Wearing Inner Flesh Side To Make It Smooth

[mollix]

Living in the city I decided to get a concealed wrist wallet that strapped beneath my clothing which access from the front of my sleeve if you can imagine.

http://cl.ly/image/380N2d1O1q1l

http://cl.ly/image/3z2l353X450U

The way I feel that it would work best would be to have easy access to the pocket with my coat on so nobody quite sees how I store my money. But the problem is that the inner flesh side is new and sticky so I would like to smooth that down as it normally would over time, just a lot sooner, so I could slide the money in and out easily because right now it comes out but doesn't go back in.

Product ref: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/204091079/woman-wrist-wallet-wristlet-purse

[Tugadude]

For a more permanent and smooth solution how about lining the interior? A smooth fabric or the finished side of some thin pigskin or kangaroo would do the trick.

[mollix]

Thank you for your reply, but I'm sorry I'm just not that advanced. I purchased this already made, I am looking for a method to wear the leather like the inside of a coin wallet would be, perhaps there's a chemical reaction that I could use.

When I asked the girl (creator) she suggested an inner lining, but the space is already cramped so I decided against it and it was after that I recalled old leather wallets being worn inside so as to be smooth.

Any ideas please?

[Tugadude]

I understand. What you might try is a bit of gum tragacanth on the inside surface and rub it with a bone folder. It should get the fibers to lay down, effectively smoothing it. Not sure how long it will last, but it might be a solution. Good luck!

[druid]

agreed on the burnishing. You could also use any good beeswax, rubbed into the flesh side and heated to absorb it. Burnishing can be done with anything smooth....piece of antler tine, wooden tool handle [like on a file or hand stitcher], sharpie marker....but tragacanth would work too...

[mollix]

Thank you for your replies. I think that the beeswax option may be within my abilities, knowing nothing of leather you understand, do you know of a guide or video on this that explains it best for a layman?

I found the following video but it uses a metal brush, but I don't have that kind of access inside the pocket:

[Tugadude]

Get a small piece of beeswax, rub it on the surface to be smoothed. Heat with hair dryer if need be to help it absorb into the leather and spread evenly. Rub briskly with a tool, could be as simple as a butterknife for this purpose. Many craft stores sell bone folders, even places like Michaels, but you don't have to go that route. Use what you have. The friction generates heat which along with a smooth tool helps the leather fibers lay down. Good luck!

[mollix]

You mean beeswax like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-Pure-Bees-Wax-Blocks-Beeswax-2-x-1-oz-blocks-/272006571302?hash=item3f54dae526

..or like this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/White-Beeswax-Pellets-25g-5kg-Pure-Natural-for-Candlemaking-Cosmetics-1kg-/262037733557?var=&hash=item3d02aa80b5

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yellow-Beeswax-Pellets-Pure-Natural-Unrefined-Cosmetics-Grade-/201296642202?var=&hash=item2ede37009a

[Tugadude]

The blocks

[mollix]

Okay, I got that and a bone folder, I also got a piece of leather off cut to practice on and will post after that for feedback thanks.

[mollix]

Okay, I'm back! I found time today to try out the technique on a leather off cut with the following method:

1. Heating the leather with the hair dryer.

2. Heating the wax with the hair dryer and then rubbing the wax onto the warm leather.

3. Spreading the wax with a wooden bone folder in all directions into the leather's skin side.

The following images are what I ended up with:

http://imgur.com/AFPeuF7

http://imgur.com/JPMMW81

http://imgur.com/tkoLJ74

http://imgur.com/kRZqVQP

I did rub my card over the waxed area and it was like the other smoother side of the leather, so it seems like it works.

Any advice on technique please?

[druid]

ok...the grain on the back side is long and loose. If it were me, I'd either

1. not use leather with that 'open' a grain structure.....but if I were limited to using that kind;

2. use some method of "splitting" the piece or 'shaving' the back side to try and remove that 'hairy' grain; or

3. use some sort of lining cemented and sewn at the edges to completely cover it.

In a perfect world, I'd probably go for #3. Use a nice, soft and supple goat or pig skin as a lining. cement it in place and while it's curing, bend the watch band around a tube similar in diameter to the wrist. Once cured, sew the edges together, edge bevel it and then burnish the edge to a nice round contour.

[mollix]

Hi Members and thank you for your input. Just so you know the piece of leather that I used was only a test piece, I didn't think to check for something that would be like the leather I was to work on, although in hindsight that seems like the logical thing to have done now.

So here is a photo of the wallet I am to work on (dark blue) and the off-cut, side by to side:

http://imgur.com/PmhXvY7

The skin side of the leather used on the wallet itself is much shorter and neater, I can't modify it because it's already made and I don't know how to do it anyway, but applying the wax I can do. Please see the product link to see what I am referring to thanks: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/204091079/woman-wrist-wallet-wristlet-purse

If you need any more imagery to make a judgement just let me know thanks.