Polishing stitching tools-- hey, it works!

[DJole]

Thanks to reading various tips and advice on this forum, I took a look at some of my stitching and lacing chisels, which I've owned for many years now.
Compared to my higher-end stitching chisels (thanks, GoodsJapan!), they were quite rough (which explains a lot about why they stuck in the leather more, and so on.)

So I took out my fine grade sandpaper, my sharpening stones, and my strop, and sanded off the roughness on the flats, smoothed them out, polished them, and stropped them. 

Now they are nice and smooth, and they go into the leather.. and come out of the leather... a lot better. I even stropped my awl, and I was surprised at the difference it made.

It's great to learn from the voices of experience. 

[bikermutt07]

Yep, sharp tools go a long way with leather. I.really like this book for that portion of leather working. It also has some great tips on techniques using the tools. Like using the tools for more than their commonly known functions. It's great cheap investment. 

 

[zuludog]

Yes, I have polished my stitching chisels with small wands made by glueing progressively finer grades of abrasive paper to lollipop sticks

A tip I got from Nigel Armitage is to hold down the leather with a small block of wood when you pull them out

How are your edge bevellers? I made up a dedicated sharpening board by glueing some lengths of nylon cord and leather to a board, and also a small strip of leather for a strop. Search YouTube for 'sharpening an edge beveller'.

[DJole]

14 minutes ago, zuludog said:

Yes, I have polished my stitching chisels with small wands made by glueing progressively finer grades of abrasive paper to lollipop sticks

A tip I got from Nigel Armitage is to hold down the leather with a small block of wood when you pull them out

How are your edge bevellers? I made up a dedicated sharpening board by glueing some lengths of nylon cord and leather to a board, and also a small strip of leather for a strop. Search YouTube for 'sharpening an edge beveller'.

I have a thin strip of leather glued to the side of my strop for the bevellers, just like you did. 

[bikermutt07]

I just beveled the edge of the scrap leather I use to strop with. One end is 0 the other is 00.

Works like a champ.

[philg9]

Just to add for that final polish to really iron out any last remaining scratches etc is to use the brand of metal polish callled  ' autosol '   It is woidekly available and it is a paste like toothpaste in a toothpaste type tube,  using this on a strop only for final polishing with Autosol is a miracle in a tube, nothing else does the last bit of final polishing like this paste.