Don't forget that slicker.

Slicking, or tempering, the leather before tooling offers many advantages.  It takes a lot of stretch out of the leather as well as ironing out most of the wrinkles.  Slicking compresses the surface of the  leather, giving a slightly tighter and more uniform surface to work on.  Also, in my opinion, slicking, or tempering, increases the durability of the leather.
 
Slickers can be made of wood, class or plastics such as plexiglass and are readily available in the marketplace.

Tip Index