Finishing Edges

[redwoodsaddlery]

Thanks Bob. That was a great article.

[Hennessy]

Butchkitty,

I'm really glad you found my article helpful! I use parafin which comes in a brick. I think I bought it at the grocery store. The parafin is good over the bees was and adds a little polish. Bees wax doesn't polish that well. I have been experimenting with using bees wax after I dye the edges, and then using parafin on top of that, just like you're talking about, but to be honest I haven't seen where the addition of bees wax has added anything. It certainly can't hurt, that's for sure! I don't know anything about seal oil soap...what can you tell me about it?

Bob

howdy bob,when i was a bit of a nipper back in australia i worked in two old prestigious shops awhile,i recall we used edge irons which we heated over a candle,then whilst hot stuck it into a block of beeswax then run th iron down the edge it had a concave wide edge and did a nice job.barra an aussie member in here could bring you to a total knowledge of this application pete

[hidepounder]

howdy bob,when i was a bit of a nipper back in australia i worked in two old prestigious shops awhile,i recall we used edge irons which we heated over a candle,then whilst hot stuck it into a block of beeswax then run th iron down the edge it had a concave wide edge and did a nice job.barra an aussie member in here could bring you to a total knowledge of this application pete

Hi Pete.....I have heard of using heated irons for edging but have never seen it done. I have wondered how finishing an edge that way would effect dying the edge. It seems logical that a more durable edge would result from using the irons, however I would think it would still be necessary to polish the edge with parafin or something similar to provide a high lister. I'd like to see the irons used some time....

Bobby

[Messser]

A simply dye edges is a black permanent marker edding 3000

Is simply, cheap and, for me, works in thick leather

[Rawl]

It's out with the X-Acto knife and in with the soaps and power tools! It seems there's always a better way to do things, if only you can find/figure it out -- thanks for sharing! 

[ToddB 68]

Hi Bob !

I'm a beginner at leatherwork and making a tool sheath out of 12oz. Veg-tanned cowhide, following your "Finishing Edges" tutorial.

After steps 3) Wet & Soap and 5) Dye, are there drying intervals before burnishing, or do you go right on to the next step ?

Thanks for the help.

ToddB68

Edited September 5, 2010 by ToddB68

[hidepounder]

Hi Todd!

When I'm doing edges I will wet, soap and burnish and I often dye immediately after burnishing. It is a very good idea to let the dye completely dry after dying the edge if you have the time to do so. It will help it to not come off on your hands quite so easily while you are handling the piece. When completely dry, buff to a shine until all residue stops coming off the piece.

Hope this helps.....

Bobby

[SimonJester753]

Thanks for the article.

I have a few questions.

It seems as if this is the type of finishing you'd do on a belt or wallet. Would this be the type of finish you'd use on something that was going to get exposed to rain, dirt, etc?

Why wouldn't you dye the edge after edging it?

[ToddB 68]

Hi Todd!

When I'm doing edges I will wet, soap and burnish and I often dye immediately after burnishing. It is a very good idea to let the dye completely dry after dying the edge if you have the time to do so. It will help it to not come off on your hands quite so easily while you are handling the piece. When completely dry, buff to a shine until all residue stops coming off the piece.

Hope this helps.....

Bobby

Thanks Bob !

Yes, that helped a lot.

ToddB68

[hidepounder]

Thanks for the article.

I have a few questions.

It seems as if this is the type of finishing you'd do on a belt or wallet. Would this be the type of finish you'd use on something that was going to get exposed to rain, dirt, etc?

Why wouldn't you dye the edge after edging it?

Hi SimonJester753. I use this method to finish the edges on everything I make. It is the same method that has been used in saddle shops all across the country for many years. Of course there are some variations from maker to maker. Some add more steps, some eliminate steps I suppose. Anyway I would use this on saddles, holsters, cases or anything that has exposed edges regardless of what it is exposed to.

