Photo Demo: How To Do Rolled Edges

[JustKate]

I have noticed a few questions coming up lately about how to do "rolled" or turned-under edges for pockets and other lined portions of projects such as book covers, wallets, and cases. For another approach to linings and pockets, Kevin King posted a great tutorial on his method of making wallet insides. This demo shows another method of rolling inside pocket edges to give them a smooth leading edge, using a French skiving knife.

For this demo, I have a book cover for which I'm making sleeves for the cover of the sketchbook or journal to be inserted into. This is some very light chrome-tanned pigskin split (1.5oz), so it works well to turn the edge under, or "roll" it, to give it more strength and a more professional look. Here's what I'm talking about:

The inside edge is the one that is turned under. With it turned under like this, it won't stretch as much with use, and looks more "finished". Sometimes a modeled groove is pressed about 1/8" from the folded edge to give it a nice trim touch, but this particular piece of leather doesn't take a modeled impression very well. If I was using something veg-tanned, like goat or calfskin, I would do that. The outside edges for this particular item are "raw" (not rolled or turned under), but they are burnished to give them a finished look.

I learned to do this from one of George Hurst's instructional videos, "Rolled Edges", so if you are interested in more detail about this technique, I recommend getting the video. (http://www.hidecraft...emart&Itemid=35)

I start with a piece of leather that is to become the pocket of this book cover. I have the outline of the pocket transferred to the flesh side of it, and have already cut along the line of the pocket where it will face in towards the inside of the book. This is the edge to be rolled. The outside edges I leave uncut for now.

First, I use a French skiving knife to start an angled cut along the edge of the leather. A straight edge helps guide the knife and also helps keep the thin leather from buckling as the knife is doing its work.

Note: The knife must be extremely sharp, something similar to that of a head knife, especially on this tough pigskin. The knife in this demo is a Hyde French skiving knife I got from Hidecrafter, and it took some time and attention to get it sharp enough to be useful, but now that I've got it really sharp, it does the job nicely. Leather Wranglers also makes an extremely nice (as in, WOW, beautiful and amazing!) skiving knife that I highly recommend.

This method of skiving very thin leather can sometimes require a few passes with the knife. With cow hide, I can sometimes cut all the way through in one pass, but this pigskin takes me three.

Once cut is complete, the edge of the leather should have a "feather edge", in other words, the thickness should decrease gradually to nothing.

Next, I want to make the fold. To make a nice straight and sharp fold, I need to make a crease along the fold line. Before making a crease, it helps to moisten the leather along the fold line. I use a cotton swab dipped in water to do this.

Next, I use a modeling tool to press a groove along the fold line. This helps the leather fold neatly along that line.

Here, I am applying rubber cement to the fold line to make the fold stick once I fold it. The brush that came with this particular jar of cement is a bit fouled up, so it got a little out of control, but since this surface is not visible, it's not a show-stopper. I do try to avoid that, though, and just put the cement exactly where I need it.

Next, I fold the leather along the pressed groove...

The groove makes it easy to make a perfect, straight, and flat fold. To flatten it more, I sometimes run a rolling pin over it, but with leather this thin, I was able to just press it flat with my fingers. This is how it looks from the flesh side after the fold is done. Notice how the skived and folded edge blends into the back-side of the pocket to form a fold that is smooth and flat.

The pocket is then sewn into the cover. I normally don't trim the outside edges of the pocket until after it's sewn in. This is so I can trim the edges to perfectly match the outer edges of the cover, as the pattern lines rarely match the edges of the outer cover perfectly due to shrinkage and other factors.

Kate

[Sixer]

Just awesome! Thanks

[moeg]

Thanks Kate, a lot of great information.

Moe

[Jovial]

Fantastic write up! I vote this gets put up there with Kevin King's tutorial or something!

In other news, a question: Do you find the rubber cement and getting stitched in at the sides enough to hold the fold securely? I tend to not trust rubber cement much at all any more.

[JustKate]

In other news, a question: Do you find the rubber cement and getting stitched in at the sides enough to hold the fold securely? I tend to not trust rubber cement much at all any more.

I've got a lined book cover I made 4 years ago with pockets done this way. The folds have stayed down perfectly well. But I understand your concern. You can substitute the rubber cement with whatever you like better.

Kate

[Jovial]

Eh, I wasn't really concerned just curious. I think i just have bad luck with rubber cement is all. Thanks!

[Hauss]

Hey Kate a newbie here trying to learn this great art . I have always wondered how that was done and I have to say that was great and the way You presented it was easy to understand thats a real homerun!!!!! Thanks Hauss

[Skald]

Sorry if I'm just not paying attention, but would do you do with corners? Sometimes it's maybe not possible to hide the ends of the pieces.

[hidepounder]

Nice job Kate!

[leathercrafter]

nice job kate that is the same method i use on all my inside pockets of all my work. you did a great job of explaining it. thanks john

[Blackey Cole]

This is a outstanding tutorial on rolled edges. I have George's DVD on rolled edges and from I recall this cover it in a nut shell.

[fishguy]

can you show how to do rounded corners?

[JustKate]

I think someone (maybe Peter Main?) posted a photo demo somewhere around here that shows that. I'll see if I can find it and post a link.

[alan83ogz]

Hi everyone!

does anyone know information about doing rolled edges on pu leather?

with the lining attached glued to the pu leather, the edges are perfectly done.

thanks in advance!

[dirtclod]

Whats PU leather ???

[Lillaprinsen]

PU leather is polyurethane leather.

[Monkiller]

Thanks very much I enjoyed this tutorial.

[Monkiller]

Thanks for all the info.

[Piedmont]

Thank you for the lesson! One question I'm trying to track down is that rounded corner.. How do you edge roll the leather around a round corner?

Thanks

[TRHLeather]

When I do rounded corners, I use the same process but when i get to an outside corner I have to cut darts, or small triangles, almost to the finished edge (not quite to where you would see them when you fold/glue them) so the leather doesn't pucker. For an inside corner, I cut the leather almost to the finished edge with straight cuts to let the leather fold without pulling.

[bananaplum]

When I do rounded corners, I use the same process but when i get to an outside corner I have to cut darts, or small triangles, almost to the finished edge (not quite to where you would see them when you fold/glue them) so the leather doesn't pucker. For an inside corner, I cut the leather almost to the finished edge with straight cuts to let the leather fold without pulling.

Rolled Corner .jpg

This is a great diagram of how the darts should be cut! Thank you for the tutorial :D

[MG513]

So much useful info here thanks everyone!! Im a newbie! I was about to buy some expensive books on this process lol.

Would still love to see this process in photos though

[TheCrimsonCrusader]

Hello all, 

I'm a newbie here and am starting to learn about shoe construction and I'm also still learning how to navigate the forum and look for info so forgive me if my questions seem remedial or misplaced

I'm looking to get edges like the ones in the pic I've attached done for some shoe work. What kind of material it's being used for the edges? And could the tutorials explained in this thread be used to achieve this desired result?

[Rahere]

The Crimson Crusader

2 resources for shoemaking: Sveta Kletina and ICanMakeShoes on Youtube,

As far as that edging's concerned, it could be done by whipping a core, extremely laboriously, but is more likely a heat-welded plastic finish.

I'm old school, rubber cement these days isn't what it was. A lot of work's gone into rubber technology and the cement hasn't kept up, except for one: Renia's Colle de Cologne's tackling things rubberworkers were in despair over, but it's expensive, use it with thinners.

 

[Loki74]

I know I'm kinda necroing the post but just thought I'd share a quick 45 second video on rounded corners. This does take a good bit of practice but doesn't require darting and looks more finished imho.