Essential Tools for Stamping on Leather

Leather stamping is a fantastic way to personalize and embellish leather goods, from wallets and belts to journal covers and keychains. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced leatherworker, having the right tools can make all the difference. Realeather offers high-quality tools that help create crisp, professional-looking stamped designs. In this post, we'll go over the essential tools you need to stamp on leather using Realeather products.

Leather Stamps

The heart of leather stamping is, of course, the stamps themselves. Realeather offers a large variety of stamp sets and individual stamps, including:

Alphabet & Number Stamps – Perfect for monograms, initials, or custom lettering.
Geometric & Border Stamps – Great for decorative accents and edges.
Figure & Symbol Stamps– Shapes like stars, animals, and floral patterns add artistic flair.

Realeather’s stamp sets come in different themes, making it easy to find the perfect design for your project.

Mallet or Maul

A stamping mallet is used to strike the stamp and transfer the design onto the leather. Realeather’s mallets are designed to deliver solid, consistent force without damaging your stamps.

Nylon Mallets – The mallet of choice, the 9 oz. poly-headed mallet has minimal bounce for faster stamping. It features a contoured hardwood handle for comfort. This mallet is ideal for use with leathercraft stamps and punches.
Mini Maul – Professionals often prefer a maul over a mallet for stamping. This quality-made maul, balanced for easy and long-term use, has a contoured wooden handle for comfort, and is ideal for all stamping.

For heavier-duty work, a weighted maul helps distribute force more evenly.

Hard Surface or Stamping Block

A sturdy work surface is crucial to achieving clean and deep impressions. We recommend:

Granite or Marble Slabs – Provides a solid, non-bouncy surface for consistent stamping.
Rubber or Poundo Boards – Absorbs shock and protects your workspace.
Nylon Kitchen Cutting Board (3/8” – ½” thick) – A convenient and easy to find board when you are just starting.

Pairing a poundo board with a hard surface ensures the best results.

Leather Dyes & Finishes

After stamping, enhance the design with Realeather’s large selection of dyes and finishes:

Antique Gels – These settle into the stamped areas and make details stand out.
Leather Dye Markers - The Leather Dye Pens feature a flexible brush tip on one end and a fine tip on the other, allowing blending and detailing on leather projects. These are fast drying, blendable, permanent, non-toxic, and acid-free markers.
Leather Dyes – Adds color and contrast to your stamped design.
Finishers & Sealants – Protect your work and give it a polished look.

Realeather’s leathercraft finishing products help preserve and enhance your stamped designs.

Water & Sponge or Spray Bottle

Leather needs to be cased (moistened) before stamping to make it pliable and receptive to impressions. A damp sponge or spray bottle helps evenly distribute water across the surface. Realeather’s casing sponge makes this step simple.

Swivel Knife

A swivel knife is used to carve lines into the leather before or after stamping, helping designs stand out. A swivel knife is a great tool for adding depth and definition in intricate patterns. Realeather offers two different types of Swivel Knives

Adjustable Swivel Knife: This Adjustable Swivel Knife tool is designed for all leathercrafters – from beginners to advanced skill levels. This tool is quality constructed and chrome-plated for lifetime use.
Slimeline Swivel Knife: This Slimline Swivel Knife tool is designed for all leathercrafters – from beginners to advanced skill levels. This tool is quality constructed and chrome-plated for lifetime use.

Final Tips for Leather Stamping Success

Before diving into stamping techniques, remember a few key basics:

Use vegetable-tanned leather—it absorbs moisture and holds impressions best, especially thicker cuts.
Moisten (case) the leather properly until cool and slightly dark, not soaked.
Invest in quality steel stamps and a good mallet for clean impressions.
Work on a solid surface like granite to avoid bounce.
Stamp with control—hold your tool straight and strike firmly for even results.

Now that you’ve got the foundation, let’s move on to how to stamp on leather in our next post!

With Realeather’s high-quality tools, you’ll be well on your way to creating custom-stamped leather projects that stand out. Happy stamping!