Laceing

[MadTailor]

Have been doing lacing here and there and have the feeling I'm missing something. Do I need to soak or oil the lace before lacing? Thinking that will make it tight after drys out. Any tips on how you do it will be great. Thanks

[pabloz]

Here's all I know....Just use high quality calf skin or roo lace and pull both sides over a bar of glycerine saddle soap to lubricate (Ivory soap works well too). This will make the lace slide through the slit instead of drag. Pull it snug...then when your all done lightly wet it and use your slicker to smooth it out.

[Rawhide]

I pull the lace through beeswax instead of saddle soap for two reasons. 1. The saddle soap will eventually dry (before you finish lacing) and leave the lace as vulnerable to fraying as it was before you put the saddle soap on. Beeswax will stay on the lace and won't dry out. 2. When the lacing is complete and you tap the lacing with a mallet or roll it with a lace roller, the beeswax will help the lace "stick" and lay down nicely. Then when you rub your lacing with a burnisher, the heat will melt and evenly distribute the beeswax and you'll have a fine looking laced edge.

Plus it will prevent the lace from dry rotting.

Marlon