Question about edge paring - was I overcomplicating this the whole time?

I've been bookbinding for about 2 years now, mostly self taught from YouTube videos and forums. I always thought you needed a super sharp, expensive paring knife to get good results on leather edges. I was using a $50 knife I got from a specialty shop and still getting rough edges and gouges. Last week I watched an old bookbinder in a shop demo in Portland just use a regular utility knife with a fresh blade. He said he changes blades every 3 or 4 paring sessions. I tried it on some goat leather I've been struggling with and it came out smooth, almost no sanding needed. It made me wonder how many other simple tools I'm avoiding because I think I need the fancy version. Has anyone else found basic hardware store stuff works better than the specialty tools for certain steps?

2 comments

2 Comments

emmar754d ago

Dude that's just how life works half the time.

holly474d ago

That hit me right in the feels, honestly lol