Alternative To Gun Trag

[Toffeehead]

Can anyone recommend an alternative to gum trag for belt edges please. I use edge kote and have been using eco flow gum trag but one supplier no longer does it and a litre is about £30 from another. Just wondering if there is something else I can use just a good or better available in the UK.

[leaky5]

I buy my gum trag from cake decorating shops as powder. I then just wet my finger, pop in in the powder and rub of the edges, it only costs a couple of £ and lasts ages.

[King's X]

Sheridan Outfitters in Wyoming offers Quik Slik which is an alternative to Gum Trag.

[celticleather]

I use Gum Arabic, which is used extensively in the printing trade, as a finishing coat for lithographic printing plates (it prevents the plate surface from oxidising). When I run short I visit my local printing works and beg a small bottle from them. A half-litre bottle lasts for ages, and even this needs to be diluted 50:50 to get a good consistency. They may have what is known as 'synthetic gum', but it is basically the same, and works perfectly well.

[Halitech]

water and natural beeswax

[Avion]

Halitech, do you use water and beeswax regularly? I will have to give this a go.

[Halitech]

I switched a few months ago. I apply water to the edge first, burnish. apply the wax then burnish again. Sometimes I'll take an old piece of denim and run over it again after I burnish the wax.

[electrathon]

Water and glycerine bar saddle soap here. I use beeswax sometimes but you have to dye first. If you use soap you can dye after burnishing.

[King's X]

I use water and glycerine (saddle) soap. I do not use Gum, but I have a a bottle of Quik Slik and it has worked great. You can even dye over it. The bottle is still full because soap and water has worked really well for me.

[Halitech]

Water and glycerine bar saddle soap here. I use beeswax sometimes but you have to dye first. If you use soap you can dye after burnishing.

I usually dye my edges at the same time as I'm doing the rest so that's not been an issue for me yet

[chiefjason]

Liquid saddle soap, either purchased or currently making my own. Take a bar of saddle soap, shred it really fine, pour very hot water over it and stir. Couple shakes before starting. Apply to edge with a dauber and burnish away.

However, if you edge with pro oil black and go straight to the burnisher the pro oil dye gives quite a nice edge by itself. I've started just burnishing right after dying my edges. It's working out very well.