Leathercraft is pretty much like any other hobby. To succeed a person needs a lot of patience and reliable stamping tools for creating really good handmade projects. Working with raw animal skin can be a tricky thing for a novice. But thanks to the special leatherworking tools even newcomers will be able to learn fast the methods for embossing animal skin.
It doesn’t matter if a craftsman prefers working with cowhide or sheepskin when making leather wallets, straps or belts. A good imprinting appliance will provide nice-looking and accurate seals both on large and small items.
To emboss a strap from scratch it’s preferable to choose kits that come both with special tackle and pre-designed seals.
Hobbyists prefer using premade stamping kits because they are versatile and offer more than a few design solutions. You may want to look for kits that include:
- Tools for 2D/3D printing;
- Carving and swivel knives;
- Background seals;
- Basketweave, beveler and border punches;
- Alphabet and number seals — always in high demand;
- Figure and geometric shapes;
- Pear shaders;
- Mulefoot shapes;
Keep in mind that most printing kits do not include actual appliances or have only the basic tackle. To make an imprint from scratch you’ll require:
- Particular hammer or mallet for leather;
- A guide;
- Special stamping handle;
Surely, it’s hard to find a kit where all these types of seals and appliances are included. But there are sets that may offer multiple tackle and imprints for leathercraft. Also it’s necessary to bear in mind that there are brand and homemade kits with instruments and punches. They differ in price, functionality, assortment of included seals and ease of use.
5. AmazonBasics Metal and Leather Stamp Kit (5/32 inch) – The Best Leather Tooling Stamps!
A great professional kit for making permanent imprints with English letters and numbers — 37 pieces (8 mm) in general, along with the symbol “&”. Though, it doesn’t include a small hammer for actual imprinting work.
It’s simple and versatile, good for making seals on practically any metal, wooden or skin surface. The kit’s solid wooden box is a nice alternative to stand plastic boxes. Recommended to everyone who is not a novice in leathercraft and has all necessary embossing appliances.
| Pros | Cons |
| Good for experienced art-and-crafts fans; | Too spacious and heavy because of the wooden packaging box; |
| All English letters and numbers along with a special “&” symbol — 37 pieces; | Good only for manual embossing; |
| Works with pretty much any surface — nickel, brass, copper, silver, clay, plastic and, surely, animal skin; | A font is narrow (Sans Serif) so it’s good only for printing small items; |
| Great for small imprints on spoons, tags, jewelry, photo frames, and any keepsakes; | – |
| The durable alloy steel material; | – |
| Simple to apply punches; | – |
| A nice-looking authentic wooden storage box with labeled holes for each imprint; | – |
| Very affordable; | – |
The kit is a must-have addition to any craftsman’s collection, especially if a customer looks for high-quality letter and number imprints in one set.
4. Tandy Leather Craftool 1/2″ (13 mm) Block Alphabet Set — the most durable set with a stamp handle!
Any rawhide project may benefit from using this alphabet set by Tandy. Including letters from A to Z (each is 12.7 mm) and a convenient impressing handle, the kit gives a chance to emboss any initials on leather goods. All seals are made of tough zinc and they will do for heavy everyday use.
The kit’s pieces can be stored in a special storage box. It is strongly recommended to hobbyists who require affordable and durable alphabetic seals.
| Pros | Cons |
| Creative block style punches with clean edges of English letters; | Some letters can be doubled or left out; |
| Very durable; | No numbers or special symbols included; |
| Has a plastic storage box; | Works well only with vegetable tanned animal skin, embossing faux leather goods is possible but may not work; |
| Includes a special attachable handle for easier printing; | – |
The kit is limited only with block-styled imprints of the English alphabet. It’s durable and ready for everyday use.
3. Tandy Leather Fancy Alphabet Set — the most stylish letter stamps for products made of animal skin!
If you seek something fancier than regular alphabetic punches of standard fonts, take a closer look at this Tandy’s set. It offers solid metal seals of tall and fancy-styled letters. Along with 26 stamps for all English letters, it also includes a storage tray, an interchangeable handle, and detailed instructions.
