Burnishing or Slicking Edges? What do we call it?

[bruce johnson]

First off this is kind of tongue in cheek, but I think about some of the guys gone-on. I learned a lot from them and some pretty good stories and history. One that sticks with me is whenever edges and treatments came up. Some of them were pretty hard boiled and others were "whatever".

   While it isn't as contentious as discussing religion, politics, or the best pickup, whatever we call edge working could bring up some pretty heady discussions with some of the viejos. It is interesting be on the sidelines of some of these discussions. The one camp said that burnishing was bonding the fibers to smooth them. Slicking was simply laying the fibers down without bonding. The other camp just called it all slicking or burnishing to goad the others into a fight. 
     The strict say -

Burnishing is usually done with heat with pressure to bond the fibers. Your leather needs the right moisture level much like casing and then apply some sort of pressure with heat to bond the fibers. Friction through either speed, pressure, and roughness of whatever you are rubbing with provides the heat. The other option would be using a burnishing iron. The fibers bond to each other and seal the edge.  Most all will accept the hardwax edge done with rubbing or an iron to be called burnishing.   

Slicking - Simply laying down fibers but they don't bond to each other. We all know that you can't burnish most chrome tans well. We can make a smooth edge with pressure and some treatment and those strict interpreters call that slicking. This where apply soap, dressings, soft waxes comes to be called slicking by the hard liners - it is laying down and smoothing fibers but they don't bond to each other. Looks nice and smooth but doesn't last as long. It starts discussions when you say "I burnish the edges of my latigos". The strict ones will tell you that is not burnishing and for even saying such a statement you will now be tending fire for eternity instead of playing harp. 

Where are we at in the middle ground - no man's land? Is it slicking or it is burnishing? What about the old trick that used diluted white glue? That is bonding the leather and providing some heat from rubbing but is the glue cheating? There was the "Goodie Mix" that was a varied recipe of acrylic finish and Atom Wax. Bond and seal there and works well on chrome tans. Gum tragacanth, Tokonole, the commercial mixes? In the end - call it burnishing, call it slicking, call it what you want. I will be in services at the Blessed House of the Leather Edge Smoothers. 

 

[BlackDragon]

Great topic!!

Next can we discuss which is better in my clips, 9mm or .45?

[fredk]

I suppose I'm in the camp of 

Burnishing is smoothing with heat and wax

Slicking is just smoothing down the fibres

 

[Hildebrand]

I like the discussion @bruce johnson I will throw out there, slicking or burnishing really only matters to us leather workers.  Most customers don't even notice the bright shiny, glass smooth edge on a piece unless you point it out and then they usually just glance at it and say, that's nice.

Todd

[chuck123wapati]

2 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

Great topic!!

Next can we discuss which is better in my clips, 9mm or .45?

you put those in magazines clips are usually for rifle bullets lol. M1 Garands for one. 

I burnish em till thier slick myself, or maybe I slick 'em down until they are burnished yea that's it. I'm going with slicking them until burnished.

[bruce johnson]

6 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

Great topic!!

Next can we discuss which is better in my clips, 9mm or .45?

I'd say 9 mm just because that is what I've got and it makes ammo purchases easier. I do have one .380 Auto but opted out on putting that on my last CCW renewal. 

 

5 hours ago, Hildebrand said:

I like the discussion @bruce johnson I will throw out there, slicking or burnishing really only matters to us leather workers.  Most customers don't even notice the bright shiny, glass smooth edge on a piece unless you point it out and then they usually just glance at it and say, that's nice.

Todd

Todd, True enough and generally the higher they are up the food chain, the less they know or care.  I had a guy come in with a high dollar belt several years ago and tell me the edges looked like s**t after a month of wear. At that time the maker was pretty well known. ( He posted one time three swipes and I'm done, that's all you need. I'd believe it.) It took me maybe 15 minutes time to burnish and I was going to charge him $15. He picked it up, tried to scratch the edge with his fingernail, and gave me $100 at a time when I needed it. He became one of my first discerning customers. Two using saddles, rope bag, purse for the wife, bunch of reins over several years. Every time he called I wondered if I screwed up something. Nope, another order. I saw him about 5 years ago. He said the belt was a daily wear then but the edges still look good except where the cell phone pocket clips on. Edges mattered to him and he still remembered that damn belt. 

[BlackDragon]

17 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

you put those in magazines clips are usually for rifle bullets lol. M1 Garands for one. 

I burnish em till thier slick myself, or maybe I slick 'em down until they are burnished yea that's it. I'm going with slicking them until burnished.

I have an M1 Garand, I used to shoot in competitions many years ago and fell in love with the borrowed Garand I was using. After that I bought one of my own through the CMP.

 

 

12 hours ago, bruce johnson said:

I'd say 9 mm just because that is what I've got and it makes ammo purchases easier. I do have one .380 Auto but opted out on putting that on my last CCW renewal. 

 

Todd, True enough and generally the higher they are up the food chain, the less they know or care.  I had a guy come in with a high dollar belt several years ago and tell me the edges looked like s**t after a month of wear. At that time the maker was pretty well known. ( He posted one time three swipes and I'm done, that's all you need. I'd believe it.) It took me maybe 15 minutes time to burnish and I was going to charge him $15. He picked it up, tried to scratch the edge with his fingernail, and gave me $100 at a time when I needed it. He became one of my first discerning customers. Two using saddles, rope bag, purse for the wife, bunch of reins over several years. Every time he called I wondered if I screwed up something. Nope, another order. I saw him about 5 years ago. He said the belt was a daily wear then but the edges still look good except where the cell phone pocket clips on. Edges mattered to him and he still remembered that damn belt. 

I tend to only burnish. On the flesh side I buy my leather already finished so I rarely do any slicking.

My first post was tongue in cheek because the 9mm vs .45 debate gets heated sometimes. I threw in a the clip comment as it riles some people up. lol

[dikman]

I agree with fred, burnishing by definition is polishing usually involving hard rubbing.

[fredk]

6 hours ago, BlackDragon said:

I have an M1 Garand, . . .

 

Deviation and off topic; do you have a strap or sling (?) for it? If you do is there anything special about it?

Cos I've been asked if I can make slings for M1. Chap says he can't get them here and no-one will make them for him

[Samalan]

45 for me in a mag Sig 1911 E S