I just used your sharpening/honing technic and it improved the tool performance. Thanks Harry, I have learned a lot from you. This is the good part of the internet, learning actual good things in one’s life making leather workers better.
Amazing! I thought I had my edger fairly sharp until I watched your video, now it trims really smoothly without that annoying tearing sound! Thank you so much for the tip!
Thanks Harry , I'm hoping to have a go at making a molded leather pouch for 2 adrenalin pens for my son within the next few days, never done anything like this before 😨 so I've been getting lots of tips from you and others regarding leather work. Fingers crossed for a successful attempt. Thanks for all your inspirational videos. 😊
Harry, I have enjoyed many of your postings. This clip was not among your best. I have always hated when any presenter is trying to show a detail but spends that time shaking the target. Your content is always spot on so this post only address your presentation. Keep posting your wonderful informative videos.
What is compound? I’m Here in Australia & my tool is blunt. Trying the sand paper with needle but it’s not working. I have a No# 2 & 4 beveler’s that are blunt. Any other ideas? Thx 🎉
Hi its like a waxy block that is used on a leather strop. If you go to a woodwork shop that sells carving tools they should have it. Flexcut sells a sharpening profile with a small block of compound, but it is far cheaper just to buy a big bar.
Hi Harry. Nice job on the sharpening. I've just started to get into leather work, specifically watches. Most of the work you were skiving or edge cutting look to be quite heavy duty, so cutting them seemed to be fairly straightforward. What about much softer, much thinner leather, for watches for example, is there a technique you use to skive and edge cut that type of leather? Is it just down to stropping the edges sharp?
A good tool shop such as Axminster tools in the UK. I find their green compound very good. Alternatively Flexcut offer a stropping block with compound. EBay will also have it as polishing block or compound.
I appreciate your mostly scripted and brief live videos. Too many people spend a half hour saying ”is this thing on?” and reading the user comments looking for ones worth answering live.
There are thing you do because they must be done. Within that set there are things you would do just for the pleasure of doing it. Rounding leather edges is one one those. Wouldn't you agree, Harry? .
Hi Harry , I'm a little late to this video. I use a very similar technique for sharpening edge tools, the main difference being that for the grove sharpening I use a piece of fine grained timber that is nice and hard. I use a very sharp and finely set block plane to shape the timber as it gives me better control of the final shape. I have tried with a knife and with a chisel and neither allow the even shape and edge width that I am after. I also hold the piece of timber in a vice for better control of the tool. I believe the advantage of a very hard wood is that it does not deform as much as leather or even softer woods like pines and there is less rounding of the grove. I also watched your earlier and excellent video on tips for belt making where you show the slot for the belt tongue being bevelled with a small hook bladed knife. I also bevel this slot but do it with a modified #2 edge tool that has the side pieces ground bach to only about 1 to 1.5 mm in front of the cutting edge and then also have the inside surfaces ground to have a "V" shape leading to the cutting edged rounded upwards slightly to avoid digging in. With this technique there is less chance of accidentally cutting too deep and spoiling the slot. It may lend itself to your production techniques.All the best.
Thank you very much for your tips, both of which seem very good. The leather does deform a bit so I will try the wood...a bit like a Flexcut strop. Thanks.
Great tips but quite awkward to watch what with you staring into the camera and not actually doing the demo any justice. I don’t mean to be critical because I am a subscriber and a fan.