Any Suggestions? - W & C Harness

[Ian]

I am making a briefcase for a customer, similar to another one I did recently, except, the last one was chrome tanned, and I want to use russet harness leather for this one, since he wants a rustic, beefy look. Though I like HO russet, I'm going with W & C because they have a splitting service and I need 5/6 for the body and 3/4 for the gussets. So here's my questions:

From the samples I have, W & C harness looks quite light in color. I'm wondering about the darkening of the exposed leather versus the covered parts, under flaps, etc. Should I cut my pieces and lay them out, exposed to the sun for a while to darken them up, so that later darkening will be less evident?

The sample I have looks glazed, and I'd prefer a less finished look - any possibilities for dulling that down a bit?

Finally. I don't want to paint the edges - just burnish and leave them natural. What would you suggest as an edge finish to keep the edges from roughing up over time. I use a Weaver power slicker for most things and that darkens light colored edges. Would bees wax and hand slicking be a better option. How would you handle that?

Again, the look I'm going for it precise, but utility, if that makes sense. I'd be grateful for any input.

Ian