Leathercrafting Tips & Tricks: Perfect Edges

In this video, Daniel Reach from the Leatherverse demonstrates his favorite technique for achieving perfect edges on leathercrafting projects. This simple technique is easy to adapt to any project, and leaves you with clean, professional results every time.
For more supplies and project inspiration, visit weaverleathersupply.com
Supplies:
Strop Board Kit: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Master Tool Edge Beveler: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Beeswax: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Slicker: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Tokonole: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Wool Dauber: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...
Pro Dye: www.weaverleathersupply.com/p...

[@markedis5902]

For belts I bevel, dye, use gum trag and slick with an ebony slicker then finish with either canvas or (top tip) a microfibre cloth designed for cleaning glass. The microfibre cloth produces so much friction and heat, it caramelises the gum trag and turns it into a glass like surface. I usually then run some beeswax across it and polish with a soft cloth

[@MasterOfNone2023]

I'm going to have to give that a try

[@rebeccaturbow]

Do you find there is ever any die transfer using this method? Very interested in trying the microfiber cloth tip. And then you do the beeswax last step? Thanks!

[@stephencatanzaro310]

Hi Daniel great video - can you show how to hot wax an edge?

[@outfitr9703]

For applying dye I use the small size wool daubers BUT they have to be way burned off and well used so they are very very firm not too hard, just right. I use them over and over again and just squeeze out the excess dye with a paper towel after I'm done with the project. I have a black one, brown one, they work for 90% of my edges. The key is they have to be firm. Super easy to get a near perfect edge line.

[@daverooni7763]

Great video. I bevel the edge before any sanding, that way I always have a nice crisp edge to guide the beveler 10:25 along. I also dye first, or use coloured tokenole, before beeswax, I find the beeswax keeps the colour from penetrating into the leather.

[@user-sv9lj5li4i]

Daniel keep em coming. Really enjoy your videos

[@danpost4755]

Nice video, Daniel. I do a few layers, but not that many. Looks great!

[@williammrdeza9445]

Thanks for the tips, Daniel. I can always use help with refining my edges and this will help!

[@dozerman53111]

great job !!

[@LarryGarfieldCrell]

You can get a burnishing bit for a dremel. It saves so much time!

[@MountainFisher]

I have a 1" by 42" belt sander with an eight inch disc sander. The disc with 220 grit is great for long straight edges. I dampen the leather to reduce airborne dust to a minimum. The one inch belt I can get different geits down to uselessly fine grits on leather, which is around 800 grit. Past that it starts to burnish the edges.

[@AzraelThanatos]

I know there are a lot of people who, instead of a dauber for edges, use the "make your own" watercolor paint pens and fill it with tokonol or whatever they're going to be using there

[@rebeccaturbow]

This is great! Could you guys do one specifically for belts, using a similar method-to get very glass like edges, but that would be possibly more time efficient, and definitely not have any die transfer when wearing the product (one of my bigger concerns generally). More so for someone doing small production runs. Thanks!

[@user-zm1ho5ko6s]

That was super helpful thank you🙋🏼‍♀️

[@adamdziacky5936]

Question for more experienced artisans - I have tried using a dye for things like wallets or smaller project. I tried using applicator pen but found that I can't get good results because either I miss a spot and go over the edge or the dye seems to seep through the leather and that changes color for the area near the edge. Any tricks how to prevent that?

[@daverooni7763]

You might need to dilute your dye less. If you aren’t already diluting it, maybe use scrap leather first until the dye flows smoothly, or maybe switch to the Weaver dye pens

[@Fuerwahrhalunke]

I've been doing historically accurate leather work (Mostly around 1500) for quite some time now and have just used bees wax for my edges, as I thought that that would be, beside water, the most historically accurate way of doing it. Now I'm wondering if there were other ways beside those 2 or if they didn't use anything at all and just let those edges be the way they were. I never really looked into that.

[@1a1u0g9t4s2u]

To sand my belts, they are laid on a workbench with one edge overhanging about a 1/4" or so. Then using a straight edged strip of scrap lumber I clamp the wood to the workbench edge to edge with the belt. This keeps the belt straight and assists me to keep a uniform width on the belt. Question: is there a reason exotic woods are preferred for the slicker to other woods or materials? Or is it simply for eye candy? Loved this video. Thanks for sharing.

[@WeaverLeatherSupply]

Cocobolo is a dense hardwood that is recommended because it's durable and can withstand wear and tear. You could probably use other hardwoods but cocobolo is a tried and true option.

[@bryansir3913]

Do you have a video for a more time sensitive way of burnishing edges? I work in a leather shop where I don't have the time to repeatedly burnish edges,but I'd like to get them as best as possible in a matter of 5-10 minutes, as opposed to an hour or more.

[@randybradley6213]

Daniel, when you say use a higher grit paper, how high are you talking? A number would be great. Thanks

[@DanielReachCreations]

I'm using 3m p100 sandpaper.

[@randybradley6213]

@@DanielReachCreations thanks Daniel

[@DanielReachCreations]

@@randybradley6213 just a heads up. I corrected it. It's not 400.... it's 100.

[@williammurdorf7060]

I use paraffin wax to burnish my edges. Is that a good/better or worse choice than bees wax?

[@odalesaylor]

Makes it sound as though the edging is more important than the carving and stamping part of the process. Isn't this a bit obsessive?

[@DanielReachCreations]

Not at all. If you put a dozen hours into the carving of a wallet or a belt, you'd want the rest of the project to match in quality, right? Your edges don't have to be glass slick, all though they can be. A beautifully finished edge is well worth the time put into it. 🙂