Cutting Questions

[RobC01]

I'm just getting started in leather working and I've got questions about cutting. Some of the shapes I'm needing have curves and angles. I'm using 8-9oz leather and a husky razor knife. I'm having trouble following my trace and leaving little cut "burrs" when I have to re-cut over a line due to thickness or not staying in the line.  

1. Can someone recommend a different tool or method?

2. Will an edge slicker sufficiently smooth those cut burrs? 

Thanks for any help.

[fredk]

1a. I've never heard of a Husky Razor Knife; but by the sound of it its too light duty for the job. A heavier knife with a thicker/wider blade is needed. A handy one would be a box-cutter type with 18mm wide snap off blades

1b, run over your tracing with a blunt awl first; even wetting the leather then following the tracing with an inked-out ball-point pen, to mark your cutting line first. Cut slowly and steadily. Cut away from corners, not into them. Cut half-way around a curve, then cut from the other end towards that half-way point, finishing the cut. Do it in small stages, try not to do it all in one big cut

2. you may need to sand the edges to even them up before using a slicker

[Grumpymann]

sandpaper. Works for me.

[bikermutt07]

A husky is fine to start out with (standard utility knife for Fredk sold by home Depot).

Make yourself a leather strop with Jewelers rouge. Then strop your blade. You will see a world of difference in those throw away blades.

Then follow Fred's steps outlined above.

This will increase your ability a good bit.

[zuludog]

I've found the Husky knife via Google, it looks like a replaceable blade craft knife. In Britain we often call these Stanley knives after the best known brand. I think you call them box cutters in USA

I notice it is a folding knife, which would make it bigger and probably clumsier. I suggest you get a fixed blade model such as the Stanley 199 or 199A, though there are other makes

The blades are sharp, but can be improved by sharpening them yourself, because you will polish them, and reduce the shoulder of the bevel; in fact the more you sharpen them the better they seem to get

You will need a fine stone; oil, diamond or water/ceramic, whatever you fancy, and a strop. Make your own from oddments of wood & leather, this will be just about the easiest piece of leatherwork you will do. Get some jeweller's rouge or proper honing/stropping compound; it's not that expensive, and a bar will last for ages. There is loads of advice about sharpening & stropping on this forum and on YouTube. In fact the key to good leatherwork is to have razor sharp knives, whether fixed or replaceable blades

You could also consider other knives, like a clicker knife or a Japanese style kiridashi - search Google and YouTube. There are other types, it's a bit of trial and error really to find what suits you

Whatever you get, you will need two knives - one just for leather, and a general one for opening parcels, sharpening pencils and so on; it's purpose is to make sure you use the first knife exclusively for cutting leather

Mark out the pattern with a scratch awl, followed by a light cut with the knife. Concentrate on getting the shape correct, not on a seriously deep cut. Once the shape or outline has been set you can then make deeper cuts, and the blade should follow the pattern you have made. You may need to tidy up the edges with sandpaper

I assume you are using a proper cutting mat

I started out using a Stanley knife and resharpened the blades as they became blunt. Over the past few months I've been using a Japanese style leather knife for straight cuts & gentle curves, and a kiridashi for tighter curves

[RobC01]

Thanks to all! Sorry, I should have been more descriptive on the razor knife. 

What grit sandpaper do you recommend?

[zuludog]

Sandpaper - about 80 grit, that's fairly coarse

But before that you can trim the edge just by running the knife almost flat along the eddge

[RobC01]

47 minutes ago, zuludog said:

Sandpaper - about 80 grit, that's fairly coarse

But before that you can trim the edge just by running the knife almost flat along the eddge

Excellent, thanks! 

[JKHelms]

On 12/10/2017 at 0:24 AM, bikermutt07 said:

A husky is fine to start out with (standard utility knife for Fredk sold by home Depot).

Make yourself a leather strop with Jewelers rouge. Then strop your blade. You will see a world of difference in those throw away blades.

Then follow Fred's steps outlined above.

This will increase your ability a good bit.

The best razor knife blades I have found are Lenox titanium. Still have to strop them ,but will cut 8-9oz like butter. 

[bikermutt07]

Yeah, I have a Lennox for work. I have kind of moved away from the razor knives for my leather stuff.