One of the things that differentiates good quality leatherwork from the rest is the level of finish, and part of this is edge finishing. Unfinished edges, like you see on many belts, are square-cut and although leather cannot fray, the corners will wear and the fibres rough up.
I finish edges in two stages:
- First using an edge beveller, to take the edge off the square-cut corners left by a strap cutter or when cutting blanks from a hide. Edge bevellers are available various sizes, depending on the thickness of leather. I tend to use only the small or the large one.
- Second, burnishing the edges using Gum Tragacanth. This settles the leather fibres and gives the edge a smooth, glossy finish. For thinner leathers you can use a burnishing wheel.
A bevelled and burnished edge is more resistant to wear and lets belts and straps slide smoothly in loops and buckles. It also looks a lot nicer. It's quite a bit more work, but definietly worth it.
Burnishing is one of those little tasks that is very satisfying as you can see, feel and hear the rough fibres settle to a glossy, squeeky finish. It's just as well, because I do a lot of it.
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AuthorDave Gullen, leather craftsman, writer, and grower of tree ferns. Archives
November 2008
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