Burnishing & Slicking

[wrz0170]

Hey everyone.   Very new yet so please forgive the basic questions.  I want to make sure I get the right products, terminology and method(s) right.  There apppears to be many ways to achieve the same goal.

If I want to burnish an edge, would I use a product like Tokonole or other gum tragacanth and something like a cocobolo burnisher or a piece of denim?

if I want to slick down the flat, fuzzy side,  might one use the same gum Tragacanth product and a small glass plate or cloth?

Thanks!

William

[DJole]

Yes, that's the basics behind getting slick edges or a slick back. 
You can look for videos online to get step by step directions behind the process. 
Searching for this topic on the forum will bring up other posters' takes on this topic (such as using only water to burnish). Have fun reading! ;-)
 

[JLSleather]

There may have been a time long ago where fuzzy leather and something to "slick" it with was the norm.But that was then.  Just buy leather that is well trimmed on the flesh side, and pocket the money spent on "products" to fix badly trimmed leather.  BTW I also don't walk to the leather supply house, nor do I salt hides ...

Lots of things are used to burnish edges, including wooden "burnishers", denim, canvas, and more.  Try 'em out, use what you prefer. 

(Thought:  If you use an edger to round teh cut edges, perhaps the other end of that same edger is a smoothly finished wooden "burnisher"?)  

WAIT:  IF a fella had a wood-handled edger, couldn't he chuck that edger in a drill press or lathe and spin a groove or two into the handle?@!

Edited September 3, 2018 by JLSleather

[bikermutt07]

I have found tokonole to be superior when it comes to slicking. 

[Mark842]

Don't over think it and don't over spend. Years ago I fell into the exotic wood burnishers trap. Just about any piece of wood or plastic will burnish the edge of leather. Veg tan is really all yu will be able to burnish by slicking. Depending on the leather sometimes wood works better, sometimes canvas. Tricks I have learned along the way...good sharp edgers that make a nice clean cut make for better looking slicked edges. The quality of the slicked edge comes down to how much work you want to put into it. I have products that I run the edges on my cobra burnisher for a minute, get a nice smooth burnished edge and call it good. I have other products that I spend hours on the edges shaping, slicking, sanding, slicking, sanding...repeat until it looks like glass. As always different quality leathers will have different results.