Leather Starting To Crack When I Fold It

[tardis86]

so im working on a basic knife case and as i went to bend the piece over to sew it, the leather started to crack on the edge a bit..

Anyone else ever experience this issue? how can i prevent that in the future?

thanks

[Troy I]

Try butting a light coat of neatsfoot oil on the leather before bending it...also if you lightly wet the leather before bending it will not be as prone to cracking.

[tardis86]

Try butting a light coat of neatsfoot oil on the leather before bending it...also if you lightly wet the leather before bending it will not be as prone to cracking.

i dont have neatsfoot oil at the moment, so water for now i guess.

When i do get some though, should that be applied before or after any dye i use?

[Troy I]

I apply the oil after dyeing.

[NVLeatherWorx]

You can really apply the oil before or after, your choice. When wetting the leather at a fold location be sure to wet the BACK side of the leather (the flesh side) so as not to cause the dye/finish to discolor (and it will happen, especially if you use any of the water based products). Treat it just like the casing process: dampen the leather, let it sit for a few minutes until it looks like it is starting to return to normal color (but you should be able to still feel some dampness to the touch) then carefully fold your lines as needed. Above all, do not try to flatten it out with a mallet as you can put the fold at risk of cracking, regardless of whether or not you oiled it, and you can also bring some of the moisture out to the grain side being as you are no forcing the leather to fold.

[chiefjason]

I can't tell from the pic, but there are two things that can happen when you bend it. Cracking if the leather is old, dry, and stiff. More likely thought is "pull up" Where you see some of the base color through the dye. Some tanneries build pull up into leather. Sometimes you get it if the dye does not strike through or get deep into the leather. Occasionally, I'll get a crackling look if the acrylic finish does not take well or goes on too thick. If the leather gets bent a little too much the acrylic will turn a lighter color in the grain folds.

That looks more like pull up to me.