cutting close to a top stitch.. (what is used -please see vid)

[beltbuckles]

so how do i cut close to a topstitch or an area that is small ... what do they use in this video? 4:19

 

[Halitech]

Looks to me like a thin piece of plastic to protect the leather they don't want to cut and then a ruler to guide the blade.

[Northmount]

Take a look through this thread and watch KK's video.  There are a couple other Kevin King tutorials here too if you want to search for them.  http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/836-wallet-binding-tutorial/?page=2

Tom

 

[RockyAussie]

It looks like it could be a piece of venicion blind slat maybe. I don't use that method much any more unless I'm doing a french edge as in the Video Tom has suggested.Sometimes I use a bit of plastic but with practice and a sharp blade you can do without.I made up some tools when I had a large run on and they worked great and saved a lot of time. One edge rests on the wallet edge and the blade is spaced to give me the distance and angle to cut nicely.No ruler needed. First tool took maybe an hour but the others were a lot faster. Here's some pics of what I am talking about. 

 

[RockyAussie]

I should have thought to have added that when making wallets like in your video I now use a piece of 1/4" key steel to trim the edges first then fold over. The leather on the outer skin and the inner is in this case contact glued well before trimming.Trim and fold and a little bone folder edge slicking Done.Way quicker.