Folded Edge Card Holder

[Dunluce]

So I tried my first folded edge wallet and I have a couple of questions to help me improve. I skived the edge with a blade and I know I have to practise; it isn't as easy as those videos where people run their blade along the leather like a knife through hot butter! When I look at this they always skive on a surface like glass or polished marble, does this really make a difference? I have just been doing mine on my cutting mat.  Also how do you do your corners? I tried to cut them so the two edges aligned at an angle but it hasn't quite worked. Do you overlap them?

 

[bikermutt07]

It looks pretty good. I am no expert on skiving, but I bet the cutting mat is giving you problems. The glass allows the blade to glide across it where a mat will cause the blade to dig in and grab.

As far as the angles go just make them on a 45 degree and keep practicing.

[Stetson912]

Dunluce, check Ian atkinson a videos on YouTube. He has a 15minute video that shows him making a turned edge wallet. It isn't instructional but you can still learn from it. He also has a video on edge turnings and bindings which is a great video too. He uses a "safety" beveler for skiving so that aspect he may not be able to help with. 

 

However, Lisa Sorrell has a short snipit on YouTube as well about skiving knives and skiving which may also be beneficial. 

Cheers 

[Matt S]

@Dunluce what blade are you using for your skiving? I tried the safety skiver and several different notes until I found the boring English paring knife to be my most comfortable tool for the job. Gotta be ridiculously sharp and with a flat back, just like a plane iron. As bikermutt says, definitely go for something smooth and hard -- the tip of the knife rides over the work surface so you have a reference point for staying stable. I think @gmace99 has a video on skiving in his YouTube channel UK Saddlery.

[RockyAussie]

Looks pretty good Dunluce. Just warm up your corners a bit then with the side of a slicker press inwards and around. I do that style often. For skiving the corner hold the knife on an angle to skive with the side of blade touching the top of leather lining then put the edge of the blade about the same thickness of the product edge out before skiving.(2mm thick then start 2mm out) The skive should then be about as wide as the outer skin layer is thick.Carfully make sure all bits get glued including the skive. Let me know if you need a video done to show.Regards Brian

[gigi]

You can also try to 'pinch'-glue the corner's 2 sides together and cut at once (using a scissors), like in this picture.  

I skived the edge with a 'Safety Beveler' from Tandy

Edited March 24, 2017 by gigi

[Dunluce]

41 minutes ago, Matt S said:

@Dunluce what blade are you using for your skiving? I tried the safety skiver and several different notes until I found the boring English paring knife to be my most comfortable tool for the job. Gotta be ridiculously sharp and with a flat back, just like a plane iron. As bikermutt says, definitely go for something smooth and hard -- the tip of the knife rides over the work surface so you have a reference point for staying stable. I think @gmace99 has a video on skiving in his YouTube channel UK Saddlery.

Matt,

I have recently started using similar to a paring knife having tried the safety sliver and similar before. I have found that it is initially harder to get to grips with but with more practise I am finding that it offers you more control. I have went to one of our local Argos stores and bought a marble kitchen board. It isn't thick enough for hammering, or similar, on but it was cheap and hopefully will do for skiving. I will see how I get on.

42 minutes ago, RockyAussie said:

Looks pretty good Dunluce. Just warm up your corners a bit then with the side of a slicker press inwards and around. I do that style often. For skiving the corner hold the knife on an angle to skive with the side of blade touching the top of leather lining then put the edge of the blade about the same thickness of the product edge out before skiving.(2mm thick then start 2mm out) The skive should then be about as wide as the outer skin layer is thick.Carfully make sure all bits get glued including the skive. Let me know if you need a video done to show.Regards Brian

RockyAussie,

Sorry but I am lost in what you are saying. Warm the corners? I don't even know what a slicker press is, is it similar to a hand slicker (burnisher)? If you know any videos that would be much appreciated.

[RockyAussie]

7 minutes ago, Dunluce said:

Matt,

I have recently started using similar to a paring knife having tried the safety sliver and similar before. I have found that it is initially harder to get to grips with but with more practise I am finding that it offers you more control. I have went to one of our local Argos stores and bought a marble kitchen board. It isn't thick enough for hammering, or similar, on but it was cheap and hopefully will do for skiving. I will see how I get on.

RockyAussie,

Sorry but I am lost in what you are saying. Warm the corners? I don't even know what a slicker press is, is it similar to a hand slicker (burnisher)? If you know any videos that would be much appreciated.

Hi again Dunluce, just been checking a couple of videos on the subject and think I might have to do one.They were a bit rough and lacking in the finer details.A sheet of glass with some of that non slip rubber you get from the super market works well enough. As Gigi shows in picture above is one of my sometime favourites but it works best on soft leathers.To trim corners stuck together in that method I first push down firmly with a small pair of sharp scissors or sometimes a sharpened nail puller then press down into shape. What I call a slicker you might call a bone folder. They are good for slicking in lines as well. I make mine out of cow horn or bone normally to suit my hands and whatever the job application is. Normally I would not bother to warm the corners in production but after the glue has set it makes it easier to get it to mould around.Heated carefully with a heat gun or hair dryer will surprise you how much better the leather is to shape up.Sometimes I just use a lighter but on light coloured leather you have to be extra careful.Practice on some leather first to see how far away to hold it and how long. Like I said I think I need to make a video of it. 

[gmace99]

 

[gmace99]

You only have to mitre the corner . I think it shows you how about 5. 45 minutes into my video above this