What's the best way to cut long fringe in elk hide?

[JAM]

Hi, all - I want to make chinks from elk hide, but it's so pliable and stretchy that I don't look forward to cutting long fringe in it. Can anyone suggest "best" techniques for cutting long straight fringe in leather that pulls and stretches?

[Beaverslayer]

Jam, I use a roller knife and a steel ruler with the cork on the back. The cork will help to hold the elk or deerskin in place and the razor sharp roller knife runs along the straight edge doing a fine job.

Here's a picture of the one I use.

Ken

[Bob]

Well, what I've found works good is to put the two legs together with the roughout sides out. At this point don't put on the leg straps yet. I put the two legs together exactly and drive a nail thru the stitching into the table in three points. Firstly on the belts somewhere. I use a light duty 1 inch nail. Again at the top of hte leg where the buckles go, and somewhere down at the bottom where the fringes go. It's not that critical where you nail as much as it don't move on you. Then I mark a light pencil line where I want the fringes to start, all the way down and around to the bottom in a long curve. I have a pattern to do this with. I start at the top behind the belt and use a steel ruler with a cork back, just like Beaver does, and cut both legs with a head knife at the same time. Going around the bottom edge you will have to adjust the width of your strings a fraction each time, wider at the bottom to account for the longer distance. It's so you can finish the last few fringes with the same amount of material the full lenght of the fringes. I hope you have good success, just use a sharp knife and you shouldn't have any troubles. Press down hard with the ruler and the cork backing down against the leather, helps keep it from moving.

[stelmackr]

Try this:

http://tinyurl.com/45ofez

...from Joann Fabrics.

Works slick. It is plastic with slots to accept a rotary cutter.

Bob Stelmack

[mulefool]

I use a roller knife and a plastic see through ruler so I can gauge the width of the fringe as I go. works slick!

[JAM]

Fantastic ideas - so helpful! Thanks!

[ChuckBurrows]

I'd recommend pre-srtetching the hide first - dampen thoroughly with water and then stretch - I tack mine up on the side of the shed and leave for 48-72 hours.

For cutting fringes I use a SHARP pair of scissors and "slide" them rather than cutting