Old bookbinder in Brooklyn showed me a trick for paring leather that I still use

I was working at this small bindery in Brooklyn a couple years back helping out part time. This older guy, must have been 70, watched me struggle with a book cover for like 10 minutes. He just walked over, took my knife, and flipped the leather around backward on the stone. Said "you're fighting the grain, not the leather." Made me feel dumb but it actually worked perfect. Anyone else have a random old timer save you with one little trick?

2 comments

2 Comments

harperwright21d ago

That line about "fighting the grain not the leather" really stuck with me. I had a similar moment with an old carpenter who showed me how to read wood grain before cutting. Made me realize how much I was just forcing things instead of working with the material. It's humbling when someone who's been doing it forever just watches you and sees the problem in two seconds. Those little tricks are worth more than any YouTube tutorial.

riverhill21d ago

My buddy Jake tried to restore an old table and kept sanding against the grain like a maniac for like an hour before his grandpa walked over and just flipped the sander the other direction lol. Whole thing came out smooth in like two minutes. @harperwright your carpenter story reminds me of that, some stuff you just gotta see in person.