Gold leaf methods for applying gold leaf on leather are dissimilar from other surfaces or gilding on wood. In the key bookbinding leather is plant bronzed and quite soft to the touch. With respect to bookbinding, generally you see on a modern book the gilded decoration will be either gold foil or gold leaf ; real gold leaf is held in reserve for the highest gold foil and quality leather bindings for less expensive work.
Both gold foil and real gold leaf involve the utilisation of heat turned on adhesives, foil of gold has an incorporated layer of adhesive on the carrier film, it has the benefit of being simple to use, you simply position the gold foil and apply your heated tools. In old gilding, the heat turned on adhesive takes the shape of either the a shellac based adhesive or whites of eggs.
Apply the adhesive first and then the over it leaf is laid. Heated brass tools in the shape of decoration or lettering are then pressed down on gold leaf or foil of the gold. When the surplus gold foil film or gold leaf is took away the decoration are left in gilt. If there's a success with gilding on leather it lies in understanding and working with the three variables concerned, they're ; Pressure, Heat, & Dwell.
Heat your tools of is reasonably urgent for success ; also you apply how much pressure and how long you stay in touch with the work are crucial and good learned by instruction and trial a little and inaccuracy. With other leathers eg the kind of sheepskin you could encounter when recovering desk tops, I recommend either using gold foil for less expensive work and twenty-three carat gold leaf on a paper carrier for best work.
Some materials are called leather just because they are made of reconstituted leather slices, held along with some kind of resin ; I advise using gold foil for this kind of material.