Best Gifts for Leatherworkers
If you have a leatherworker in your life, you might find it hard to shop for gifts for them. There are lots of different tools and materials that leather crafters can choose from, which can make it tough to know where to start. But not to worry! In this guide, we'll walk you through some of the best gifts for leatherworkers of all skill levels. We've sorted the gifts into three price ranges, so you're sure to find something that works with your budget.
Splurge Gifts: $150 and up
Mid-Range Gifts: $50 to $150
Budget-Friendly Gifts: $50 and under
Splurge Gifts:
Sailrite® Leatherwork® Sewing Machine
Every leather crafter needs a dependable leather sewing machine. That's where the Sailrite Leatherwork Sewing Machine comes into play. Designed to sew up to 16-ounce leather without damaging the delicate material, the Leatherwork is compact and easy to tuck into the corner of a sewing room, spare bedroom or wherever your leather crafter sews. This easy-to-use machine is perfect for someone who is just getting into leatherwork or who sews leather as a hobby.
Shop Sailrite Leatherwork Sewing Machine
Note: The Leatherwork is best for hobbyists. If your DIYer wants to start or grow a business, consider the Sailrite® Fabricator® for them. Click here to see the Fabricator.
Sailrite® Leather Burnishing Machine
Help your loved one master professional-looking leather edges with the Sailrite Leather Burnishing Machine! This multiuse machine can shave and shape leather edges, then burnish them to a smooth and shiny finish. Plus, it can also be used to sharpen and maintain leather knives. Thanks to the machine's variable speed control, your favorite DIYer can work at the speed that's most comfortable for them.
Shop Sailrite Leather Burnishing Machine
Natural Vegetable Tanned Leather Side
A leather side is a blank canvas just waiting to be turned into a custom masterpiece. That makes it an ideal gift for a leather crafter! We offer vegetable tanned leather sides in a range of thicknesses. Veg tan leather patinas over time and has that classic leather smell that many leather crafters love. These hides are ready for sewing, dyeing and tooling. Make your DIYer's next idea a reality with a veg tan leather side from Sailrite.
Shop Natural Vegetable Tanned Leather Sides
Sailrite® Cordless Rotary Cutter
Cutting leather is quicker and easier than ever before with this Cordless Rotary Cutter! Your favorite DIYer will be able to slice through up to 8-ounce hides with ease thanks to the tool’s razor-sharp blade. It's cordless for ultimate portability and offers five speed settings, so your loved one can work how and where they're most comfortable — no cutting mat required. If you're looking for a way to make your DIYer’s work more efficient, you've found it.
Shop Sailrite Cordless Rotary Cutter
Leather Craft Package
Get everything a leather crafter needs to succeed in one convenient bundle! This upgrade package boasts smooth presser feet, a sewing guide, must-have tools and notions, and an assortment of sewing machine needles and thread. All components in this package will fit the Ultrafeed® LS and the Leatherwork, helping your leather crafter take their skills to the next level on either machine.
Shop Leather Craft Package for Ultrafeed LS
Note: If your loved one has a Fabricator, there’s a Leather Craft Package especially for them too. Click here to see it.
Mid-Range Gifts:
Barry King Mallet Hammer Style 3#
Take the struggle out of cutting holes and setting hardware with this heavy-duty mallet from Barry King! The sturdy nylon head won't damage punches and cutting tools. Plus, its ergonomic leather handle is easy to hold onto for extended use. At 3 pounds, this mallet is light enough for anyone to use, but hefty enough to make short work of hardware installation, stamping and hole cutting.
Shop Barry King Mallet Hammer Style 3#
Sailrite® Professional Rotary Hole Punch
Get six punch sizes in one with this convenient tool! The Sailrite Professional Rotary Hole Punch features punches ranging from 5/64 inch to 3/16 inch. It cuts precise, clean holes in leather while reducing hand fatigue, making it comfortable to use for an extended time. Best of all, the punch tubes and anvil are replaceable, so you can be sure you're giving a gift that will last for years to come.
Shop Sailrite Professional Rotary Hole Punch
Sailrite® Drill Hole Cutter Set
A perfect companion to the Professional Hole Punch, the Sailrite Drill Hole Cutter Set boasts seven hole cutters ranging in size from 1/8 inch to 5/8 inch to create larger holes. The set comes with a cutting block and a convenient carrying case for easy portability. The hole cutters fit most commercially available power drills, so your favorite leatherworker can cut crisp holes in leather in seconds with little effort. Plus, they can resharpen the cutting tubes for years of flawless use.
Shop Sailrite Drill Hole Cutter Set
Sailrite® Damascus Japanese Leather Skiving Knife
Gift your favorite DIYer a knife that they'll use on every leather project! The Sailrite Damascus Japanese Leather Skiving Knife is a versatile tool that can be used for cutting, skiving, shaping and other general leatherworking tasks. It features a strong Damascus steel blade with a beautiful rippled pattern. Right- and left-handed DIYers will find this knife comfortable to use.
