How To Improve Durability On Burnished Edges?

[DR80]

I'm not satisfied with my edges, or rather the life of the burnished edges.

I get a really good result with Fenice edge ink (Not Tandy's but probably the same.) but it gives a little "rubber feeling" which works on some projects.

The way i burnish.

1. Sand.

2. Bevel edges.

3. Burnish with saddle soap (burnish, sand, burnish..) until i'm satisfied.

4. Dye (Regular oil dye)

5. Final polish with Beeswax.

The initial result is good enough for me. On things like a credit card wallet the durability is good, on a watch strap the edges soon looks worn.

And if i fold it (a wallet, notebook-cover or something like that, it becomes small "cracks" in the finish where it folds))

Is there anything i should do different? or is there something better to use? Beraud?

Attached an example.

I hope everyone understand me despite of my bad grammatics.

Thanks in advance.

Edited October 3, 2015 by DR80

[Colt W Knight]

Im not real sure why you would sand before beveling edges, or why you would need to sand inbetween burnishing.

You do need a certain quality of leather to get good burnished edges. Some leather just wont burnish worth a darn.

[DR80]

Im not real sure why you would sand before beveling edges, or why you would need to sand inbetween burnishing.

You do need a certain quality of leather to get good burnished edges. Some leather just wont burnish worth a darn.

I like to make the stitching line before i bevel my edges. And i have to sand before i make my stitching line

The quality of the leather is good.

[DavidL]

Something you could try is thinning the glue. There should still be a lot of strength to the piece.

[LeatherLegion]

I think you are being to hard on yourself...As a customer I would never complain about those edges...they look good to me .

[Wild Bill46]

I think Legion might be on to something, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, still I can't make every piece look as good

as factory, with all their expensive equipment and so on , But I try as I go to better myself, thus less strain and greef,

and my learning curve continues, as in a good continuing education. Hope I'm not babeling --- Wild Bill46

[DR80]

I think you are being to hard on yourself...As a customer I would never complain about those edges...they look good to me .

Yes it's true. It looks good, but for every piece i make i want do to things better.

I think Legion might be on to something, I'm a bit of a perfectionist, still I can't make every piece look as good

as factory, with all their expensive equipment and so on , But I try as I go to better myself, thus less strain and greef,

and my learning curve continues, as in a good continuing education. Hope I'm not babeling --- Wild Bill46

"with all their expensive equipment and so on" The interesting part here is what equipment do they have that makes those edges better. I need that equipment or a "working substitute" to that equipment.

Just now i'm working on a watch strap prototype with padding, i can't explain why, but on those edges i find it nice with Fenice on the edges, on the finished piece i will probably use a gloss agent too.

[thefanninator]

When you say edge ink, do you mean the Fenice Edge Paint? How many coats are you doing? I'd do 3-5 coats.

I don't bevel anything that I'm going to use paint on. I think a flat edge is better for paint. I only bevel when I follow Bob's (Hidepounder) tutorial.

I just started using the gloss edge agent and I think it helps some. Only edge paints left I'd like to try are Giardini and Beraud.

[DR80]

When you say edge ink, do you mean the Fenice Edge Paint? How many coats are you doing? I'd do 3-5 coats.

I don't bevel anything that I'm going to use paint on. I think a flat edge is better for paint. I only bevel when I follow Bob's (Hidepounder) tutorial.

I just started using the gloss edge agent and I think it helps some. Only edge paints left I'd like to try are Giardini and Beraud.

This one: http://www.ds-leder.de/ink-edge.html

It depends on if the edge is trimmed after glue or not. But a trimmed edge is 2-3 layers. Not trimmed 3-5 like you.

I bevel the edge with the smallest beveler (size:0)

One thing i think is important is to "burn" the first layer of paint (with a wood burnisher/canvas or fileteuse) How are you doing?

I can show the result of my prototype's edge when i'm done.

[thefanninator]

I can't read Swedish but that doesn't look like paint but I may be wrong. Sometimes I put wax on after the first coat of paint and I heat treat with the fileteuse. Then sand and add more coats.

Edited October 4, 2015 by thefanninator

[Thor]

Can't read Swedish either, but that's German and fenice is an Italian company which used to make the fenice edge paint exclusively for Tandy. DS Leder is one of the bigger German retailers in the saddler and leather industry. In fact they usually provide better tools and material than Tandy.

[DR80]

I can't read Swedish but that doesn't look like paint but I may be wrong. Sometimes I put wax on after the first coat of paint and I heat treat with the fileteuse. Then sand and add more coats.

I don't know really, but i like it. The adhesion seems really good. But like i said earlier, och don't like it on all projects. I'm going to use it later on Chrome tanned goat.

Here you have it in english: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=sv&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ds-leder.de%2Fink-edge.html&edit-text=

[thefanninator]

If it's paint you're using and not dye, don't use saddle soap.

[DR80]

If it's paint you're using and not dye, don't use saddle soap.

When i'm using Fenice i don't burnish the edge before the first layer. The reason is because it impairs the adhesion.

[DR80]

I can't read Swedish but that doesn't look like paint but I may be wrong. Sometimes I put wax on after the first coat of paint and I heat treat with the fileteuse. Then sand and add more coats.

Here are the pictures on my finished prototype. Not an easy task to take edge pictures

I wish my burnished edges was as smooth as this.

[thefanninator]

Looks pretty nice to me. I guess I've got two last ideas.

If it is paint use another coat or two.

If it's dye you might try a coat of lacquer based finish... Something like Clear Lac or Wyo Sheen.

Well good look.

Take a look here:

http://www.watchesbysjx.com/2012/08/how-to-hand-making-watch-strap.html

[Colt W Knight]

Here are the pictures on my finished prototype. Not an easy task to take edge pictures

I wish my burnished edges was as smooth as this.

Use the Macro function on your camera, almost always looks like a little rose or flower.