Hey guys,
Do you guys sharpen hole punchers? The ones in the course that Philip uses seems to punch so easily so I got one to test, but it can't seem to punch through even a 1.5mm piece of leather. Wondering if these have to be sharpened? How do you guys do it?!
Watched “The Techniques of the Blade” courses. Excellent courses! My knives have never been this sharp. I do need a better strop though. Going to watch the course on making one next. Awesome!
Hey Mark, that's great to hear! Yes, having a dedicated strop on hand makes a big difference in maintaining that sharp edge. Let us know how it goes. Do you already have the wood for it?
About a year ago I made a strop following the How to Make a Leather Strop tutorial. I recharge it with green compound occasionally but It seems to have less grit than in the past; more of a slick surface. Im wondering if I can revive it by sanding down the surface and reapplying green compound.
A similar question arises as I consider making a new strop and since I have a few knives made with D 2 steal I’m wondering if a diamond compound because of its hardness would be good alternative to green compund.
When you use a strop charged with compound, it removes particles of steel. Eventually there is more steel particles on the surface than abrasive, and the strop loses effectiveness. Either recharge with more compound, or use a well worn sanding sponge to break up the surface. I do both interchangeably. Fresh sanding blocks tend to lose grit particles, so avoid them.
Hi everyone,
A friend of mine is getting married, and he has decided to gift a pair of trouser suspenders (or braces, for my friends in the UK) to each of his groomsmen. The're made mainly of fabric, but have a small leather patch. (Picture attached.)
He has already purchased them, and he has asked me if I could emboss a set of initials onto each of them. (To personalize them for each of his groomsmen.)
I have a stamping machine - from Dream Factory - that I often use, and which I've found to be reliable. Here's the problem: The surface that needs to be stamped is quite uneven. I thought about padding the uneven sections, so as to create a relatively flat and even surface, but it's quite risky and I don't want to destroy too many pairs with failed attempts.
Has anyone encountered this (or something similar)…
Hi Adri, good question. There are a few ways of doing this, but the video below is how I sharpen mine. Although I use sandpaper in the video, you may need to use a file if the punches are especially dull.