Burnishing/hardening Edges Of Soft Leather

[kipling79]

Thank you all for the helpful advice.

It sounds like gum tragacanth will be a part of the solution, and I will be using the seams on the bottom of the bag to test different techniques.

Elsewhere in these forums there is a lengthy discussion about using heat to help burnish soft leather, and I am excited to see if it will produce hard edges in conjunction with all of your ideas.

Between the holidays, other projects, and the size of this less critical project; It may be a while until I attempt this and post back. I hope to have good results to discuss.

[johnv474]

I have to caution you with johnv474's advice. From what I hear and what I have tried (I've used edge paint a few times), gum trag should not be used in conjunction with edge paint. It doesn't want to adhere as much to an edge that you've tried to slick.

Honestly, I would just leave it.

You can try some gum trag and a slicker but it won't get you very far.

Edge paint will work better, but it will be a total pain.

Thanks for this. I had not tried gum trag and also edge paint together, and was not aware of adhesion issues.

[Nuttish]

Gum won't burnish leather with loose flesh. You'll have to impregnate it with plastic if you want it to harden.

I should have said how I apply the paint. It's rather quick, not a pain at all.

Roll clear acrylic on sparely with a Tandy dye roller or however you usually neatly apply paint; distribute it and rub it in with finger (nitrile gloves); repeat; sand however you wish. I guess you could also use Resolene or acrylic floor polish.

[TGUNARTO]

I have a piece of saddleback which I tried to finish the edge. You cant use gum trach. Since it is already stitched it is very difficult to finish some edges. I tried to wax and burnish with jeans but only successful on certain parts (shoulder strap, flap closure and some other parts. some parts are just not accepting this method.

Saddleback was the company that lured my interest in leather in 2012. Nowadays I feel their products is just cut and sew. I have a sachtel which starts to fray on the edges. And some edges on the bottom looks mushy and going to fall apart. So I tried to do something to the edges but with no success.

Maybe the only solution is to use those rubbery edge coating.