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I used to use an Xacto knife but found that multiple passes are required in order to cut through thick leather. Now I use a straight razor. Sharp as hell and I can slice through in one pass. After stitching the sides together I smooth the edges with a Dremel sanding drum, then apply dye and burnish with a boning tool.

A good quality pair of leather shears (Wiss, Gingher, some Fiskars) will make a nice cut if you have the hand power. The rotary cutter is best on straight cuts. A swivel knife is for leather tooling or carving, not cutting. One makes a shallow slice and usually bevels one edge to raise or lower the figure being carved. Basic leather working guidelines call for a clean perpendicular cut, then using an edger tool to slightly bevel the edges top and bottom, unless it will be joined.There are different sizes of edging tools for different weights of leather. After dyeing, if you do, a product called gum tragacanth can be used to slick and burnish the edges. Does a good job of sealing edges up. Water works ok also if you burnish with a bone or antler or hardwood burnishing tool. That's pretty basic but results in nice smooth edges. There are many ways to do the same thing. I've also used sanding devices on thick edges, sure forms, skiving knives, they all work but that's kind of the basics for those who might be struggling with this step. Hope it helps!
 
I guess I should have clarified in my earlier post when I said swivel knife which one I was talking about. I have one made by Fiskars I believe that uses basically a #11 xacto style blade that works well for cutting round shapes and curves in light to medium weight leathers. I still use shears for the heavier stuff. And you are absolutely correct, the more commonly associated swivel knife when talking about leatherworking cuts a beveled edge on one side for decorative work. I am certain that you have much more experience than I do with cutting leather Amanda, not trying to counterdict your expertise as I for one have appreciated your input here, just thought it was worth sharing what I have found to work.
 
I've had good results with a Fiskars rotary cutter for straight lines and mild curves. Tight curves, or curves in heavy leather are the issues. I'm thinking of trying a new sharp pair of anvil style pruners, maybe without the bypass style blade of scissors I can get rid of the issue of one side of the leather being cut to a different size.
 
A good quality pair of leather shears (Wiss, Gingher, some Fiskars) will make a nice cut if you have the hand power. The rotary cutter is best on straight cuts. A swivel knife is for leather tooling or carving, not cutting. One makes a shallow slice and usually bevels one edge to raise or lower the figure being carved. Basic leather working guidelines call for a clean perpendicular cut, then using an edger tool to slightly bevel the edges top and bottom, unless it will be joined.There are different sizes of edging tools for different weights of leather. After dyeing, if you do, a product called gum tragacanth can be used to slick and burnish the edges. Does a good job of sealing edges up. Water works ok also if you burnish with a bone or antler or hardwood burnishing tool. That's pretty basic but results in nice smooth edges. There are many ways to do the same thing. I've also used sanding devices on thick edges, sure forms, skiving knives, they all work but that's kind of the basics for those who might be struggling with this step. Hope it helps!

Shears would certainly do a good job cutting thinner leathers. However, I have not had very good luck cutting 7/8 ounce holster material with them. Also, tight radius' are difficult to navigate with shears. I'll be sticking with my sharp blade for cutting out holster patterns. I am rather familiar with the use of the swivel knife, beveling and finishing techniques. With hand stitching, the Buscadero rig below took me well over a month to complete. Apologies for the unmentionable Colt.

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I’ve been re-cutting the rifling on original barrels lately. Ones in rough shape. Guys in my club have been doing this for decades so I decided to learn. I’ve done about a dozen now. It’s a skill all rifle gunsmiths would have had back in the day. Something about restoring an original barrel to shooting condition as it would have been done back then interests and pleases me.
HI, my interest in riffling began when I wanted to make a ml rifle and no barrels were available so built a rig from scratch that is I had never seen one so it was my invention which i discovered a long time later had already been invented I am I find it interesting and theraputic gives me a bit of a work out too Rob
 
I have been making wood bow making tillering tools to give away to people who make a $20 donation to St Jude.

Not M/L related but a lot of the M/L meets have a selfbow component.

Some very charitable M/L folk donated a bunch of highly figured wood for me to use. I invented this thing, I call it a tillering gizmo, it tells you where to remove wood to get your limbs bending just right.

Here is an example;
nords gizmo.JPG
 
I have been making wood bow making tillering tools to give away to people who make a $20 donation to St Jude.

Not M/L related but a lot of the M/L meets have a selfbow component.

Some very charitable M/L folk donated a bunch of highly figured wood for me to use. I invented this thing, I call it a tillering gizmo, it tells you where to remove wood to get your limbs bending just right.

Here is an example;
View attachment 10003
Eric, I don't doubt that you made your marking jig but it might be a stretch to say you invented it. I have 2 that I have made which I use often but it is an idea that has been around for a while.................watch yer top knot...............
 
Finished the earlier mentioned knife rehandle project. Finished the wood with a couple applications of b.l.o. applied the 1st to the wood having been warmed with the low setting of my heat gun. I gave each application a few days to sit and soak in. Warmed again and applied some beeswax. Did this a few times, letting each layer dry and harden for a day then buffed and applied the next layer. Polished of as much of that rough black scale or finish that was on both originals, as I could. That stuff caused too much friction/drag for efficient cutting. Then made the sheath. After wet shaping, the sheath is waxed with beeswax. And now it's just a process of final sharpening

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