If you are asking why I do not dye before I burnish, it is because when the edge of the leather is raw and unburnished, I am unable to get a nice clean dye line because my alcohol dye spreads as it soaks in. However once the edge is burnished it does not absorb the dye as fast and I am able to get a very clean dye line.

I hope this answers your questions....

Bobby

[ToddB 68]

Hi Bob !

With reference to your Finishing Edges process, in step 3) you rub Fiebings glycerin bar soap into the leather edges and then at step 4) you burnish with Fiebings yellow paste saddle soap. With all that rubbing and vigorous burnishing of two soap products on the edges, it seems there would be a good chance of now and then smearing a bit of the soaps onto the face of the leather adjacent to the edges. If that does happen, wouldn't that cause splotches or discoloration where the final finish is applied over top of the soap smears ? Or do you have to clean off any soap smears before adding the final finish ? If so, what cleaning chemical do you use ?

Thanks,

ToddB68

[hidepounder]

Hi Bob !

With reference to your Finishing Edges process, in step 3) you rub Fiebings glycerin bar soap into the leather edges and then at step 4) you burnish with Fiebings yellow paste saddle soap. With all that rubbing and vigorous burnishing of two soap products on the edges, it seems there would be a good chance of now and then smearing a bit of the soaps onto the face of the leather adjacent to the edges. If that does happen, wouldn't that cause splotches or discoloration where the final finish is applied over top of the soap smears ? Or do you have to clean off any soap smears before adding the final finish ? If so, what cleaning chemical do you use ?

Thanks,

ToddB68

Great question Todd! I often edge last, after I have finished the surface of the leather, so that any soap that gets on the face is easily wiped off and doesn't affect any finish. When I burnish before finishing the face I will remove any soap smears with water first. I also almost always clean the face of my leather with oxalic acid before applying any antiques and that removes any residue also. The reality is that I really don't get much contamination on the surface because the glycerine bar soap is only rubbed on the edge and the yellow paste soap is applied to the canvas that I burnish with and there just isn't that much slop. What little there is, is easily removed.

Hope this helps....

Bobby

[ToddB 68]

Great question Todd! I often edge last, after I have finished the surface of the leather, so that any soap that gets on the face is easily wiped off and doesn't affect any finish. When I burnish before finishing the face I will remove any soap smears with water first. I also almost always clean the face of my leather with oxalic acid before applying any antiques and that removes any residue also. The reality is that I really don't get much contamination on the surface because the glycerine bar soap is only rubbed on the edge and the yellow paste soap is applied to the canvas that I burnish with and there just isn't that much slop. What little there is, is easily removed.

Hope this helps....

Bobby

Thanks Bob !

I appreciate the thorough reply.

ToddB68

Edited September 12, 2010 by ToddB68

[SimonJester753]

Hi SimonJester753. I use this method to finish the edges on everything I make. It is the same method that has been used in saddle shops all across the country for many years. Of course there are some variations from maker to maker. Some add more steps, some eliminate steps I suppose. Anyway I would use this on saddles, holsters, cases or anything that has exposed edges regardless of what it is exposed to.

If you are asking why I do not dye before I burnish, it is because when the edge of the leather is raw and unburnished, I am unable to get a nice clean dye line because my alcohol dye spreads as it soaks in. However once the edge is burnished it does not absorb the dye as fast and I am able to get a very clean dye line.

I hope this answers your questions....

Bobby

Thanks!

I don't think I have to worry about my dye line, as I'm using black latigo, so I think I'll dye first as I'm using water based dye and I'd like it sealed in as much as possible.

I was wondering if my edge beveler needs sharpening and googled for instructions and came across another forum where you explained how it's done. You say you use "round bottom" bevelers. I've never liked the flat bottom beveler I have. Where do you get the round bottom ones?

[hidepounder]

Thanks!

I don't think I have to worry about my dye line, as I'm using black latigo, so I think I'll dye first as I'm using water based dye and I'd like it sealed in as much as possible.

