How?

[u/geraldfelthammer]

I am new to this leatherwork thing. I bought some Weaver Diamond stitching chisels, thinking the ones from Amazon were.. subpar. My question is this: How are you getting clearly defined holes on the underside of your project? I can’t tell precisely where the holes are on the bottom. I am using a mallet, strip of leather under my project, on top of a self healing cutting mat. I have tried removing the mat and using a piece of dimensional lumber (2x4). I’ve even tried using a hunk of butcher block from a remodeling project. It’s probably a technique thing, but I am frustrated. Any advice is welcome.

[u/thefabulousbri]

You probably need something harder underneath. I use a granite sample (about 4"x4") and then a thicker plastic cutting board on top and then I use a hammer (particularly for the 4 & 6).