Tool Care and Sharpening Basics for Leathercraft
The most important leathercraft tool maintenance is regular stropping — drawing the tool bevel against a leather strop loaded with polishing compound. A few strokes per session maintains cutting edges on edge bevellers, skiving knives, awl blades, and cutting knives. When a tool has become noticeably dull, sharpen on fine wet and dry paper before stropping. Poor results that look like technique problems are often tool condition problems.