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Posted

I like to hand sew with an awl and saddle stitch. I can edge ok, but sometimes I worry about the appearance of my edges.

Does anyone have any hints and maybe some ideas on different types of edging techniques?

  • Moderator
Posted

Joel,

Ok where do I start? The first thing is to have the edges squared up. There should be no stairstep between the lining and the the outer piece. I use a stationary bench top belt sander with different grades of grit, depending on type of leather and how much stairstep there is. The belt sander is much less prone to heat up and scorch leather like a Dremel or sanding drum will.

I then use an edger. Which one? I have used Tandy edgers, Osbornes in a couple styles, Ron's edgers, and most recently got a set of Jeremiah Watt's round bottom edgers. For the price, quality of cut, blade's ability to hold an edge, the ones from Jeremiah Watt are the best hands down. The others are in a drawer.

Then what do you use to set your edge with? I use plain water, water with Procarve, gum tragacanth, spirit dye, bees wax, saddle soap, Ron's edge dressing, and diluted white glue. Sounds like a lot, but I DO use all of these throughout the course of a month. Depends on what I am edging, how thick it is, what is the piece used for, whether I am going to slick with a wood slicker or rubrag, is it going to be dyed, and am I going to put a finish coat on it..

I either rub in both directions with a rub rag or use a wooden slicker. The rubrags are canvas, denim, or other coarse cloth. Some are rubbed in bees wax and others are dampened, rubbed well in white saddle soap, and then left in the can to stay moist or left out and allowed to dry. The wood slickers are either used by hand or most commonly chucked into a drill press on moderate speed.

So, I guess to summarize I use a lot of different techniques depending on what I need the final product to do. Try each and see what works for you.

Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson

Malachi 4:2

"the windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie" - Dave Stamey

Vintage Refurbished And Selected New Leather Tools For Sale - www.brucejohnsonleather.com

  • Members
Posted

I have never owned or tried out those fancy expensive edgers.... all I have ever used were a number two bent stem Tandy edger... for belt weight edges....and a number 3 for thicker projects... The straight shank are too hard to find the right angle.

The best trick I know is to use a sharp knife blade held at 90 degrees to the edge to cause long fibers to be loose at the edge... and to do that you must scrape only ONE direction... the longer they are the smoother and easier you can make the edge. Use the knife to round take out the line between where the edger cuts and the side of the project. Then also only slick in one direction.. you are trying to make those long fibers lay the same direction.

I grew up using rough cloth held in the hand for slicking... but you can not get something like a belt slicked right down to the tapered tip with that.. so I suggest a powered wooden slicker...

I have tried Gum Trag... but a properly prepped edge slicked with plain old beeswax is cheap and longlasting for almost no cost. We used a single piece of beeswax for at least 10 years... I was about 12 when I saw my first new clean round beeswax... could not believe how nice it looked...

  • Members
Posted

I havent tried too many types of edging.

I havent tried bee's wax or gum-trag. Although I do have both.

I get the edges even and then apply edge kote. I dont really like edge kote, because it has remained tacky on some projects. But it does cover and is quick and easy. I am not really looking for easy though, I would work twice as hard on the edges as I would on anything else if I could get a nice edge.

I really like the hand sewing, but the edges sometimes leave alot to be desired. I am hoping to find a way to make them acceptable in my book. And I do understand that not all techniques are going to work on different materials.

  • Moderator
Posted

On regular vegetable tanned leather, there is no substitute for the one thing you cannot buy in a jar, elbow grease. I use a piece of scrap leather (or a rag) and gum tragacanth, leather balm w/ atom wax, or just plain water and rub rub rub. It helps if you have already used an edging tool, and if you are careful about making the leathers line up exactly. You want an edge that looks like one piece, not two. I think lacing was invented to cover up those edges! When lacing fell out of fashion ("too bulky" the customers said) and we all started sewing again, we forgot how important those edges are. In competitions, like at the IFoLG, your edges can make or break your piece. The trick is to get all the fibers to lay down in a smooth burnish- easy on a strap or belt, not so easy on a wallet.

Johanna

PS

Bruce, what is "Ron's Edge Dressing"? I'm not familiar with it- do you mind explaining? TIA

 

 

You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. - Mark Twain

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Moderator
Posted

Johanna,

Ron's Edge Dressing comes from Ron of Ron's Tools fame. (www.ronstools.com) . It is a thin liquid to dampen edges and then burnish. It obviously has some beeswax or similar wax, because when it dries in the dish, it is wax. Don't know what the carrier is. It slicks down easily, and darkens up with more friction heat. I like it for edges I won't be dying later, as it resists the dye somewhat. It is nice on saddle part edges, but for horns and sewn stirrup edges, I still like my diluted white glue. Makes a darn hard glassy edge that really resists scuffing.

Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson

Malachi 4:2

"the windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie" - Dave Stamey

Vintage Refurbished And Selected New Leather Tools For Sale - www.brucejohnsonleather.com

  • Moderator
Posted

Thanks, Bruce, I never knew where Montana Edgers were from, either, and now I do. I used to have one when I lived in Georgia. I don't remember where I got it from, but I liked it, and someone walked away with it one day when it was laying on the back table at the Tandy store. I saw Verlane's Stitch Ripper on Ron Edmond's website, too. That tool not only looks like fine art, but a huge timesaver.

A set of those Montana Edgers would be sweet. I've never seen the Watt ones, but I can imagine they are fine tools, too. I don't know much about saddle tools, and I think I better start reading up on them.

Johanna

 

 

You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. - Mark Twain

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Members
Posted

Bruce,

Could you explain in detail how you use the diluted white glue?

I know you sand the edges even. but what do you do after that? Treat me like a moron, because, as far as this is concerned, I am.

  • Moderator
Posted

Joel,

This is a technique I have not seen in print before. I was originally taught it by a holster maker about 15 years ago. Since then I have had two old-time saddle makers share it with me too. Have shared this with quite a few people, and only one had ever heard about it before.

Basically once the edges are even, dampen slightly and when the moisture is correct, burnish with a fairly coarse cloth until the edge is pretty smooth. You don't necessarily want it to be glassy at this stage. Then take thinned down white glue. I have used Elmers, last night I used Leather Weld. The glue is thinned to three parts glue - one part water (by guess). I usually use a damp cellulose sponge and lightly smear some on the edge. Let it get pretty tacky, not quite dry. Then start burnishing with a clean dry cloth. Rub hard and fast. It will get hard, dark, and glassy - very hard. You can hardly dent it or scratch it. I usually only do this on saddles, especially horns or sewn edges on stirrups - things that take a lot of abuse. It does act as a resist, so this is one of the last steps I do on a saddle.

Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson

Malachi 4:2

"the windshield's bigger than the mirror, somewhere west of Laramie" - Dave Stamey

Vintage Refurbished And Selected New Leather Tools For Sale - www.brucejohnsonleather.com

  • Members
Posted

Saddles....

Ok.

I mainly do smaller things like purses, folders, wallets and briefcases. From the sound of it, it doesnt sound like this would be applicable. I could be wrong.

What kind of cloth do you use?

Do you only go in one direction?

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