Finishing English Bridal Belt Edges

[Matt S]

14 hours ago, garypl said:

I think it might be more trouble to use hide glue than it’s worth.  I use hide glue for woodworking and it works great for gluing up chairs because eventually you can reverse the bond using alcohol or warm water and reglue the joints.  Downside is that you have to mix the dry glue with water and heat it to dissolve the glue.  You have to keep it hot while using it to keep it in liquid state. I have an electric glue pot that keeps it at a constant temp.  

I think there are easier ways to seal edges

Yeah I find PVA to be a lot easier than hide glue, but TBF hide glue for leather is a lot less exacting than for fine cabinetmaking or luthiery. No specific grade needed, just dump a small handful of pearls into a jar of warm water and leave overnight. Apply cold. Lasts a few days before it goes funky, depending on the weather.