09-16-2007, 10:43 PM
If you have heavy duty sewing scissors, you can cut leather. If you bought them at a fabric store, or a WalMart type store, you will probably not be able to cut leather with them. It only takes a snip or two to see. Here in TX, a good pair of leather/cloth scissors will cost about 25USD. But if you pay attention to how you use them, they'll last years and years.
Short of leather-capable scissors, you may have some metal snips, and they might do it. You can use an Xacto, or other craft knife, if it's a good sharp one, and for straight cuts, I recommend using a metal straight edge of some kind. You don't have to cut all the way through thick leather in one stroke. Cut partway, then go back over the cut. Put a softwood board, or a piece of plywood you don't care about under the leather, then the leather, then the knife and straight edge. That way, you can safely cut all the way through, but not damage the table underneath. Save your cutting board, as you'll probably need it again. I usually just use a piece of 1 x 6. Works fine.
Cutting curves is a matter of taking care, and keeping the blade perpendicular to the leather surface. If your knife goes in at an angle, the result will be a non-flat cut. Never use a ball point pen to mark lines or cuts. It is permanent, and will transfer itself to something you don't want permanent ink on. Same applies to Sharpies and "Magic Marker" permanent pens. I use a blunted nail, and just scribe a line on the good surface, not too deep, just enough to see, or a regular pencil on the back side. Either one works.
Hope that helps. Need more? PM me.
Short of leather-capable scissors, you may have some metal snips, and they might do it. You can use an Xacto, or other craft knife, if it's a good sharp one, and for straight cuts, I recommend using a metal straight edge of some kind. You don't have to cut all the way through thick leather in one stroke. Cut partway, then go back over the cut. Put a softwood board, or a piece of plywood you don't care about under the leather, then the leather, then the knife and straight edge. That way, you can safely cut all the way through, but not damage the table underneath. Save your cutting board, as you'll probably need it again. I usually just use a piece of 1 x 6. Works fine.
Cutting curves is a matter of taking care, and keeping the blade perpendicular to the leather surface. If your knife goes in at an angle, the result will be a non-flat cut. Never use a ball point pen to mark lines or cuts. It is permanent, and will transfer itself to something you don't want permanent ink on. Same applies to Sharpies and "Magic Marker" permanent pens. I use a blunted nail, and just scribe a line on the good surface, not too deep, just enough to see, or a regular pencil on the back side. Either one works.
Hope that helps. Need more? PM me.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
