How To Burnish A Belt Edge If I'm Not Beveling The Edge?

[Rancho5]

I've been beveling the edges of my belts first, then punching, then edge coating, then dying, then burnishing (If you can improve on this order, please do so)

I made a belt last week that I didn't bevel. I left it "sharp" on the front side and I liked the look. I did not edge coat it but moistened the edge and then burnished the backside edge as best I could without rounding off the front side.

I really like the looks of the unbeveled front and was wondering what the best way is to burnish the edges without smashing that sharp front edge. Any help for a beginner appreciated. Thanks.

[Dwight]

It would take some elbow grease and some luck, . . . staple a triple layer of canvas to a 4 or 5 inch slab of 2 x 4, . . . on the edges is where the staples go.

Lay the belt on the edge of your work bench with a board on top of it, . . . let it protrude over the edge by just enough to know it's over, . . . dampen, . . . burnish, . . . add a little bees wax, . . . burnish.

It looks really nice at first, . . . but it gets ragged fairly easy. That is only for a "saturday nite special date" belt.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Rancho5]

Do you know what this particular belt making method is called, not beveling the edges but leaving them sharp? Maybe "Strait edge belt"?

[Chief31794]

Do you know what this particular belt making method is called, not beveling the edges but leaving them sharp? Maybe "Strait edge belt"?

I'm not sure what you'd call it, but I'd be interested in how it looks after 6 months of wear, the reason most belts are beveled and burnished isn't for the looks so much as to prevent fraying, sharp edges on leather will wear and fray most times. Let us know how it turns out on the wear. It could be a new thing.

Chief

[Rancho5]

I've seen the technique in some higher end belts. It's been around for a while. I'm just trying to think of ways to keep it from fraying and still get that sharp edge look.

[papaw]

If I was going to not bevel it, IMHO I would put a sealer on the edge to slow down the fraying for a while. Just my .02

[Dwight]

Several coats of resolene on the edges alone might do that, . . . but it also might produce an edge that will cut you, . . . it's pretty hard stuff.

May God bless,

Dwight

[tossik]

When I do straight edges on belts, I burnish with a straight cocobolo burnisher on my dremel tool.I go lowest speed, and I use bees wax to burnish. Very light passes and never press too hard. Then at the end I use a little resolene, burnish again, and finish with wax again hand rubbed.

I have some of those belts I wear to work with slacks on almost daily basis with zero fraying been close to a year now. Few coworkers have my belts as well with no issues with months of use.

I always use the best possible leather so its soft yet dense (oil the leather as well). I also always buy 10/12oz leather or thicker and then use a splitter to split to 6/8oz. this gets rid of loose particles on the back and gives me the cleanest leather to work with.

Hope that helps!

[DANDTON]

I've been beveling the edges of my belts first, then punching, then edge coating, then dying, then burnishing (If you can improve on this order, please do so)

I made a belt last week that I didn't bevel. I left it "sharp" on the front side and I liked the look. I did not edge coat it but moistened the edge and then burnished the backside edge as best I could without rounding off the front side.

I really like the looks of the unbeveled front and was wondering what the best way is to burnish the edges without smashing that sharp front edge. Any help for a beginner appreciated. Thanks.

If you don't bevel the edge, there is another way: Burn the edge, you can use this tool:

http://www.lzpattern.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=62&product_id=186

It can burn the sharp edge down and turn it into round effect, I use it to polish the belt edge,

It has very high efficiency.

But after polishing, please use bee wax to polish again, that will keep shining.