Push Beveler

[RunningRoan]

Interested in getting a push beveler. I think my work would benefit from a nice "frame" around it and from what little I know about push bevelers, it sounds like just the ticket. I've never used a push beveler or seen one being used, so I have a few questions (some of them stupid ones) before I jump in and buy one. I do mostly strap goods, so a majority of the beveling would be in long straight lines, but do they handle corners and curves all right? What's the best way to use one...case the leather, draw my line and start beveling? Or is it best to make a cut to lay the tool into and bevel? I see Barry King has a couple, it that the best place to get one? Thanks all!

[Rawhide]

Hi,

I've used one a few times just practicing, but nothing for a project. I've seen Barry King use one and he cut the border line with a swivel knife, then place the push beveler into the cut and pushed it along the cut. He was working a rectangular piece, so I can't comment on corners. I think it was designed to be the fastest way to bevel. I think you'll benefit from it if most of what you do is strap work. I doesn't bevel anywhere near what a traditional beveler and maul/mallet would accomplish, but it bevels none the less.

[barra]

http://www.ranch2arena.com/hsbtwheelbvler.html

I have a HSBT wheel beveller from Jeremiah Watt. Works great. He also makes a standard push beveller.

Barra

[Double U Leather]

I saw my very first push beveler the other day at my buddies leather shop. He simply took a beveler, drilled a hole in an old mop handle, cut it off to about 2' in length, and voila.....there ya have it. He said he uses it alot. I'll have to give it a whirl I guess. Although, I'm pretty old school....I'll probably just keep doing the mallet/walking of the beveler routine.

[pete]

I made the same thing years ago! I didn't know that they HAD push bevelers and took a wooden dowel and drilled a hole in it too.

whood uh thunk!

by the way, it doesn't do as good a job as a mallet because you have to push down SO hard to get it deep, but it does a really nice job of smoothing it out when you do. Better than a modeling spoon by far.

pete

[bruce johnson]

I am with Andrew on the HSBT beveling wheel. It has a checkered pattern and lays that down. It will not bevel as deep as an oscillating handpiece or using a mallet or maul, but for long runs like next to bead lines or lightly laying down a cut line, it looks good. I also will drag a steep beveler through a cut line to round over a square cut edge. A checkered beveler gives a little more burnish than a smooth beveler.