Finishing edges on non veg tanned leather

[Brianm77]

So I am still pretty new and learning. With that said I have a question. During all the research, reading, watching videos, and looking here I have done, there seems to be two types of edge treatments.  You have burnishing on veg tanned and you have edge coat or something on chrome tanned or anything that is not veg tanned. My problem is I don't like the look of the edge coat stuff. It looks like plastic on top of the leather to me.  And I have seen a ton of stuff over the years we're the edges are cracked and pieces of the edge coat stuff falling off.  My question is this. Is there not something I can try that is not just sitting on top?  Maybe something that is a little more flexible.   I would even be ok if it did not look quite as smooth or as refined, I think I might like it more than painting plastic on top of the leather. 

What y'all got?

[Brianm77]

Talking about chrome tanned leather or an oily pull up...

[bikermutt07]

You can get a burnish on chrome tanned. It takes more time and (I'm gonna say it) intimacy. But it will never look as good as veg tan.

Something new I was shown was some natural antique paste from fiebings. Put it on and burnish. I tried some on some chrome tan chap leather, some sb foot stuff, and a piece of horween cxl horse strip. They all came out nicer than what I had achieved before.

I have some tokonole on order and will try that next to see if it is easier.

[Brianm77]

Using pretty much the same process?  Or only that stuff you said?  How long did it last, any idea?

[Tugadude]

Search the forum for Fileteuse.  It is what many pros use along with an edge coat.  

Otherwise, rolled edges are the way to go.

[Brianm77]

What is rolled edge?  Skived to almost nothing, rolled and stitched?

Edited March 1, 2017 by Brianm77
Spelling

[Tugadude]

Yes, skived to about 1/2 thickness and rolled over.  Or there are other types of rolled edges using a separate strip of leather.  There's a tutorial here somewhere.  What projects are you working on?  Some techniques "fit" certain types of work.

[panchoskywalker]

I use tokolone on chrome leather, results depends on the leather. It works quite well on oily leather, otherwise I don't like it very much.

[bikermutt07]

3 hours ago, Brianm77 said:

Using pretty much the same process?  Or only that stuff you said?  How long did it last, any idea?

Let me expand a little......

I have used firmer chrome tans to date so far.

Here is a picture of a wallet I did using the traditional techniques applied normally to veg tan.

This was as good as I could get it.

 

 

This next picture is the same leather but using fiebings antique paste (color is natural or neutral). I did this on my motor burnisher.

Here is the horween cxl horse strip.

I think it looks pretty good.

 

 

And here is the sb foot.

I think there is something to using the antique paste.

All of these examples took far less time than the wallet. And I had better results.

Ymmv.

 

[Brianm77]

1 hour ago, Tugadude said:

Yes, skived to about 1/2 thickness and rolled over.  Or there are other types of rolled edges using a separate strip of leather.  There's a tutorial here somewhere.  What projects are you working on?  Some techniques "fit" certain types of work.

Mainly wallets, maybe a money clip or two, small little what not project. 

4 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

Something new I was shown was some natural antique paste from fiebings. Put it on and burnish. I tried some on some chrome tan chap leather, some sb foot stuff, and a piece of horween cxl horse strip. They all came out nicer than what I had achieved before.

May have to give it a try. This is still a hobby and I would like to slow down on buying tools for now.  Maybe tinker with an iron later. 

 

Does the Tokolone use the same process as well?

[bikermutt07]

3 minutes ago, Brianm77 said:

Mainly wallets, maybe a money clip or two, small little what not project. 

May have to give it a try. This is still a hobby and I would like to slow down on buying tools for now.  Maybe tinker with an iron later. 

 

Does the Tokolone use the same process as well?

I'm waiting on it to arrive. It's in transit. The antique paste runs 7 or 8 bucks. The tokonole was 11 bucks. We will see.

This is still a hobby for me as well. But if I had to continue hand burnishing I was going to quit. 2 decades of construction work have started to take it's toll on my hands.

I made my burnishing set up with a free motor and a 50.00 pro edge burnisher.

Edited March 1, 2017 by bikermutt07

[Brianm77]

lol.  I am ok by hand for now, but I will probably do something similar.  Or I have a drill press that needs a little work and a little love to get back working again. Been more than a few years since I have used it, probably get it back going and use a burnisher in it. 

[bikermutt07]

5 hours ago, Brianm77 said:

lol.  I am ok by hand for now, but I will probably do something similar.  Or I have a drill press that needs a little work and a little love to get back working again. Been more than a few years since I have used it, probably get it back going and use a burnisher in it. 

That's what I would have done. But I don't have a drill press. From what I understand the slower speed of a drill press burnishes better.

[Brianm77]

You could do something like this.  It could be what ever speed you want

[bikermutt07]

51 minutes ago, Brianm77 said:

You could do something like this.  It could be what ever speed you want

That's a little extreme, Brian. Haha

[Brianm77]

Pillow block bearings $10 or so, shaft couple bucks, pulleys couple bucks at tractor supply, belt $10 at Orielys, piece of scrap plywood.  You already got the motor...

Edited March 1, 2017 by Brianm77
Spelling

[bikermutt07]

How fast is that turning?

[Brianm77]

If your motor is 1750rpm. And you have a 2:1 pulley ratio then your down around 875 rpm. And a 3:1 would put you around 583 rpm

 

should be a tag on your motor to tell you how fast it turns.  Unless it has rubbed off. 

Edited March 2, 2017 by Brianm77
Added something

[bikermutt07]

Mines at 3000.

[Brianm77]

So 3:1 would be a little over 1100 and 4:1 would be about 855. I think it is more like 3420 on the motor rpm or 3450. But I did the math on 3420

[JimTimber]

Find someone with a clutch motor they want to get rid of and you've got an easily adapted power source.

 

I too am curious about edge dressing on oil tanned leather.   I just got half a hide to start making some pouches out of and would like options for the raw edges.

Edited March 8, 2017 by JimTimber

[Brianm77]

I got some of the the antique and it really seems to be working really nicely.   Question though, can you wax over the antique?  I was gonna try on a piece of scrap tomorrow.

 

He he already has the motor, which is the biggest expense. The rest is pretty cheap and it would be a pretty easy build. 

[bikermutt07]

I don't think you need to wax over it. My experiences with the wax have made all my edges a little more grippy.

The tokonole worked just as easily, but it came out a hair slicker to the touch. Shine was about dead even.

[Brianm77]

I wonder if the wax would help it last though.  I have some of that on order also.  But takes a while on the slow boat from Japan...

[bikermutt07]

Rocky Mountain Leather supply has it. They have some nice premium products too.