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That old binder in Seattle who showed me how to pare leather thin

Met this guy at a shop off Pike Street who was trimming bookcloth like butter. He told me to wet my leather more and use a lighter hand on the paring knife. I had been fighting with thick edges for 2 years and his trick fixed it in 10 minutes. Anyone else run into an old timer who made you rethink your whole setup?
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maxm50
maxm5029d ago
Man that's a good one. I had a similar thing with a guy in Portland who showed me how to hold my awl differently, saved my hands from cramping up after years of doing it wrong. Those little tricks from people who've been at it forever are gold.
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danieltaylor
danieltaylor3d agoTop Commenter
Honestly, there's something to both sides. Old tricks can be pure gold though.
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jason_robinson
If anything, @maxm50, I'd argue those old timers passed on bad habits that work for them but lock beginners into the same outdated methods instead of exploring better tools or modern techniques. I spent too much time trying to copy some binder's grip when a simple bench knife changed everything for me.
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