Edge Finisher

[Shooter McGavin]

Same sealant I use on the rest of the holster/belt, which is Weaver Leather Kote diluted 50/50 with water

[Red Cent]

It is confusing for someone who has only used a couple of edge coatings/finishers/kotes......

There is edge dye, edge kote, edge ink, edge acrylics, and heaven knows what else. Some use saddle soap, glycerin bar soap, plain water, and saliva. Probably more.

No finish at all sounds counter-intuitive but I do not question experience. From this thread I gather I could get the edge glass slick by sanding thoroughly, water burnish and beeswax/parafin burnish then buff and be done. Right?

Edited January 1, 2014 by Red Cent

[malabar]

Yep. Pretty much. Sanding is key. The layers have to be flush, and without gaps at the edge. I round my edges right after I mold the holster. I have an Osbourne edger that I keep razor sharp, and it leaves a polished edge on the wet leather. When it dries, I re=wet the edge, rub it with glycerine saddle soap and burnish. Then I apply a tiny amount of wax (50% paraffin, 40% beeswax, 10% carnauba), and reburnish the edges. Comes up rounded and silky smooth.

[chiefjason]

I edge damp. Do a bit of burnishing when I'm done edging. I've found if I edge damp and immediately burnish by hand I don't really need all the sanding I used to do. I do all the other work including dying the edges. When I get to burnishing I wet the edges with liquid glycerin saddle soap. Run everything on the burnisher in my floor drill press. Usually go back over it with a 50-50 beeswax and paraffin wax. Rub that in by hand. Then one or two coats of mop and glo over it.

I've used the black edge finishes. They are OK. But I can get similar results with the above.

Oh, and I have the burnisher at the bottom of the page in the link. The hole/holster master. Picked it up on ebay from him. This guy knows what he's doing. I can burnish IWB straps, 5-7 oz straps, backers for my hybrids, holster edges, belt slots, and belts with this one burnisher. Money very, very well spent. Could not be happier with it.

http://www.proedgeburnishers.com/drill-burnishers.html

[Red Cent]

Hey Chief. I made my own burnishers from a 1" dowel rod. After burnishing some junk leather pieces covered with saddle soap and a touch of water, they are glass slick.

Lot of different ways to achieve the perfect edge. I have the liquid glycerin along with the bar soap and all threst of the stuff. Never used the glycerin. Use it as lube for the thread. I gues I shouldn't worry so much. No complaints yet.

[chiefjason]

Red,

I've made some, bought the nylon ones, had my FIL make several smaller cocobolo ones. Nothing holds a candle to that new one I bought. Nothing. I can burnish with it by hand, sometimes just grab it out of the drawer if I need to touch up a spot quick. If you get the urge for a new toy, look into them.

And yes, 100 ways to skin a catfish. I'm loving the liquid soap. Heck, I've started using pro oil black for my edges and it seems to help burnish too.