This covered image shows a man cutting leather.

Cutting Leather: A Detailed Guide for Experts and Newbies

Written by Michael Franco

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Reading time for 7 min

Whether you want to work on a personalized T-shirt project or you want to create some special leather accessories, a clean, precise leather cut can make quite the difference. 

Once you get the right tools, gather up some patience, and practice more often, this skill is sure to get your crafting to the next level.

In this tutorial, we’ll take you through all you need to know from the best tool to use to some of the simple techniques that work both for thin and thick leather, right down to how to maintain your cutting tools.

Let us dive into it and first get to the basic tools that you will need for a smoother leather-cutting process.

The Guide on How to Cut Leather

Basic Tools Thin Leather Thick Leather General Cutting Tools How to Cut Thin Leather Step 1: Prepare the Leather Step 2: Set Up Cricut Design Space Step 3: Choose the Blade Correctly Step 4: Modify Machine Settings Step 5: Cutting the Leather Step 6: Remove the Leather How to Cut Thick Leather What You’ll Need Step 1: Prepare Your Leather Step 2: Perform a Sharpness Check Step 3. Cut Your Leather (Using a Round Knife) Step 4: Using a Stanley Knife Advanced Leather Cutting Techniques: Beveling and Chamfering Caring for and Maintaining Your Cutting Tools Frequently Asked Questions about Cutting Leather

Basic Tools

For precise and clean cuts, it's important to match your tools to the specific characteristics of the leather. Here are some recommendations for tools to use with the various leather types:

Thin Leather (for example, lambskin or calfskin)

Rotary cutter: A great tool for thin leather because it offers smooth continuous cuts. It’s easy to use and allows you to make straight edges that will not fray or stretch the leather. 

Craft knife: To make smaller detailed cuts, a sharp craft knife works well to trim and/or shape thin leather pieces.

Thick Leather (Such as Vegetable Tanned Leather)

Round knife: Ideal for thick, stiffer leathers such as vegetable-tanned leather; a round knife can cut through thick leather in one swoop and you won’t have to pull it through multiple times.

Diamond Cone: This tool is used, usually in conjunction with a round knife, to create clean holes for stitching or hardware for vegetable-tanned leather.

General Cutting Tools

Heavy Metal Ruler with Non-Slip Grip: Essential for achieving guided cuts and straight lines. Some rulers are lined with cork on the underside for more stability while cutting.

Self-Healing Cutting Mat: These mats are used to protect your work surface and create a better surface for cutting (the cutting surface remains smooth after repeated cuts which keeps your cutting tool sharp).

Marking Tool: You will use this to lightly mark your leather to guide the cutter, these marks will not damage the leather or be visible once cut.

When you select the tools for your project based on the type and thickness of your leather, you will have smoother, cleaner cuts. Let us now discuss the proper way to cut thin leather on a Cricut machine. 

How to Cut Thin Leather

This section is going to show you how you can cut thin leather with Cricut without folds or wrinkles.

Step 1: Prepare the Leather

Place leather correctly before cutting, having the smooth grain side up with its flat fleshy surface facing the sticky mat. Use a strong-grip mat for better adhesion.

This image shows placing the leather on the cutting machine.

Step 2: Set Up Cricut Design Space

You can either create simple designs, like leather earrings, using Cricut’s design templates, or upload your own custom designs in PNG format. If needed, adjust design sizes in Cricut Design Space.

This image shows the interface of Cricut Design Space.

Step 3: Choose the Blade Correctly

To change out to the rotary blade, remove the installed fine-point blade from the Cricut machine. Go into your settings and choose your material as "suede" under fabric settings.

This image shows removing the installed fine-point blade from the Cricut machine.

Step 4: Modify Machine Settings

Slide the white rollers to the sides so it does not mark or crease the leather as it comes through the machine.

This image shows sliding the white rollers to the sides.

Step 5: Cutting the Leather

Carefully place the leather on the mat, ensuring it's flat and secure. Load the mat into the Cricut machine. Begin the cutting process.

This image shows loading the mat into the Cricut machine

Step 6: Remove the Leather

Gently peel away the excess leather and remove your cut shapes, ensuring you don't pull or stretch the leather.

This image shows peeling away the excess leather and remove cut shapes.

Here’s a summarized version of the whole process:

This infographic shows a summarized process of cutting thin leather.

The next section will guide you on how to cut thick leather.

How to Cut Thick Leather

This section will walk you through the steps for cutting thick vegetable-tanned leather using both a round knife and a Stanley knife, ensuring a clean and effective cut.

