Welcome to the Identity Leathercraft blog, a series of articles based around making things from leather. Leather is a most versatile natural material that has been used for thousands of years for footwear, clothing, armour, and more, and continues to be used widely today.

In this blog we aim to help give you background information about different leather types, useful techniques for working with leather and some makes and templates to help you get making.

We are a very unique and friendly company that sell leather and leathercraft tools and materials to a wide variety of makers. We genuinely love what we do and are always happy to help you with your projects. Between us we like to feel we have a wide base of knowledge of the leather world.

We love to see what you are making and feature our customers work in our customer gallery email newsletter – if you would like to sign up to find out more please send in your images to info@identityleathercraft.com.

Tips for Cutting Corners

Tips for Cutting Corners

Cutting corners in leather can be tricky if you don't have a corner punch, especially when the leather gets thicker. Scissors tend to angle and slide and leave a messy edge, although they will work on very thin leathers. We hope the following tips might help. If you don’t have...
Sarah Benson - Jan 10, 2023
Tool Care and Stropping

Tool Care and Stropping

Some simple tips to look after your tools can make all the difference and can give you a more professional finish to your projects and well as prolonging the life of the tools. Each time you sharpen your knife on a whetstone or grinding wheel you are taking some of...
Sarah Benson - Sep 16, 2022
Understanding Threads and Needle Sizings

Understanding Threads and Needle Sizings

Have you ever tried to figure out thread thicknesses? If you find it confusing, then rightly so! There is surprisingly no universal standard for threads making it hard to compare them. There are several classifications – weight (wt), Tex (T), Dernier Count (Td or d) and Commercial (V), and more...
Sarah Benson - Aug 04, 2022
SELECTING YOUR LEATHER

SELECTING YOUR LEATHER

  Leather is so versatile and comes in an incredibly diverse array of colours, thicknesses and types. This article touches upon the 4 key principles when purchasing leather - What are you making? - What are your aesthetics? - What properties will you need? and will you need more than...
Sarah Benson - Feb 07, 2022
WORKING WITH HAIR-ON-HIDE AND SKINS

WORKING WITH HAIR-ON-HIDE AND SKINS

Working with the hair-on the skin can provide a bit of a challenge, we have put together this guide with a few tips and hints. Cutting the hide: Mark your cut line on the back of the hide or skin. Using a sharp fine bladed craft knife very gently slice...
Sarah Benson - Feb 01, 2022
LINING UP ALPHABET STAMPS

LINING UP ALPHABET STAMPS

TODAY’S TOP TIP IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY IAN KNIGHT. You want to look at personalising your leatherwork – you have got your alphabet set ready, a ruler, mallet and stone block, but sometimes it seems those pesky letters don’t want to fall evenly into place. To get the best...
Sarah Benson - Feb 01, 2022
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Featured Posts

How we do don't (and sometimes do) use AI
Blog Leather and Leathercraft

How we do don't (and sometimes do) use AI

In a fast moving world we want to address how we use technologies such as AI. As a...
Oct 12, 2026
The Humble Awl: The Most Useful Tool for The Smallest Spend
Blog Leather and Leathercraft

The Humble Awl: The Most Useful Tool for The Smallest Spend

If you could only have one leathercraft tool, it would probably be an awl. Not a knife. Not...
Mar 30, 2026
Celebrating World Leather Day 2025
Blog Leather and Leathercraft

Celebrating World Leather Day 2025

Celebrate World Leather Day with us and get a £10 voucher! Launched for the first time in 2022,...
Apr 11, 2025
The benefits of leather for interior design
Blog Leather and Leathercraft

The benefits of leather for interior design

Leather tiles and wallpaper have a long history of use for upmarket interior design. The properties that make...
Sep 20, 2024

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