Leather handles/circular spacers - polishing?

[Gary LT]

Okay all,

I have this question to ask if anyone has accomplished a “smooth polished finish” on knives with leather spacers on handles. I mean smooth polished finish and not showing grain porosity.
I haven’t…..and tried. I was told to “burnish” the leather, (but not exactly how ……). So I did, using different attempts, with fine scotchbrite, buffing wheels and compounds, soaking the leather in water or oil or applying wax, progressive hand sanding, etc. I may be using lesser quality leather, (for sure!). 

Other well known makers do this successfully however I thought I’d start here to ask.

Any advise

Gary LT

[jake cleland]

scotchbrite, sanding, (most) buffing etc are abrasive, and will open up the grain. Burnishing is not. It means polishing with a hard, smooth, polished surface - usually hardened steel, but bone or antler are fine for leather - to compress the surface and close up the grain. You probably want to coat the surface in beeswax first to load as much of the grain as possible before you start. You'll probably also want to use enough force to generate some heat to harden the surface. A hard felt buffing wheel would probably also work.

[Alan Longmire]

What Jake said, and the iconic stacked leather grips like the Ka-bar are also shellacked after burnishing.  Varnish is more water resistant.

[Gary LT]

Thanks Jake and Alan. I do have a hard wheel, (not felt), but packed enough to work. A big “duh” came over me when I read beeswax, which I have a small block. This combo might do the trick for this project.

I follow up with a post when I can get back to try it.

Gary LT

Edited January 5 by Gary LT

[Joshua States]

I use a product I think is Tragacanth gum (?) to coat my sheath edges before burnishing with a chunk of antler. Leaves a nice solid polished edge. I bought the powder that you mix with a little water and apply with a small paint brush or glue brush

 

Edited January 5 by Joshua States

[Gary LT]

Thanks Joshua, yes I’ve known about gum tragacanth, I haven’t tried it, but if you use perhaps I should try.

All, rubbing a prepared leather edge with a tool works and you can see results rather quickly. But a spacer is circular or oblong and grain changes direction. So in using a wheel that’s why I’ve tried everything. Heck, maybe I can also try a stabilizer in a vacuum. Whatever works, I’ll pass it on. Randall, Treeman, Moshee, have all done this successfully!

Gary LT