Questions On French Edger

[Sovran81]

I just bought a new french edger having only seen vids of their use and descriptions on the forum. I am afraid I bought the wrong tool. I was expecting the toes to be angled so the cutting edge would furrow to a specific depth and cut a channel. I am wanting to thin the leather of a strap so it will fold flatter around a ring. what tool should I have bought? Can I file and smooth the toes to an angle so it will do this? Thanks

[Sylvia]

Hi Joe:

I use a safety skiver for that, then a little sanding with 150-200 grit paper, to smooth it so it doesn't look so rough.

Keep your french edger though... I understand they are good for a few things like insetting rivets

syl

[Sovran81]

I never thought about that for the rivet holes. Thanks Sylvia. I have tried a skiver but it seems to cut too wide and shallow. I have the silver tandy skiver so I cant bend it like I have heard of people doing with the black one.

[bruce johnson]

Joe,

You can grind those toes off to however you like. Just go slow and keep them pretty cool. A guy that taught me a lot about old tools ground the toes all the way off his. As you sharpen French edgers the toes will stick out more from material being taken back on the cutting edge. Every so often just shape them back.

[Sylvia]

I never thought about that for the rivet holes. Thanks Sylvia. I have tried a skiver but it seems to cut too wide and shallow. I have the silver tandy skiver so I cant bend it like I have heard of people doing with the black one.

I guess I could have been more specific. It's the black safety skiver that I use with a fresh blade it works really well. The sanding helps too. I recently got from my hubby a bench top belt sander so I don't skive as much as I used to. It's got a pretty aggressive grit on the belt and makes really quick work of things like this... and as long as I keep my fingers out of the way... It is pretty safe. It's this belt sander and I keep it tilted up like this and the very top is where I sand... I just drag the belt across the top because the belt is exposed there and it works really well.

As far as "too wide and too shallow"... I would skive from just past where your buckle tongue will go, to the end of the edge that will fold under. Skive linearly not across the belt, then sand and sand a little extra across where it folds. Practice on some scrap belt... so you can get a feel of this.

Good luck!

Syl

[Sovran81]

Bruce Thank you. Do you suggest another tool for cutting a channel across a strap?

Sylvia I have a Campbell splitter that I use for taper skiving belt ends. I love it. I am actually only trying to remove enough leather for the ring to snuggle into across the strap. That was why I bought the 1/4" french edger to begin with, I sure do hate to modify a brand new decent tool. Well it will be decent once sharpened. LOL

[Sylvia]

Oh well then Pfft!... you don't need MY help then. LOL

[Sovran81]

LOL Sylvia I will take any help offered. I failed to properly explain what I was trying to do. Other than the splitter I got for braiding, I have very little in the way of leather tools. Alternate ways of doing things are always welcome.

[bruce johnson]

Joe,

I do light skiving for folds on straps on belt sander also. The key is a good sharp belt and it won't scorch. I like an 80 grit for that. I go to a 120 to true up my edges and remove glue boogers on lined stuff.