Edge Beveler Sharpening / Honing

[Mikgoo]

Are there any tricks or tips to sharpening or honing an edge beveler?

I am new to leather tools and thought I would ask the pro's before I

ruin a good tool by doing it wrong !

Thanks,

Mike G.

[camano ridge]

In the pinned topics in this forum is one that says making a strop. Art did a tutorial on making a strop board specificaly for edge bevelers. He used horse hide, I made mine with veg tanned and it works fine. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=36221

Also here is a you tube video of using the Weaver strop board for edge bevelers. similar to the one art did.

Tandy also has a free video showing how to care for edge bevelers and shows how to make a similar strop board. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/Use-and-Care-of-Edge-Bevelers.aspx

Edited June 5, 2014 by camano ridge

[bruce johnson]

I am in the middle of doing a tutorial on edge beveler sharpening now. It is one of the most common questions I get. In a nutshell until I get the sketches done, here's the abridged version.

Abrasives - Use very fine stones or fine wet-dry. More damage is done by using a heavier grit than necessary and then trying to work that out. Most edgers just need a touch up first and then a good stropping. If you start too coarse you might end with a more ragged edge than you started with. By the time you have worked that out with progressively finer grits you have wasted time and metal. 600something to 800 wet-dry is about where I start on most edgers. work up a grit or two and get to a nice even pretty smooth edge. Once I get to a strop, I use green compound. It will remove some metal maybe, but if I work it right I get the best edges.

On most edgers I work off the bottom. It is more accessible and easier for me to maintain a consistant angle. One I have a pretty fine edge and starting to draw a thin burr evenly across the width, I start stropping. top and bottom to work that bur off. On the bottom I rotate up slightly at the end of the stoke to make a slight convex edge. It is more durable on thin stock edgers and holds better. If the edger is good it doesn't take much of a convex to hold it. Some edgers have the top in a slot and compound on stiff cardboard works well for me. If I have nooks and crannies like a round bottom Gomph or vizzard edger, I use an angled piece of hard leather to get into the corner OR I use a soft wire wheel and lightly do the top with that rotating away from the blade edge.

On round bottom edgers I use something that mimics that same curve. Best way I was taught was to edge a piece of leather slightly smaller than the profile, wrap wet-dry over that to fill in the profile and match the tool, and secure it in a vise. You can draw or lightly push to work up an edge. Once you have the edge, time to strop. An edged piece of firm leather rubbed with compound and held in the vise is good, just draw back and strop the bottom, Use whatever works for the top.

I know this is contrary to a lot of instructions. They show most of the work done with files or wafer stones in the slot from the top. My problem there is that with the bent shanks you can't get a good stroke without running into the shank or handle. Three things happen. You raise the angle to clear them and you are really making a steep and stubby edge. Second is that you get tired and quit too soon and the edge never gets sharp. Third thing is you have spent an inordinate amount of time sharpening the edge but you do get it right.

This is the thumbnail of what I have so far. I figured how hard can it be to write a little tutorial. Yeah... I am on three pages and no sketches yet.

[Mikgoo]

Abrasives - Use very fine stones or fine wet-dry. More damage is done by using a heavier grit than necessary and then trying to work that out. Most edgers just need a touch up first and then a good stropping. If you start too coarse you might end with a more ragged edge than you started with. By the time you have worked that out with progressively finer grits you have wasted time and metal. 600something to 800 wet-dry is about where I start on most edgers. work up a grit or two and get to a nice even pretty smooth edge. Once I get to a strop, I use green compound. It will remove some metal maybe, but if I work it right I get the best edges.

I've got an older set of wet stones that are to far gone from sharpening wood working chisels to be used for that purpose anymore, they start at 1200 grit and end at 6000 grit.

I sharpen and polish my chisels to a mirror finish with these stones, and now they will get a new lease on life keeping my new tools sharp

Mike G

Edited June 5, 2014 by Mikgoo

[billybopp]

Mike!

Thanks for asking about this! It's something that I've been struggling with as well for some time.

Bruce, I'm looking forward to your tutorial! Something that you might want to consider adding to it, or making another tutorial about is choosing and buying edgers / bevelers. There's a tremendous variety of types and sizes out there, and it's quite a task figuring out which one does what and which to use in different circumstances.

Thank you both!

Bill

[St8LineGunsmith]

I have often found that the tandy edge bevelers have a burr left on them from the factory. I have tiny files I use to remove the burr then I will hone with a strop as shown in the videos.

[chiefjason]

For my #3 I use 800 grit wet dry then strop it on a rough side with rouge then a smooth side. If it's really dull I'll start on my fine diamond stone then do the rest. I strop the bottom only, drawing it backwards from how I use it. And I try to follow the contour by rolling my wrist as I draw it back. Mostly, I just strop it though.

[BDAZ]

I made a strop board with various widths of very thin strips cut from 5/6 oz leather. The thinnest is 3/64th and goes up from there. I put a thin bead of white cement on a paint stirrer and place the strip grain side down making sure it is both straight and vertical.I have 1 pair of 3 different widths, one using green and the other white rouge. I draw the tool towards me at the angle I would be pushing and there is a noticeable cutting improvement. I strop with the white abrasive prior to every use.I have some very fine needle files but have never had to use them on this tool.

Cya!

Bob

[krusatyr]

I appreciate remarks referencing time management. When I carved wooden furniture, I budgeted about one hour of edge upkeep to seven hours of carving, requiring an hour of sharpening/honing every day.

I'm starting to do a little more leatherwork and appreciate the importance that professionals here place on edge upkeep. Tell me, when I see leatherwork for sale online with raw edges, is it because of the time required or because they are working with leather that lacks sufficient stiffness to respond to tooling and polishing?

Edited April 11, 2015 by krusatyr

[Bob Blea]

I appreciate remarks referencing time management. When I carved wooden furniture, I budgeted about one hour of edge upkeep to seven hours of carving, requiring an hour of sharpening/honing every day.

I'm starting to do a little more leatherwork and appreciate the importance that professionals here place on edge upkeep. Tell me, when I see leatherwork for sale online with raw edges, is it because of the time required or because they are working with leather that lacks sufficient stiffness to respond to tooling and polishing?

Krusatyr, welcome to the forum!

Often times it is because the leather doesn't respond well to burnishing. Chrome tanned leathers will not burnish well where vegetable tanned leather (carving leather) burnishes easily. Sometimes it just a lack of knowledge...

[zuludog]

play around with the search box on YouTube, there are several videos. This is good

How to sharpen an edge beveller. by lbcustomknives

[bruce johnson]

I've got a few tutorials done with a bunch more to go. There is one on edge beveler sharpening - www.brucejohnsonleather.com/tutorials/