Swivel Knife Edge Guide Modification

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Most of us use an edge guide like this one when we want to make a cut an even distance from the edge of a piece of leather, like cutting the border for a holster.



These guides work great except for when you need to follow around a tight inside radius, like the cutout for a trigger guard. I modified mine and it works great in those tight places. This photo shows the way I filed the guide to fit an inside radius. This works well down to about 1/4" radius.





It works great although along straight edges, it doesn't even out any irregularities the way an unmodified one does so you have to take care to not let it drag on the edge of the leather.

[Capt Quirk]

I have yet to master one of those. I have messed up so many borders, I just do it freehand.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Freehand does do the trick, Capt. I bounce between doing that and using the guide. I've done both. I like the consistent width I can get with a guide. I like the smooth lines I get freehand. Maybe I'll have to think about a second unmodified one for the straight runs. Or toss the thing and break out the dividers.

[Capt Quirk]

I had finally got a good set of locking wing dividers, and gave them to my son, when I taught him to do holsters. I use an old school drafting compass for marking boarders. When the leather is cased, the compass leaves a nice deep mark that I can follow.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I should treat myself to some locking ones. I had to put a lock nut on the pair I use for marking stitches but it's too small for much else.

[Rube Burrows]

I had never seen one of those guides till just now. Interesting. So many tricks and tools that I am sure I don't know about.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

You aren't alone, Rube. We all learn new things as we go along. The world is full of innovative people and someone always has another idea of how to accomplish something.