More About Our Leather Working Tools

Essential Leather Working Tools in Canada: Equip Your Workshop with Quality Craftsmanship

Equip your bench with professional-grade leather working tools in Canada built for hobbyists, saddlers, and production shops alike. At Leathersmith Designs, we supply Canadian hobbyists, artisans, saddlers, and harness makers with the durable tools needed to turn raw hides into heirloom-quality goods—shipped directly from our shop in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Whether you are hand-stitching your very first minimalist wallet or outfitting a full production bench for custom belts, dog collars, knife sheaths, and messenger bags, having the right tools on hand makes every cut, punch, and stitch cleaner.

Why Canadian Leather Crafters Shop with Leathersmith Designs

• Shipped From Canada: Avoid international border holdups and brokerage surprises. Your order ships directly from Nova Scotia, with free shipping to Canadian provinces on orders over $199 (excluding promotional products).
• Trusted Heritage Brands: We proudly stock C.S. Osborne Tools—renowned for manufacturing heavy-duty leathercraft tools for over 200 years—alongside dependable tools from Ivan Leathercraft and Craftool to give you the right balance of value and longevity.
• Shop in CAD: If you are a leather crafter in Canada, the currency on our site should display in CAD. If it doesn’t, easily switch your store currency to Canadian Dollars at the top of the page so you always know your exact total before checking out.

Building Your Leathercraft Toolkit: From First Cut to Final Polish

Every great leather project relies on a few core categories of hand tools. Here is what you will find in our collection to support every stage of your build:

1. Cutting & Edge Finishing Tools

   Clean, accurate cuts set the foundation for professional-looking leatherwork.
   
   •    Knives & Shears: Start out with a sturdy utility knife, or upgrade to traditional round knives, head knives, and heavy-duty leather shears for slicing through thick vegetable-tanned hides.
   •    Bevelers & Skivers: Take the sharp corners off belt straps with an edge beveler, or thin down bulky seams and fold-overs using a leather skiver or French edge tool.

2. Hole Punches & Strap End Punches

   Whether you are sizing a belt or prepping holes for hardware, crisp punches prevent tearing and uneven spacing.
   
   •    Round Drive Punches & Punch Sets: Available in individual sizes—from tiny 1/16" (1.5 mm) punches for watch straps up to 5/32" (4.0 mm) for standard belt buckles—as well as multi-size mini and maxi punch sets.
   •    Oblong & Bag Punches: Essential for creating clean, uniform slots for belt buckle tongues and bag closures.
   •    Strap End Punches: Give belts, dog leashes, and bag straps a symmetrical, finished tip in a single strike.

3. Mallets, Mauls & Hardware Setters
   

   Never strike steel punches or stamps with a standard metal carpenter’s hammer, which can mushroom and ruin your tools.
   
   •    Rawhide Mallets & Mauls: Weighted for controlled strikes when driving punches, setting rivets, or tooling intricate designs.
   •    Anvils & Setters: Pair a solid mini anvil or dot-and-rivet anvil with dedicated snap setters, eyelet setters, and copper or rapid rivet setters (including Line 20 and Line 24 snap setters) so your hardware holds tight without flattening or marring the metal caps.

4. Hand-Sewing, Stitching & Lacing Gear
   

   Hand-stitched saddle seams are stronger and more durable than machine stitching—and the right prep tools keep your stitch lines straight.
   
   •    Groovers, Stitch Markers & Chisels: Carve a recessed channel with a stitch groover, mark even spacing, and punch clean stitching holes or lacing slots using leather chisels and sewing awls.
   •    Needles, Thread & Lace: Stock up on harness needles, lacing needles, waxed thread, wallet lace, and latigo lace to assemble projects by hand.

5. Leather Stamps & Carving Tools
   

   Ready to personalize your work? Use swivel knives, carving tools, 2D/3D stamps, and alphabet/number stamp sets to tool custom initials, floral patterns, and Western borders directly into dampened veg-tan leather.

Quick Workbench Tip for Longer Tool Life

To keep your round punches, oblong punches, and chisels razor-sharp, always place a piece of scrap leather or a poly cutting board underneath your project on a firm surface (like a solid workbench or tree stump). Never punch directly into wood, metal, or stone, as hard surfaces will dull or chip the cutting edges.

Ready to Start Your Next Project?

Browse our full catalog of Leather Working Tools above to find the exact punch sizes, setters, knives, and stitching gear your bench needs. Have a question about matching a setter to your rivets or choosing the right punch size for a buckle? Reach out online (Contact Us! link below) or call our team toll-free at 1-800-845-1829 (Mon–Fri, 9 am–5 pm AST)—we are always happy to help fellow crafters get the right gear.

See some leatherworking tools in action in the following video.

A tree stump makes a great firm workbench for punching holes, setting hardware, and for hanging your leather craft tools.