Basic Leatherwork-Tool Sharpening Skills – Online with tutor present

Description – ONLINE Basic Tool Sharpening – Live!

Learning to sharpen and maintain your leather-working tools is a valuable skill. Keeping your shoemaker’s cutting knife sharp will ensure that you have cleaner edges to your projects; the paring or skiving knife will always be ready to neatly skive the leather and the harness awl will need little more than a quick polish if maintained properly. Many of the tool sharpening skills learnt during the class can be applied to other leather-working tools.

This is a live, tutor-present class, so you can spend the afternoon working alongside your tutor as you are shown how to first sharpen, then polish up a shoemaker’s knife. We’ll do the same again with the English paring knife while showing you how to prevent forming a bevel on the flat side. Next, we’ll make and dress a strop before setting a harness awl blade into a haft (handle) – while we’d like you to set one alongside us, you can just watch the process if you prefer. Finally, we’ll begin the longer process of polishing up the awl blade before spending the last half an hour or so discussing the maintenance of some of the other tools in the basic leatherworkers’ toolkit.

This online class is a faster-paced version of the in-person Basic Tool Sharpening Skills although students should be assured that there is plenty of time allocated to each tool. This is a very hands-on class and during the session students can sharpen the tools listed above.  They will also have the opportunity to ask questions as they work. Each will be sent a short list of tools and materials prior to the class start date so that they have time to source them before the online event. Knives, harness awls and strop blocks can be purchased in advance from us at GDH if required.

The class is open to everyone and no experience of tool sharpening or leather-working is required for you to take part.

How much does this class cost?

The cost of this online class is just £60.00 per person

Tools and sharpening materials are not included in the class fee.

Tell me what’s included in the price

4 full hours of online, tutor-present, professional tuition with help, guidance and advice in sourcing essential tool-maintenance materials… plus the skills to carry on maintaining the basic leatherwork toolkit.

Where is the class held?

Our Basic Tool Sharpening Skills – online, is held over Zoom with a maximum of 4 students per class.

How do I book a place on this course?

Simply click this Book Now button to book and pay for your course.

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