Trying to determine the best surfaces for leatherworking can be challenging. With so many options to choose from it can feel almost impossible to make the correct choice. So what are the best surface materials for leather working?
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) provides the best surface for cutting leather because of its durability and blade protecting properties. Tooling is best accomplished on a smooth hard surface like marble that reduces bouncing, while staining can be done on any general-purpose surface.
To save you some time and energy, we’ve researched and tested the most common cutting, tooling, and staining surfaces in the leather crafting field. We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of our findings.
| Suface Material | Primary Use | Price | Test Results |
| High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) | Cutting Surface & General Working | $6 – $12 per square foot | Durability – Extreme Blade Protection – Extreme |
| Self Healing Rubber | Cutting Surface | $8 – $14 per square foot | Durability – Moderate Blade Protection – Moderate |
| MDF Panel Board | Cutting Surface | $1.50 – $2.50 per square foot | Durability – Weak Blade Protection – moderate |
| Granite | Tooling | $0 – $40 per square foot | Dense material Extremely Resistant to chipping |
| Marble | Tooling | $0 – $40 per square foot | Softer than granite. Moderately resistant to chipping |
Table of Contents
Best Surfaces for Cutting Leather
At some point during the leathercrafting process, you are going to have to cut your leather. You will need a durable surface that is able to withstand thousands of cuts.
The surface also needs to slightly absorb the blade to protect it from chipping and breaking.
We investigated the durability and blade protection properties of three surfaces: High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), self-healing rubber, and Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) against various blades. The blades included Exacto knife blades, rotary cutting blades, and a highly sharpened Japanese skiving knife.
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Price per square foot-
- $6 (1/2 inch thickness)
- $9 (3/4 inch thickness)
- $12 (1-inch thickness)
General Information- This is the white plastic-like material. It is a highly textured surface that prevents slipping of the leather and blade during forceful cuts. HDPE can be ordered online as single sheets. The sheets can be customized to fit the length and width of your work area. There are also options of 1/2 inch (12mm), 3/4 inch (18mm), or 1 inch (24mm) thickness.
Durability- The surface had the highest durability and has been reported to last many years before having to be replaced. It can often be found as the cutting surface in restaurants and butcher shops.
Blade Protection- It also absorbs the blade and prevents it from chipping, breaking, or becoming dull.
My review- This is my favorite option. I plan on building a low budget leatherworking table in the near future and this is what I am going to use to line the surface. What convinced me was seeing how often it was used as a cutting surface in industrial settings. From my observations, research, and conversations with others in the field, it seems to be a great surface for protecting your blades. The price is reasonable considering that it will last for many years.
Self Healing Mats
Price- $8 – $14 per square foot.
General Information- These are firm rubber mats that hold the leather in place and absorb the cuts from blades. They can be found at leathercrafting special stores as plain black mats that are called Poundo Boards. They are often found in craft stores as green mats with measurement marks on them so that you can get accurate cuts. They come in a variety of sizes, but the most common is 12 inches by 12 inches. The typical thickness size is 1/2 inches. Custom sizes can be ordered from leathercrafting stores and private sellers.
Durability- Self-healing rubber mats provided a smooth surface during the cutting process. When the blade went into the surface the cut sealed up on its own and was not easily detected.
Blade Protection- This surface absorbed a greater amount of the blade during forceful cuts when compared to HDME.
My review- Cuts to the mat closed up quickly if the penetration was less than about 1/4 of an inch. We did notice that very sharp blades such as our Japanese skiving knife provided a deep gash on the surface that took a little longer to heal. Overall the durability was not as good as the HDME, but the blade absorbing property makes it worth the purchase.
As a bonus, this mat can also serve as a sound insulator. It can be placed between your bench and tooling surface to deaden the sound of the tooling.
This is what I would purchase if I were starting off, or if I didn’t have a dedicated cutting bench.
Medium Density Fibreboard (Dry Erase Boards)
Price per square foot- $1.50 – $2.50
General Information- These boards are made out of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), but have a smooth finish and acrylic coating. MDF provides a nice sturdy surface for cutting, but the leather tends to slip a little during the cutting process. These boards can be found at the local hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes. I have had these boards cut into many shapes over the years.
Durability- The dry erase boards was not as durable as HDME or the self-healing mats. Multiple cuts to the mats left impressions that created uneven surfaces that continued to become deformed with every cut.
Blade Protection- Panelboards do a good job of protecting the blade. We did not break a blade on this surface, but I could see a cheaper blade breaking if it were to penetrate the board and was bent in the wrong direction.
My review- This was my least favorite surface to cut on. You can get them cut to size, but you will have to keep replacing them because they don’t heal when you cut through them. It is a cheap option that is easy to access if you live near a local hardware store. I would get this if I had nothing else to protect your blade. Spending $6 to protect at $50 blade is definitely a good option if you’re in a time crunch.
Best Surfaces for Tooling Leather
Tooling requires a dense and stable surface in order to properly set rivets, create punches and stamp designs in the leather. Many surfaces bounce too much during this process, and it causes the stamps to not impress very well. Additionally, you will have to exert more force and energy to attempt to get the results that you want.
Testing Procedures – We used leather in the range of 6 – 9oz for all tests. We also placed a cutting board on top of the tooling surface rather than tooling directly on the stones. Our goal was to find the tooling surface that provided the least amount of bounce.
Granite
Price- $0 – $40
Granite scraps are given away freely by some local countertop companies. You can also purchase it form leather-craft companies or hardware stores.
General Information – Granite is a dense surface that provided the least amount of bounce during the tooling process. This surfaces was also resistant to chips and breaks.
My Review – We found that we exerted a minimal amount of energy to create nice sharp cuts during punches. Additionally, we found that we were able to get the level of detail in the textures that we wanted during the stamping process.
Marble
Price- $0 – $40
Marble is less likely to be given away freely, but they can be purchased online from hardware stores and private sellers.
General Information – Marble is also a dense surface that provided that reduced the amount of bounce during the tooling process, but it was slightly softer than granite.
My Review – We found that the results were similar to granite, but we received reports from individuals that stated that their slab of marble cracked during the tooling process. We did not experience this during our test.
Best Surfaces for Painting, Staining, and Dyeing Leather
We found that this was the easiest surface to set up, but it should be noted that staining should be done in its own area. If not you run the risk of ruining a project.
Any surface can be used for this process. We found that crafters used metal shelving, plastic fold-out tables, and a host of other setups. We chose to use a simple fold-out table with a piece of plastic laid over the top. The plastic can be easily removed and discarded at any time.
Best surfaces for General Leather Work
Leatherworking is not confined to cutting, tooling, and coloring. We often work on combining pieces of leather through glueing and stitching. These things do not require a specific surface. Just pick any area of your choosing….as long as it’s not done in the area where you color the leather.