I was wondering if my edge beveler needs sharpening and googled for instructions and came across another forum where you explained how it's done. You say you use "round bottom" bevelers. I've never liked the flat bottom beveler I have. Where do you get the round bottom ones?

The edgers I use are old antiques made by Gomph. CS Osborne made them as well (I believe). Both are still readily available on eBay and from Bob Douglas. I believe Bob Douglas also offers his own line of round bottom edgers. His tools are very high quality! Ron's Tools also offers really nice round bottom edgers in stainless steel. I owned a set and they were outstanding. Hope this helps....

Bobby

[SimonJester753]

The edgers I use are old antiques made by Gomph. CS Osborne made them as well (I believe). Both are still readily available on eBay and from Bob Douglas. I believe Bob Douglas also offers his own line of round bottom edgers. His tools are very high quality! Ron's Tools also offers really nice round bottom edgers in stainless steel. I owned a set and they were outstanding. Hope this helps....

Bobby

Thanks!

[Ferg]

Hello everybody,

I receive quite a few PM's and emails requesting information on edges, finger cutting, tooling patterns and various other topics. Questions regarding some of these topics come up on a fairly regular basis, so I thought I would put something together that members could easily refer to. This article describes the way I finish edges and Johanna has posted it in the "Tips & Tricks" section on the main page. I hope that some of you will find it helpful.

Finishing Edges

Bob

Bobby,

I have two questions:

When you apply the dye to the edges are you intentionally keeping the dye from the very edge the edging tool makes? The edge next to the flat surface of the leather, if that helps me clarify my question. I find it easier to apply the dye without getting on that very narrow portion of the rounded edge.

You showed a photo in your shop on a post, of your burnishing apparatus. Motor attached to a shaft with a wood dowel, perhaps, that you filed/sanded the grooves into. Any particular kind of wood used and did you attempt to impregnate it with saddle soap, glycerine soap, or any other product?

Thanks,

ferg

[hidepounder]

Bobby,

I have two questions:

When you apply the dye to the edges are you intentionally keeping the dye from the very edge the edging tool makes? The edge next to the flat surface of the leather, if that helps me clarify my question. I find it easier to apply the dye without getting on that very narrow portion of the rounded edge.

You showed a photo in your shop on a post, of your burnishing apparatus. Motor attached to a shaft with a wood dowel, perhaps, that you filed/sanded the grooves into. Any particular kind of wood used and did you attempt to impregnate it with saddle soap, glycerine soap, or any other product?

Thanks,

ferg

Ferg I'm not sure I completely understand your question but I am going to take a shot at it anyway. When I edge a piece of leather with my round bottom edger there is a very fine line distinguishing the differenc from the edge of the cut from the untouched surface grain of the leather. That is the line I try to dye to. There is no ridge or actual edge because the burnish smooths it out, but there is a visable line there. I hope that answers your question.

If you are going to cover your burnishing wheel with canvas as I have then the wood used probably doesn't matter. I do keep the canvas saturated with Fiebings yellow saddle soap to help control the amount of heat and friction.

[Ferg]

Ferg I'm not sure I completely understand your question but I am going to take a shot at it anyway. When I edge a piece of leather with my round bottom edger there is a very fine line distinguishing the differenc from the edge of the cut from the untouched surface grain of the leather. That is the line I try to dye to. There is no ridge or actual edge because the burnish smooths it out, but there is a visable line there. I hope that answers your question.

If you are going to cover your burnishing wheel with canvas as I have then the wood used probably doesn't matter. I do keep the canvas saturated with Fiebings yellow saddle soap to help control the amount of heat and friction.

Bobby,

You understood my first question better than I stated it. Thanks for the clarification.

On the burnishing wheel: Do you glue/attach the canvas to the wheel? I assume the canvas needs to be pushed down into the grooves or does the saddle soap put enough "give" in the canvas to make it conform to the grooves?

Regards,

ferg

[barra]

I started to follow this thread when Bob initially posted but somehow I have missed a heap of valuable info in the middle.

