thread bits after sewing. This way, there's not little bits of thread everywhere. Once it's full, I toss them, but they last a good while (and easy to find around the shop since they're orange)

[@fatbikejamie]

Blade disposal - where I live we can get free "sharps containers" at pharmacies. Their intent is for needles etc and they work perfectly for used blades. Fill it up, drop it off at the pharmacu, get a new one. simple and awesome

[@MartinPaulsen87]

Lots of great tips, thanks for that! I really liked the blade bottle in particular. I thought about cutting a small opening in it kinda like a piggy bank would have. That way you don't have to unscrew it everytime and it's still a small enough opening that lots of blades wont fall out if it tips over.

[@pauljuhl7937]

Thank you Daniel. Informative video.

[@JohnTBlock]

And STROP EVERY BLADE YOU USE, BEFORE USE. A keen, polished blade will always cut cleaner, easier, and better!

[@elspark101]

Damn fine tips, sir. Thank you.

[@davidmcguinness9187]

Thanks for the video

[@TomMcDonaldatYahooDotCom]

Great info, Thanks Dan !!👍

[@th.burggraf7814]

Just a comment to keep the algorithm going. 👍🏻

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

Thanks for that!

[@EvilDaveCanada]

For used blades... see how much a 'Sharpes' yellow box costs at your neighbourhood pharmacy. These are the boxes that are used for needles and/or lancets after their use. Lancets are little needles people use to get a small bead of blood for sugar level(diabetes) and other types of home blood testing. In Canada, you may have to pay for the first one, but then all you do is return the full container, and they will give you an empty one for free. This allows for safe disposal of items that could be dangerous for being sharp or biologically dangerous. I'm a Type 2 Diabetic so I have to poke myself about three(3) times a day. People who have to take insulin will have to do that as well as use a needle for the insulin.

[@anthony-fi]

Nice video. I bought an American style head knife. Any good tips for using that. A regular kitchen plastic chopping board. I have noticed sticks or catches on it a bit like driving in tar. Is there a better surface to use?

[@Freeman-Dl70]

Chuck said a pounder board doesn't hold the blade as much.

[@maddawgnoll]

Those self healing cutting boards with gridlines from the hobby store work best. They're usually green but come in other colors too. The cutting boards sold at weaver are a lot harder than the cutting boards in the kitchen to. I have several different cutting surfaces and I think those two are the best overall

[@th.burggraf7814]

@@maddawgnoll agree 💯👍🏻

[@garycrawford4700]

When I started learning to build saddles , the custom maker I apprenticed with had a 2× 12x 36 inch pine plank on top of his bench . No knots and pretty straight grain. Periodically he'd have to turn it over or take a wood plane to the surface . That's what I still use today , 64yrs later.

[@anthony-fi]

Amazing advice thank you everyone!

[@knight4today]

Wait wait wait. We aren’t supposed to hurt ourselves? I knew I was doing something wrong.

[@ryanprime1991]

what kind of griptape do you use? cause the stuff i can find around here is like sandpaper and it will damege the leather

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

We will link it here for you! www.weaverleathersupply.com/products/non-slip-tape-1-x-4?_pos=1&_psq=non+slip&_ss=e&_v=1.0

[@ryanprime1991]

@@WeaverLeatherSupply thanks ill look into it

[@josephlawrence685]

I suck so much at cutting leather and it really makes me mad I work hard at trying to get into leather working when I have the money but like all I want is to not suck at a craft for once lol

[@jakeyjakey4018]

itll be expensive to learn. even cheap leather is expensive

[@Martin-pb7ts]

I haven't started yet, so you're way ahead of me.

[@garycrawford4700]

I guess people who can't sharpen blades should use knives that take disposable blades. Those of us who don't want to be as wasteful use round knives . I started apprenticing with a custom saddlemaker when I was 11yrs old . He didn't allow me to use his knives , so I bought my own . I'm 75yrs old now , using the same round , head and skiving knives. Can't imagine building a saddle with a box cutter . Sad state of craftsmanship.

[@F0XD1E]

People who maintain their own round knives aren't watching a KZbin video about beginner leather cutting tips either. Telling people they need a $100 round knife to cut leather are less likely to get into the craft. Either way, a sharp knife is a sharp knife. If you're cutting a straight line, nobody would ever be able to tell a difference.

[@garycrawford4700]

@F0XD1E I didn't realize this was a beginner only channel. I never assume I can't learn something new, so I'll probably keep watching. Maybe Weaver would like someone to buy their round knives, if they would teach them how to use them.

[@anthony-fi]

I think you should make some saddle repair videos. Or even how to make tack. If the skills are not shared they get lost. Even advice on what oz leather to use in certain locations would help. Unfortunately I do not see many horses here in Finland. But to have knowledge for some basic repairs would be great.

[@tomleary9761]

dispose of the used blades by blacksmithing