Shop Sailrite Damascus Japanese Leather Skiving Knife
Fiebing’s Acrylic Dye Pack
Adding colorful details is a great way for a leatherworker to make their pieces totally unique. The Fiebing's Acrylic Dye Pack makes that easy! It features all 11 colors of the company's topical paint product in easy-to-sample 2-ounce bottles. Also included is a bottle of Resolene®, which seals completed leather pieces with an eye-catching glossy finish. Two artist's paintbrushes round out the set, allowing your DIYer to start decorating their finished leather pieces right away.
Shop Fiebing's Acrylic Dye Pack
Budget-Friendly Gifts:
Sailrite® Handheld Leather Tools
No leatherworker's tool kit is complete without these essential tools from Sailrite. Bevel and finish leather edges with the Sailrite® Leather Edge Beveler 5-in-1 Set and Multi-Size Leather Slicker. Score stitch lines with the Sailrite® Scratch Awl, then cut stitch grooves with the Sailrite® Adjustable Leather Stitching Groover. Finally, your leather crafter can cut even strips with the handy Sailrite® Leather Strap Cutter. Add these leatherworking tools to your loved one’s workbench today!
Shop Sailrite Scratch Awl
Shop Sailrite Leather Edge Beveler 5-in-1 Set
Shop Sailrite Adjustable Leather Stitching Groover
Shop Sailrite Leather Strap Cutter
Shop Sailrite Multi-Size Leather Slicker
Sailrite® Leather Knives
A good set of knives is essential for successful leatherworking. Here at Sailrite, we have all the knives your favorite leather crafter needs! Get them Sailrite's Flat Head Leather Utility Knife, Mini Round Leather Knife and Straight Leather Knife as options for skiving, cutting, trimming edges and other general leatherworking tasks. For more precise, detailed cuts, choose the French Angled Leather Knife. All four knives feature sturdy wooden handles that will fit comfortably in your loved one’s hand.
Gingher® 8" Leather Scissors Right Handed
Sometimes leatherworkers need more control for cutting curves and shapes than a knife can offer. The 8" Leather Scissors Right Handed from Gingher solve this dilemma! These high-quality shears can cut a variety of leather styles up to 3mm thick. The longer handles and shorter blades provide plenty of leverage for cutting through thick or dense leather. Best of all, these shears can be resharpened, so you can be sure you're giving a long-lasting and quality pair of scissors to your favorite DIYer.
Shop Gingher 8" Leather Scissors Right Handed
Essential Work Surfaces
When it comes to protecting their worktables and tools, leatherworkers should have both a flexible cutting mat and a cutting glass. We recommend the Sailrite® Double-Sided Cutting Mat for long or top-down cuts where the knife blade hits the work surface head-on. The Sailrite® Tempered Cutting Glass is ideal for skiving, edge beveling and other processes where the knife blade hits the work surface at an angle. Make sure your DIYer has both tool-saving surfaces in their workshop today.
Shop Sailrite Double-Sided Cutting Mats
Shop Sailrite Tempered Cutting Glass
Small Fabric/Leather Clips
Pins leave permanent holes in leather, so DIYers can’t use them to hold leather pieces together. These Small Fabric/Leather Clips solve that problem. These multipurpose notions hold leather pieces together before sewing or while glue dries without scuffing or leaving holes in the material. They're quick and easy to use — and since this is a pack of 50, your leather sewer will always have enough for their projects!
Shop Small Fabric/Leather Clips (50 pack)
Sailrite® Battery Operated Thread Burner
Here's an easy and affordable way to help your favorite leather DIYer boost the quality of their finished work. The Sailrite Battery Operated Thread Burner melts and seals synthetic thread ends — no more worrying about fraying or unraveling! The handheld tool's precision tip is more accurate than using a lighter to melt thread ends; it also doesn't carry the risk of singeing the finished leather piece.
Shop Sailrite Battery Operated Thread Burner
Otter Wax Leather Care Kit
Maintaining finished leather goods is an ongoing task for leather crafters. Natural leather care products from Otter Wax make it easy! This Leather Care Kit comes with everything leatherworkers need to clean and maintain finished leather pieces. The five-piece kit contains Leather Salve, Boot Wax, Saddle Soap, Leather Oil and a lint-free buffing cloth. It’s a thoughtful gift for any leather enthusiast.
Shop Otter Wax Leather Care Kit
Thanks for Reading!
We hope this guide gave you lots of gift ideas for your favorite leatherworker at the holidays and throughout the year. If you have other crafty loved ones who sew different types of projects, you're in luck — we have sewing gift ideas to help you find something special for them too! Check out those gift guides below.
Best Gifts for Hobby & Craft Sewers
Footnote: This blog was updated in December 2022 to include the Sailrite Cordless Rotary Cutter.
Footnote: This blog was updated in March 2023 to include the Leather Craft Packages for the Ultrafeed LS/Leatherwork and the Fabricator.