I have pictures of the burnishers mentioned by Pete hennessy for hot burnishing but they are stored on my desk top (with virus). I have also topped Troy West and not only mis placed the camera cord but also added my camera to that. Perhaps it is in my car which is in the crash repair shop after being stoved into by a disabled taxi. I will have to get my poop in a pile a drag some pics up. As well as dipping the hot burnisher in beeswax I sometimes use what the boot/shoe trade call heel ball or coad.

I really like Troy's idea of the felt shoved into PC pipe as it seems a bit of an improvement over my felt skewered by coat hanger wire. I have tried just about every mechanical device known to man but somehow I always come back to the elbow grease methods.

One thing I have found to be a passable black edge dye/coat that is cheap and easy to come by anywhere is tyre black. Ok now to get off my butt and fix my other computer and find the darn camera.

Barra

[hidepounder]

Bobby,

You understood my first question better than I stated it. Thanks for the clarification.

On the burnishing wheel: Do you glue/attach the canvas to the wheel? I assume the canvas needs to be pushed down into the grooves or does the saddle soap put enough "give" in the canvas to make it conform to the grooves?

Regards,

ferg

I wrapped the canvas on the burnishing wheel and taped the ends. I also added Barge cement along the edge to keep it down. The canvas stretches and conforms to the wheel. I didn't glue directly to the wheel because I didn't want to ruin it and I didn't k now how it was going to work. However I have never had to do anything to it since so I have left well enough alone.

Hope this helps....

Bobby

[Hennessy]

Butchkitty,

I'm really glad you found my article helpful! I use parafin which comes in a brick. I think I bought it at the grocery store. The parafin is good over the bees was and adds a little polish. Bees wax doesn't polish that well. I have been experimenting with using bees wax after I dye the edges, and then using parafin on top of that, just like you're talking about, but to be honest I haven't seen where the addition of bees wax has added anything. It certainly can't hurt, that's for sure! I don't know anything about seal oil soap...what can you tell me about it?

Bob

hey bob,back in me nipper days back in australia i worked in some old prestigeous saddle shops in sydney.we edge'd the saddles thus [as memory serves me] dyed the edges then laid leather on bench and hanging edge on or slightly off bench,proceeded to hot iron edges.a steel tool an edgeburnisher i think [british made] we had a candle stuck upright in a small coffee[tea] can the candle provided the heat for the tool tip which was pushed into a block of beeswax. whilst wax was hot n runny we pushed edger along leather edge till it needed more heat then repeat over n over thru entire edge.when done properly it gave a smooth bright sealed edge and was standard practice for edging all leather work as i recall.i like your way better and your way is my way too adios pete

[hidepounder]

hey bob,back in me nipper days back in australia i worked in some old prestigeous saddle shops in sydney.we edge'd the saddles thus [as memory serves me] dyed the edges then laid leather on bench and hanging edge on or slightly off bench,proceeded to hot iron edges.a steel tool an edgeburnisher i think [british made] we had a candle stuck upright in a small coffee[tea] can the candle provided the heat for the tool tip which was pushed into a block of beeswax. whilst wax was hot n runny we pushed edger along leather edge till it needed more heat then repeat over n over thru entire edge.when done properly it gave a smooth bright sealed edge and was standard practice for edging all leather work as i recall.i like your way better and your way is my way too adios pete

Hey Pete....I think that is fascinating! I have heard of doing this before but have never seen it done. It would seem to me to that the heated wax would produce a very durable edge. Thanks for sharing!

Bobby

[Gequinn]

Let me just say that I used this on a knife sheath that I made and the results look amazing. Thanks for this tutorial!

[LilRay]

Bob, I've yet to get any machinery (belt sanders etc), so could I trouble you for some tips on hand sanding? What type sandpaper is best? How does one know when the leathers are even?

Just starting out, and I'm as green as a shamrock. Sorry if this is trouble.

God Bless, Ray