Creasing

[badger]

First off, please forgive my ignorance....self taught.

I've never creased with a hot crease. I've cased the leather and worked the crease in with a cold tool. It gives OK results but not as crisp and clean, or deep, as I'd like.

I'm a fan of creasing as I think compressing the leather at the edge is better than removing it with a groover or race. Just my opinion. I know different people have different ideas about this.

How do I go about creasing with a hot tool? Also, is there a special crease I should get or will the tools I have be OK? They're standard leatherworking tools. I have a Dixon screw crease I like.

How do I go about hot creasing and what do I need to watch out for.

Many thanks as always,

Karl

[rdb]

I'm not sure what a dixon "screw creaser" looks like, but I just use a small propane torch to heat my push bevelers. Heating maybe a bad word. Actually, just a little more than "warm to the touch" is how hot I make it. I've seen videos on you tube of Italian box makers that have some sort of hot plate they put their burnishing iron tools on, warm the tool, then apply.

Too hot, and it burns the leather, which is what you don't want. Just right, and you have a good looking, more permanent crease. I'm not sure, but I think it's a dying part of the trade. I seldom see anyone do it anymore. Too bad production is more important now.

[celticleather]

I crease just about everything I make; I think it gives a more 'classic' look to the finished product. I have three adjustable creasers (all Dixon) that I use regularly. One has a fairly broad squared-off creasing edge that I use hot, but only on bridle leathers. Another has a narrower squared-off edge that I use cold on cased tooling leathers, and the third has a rounded V-shaped edge, which I also use cold on cased tooling leathers.

I guess it's one of those questions where ten people would give fifteen different methods of working!

[UKRay]

Many years ago I was taught to use a hot creaser - we actually used a gas ring to heat up the 'business end' of the tool - because it speeded up the process when working with hard harness leather. The heat from the hot iron seemed to melt the fat in the leather and leave a nice sharp crease without too much pressure, although there were plenty of occasions when the creasing iron was used cold to finish off a harness job and you would be hard pushed to tell the two apart.

It rather depends what leather you are working with too. A cold crease in a leather with a high fat content looks a lot different to a crease in a piece of undyed vegtan. I don't have a problem creasing wet vegtan with a cold tool - but try the same trick on a bit of bridle leather and you won't be happy with the results.

In the main, I work almost exactly the same way as CelticLeather, I crease most of my work and have a very similar set of creasers - although I do use a collection of single edge creasers to lay down ornamental creases on some of my fancy strapwork.

The main difference would seem to be that if I have a fair number of straps to crease I tend to use a cold roller creasing machine - mine were both made by the British United Shoe Machinery Company sometime around 1950 as far as I can tell. They make a lovely job and speed up the process no end.

[barra]

This Vid gives a small visual glimps into hot creasing. Go to the bridle production segment. I just use a small gas camping stove. You can use a jam jar with a hole in the lid for a wick. Pour a small amount of Kero, lamp oil or metho in the jar.

Barra

Edited November 19, 2008 by barra

[Crystal]

Badger, I'm going to jump in on your topic here and ask a few more questions:

Is creasing done for a decorative purpose or does it have a functional aspect?

If you are stitching do you crease and put your stitches in the crease line (like when using a groover) or do you stitch and add a crease to the outside?

Thanks-

Crystal

[badger]

Crystal,

Personally I use creasing for four reasons:

1. To drop the stitches below the surface of the leather so they don't get worn so readily.

2. To make the finished piece neater and more professional looking.

3. For decorative purposes.

4. By creasing you compress the fibres near the edge of the piece. I believe this strengthens the edge.

Hope this helps. it is only my opinion, however.

Karl

Edited November 19, 2008 by badger

[UKRay]

Crystal,

Personally I use creasing for four reasons:

1. To drop the stitches below the surface of the leather so they don't get worn so readily.

2. To make the finished piece neater and more professional looking.

3. For decorative purposes.

4. By creasing you compress the fibres near the edge of the piece. I believe this strengthens the edge.

Hope this helps. it is only my opinion, however.

Karl

That all sounds about right to me too Crystal. I also use a creased line to set the border away from the edge when I am stamping leather and to give me a guideline when I am using a freehand groover.

You might find the attached link useful as it outlines a number of processes in pictures.

http://www.journeyman-leather.co.uk/aboutleatherworking.html

[Crystal]

Thank you Karl and Ray!

Crystal

[Tannin]

Useful posts and great video

...
You might find the attached link useful as it outlines a number of processes in pictures.

http://www.journeyman-leather.co.uk/aboutleatherworking.html

That link no longer works but I reckon this is probably an updated version of it: http://www.journeyman-leather.co.uk/aboutleatherworking8.html Nice.

Edited November 5, 2014 by Tannin