Getting a decent edge has clearly been the long battle here. Chrome tanned leather never gave the maker much luck, early trials with edge kote were disappointing, and gum trag turned out only pretty good. The way round it is telling: veg tan is used almost exclusively, and where chrome tan has to be worked, the edges are cut as cleanly as possible and simply left unfinished. Being upfront about what fails is a nice touch in a series aimed at beginners.
The demonstration runs on a handmade bifold wallet. A wooden-handled beveller with a brass collet is worked round the perimeter to chamfer the sharp corners, then chocolate dye goes back over the fresh bevel with a wool dauber. Once that dries, water is applied along the edge, and a turned wooden slicker with grooves is worked quickly back and forth to compress the fibers. Beeswax is rubbed onto the damp edge, then the burnishing is done a second time to leave a protective waxy seal. Friction and heat sealing the edge against dirt and moisture is the whole idea, and the finished profile comes out smoothed and darker.
The workspace is tidy too. Everything sits on a green Am-Tech A3 cutting mat, and the beeswax block even carries the word 'beeswax' embossed on its face.
One thing is still open: the maker asks whether anyone finishes edges with anything besides water and beeswax. Worth answering, in my view, since the simple two-ingredient method clearly performs well here yet might not suit every hide or every style of project.
Project by Paul Pirie. Watch it on their YouTube channel: