A rectangular wooden base has a layer of foam rubber on its front and it is covered by a soft suede: it's a pad on a stiff base, easy to handle, and its front is slightly convex and elastic, which you can lay the leaf on and cut it with the appropriate knife.

The gilder's pad and knife are mainly used for genuine gold and silver leaf in order to optimize their usage, reducing waste to a minimum.
By dusting slightly the suede surface with chalk or cinder got from rice straw, you prevent the risk that the precious metal leaf adheres to the surface's pad during the cut.