What You’ll Need

Marker

Spray Bottle

Round Knife/Stanley Knife

Step 1: Prepare Your Thick Leather

Draw your pattern onto the leather with the marker carefully to avoid permanent marks. Lightly dampen the leather with water using a spray bottle or a damp rag.

This image shows drawing the pattern onto the thick later with the marker.

Step 2: Perform a Sharpness Check

For a round knife, sharpen it on a strop. For a Stanley knife, replace the blade with a new one.

This image shows checking the sharpeness.

Step 3. Cut Your Leather (Using a Round Knife)

Keep your fingers away from the blade. Never rest your hand beyond perpendicular to the handle. Use the round knife for cutting curved lines by leaning the blade back onto its point.

For straight lines, lean the blade forward to increase contact with the leather. Apply even pressure and aim to cut through in one go.

This image shows a round knife being used to cut the thick leather.

Step 4: Using a Stanley Knife

During each cut, pull the blade towards you. Not only does this keep you safe but it also means that you can control the direction of the blade and the line of the cut better.

This image shows using a stanley knife.

Advanced Leather Cutting Techniques: Beveling and Chamfering

Some leatherworking projects call for beveled or chamfered edges rather than straight cuts. Both of these processes can help your leather project achieve a more polished, sophisticated finish:

Beveling: This process involves cutting the edge of the leather at an angle to create a smooth slant. Beveling is useful for smoothing edges, especially for items like belts or wallets that may have thick edges.

Chamfering: Chamfering, while similar to beveling (cutting a corner at an angle), is typically used for a better-looking layer transition on thicker leather. Chamfering is an easy way to both reduce bulk and join layered work seamlessly.

With that said, let’s look at how you can keep your cutting tools in tip-top condition.

Caring for and Maintaining Your Cutting Tools

To ensure optimal operation of your leather-cutting tools, regular care and maintenance is key.

One of the most critical steps is sharpening your knives. Dull blades can create jagged edges, uneven cuts, and frustration. Dull, blunt, and dented tools can all lead to ugly leather cuts. This applies to your rotary cutter, a hobby knife, or any other leather cutting tool.

After each use, take a moment and run the knife’s blade along the strop, maintaining the same angle as when cutting. It only takes a couple of seconds and will keep your knives sharp for the next project.

To help your tools last, store them safely, wipe them after use, and watch for signs of wear. Now, let’s go over some frequently asked questions!

Frequently Asked Questions about Cutting Leather

1. What tools are best for cutting leather? A utility knife or leather shears?

A skiving machine is often recommended for its precision and efficiency, especially for larger projects. It is popularly used to thin leather edges and create clean, professional cuts.

2. What should I keep in mind when cutting leather of varying thicknesses?

Proper machine calibration is crucial. Incorrect settings can lead to subpar results.

3. How can I prevent leather from stretching or tearing during the cutting process? How do I handle rough edges? How can I cut intricate patterns?

Stretching and tearing are primarily influenced by the leather itself rather than the machine. Ensure the leather is flat as it enters the machine. For rough edges, a utility knife or scissors can be used for trimming. Most patterns are achieved through machine pressing. Laser cutting based on digital designs is used for more intricate details.

4. How can I cut specialized leathers like vegetable-tanned and oiled wax leather? How do I cut multiple layers at once?

Both skiving machines and splitting machines are suitable for these tasks.

5. What's the process for dyeing cut leather?

The cut leather is placed in a tumbling drum with various chemical dyes for the dyeing process.

6. How do I stitch cut leather pieces together?

Stitching cut leather pieces together is similar to sewing fabric, but with a few differences. First, you’ll need to punch holes in the leather using a tool like a stitching awl or chisel. Once you have your holes, thread a needle with strong waxed thread and use a simple saddle stitch (a hand-sewing technique used for making strong, durable seams) to sew the pieces together for a secure, durable bond.

7. What alternatives are there to a skiving machine, especially for smaller projects like leather straps or earrings?

A splitting machine (a machine used to thin out a piece of leather to an even thickness across its surface) can be used without a skiving machine. However, manual cutting is an option, but it's more labor-intensive. For smaller crafts, specialized cutting machines like Cricut Explore Air 2 or Silhouette Cameo 4 are recommended for precise cuts. If you don't have any machinery, you can create a cutting pattern and follow it manually.

Conclusion

The best results come from practice and finding what works for your unique projects. To wrap up, always use the best tools and processes for different types of leather, while prioritizing safety—wear gloves and pay close attention to blade direction to prevent accidents. With practice, you’ll refine your skills and create beautiful projects. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!