Leathersmith​/Archer

A Tooling Example

Step 3

 

Before you begin this next step you have to decide if you are going to press your image into the leather or attempt to lift it up off the leather.  In this case I chose to lift the knot work off the leather.  T

 

Thus using my beveling tool I beveled all around the plaits of the knot work.  A beveling tool is a half round semi-flat fronted tool.  It's sole purpose is to press the leather down along a cut line.  If you place the tool, strike it, lift, replace, strike, you will get individual tool marks.  The trick is to tap the tool consistently as you walk  it along the line.  This gives a realtively smooth depressed line as shown.