Basic Leather Carving Instructions Part V
Beveler Tool Usage

In leather working the beveler is used to make the foreground subjects appear to be closer or in front of the further subjects and background. This gives depth to the leather carving. It is essential that the beveler be held perpendicular to the leather.

16. The beveler is used to "raise" areas of the design imparting a 3 dimensional appearance. It accomplishes this by lowering the surrounding area. Bevelers come in a variety of textures and sizes.	17. Hold the beveler vertical at all times. Note that the bottom is wedge shaped - the deepest part of the wedge is always placed in the cut to be beveled. Pay attention to which side of the line you are beveling - if you bevel the wrong side it will lower the foremost object and ruin the piece.
18. If the design has a border this is always beveled first. Next, bevel the foremost design elements. Work from foreground to background the same as when you cut the design with your swivel knife.Take care that the beveling is smooth and no tool marks are visible. Walking the beveler along the cut will help keep it smooth.	19. On lines that were cut progressively shallower, the beveler is used with progressively lighter taps to smooth the transition.

The pattern used here is from the excellent tutorial book The Leatherworking Manual. I highly recommend this book.

Click Here for a large selection of Beveler Tools.

Disclaimer: The information presented here is accurate to the best of my knowledge and leather working practices as of the time of this writing - February 2006. The author and the publisher accept no liability for the use or misuse of any of the information presented in this article. This article is presented for informational purposes and is used at your own risk.

Author: Bob Sherman

Publisher: Bobby's Craft Boutique Inc.

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