Bevel Without Mallet

[Pieces]

Just started tooling and found out that beveling is much easier without using a mallet. Just pushing the beveler down hard with the hands and move it back and forth along the carving.

Never seen people doing this in videos of beveling.

It gets pretty deep, gets a burnished look and it gets an even print.

Am I doing something wrong or, if this is possible, is the leather too wet?

Thanks.

[JLSleather]

We can't tell how wet your leather is without pictures, but these "push bevelers" have been used for decades. Some folks have made wood or plastic grips to make them easier to use, some are made to fit in a swivel knife, etc.

The ones I've seen are smooth faced, and I'm guessing that a heavy texture on the face would make it a bit tough to push (plus destroying the texture you were trying to achieve).

[TomG]

Depending on the design and the leather, I often use a modeling spoon for beveling.