Making Lace
Here is the latest installment of my blog. Again, I want to
apologize for not getting something out a lot sooner than now. I have found
that my job involves a lot of commuting time and by the time I get home in the
evening, I have just enough time to fix my dinner and get ready for the next
day of work. I have a feeling that many of you find yourself in the same
position.
Anyway, here is how I make lace. This is no difficult to
master but it will take a little practice to get the technique down. The lace
that I make usually runs from around ¼ inch wide to 3/8 inch wide. I do not
make the long spools of lace that you can find at the local leather supplier.
The length of the lace is determined by the length of the top of the side of
leather, generally a little over seven feet long.
The lace that I make is what I would use to lace up cowboy
cuffs or something that I feel would look better with a wider lace. Part of the
consideration for choosing the wider lace is the added strength I feel is necessary
to bind the pieces together. Besides that, it is cheaper for me since I have
the leather and the tools necessary to complete the task. This type of lace is
something that you would more than likely use for shorter runs of only a few
inches.
Below is a photo of different strap cutting tools that I
own. The two at the bottom of the photo are draw gauges without the blades
attached. The upper one is the primary strap cutter that I have used for a long
time. I like the wooden one because I find it easier and safer to use. The
other two cutters have an exposed blade. I have found myself bandaging more
than one cut because of not paying close enough attention to the task at hand.
If I am going to use one of the draw gauges I will break a utility knife blade in
half and put it in the slot where the screw is tightened down to hold it in
place.(Remember, blood is very difficult to get out of leather.)
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| Various Strap Cutters |
The photo below shows how the wooden strap cutter is set up
and will give you an idea of how it is used. The handle is slightly smaller so
that it is easier to hold the cutter right against the leather as you pull it
along the edge of the side of leather. Notice that there are some measurements
on the adjustable slide. On the opposite end, there is a locking screw to hold
the slide in place when you have the desired width set. I like to use a ruler
to set the final width of the strap I am going to cut. It is just one of my
idiosyncrasies to get the width perfect.
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| Strap cutter showing measure |
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| Lace as it is being cut |
In the photo above you can more or less see how the handle
is very close to the edge of the leather. That is why you might find it
necessary to lift the back above the level of the edge of the leather or push
it down below. Please keep in mind that you it is necessary to have a straight
edge to get an even width when cutting out a strap. The best way to learn the
best method for using one of these tools is to practice with it.
Generally, you will find it necessary to reduce the
thickness of the leather to make it workable. You can purchase a tool, without
going deep in debt that will accomplish this task for you. It is a hand skiver;
there is also a similar tool manufactured under the brand name of Skife. This
is a tool that I love and find it worth its weight in gold. I have used this
particular tool for well over forty years. That is why the metal on the
backside is shiny, from rubbing against the leather.
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| Hand skiver and lace |
In addition, in the photo above it is easy to see the blade
used to skive down the leather. It is an injector razor blade that is
replaceable. You might find it necessary to replace the blade often during the
process of making your lace. It is much easier to have a sharp blade when
skiving the leather because a dull blade can hang up and gouge the leather. The
photo below shows the backside of the hand skiver with the injector blade
visible. The blade is very easy to change but extreme caution must be taken to
prevent accidental cuts to your fingers. Use a screwdriver or other tool to
remove and replace the blade.
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| Back of hand skiver with an injector blade installed |
For using the hand skiver to make lace I find it works best
for me to place my leather on a smooth, clean surface on which I can slide it.
Do not use the tool on a countertop or table that it might scratch. Be sure to
put something down to protect the surface you are using.
The positioning of the blade during the skiving process will
depend on how wide and thick the lace needs to be. In this example, I have made
sure that the blade is cutting a little half way across the width of the piece
being skived. The photo below demonstrates how the edge of the blade is over
half way across the width of the leather.
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| Skiving the first half of the backside of the lace |
Once the first side of the lace has been skived, it is
necessary to skive the other side so that there is a bit of a ridge in the
center of the lace. The photo below shows the opposite side of the lace being
skived. With a little practice, it will become easier to make sure that the
ridge is in the center of the lace and not off to one side or the other.
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| Skiving the second half of the lace |
In the photo below it is a little difficult to see the
“ridge” of which I am speaking. Trust me, it is there, and I will attempt to
explain its significance. I apologize for not being able to get a decent photo
that shows the ridge in the center of the lace. The ridge is created by skiving
both sides of the strip of leather so that the outside is slightly thinner than
the center. The reason I like to have the ridge is that it will make the edges
of this lace less likely to be caught on something. It will also help prevent
curling of the edges of the lace as well.
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| Skiving complete - notice the slight ridge in the center |
The last thing I like to do with a piece of lace that I have
made in this manner is to apply cream saddle soap to both surfaces. This will
soften the leather a little and give it a deeper color tone and a more contrast
than when it is plain. I simple pull the lace across the top of my container of
saddle soap, getting it well covered on both sides, and then using a small
piece of canvass to wipe off the excess cream.
I apologize that I do not have a good photo to show you of
some of the projects on which I have used this lace. If I can dig up a photo of
the cowboy cuffs I have made I will add it to this post. The difficulty that I
have with finding the photo is that my previous computer left me high and dry
with many of my photos when the hard drive kicked the bucket. It was not pretty!
Have fun!
Bob
