Tools of the trade... Here's some miscellaneous items which should really begiven a mention.If you're just getting into fursuiting, I recommend purchasing some or all of these tools, as they will prove themselves very useful.

Fiskars (Heavy-Duty Scissors)

These are the finest scissors you will ever find! They will cut through a wide variety of materials and still keep their blades sharp. Above all, the grips are well-designed so you don't wind up with blisters after a long night of fursuiting.

Buy these! ...Let me repeat that, in case you missed it... Buy these! :) They are often sold at fabric and craft stores.

Chalk, White Pencil, or Soap

If you're going to be cutting patterned pieces from a dark-colored fur, you'll need chalk or a white pencil in order to trace the shape of the pattern piece onto the fabric. Both chalk and artists' white pencils seem to transfer fairly well onto the backing of fur. Although it's possible to use a white crayon, it is not very effective and requires a lot of work.

An alternative, if you'd like to save money, is to use soap. Once you've worn down a bar of hand soap to a sliver, you can use that as a marker. Just trace with the narrow edge of the soap oval to leave a light mark on the fur; it's not ideal, but it's inexpensive.

Tailor's chalk is usually sold at fabric and craft stores. White pencils can usually be found in art supply stores.

Measuring Tape or Yardstick

You often need to measure pattern pieces or lengths of fabric, so make sure that you have at least one of the above. A measuring tape has the additional advantage that it can be used to trace along curves, finding non-linear distances.

Measuring tapes and yardsticks are generally sold at fabric stores.

X-Acto Knife

Some sort of hobby knife or penknife is needed. It is the easiest way to cut short-pile furs, plastic sheets, and hard rubber. A knife is also very useful if you've made a gluing mistake and need a graceful way to cut the two substrates apart. Remember that you'll also need a good cutting surface on which to use the knife; if you don't have one, you can probably purchase a flat piece of high-density plastic from a local supplier to fit this purpose.

X-Acto Knives are often sold at hardware and craft stores. Remember to buy a pack of replacement blades while you're there! Also check out the idea in this page's sidebar for extra safety.