Description
Use hand knives and hand-held tools to cut and trim leather hides into parts for footwear, upholstery, bags, and other leather goods, optimizing yield and quality.
- • Inspect hides and mark or discard areas with defects such as scars, brands, holes, wrinkles, stains, or loose grain.
- • Trim excess from cut pieces and remove loose fibers to produce smooth edges and finishes.
- • Cut, shape, and trim leather using round knives, utility knives, rotary cutters, scissors, strap cutters, skiving knives, or bench-mounted tools.
- • Sort hides and cut parts by size, grade, thickness, color, or finish.
- • Mark identification numbers, job numbers, sizes, styles, or pattern codes on pieces.
- • Read work orders, patterns, and cut tickets to determine quantities, dimensions, and cutting layouts.
- • Count and bundle cut components and weigh hides or parts as required.
- • Trace or mark cutting lines around patterns or templates using rulers, awls, chalk, or silver pens.
- • Lay out and secure hides on cutting tables or mats to maximize yield and avoid defects.
- • Stack cut parts and stage them on racks, trays, or conveyors for the next operation.
- • Pre-shape, fold, or crease leather parts before or after cutting as specified.
- • Edge, burnish, buff, or clean cut edges and apply conditioners or edge coatings when required.
- • Position templates and nest pattern pieces to maximize hide yield using rules and patterns.
- • Punch holes, slots, and hardware openings using hand punches, chisels, or rotary punches.
- • Replace or sharpen blades and maintain knives and cutting tools.
- • Operate and lower bench or table-mounted cutters, such as strap cutters or clicking presses, to cut parts to size.
- • Adjust guides, stops, and depth settings on skivers, strap cutters, or bench tools to control cut widths and depths.
- • Transport hides and finished parts to work or storage areas using carts.
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Advanced Manufacturing
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
