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As a bookbinder, I insist on hand-paring leather for all my covers.
Machine-cut edges just don't hold up over time like hand-pared ones.
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charles_barnes24d agoMost Upvoted
Remember that wallet story. It shows how the best wear happens when the material itself is made to give a little. Machine cuts are too perfect, too brittle. Hand work leaves just enough give in the fibers so the leather can soften and mold to the person using it, not just crack along a hard edge. That's the real goal, making something that becomes part of someone's life because it was made by a hand, not just a blade.
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hugo4411mo ago
My grandfather's leather wallet lasted forty years just from daily wear. You could see where his hands had worn the edges smooth. Different use case, but that kind of aging is what you're talking about.
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jaketorres1mo ago
Appreciate hearing about that. It's comforting when everyday items age with grace.
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