Polishing/buffing Leather

[MrBill]

Hello to all fine leatheworker.net artists!

Once a project is done and saddlestitching is complete, how best does one buff or shine the sheath or piece? I believe it could be a problem, especially with white stitching. I just finished a project with black leather and stitching and would love to shine it up but am afraid to screw it up. Still have some wax in the threads, etc. Should this remain? Should I just wipe the piece down, buff it or is there another trick to make it "shine".

Also, does anyone out there have a glazing jack? Would love to find one!

All the best,

"MrBill"

By the way, I've only been a member here for a week or so and am absolutely stunned at the generous spirit of the members. To those of you who have taken the time to throw tips to a leatherworker-in-training, God Bless You!

[Frank]

MrBill,

Welcome to the forum. What I think you are referring to is adding a finish or top coat to the leather. Top coats vary greatly from mellow, satin, and high gloss in liquids, and aerosols. Some need to be thinned and others do not. Each individual has their own preference depending on the type of leather work they are doing.

Your best bet as far as I'm concerned is take a look at Fiebings website: Finishes and see what they have to offer and what looks "fun" to try. Most stores that specialize in leather will have Fiebings products. I'd purchase a few different 4 oz containers of the finishes and try them on some scrap to see which ones you like the best and you can always order larger amounts later when you figure out what you like.

You can also call Fiebings and talk to them about the different finishes. They are pretty knowledgeable and friendly. They are right down the street from me, so I just go for a visit once in a while! I hope that helps out a bit.

Frank

[celticleather]

There are probably as many different answers to this as there are leatherworkers!

My own preference is to use Leather Balm with Atom Wax. It gives a good deep shine, and doesn't seem to modify colours - except for a general darkening which fades back after a while. I use white and yellow thread, and it does not have any bad effect on the thread colour.