Best Budget-Friendly: Leather Working Tools Leather Craft Kit

This is a great kit for beginners or teens who are curious about leather crafting . . . yet it’s easy on the wallet. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Great thread assortment.

• Affordable—great for beginners.

• Sharp tools.

• Punches have ejection slots so the plugs can be easily removed.

What Needs Work

• Case is a bit larger than expected.

• No mallet, which is needed to make some craft projects.

Best For Beginners: Leather Craft Tools Leather Sewing Kit

Wow, this is an impressive collection of tools, 72 in all. This set is a reader favorite—the quality is obvious.

What We Liked

• Everything you need to get started.

• Includes rolled bag.

• Excellent quality.

What Needs Work

• Stamps can be a bit shallow.

• A bit pricey.

• Tools can fall out of the bag.

Best Gift Set: FifthQuarter Leather Tooling Kit

If you’ve got a leather crafter on your gift list, this kit by FifthQuarter is our top pick. We liked the completeness of this 58-piece set, which is perfect for beginners or even more advanced leather crafters. 

What We Liked

• Impressive quality.

• Zippered case is great for travel.

• Waxed thread cord is helpful.

• Great gift idea.

What Needs Work

• Skiver doesn’t allow for good angle.

Best For Rivet Designs: 273 Pieces Leather Working Tools

If you are intermediate or advanced leather worker, you are probably getting into designs with rivets. Yes, this kit is more pricey than others aimed at beginners, but it is excellent for those designs with rivets and snaps. These are often missing from other kits.

What We Liked

• Excellent assortment.

• Perfect for working on designs with rivets and snaps.

• Includes mallet.

• Well-packed.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!