Finishing edges

[ironwrx]

Hi. I am making a small production run of little key ring guitar pick holders, and would like advice on what to put on the light cut exposed edges of the leather so it looks more finished. I believe I am using a medium weight  chrome tanned leather.  

Member Leatherpounder did an post on this very subject, but when I click on it, it says “content not found”. 

Edited March 5, 2020 by ironwrx
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[Stetson912]

All I can think of for chrome tan is edge paint. Which I'm still figuring out myself. Edge kote (a feibings product) might work also. There are lots of types of edge paint, but I personally use indelible brand from makers. 

[LatigoAmigo]

1 hour ago, ironwrx said:

would like advice on what to put on the light cut exposed edges of the leather so it looks more finished

I use a product called Tokonole, and have found it to very effectively cover the edges of chrome-tanned leather. It comes in black, brown and clear. You can find it on Amazon. It can be applied with a small brush, but I usually use a q-tip applicator. Easy to apply and cleans up with water. 

[Tugadude]

8 hours ago, ironwrx said:

Hi. I am making a small production run of little key ring guitar pick holders, and would like advice on what to put on the light cut exposed edges of the leather so it looks more finished. I believe I am using a medium weight  chrome tanned leather.  

Member Leatherpounder did an post on this very subject, but when I click on it, it says “content not found”. 

I reported the broken link to the administrator of the site.  Thanks for noticing that and mentioning it.

Yes, for a finished look you will want to coat the edges, with either the Tokonole as mentioned or an edge paint.  Depends upon how much work you want to invest too.  With proper sanding and application, some of the edge paints produce amazing edges.  

I would think the Tokonole would be quickest and easiest and still give a nice, finished look.

[ironwrx]

Thanks to those who weighed in on this. I will be getting some Tokonole as soon as I can. My wife suggested permanent marker   Had anyone tried that?

[Matt S]

16 minutes ago, ironwrx said:

Thanks to those who weighed in on this. I will be getting some Tokonole as soon as I can. My wife suggested permanent marker   Had anyone tried that?

That would colour the edges but not smooth, harden or seal them like edge paint so it might not be the effect your after. Why not try it on a scrap of your leather and see if you like the results? Lisa Sorrel, a world class boot maker, uses Sharpies to colour the unstruck core of dyed leather on her boot uppers. The great thing about Sharpies is that they come in a bajillion different colours so you're likely going to find a matching one.

I like well painted edges and think it can be just as durable as burnished veg tan edges if done well. However they can be time consuming (how many cycles of paint/dry/sand are you willing to do) and honestly depending on the item if you're using half decent leather to start with a raw edge can work just fine.

[LatigoAmigo]

1 hour ago, ironwrx said:

Had anyone tried that?

When I want to just color the edge and not worry about the finish, I use these Montana Markers, which I fill with Fiebings Pro dye. Very easy applicator, but the problem is that the dye has the tendency to bleed from the edge onto the surface, and doesn't look as finished as the Tokonole.

Edited March 7, 2020 by LatigoAmigo

[ironwrx]

Everyone seems to recommend Tokenol over Edge Kote. Is Tokenol worth the extra money?

[LatigoAmigo]

12 hours ago, ironwrx said:

Is Tokenol worth the extra money?

At Amazon, the Edge Coat is about $10 for a 4 oz. bottle, while a comparable jar of Tokonole (4+ oz,) is about $14. Not too much more money, so I'd say it is well worth a $4 investment to get the many good looking edges that jar will provide.

[ironwrx]

23 minutes ago, LatigoAmigo said:

At Amazon, the Edge Coat is about $10 for a 4 oz. bottle, while a comparable jar of Tokonole (4+ oz,) is about $14. Not too much more money, so I'd say it is well worth a $4 investment to get the many good looking edges that jar will provide.

Good point. I’ll give it a try. 

[rvbarner]

Fiebings edge kite is fine for beginners. I found long term it wears and cracks. Also, it isnt as flexible as some other edge paints, which contributes to its cracking (in my experience).

[gmace99]

Acrylic paint. It’s about a £1 for a tube from Poundland or if in the USA a dollar from dollar general 

 

sometimes it is a little thick.  Add a drop of water.   Give it two coats.  Should look good 

[Vikefan]

I watch a lot of leather craft videos on YouTube.  And learned that Saddle Soap works very well in finishing leather edges.

I dye the project, sand the edges starting at a fine grit, and work my way sanding the edges till I get to 600 wet/dry till edges are pretty smooth, then apply a couple coats of Saddle soap to my leather and burnish them on my motor driven burnishing wheel, or hand burnish them..

This has been working very nicely for me.  I've got a whole large bottle of saddle soap to use up.

Hope this helps someone.

 

[johnv474]

Permanent marker, especially the ubiquitous Sharpie, is 'permanent' but not really.  It fades to green in sunlight.

 

You can just use a little dye , carefully applied, and then coat with wax or Resolene.

 

For those wondering, YES, Tokonole is worth the extra moneyn. It is among the best edge products out there.

Edited April 3, 2020 by johnv474