Question On Folding Thick Leather

[SilenzZzz]

okay i am trying to make a smaller sized pouch .. that will be holding something around the size of two playing card decks stacked on top of each other ...

the leather that i have though is close to 1/4" thick ... fairly flexible but it does not fold to well for me to try to sew it or anything ...

should i try to find some leather that is not as thick? ...

i do not have one of those tools that i have seen in a few posts here for cutting a small groove in the leather .. i am guessing that is what is needed right now to get the leather to fold better ...

[Mijo]

I not sure this will work for you, as I've never made a bag or pouch before, but have you tried skiving down the leather where it folds / bends. I only make dog harness and leashes but when I have problems with the leather wrapping around a buckle, b/c of the thickness of the leather, I'll skive the leather down a little.

[SilenzZzz]

I not sure this will work for you, as I've never made a bag or pouch before, but have you tried skiving down the leather where it folds / bends. I only make dog harness and leashes but when I have problems with the leather wrapping around a buckle, b/c of the thickness of the leather, I'll skive the leather down a little.

thats kinda what i was talking about with a tool that i do not have ... they make one that cuts a grove in the leather where it folds ... but its like 20+ and no local place to me sells it ...

[HellfireJack]

You don't need a gouge to skive for a box fold. You can use a regular skive or even a french edger.

Bend the piece flesh side up on the edge of a table or something and carefuly skive it down at the bend then use a bone folder to make a good crease.

Have you considered wet molding it instead though?

Edited August 12, 2011 by HellfireJack

[SilenzZzz]

You don't need a gouge to skive for a box fold. You can use a regular skive or even a french edger.

Bend the piece flesh side up on the edge of a table or something and carefuly skive it down at the bend then use a bone folder to make a good crease.

Have you considered wet molding it instead though?

wet molding is what i wanted to do ... but i did not have a big enough peice of leather to do that with ... wasnt sure how much it would stretch before tearing and such ... i am still thinking it would be the best option though ... and would end up with 2 less areas that need to be sewn afterwards...

was using larger scrap peices that were trimmed form hides ...

i have neither of those tools either but i think i remember seeing one at the local hobby lobby .. will try an check after work.

[dbusarow]

You can also cut the groove with a utility knife. You just need a very light touch too make sure you don't cut too deep. In essence two cuts, 45degrees off of vertical that meet slightlly over half way through the leather. So with 1/4 thick leather you would like the groove around 3/16" deep. Just make several very light passes getting lightly deeper each time rather than trying to cut it in one pass.

Give it a try on some scrap, it is actually not that hard to do.

Dan

[Mijo]

thats kinda what i was talking about with a tool that i do not have ... they make one that cuts a grove in the leather where it folds ... but its like 20+ and no local place to me sells it ...

You don't need to a hand held skiver to skive leather you can do it with just a regular knife. I used to use a regualr leather knife (not the rounded ones) to skive but it definately takes alot more skill / control to do it that way. IMO the hand held skivers, with replaceable baldes, makes skiving much easier and I tend to make less mistakes (i.e. over skiving)

Hellfire - I never hought about using a gouge for skiving before, probably b/c I don't own one. Is it easier than using a hand held skiver? It seems like it would take longer but maybe get better / more consistent results.

[SilenzZzz]

You can also cut the groove with a utility knife. You just need a very light touch too make sure you don't cut too deep. In essence two cuts, 45degrees off of vertical that meet slightlly over half way through the leather. So with 1/4 thick leather you would like the groove around 3/16" deep. Just make several very light passes getting lightly deeper each time rather than trying to cut it in one pass.

Give it a try on some scrap, it is actually not that hard to do.

Dan

going to give that a try and see ... i wonder if folding it with the rough side out and then trimming a section off of the fold would do the same ... i just know it needs to be thinner to get it to fold correctly for sure ... tho i may just scrap this plan and pick up a larger piece when i can to mold it instead.