This master class explains how to finish a raw leather edge: choosing the right knife for a clean cut, dyeing the edge, waxing it, and burnishing it with a slicker for a neat result.
BeginnerFree
Translated
Things you will learn
Cut leather with a sharp shoemaker's knife or a regular knife with a hard blade
Multi-layer pieces should be cut together only after stitching or gluing
Dye the edge with a marker, wood stain, or iodine
Rub the edge with wax, then burnish it smooth with a slicker
A smooth, dyed, and burnished leather edge
The result is a smooth, burnished, and neat edge on the leather piece, free of roughness and evenly dyed.
Materials and tools
Materials
Wax, Used for burnishing the edge after dyeing
Edge dye (marker, wood stain, or iodine), Any of these options will work, as long as it soaks in well
Coarse fabric, Can be soaked in wax and used instead of a candle to burnish the edge
Tools
Shoemaker's knife or a regular knife with a hard, sharp blade, The knife should cut the material like butter
Metal ruler, Helps guide a straight cutting line
Lit candle, Used to melt the wax slightly before burnishing the edge
Slicker, A special tool for polishing the edge; can be made by hand
Preparation
Practice on scraps
Practice on scrap material to get the hang of it before cutting your main piece.
How to Remove Roughness and Improve the Look
When you cut leather, the flesh side shows along the cut edge. On a finished piece, this usually doesn't look great.
Choose the right knife
Let's start with what to cut with. It's best to use a dedicated shoemaker's knife or a regular knife with a hard, sharp blade. The knife should cut the material like butter.
Cut the edge straight
If the piece is made of several layers, cut them all together only after stitching or gluing. This way the edge will be perfectly even. It's best to guide the line along a metal ruler, since cutting straight freehand may not work on the first try.
Practice beforehand
Practice on scrap material to get the hang of it. You don't want a crooked edge, do you?
Dyeing and Burnishing the Edge
Dye the edge
Dye the leather edge in the color you want. You can do this with a marker, wood stain, or iodine. The main thing is that the substance soaks in well.
Rub the edge with wax
Once the edge has taken on a color roughly matching the piece itself, the interesting part begins. The edge needs to be burnished, and the easiest way to do this is with wax. Set a lit candle nearby, and as you melt the edge of the wax, rub it against the cut edge. Melted wax rubs into the flesh side more easily. You can also do this with coarse fabric that has been soaked in wax beforehand.
Burnish the edge with a slicker
Next you'll need a slicker. This is a special tool for polishing the edge, and there's no doing without it. It's inexpensive, and you can even make one yourself. Rub the edge of the piece with a groove that fits it, and after a while you get a perfectly smooth edge. The result is an even, burnished, neat edge.
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