Is It Possible To Smooth The Nap On Suede?

[Ronald K]

I use suede cow hide to sew chopper mitts (fingerless gloves) but some of the leather I get is rough with a very fuzzy nap while some is beautifully smooth suede with little nap. Is there a trick or technique for improving the nap on suede? By improve I me knock down or reduce the roughness of the suede nap. Can it be sanded smooth? Or am I just out of luck? I know it sounds silly but is there a tool to slice or trim down the nap? I envision a mini lawnmower or planner blade that would cut down the fuzzy nap. I treat these mitts with spray silicone to waterproof.

[SethJ]

Hmmm not sure about this,..but if I get a piece of really fleshy hide I have used gum trag to mush it down. I put a good amount of gum on it and swipe one direction until it gets flat like I want. It seems to last a pretty good while.

[electrathon]

The easiest answer is to buy quality leather. If you are making these to sell it would probibly also be a cost savings when you factor in the improved quality and reduced waste.

[DavidL]

idk if you found a solution, but i have a crazy idea that might work. Hair Clippers without a guard. Let me know if you try it out.

[JDTagish]

I got some upholsery leather that had some pretty hairy backs, and I found that if I wet them and then ironed (on low heat) the suede side, it laid down pretty well. You do have to be careful not to use too much heat or you'll burn your leather or it will curl up on the edges. It worked for me, but YMMV.