Making Lace with Burgundy Latigo Leather

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.)

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.

Strap cutter showing measure

This strap cutter is just like any other tool that you might use for any job. It is like me, it has its idiosyncrasies as well. For me, I find it a little difficult to grip the handle without getting my fingers against the leather, causing it to mis-cut my strap. In order to overcome this problem I will hold the handle so that it is either above or below the edge of the leather. Please do not get me wrong, this is an excellent tool and it saves a lot of time and extra work. The photo below demonstrates how the strap cutter works.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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