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That moment I realized I'd been cutting leather grain side down for 2 years
I was trimming a red goatskin cover last month and it kept curling at the edges no matter what I did. A friend stopped by my shop, flipped it over, and asked why I was working against the natural curl. How long did it take for you to figure out stuff like grain direction?
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williamschmidt3mo ago
Been there with so many things in life honestly. It's funny how we can do something one way for years without ever questioning if there's a better way. Like I used to always pull the tab on soda cans toward me before realizing you're supposed to pull it away from the opening to keep from splashing yourself. Or how I'd always try to hammer a nail straight down before someone showed me you gotta angle it just a bit into the wood. Makes you wonder what else we're all doing backwards without even knowing it.
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zarap144mo ago
That moment I realized I'd been cutting leather grain side down for 2 years" hit me right in the gut because I did the same thing with veg tan for way too long. Gotta gently point out though that grain direction is actually about the hair growth pattern, not the natural curl of the leather. The curl you mention is usually from how it was rolled or stored, so flipping it might help but checking the actual hair side is more reliable.
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