Uses for Leather Around the Shop

Can’t think of any right now, but you got me thinking? :-)

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

I picked up two 20 piece bundles of 4” x 4” leather samples from the clearance table of a furniture store some time back. (Samples for upholstery or special order furniture) I thought I might use them for chisel, turning tool or blade covers of some kind sometime. But, I haven’t gotten around to pulling them out and actually doing anything yet.

-- Paul, Texas

simple brilliance.
Sometimes we really do get too gadgetty for our own good.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

I use leather sometimes as a strop when sharpening. I love leather and try to incorporate it into a lot of my designs.

-- Kaleo , http://www.kaleosworkshop.com

I’ve made several scraper cases (one for me and one for a friend) out of latigo leather (oiled, usually 8oz or so in weight). I use stitching to keep them together and metal snaps to keep them closed. They were made to hold four or five different scrapers in different sections to keep them from rubbing and dulling the other scrapers. Huh. I don’t have any pictures of either case… I can probably take some and post them later.

I have some leather set aside for padding vice jaws – I’m sure I’ll get around to that at some point in time.

I have some leather set aside for making a chisel roll (again, the latigo leather). Before I make that, though, I need to make a rack to hold chisels in the shop.

I’ve incorporated leather into a few projects (journals) – don’t think I’ve ever posted any of them here, but my website (see link right after my signature) has pictures of them on it.

-- Ethan, http://www.merganserwoodworks.com, http://greystonegreen.blogspot.com/

I plan to line the jaws of my vice with leather, when I get around to building my new workbench.

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

ha, hanging on the wall there, someone might think its a prized squirrel pelt, captured while trying to pilfer some small hand tool from the shop. Well, at least you can tell the kids that…

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

Glue it on the face of a mallet for fine work you don’t want marred.

-- Maplewood, MN

Make a bag and fill it with steel shot for occasional metal shaping. Steel shot because if it breaks or leaks you can retrieve it magnetically.

-- Maplewood, MN

I Like your idea Blake. I never did like those sawjaw things. My grandfather used to have a lot of leather around the shop but I can’t remember what he used it for.

As for the squirrel pelt…if I could catch the little sucker, I’d nail him to the wall!...he digs up the flower bed and for some reason, my wife always blames me and the weedeater. Go figure. Don’t get me wrong, I like squirrels, they just need to stay out of the flower beds. Besides, they provide endless ammusement for the dogs. The dogs will sit for hours looking out the window watching them bouce around the yard and up the trees.

-- Greg - Charles Town, WV

I seem to find lots of use for leather in my shop. LOL I really miss the A. K. Salz latigo. The best in the west.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

I’ve made a couple strops and would also like to line the faces of my vises with leather to protect the work…

I bought leather originally to make the strops and to make a knife sheath that never did happen. Maybe I need to dig it up…

I like the idea of your use for it too…I just use a block of soft wood.

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

Oh, come on Thos., I’m sure you can give us some good ones… We know your the master of hides. Surely you must have found some great woodshop uses for leather since you always have it on hand?

-- Check out my new website! http://www.theeasellife.com

I still have a big thick hunk of leather, charged up with rouge that was my Dad’s. It’s the final step in any sharpening job I do. Hairs jump off your arm just at the sight of that strop.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.