Great for refined projects made of rawhide.
| Pros | Cons |
| The manufacturer claims these pieces can be used with soft metals and woods; | Won’t work with any other type but vegetable tanned skin; |
| Includes an interchangeable handle; | Works only with wet material; |
| Very unique and stylish alphabetic seals; | Doesn’t include any special symbols or numbers; |
This is a nice stamping set with small but very stylish letter punches that can be applied for imprinting soft metals/woods or vegetable tanned animal skin.
2. AmazonBasics Metal and Leather Stamp Kit (5/16-Inch) — the smallest letters for imprints!
Just like the above-mentioned AmazonBasics’ set, this particular kit is great for permanent stamping most any materials including almost all metals and animal skin. The main difference — all letter and number seals are very small in size. The set has a durable and effective design that will serve for many years.
A nice wooden storage container will help to keep all pieces organized. A great option for those hobbyists who are looking for the reliable, versatile imprinting set with small and accurate letters and numbers.
| Pros | Cons |
| One of the best solutions for very small letter and number imprints; | The storage box is pretty heavy; |
| Durable and reliable; | Despite the small size of punches, the kit occupies a lot of space because of the wooden container; |
| Has a wooden storage box for keeping all items organized; | – |
| Works with most any metal or rawhide surface; | – |
This set will be helpful in any hand-stamping job, especially when the smallest letters and number seals are required.
1. Co-link Hot 20pcs DIY Leather Working Saddle Making Tools — a great addition to any leathercraft collection!
All previous sets will cover your needs with letter and number punches of any kind. This particular kit stands out because it mostly focuses on geometric shapes.
It includes:
- generic geometric shapes;
- butterfly, basketweave, flower border seals;
- smooth pear shader;
- small and large beveler;
- veiners with and without points;
- medium and large camouflage tackle;
- background, mulesfoot and matting tools;
- 3 different seeders;
This product can be recommended to every hobbyist who works with rawhide.
| Pros | Cons |
| A great set with multiple basic stamping appliances; | May work with soft metals, but it’s better to use it only with wet animal skin; |
| The same tools are presented in different sizes; | Not made of hardened steel; |
| Has a boxed bag for keeping all appliances in one place; | It is a cheaper and less durable version, though for some craftsmen it may be an advantage; |
| It is also good for clay stamping; | Do not dip into hot wax, the cover may be peeled; |
| Great price; | – |
A very versatile kit with multiple tools and stamps covering all stamping needs.
Stamping Tools for Leather: Tips for Customers
There are a couple of things to consider when picking up the special stamping appliances for leathercraft.
Kits or separate tools?
It’s been already mentioned that kits with predesigned seals and tools are more versatile and easier to apply, especially for novices. Though, the stamping kits are more expensive than single tools as well. That’s why experienced craftsmen who already have their own bought or handmade imprints may save money and purchase just appliances for imprints.
If you don’t have any instruments or stamps for making leather items, consider picking up a kit. If you already have seals, maybe it’s better to invest only in a single instrument for embossing.
Works only with leather or with other materials?
Another matter of using the budget reasonably. If you need an appliance to work only with leather products, why to pay more for the tools that may also emboss metal or wood. Universal stamping tools are more reliable but definitely more pricey.
Video Totorial: Basic Leather Stamping
Homemade or branded tools?
Experienced craftsmen may offer really unique homemade punches especially for certain types of leathern goods, like belts, wallets, straps, tags, etc. Such kits are precious because they are one-of-a-kind but they may be good not for all types of rawhide or can be difficult to apply. Branded tools and kits are more common but they are usually universal when it comes to work with various types of animal skin.
Conclusion
Leather stamping tools are easy to buy. There are homemade and branded kits with all necessary tools and imprints included. However, customers have to be very attentive when choosing an appliance for leathern imprints.
Most manufacturers do not offer all-in-one sets so some tools and punches are better to purchase as a single item. Like with any other crafting goods, it’s better to stick to the reasonable ratio of price and quality.
I love good stamping tools for leather. I’d consider myself a hobbyist, so I mostly have premade stamping kits sitting around my workplace. But a custom kit is nice to have as well for more serious or long-term use. I actually got the AmazonBasics metal and leather stamp kit and recommend it! Just note it doesn’t include a small hammer for imprinting work.
I check “Leather Toolkits“ every day looking for projects and this is by far the most awesome “Leather Toolkits“ ever! Thank you for taking the time to post this as it will be very useful for a lot of use.
Hello, James! Thanks for your comment.