From Biker Jacket to Sling-Bag: A Close Read of Edward De Lacy’s Up-cycle Reel
1 The reel in slow motion
Edward’s 30-second clip is cinematic, yes, but the craft is textbook leather engineering. Below is a frame-by-frame breakdown built on what actually happens on the bench—no guesswork, no hype.
| Reel timestamp | What he does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 04 s | Panel harvest — the side seams and lining come off first; he saves the back panel, sleeves, and waistband as clean rectangles. | Working inside-out keeps surface grain unscathed. |
| 05 – 08 s | Layout & mark-up — new body panel and two gussets are chalk-lined along the jacket’s natural grain. | Aligning grain prevents the finished bag from twisting under load. |
| 09 – 15 s | Edge thinning — he skives every fold and corner until the leather flexes like heavy paper. The tool is a French edger with a narrow throat. | Uniform 0.8 mm margins give crisp folds and reduce corner bulk. |
| 16 – 20 s | Dry fold test — panels are bent on the table; no glue yet. | Confirms skive depth and reveals any tension spots before glue commits. |
| 21 – 25 s | Adhesive + press — thin coat of water-based contact cement on both faces; immediate parallel-jaw squeeze along the seam. | Parallel pressure drives out air bubbles and keeps glue lines invisible. |
| 26 – 30 s | Stitch, edge-paint, hardware — gussets go in, zipper recycled from the sleeve, final edge paint for a factory look. | Sequence avoids trimming after assembly and locks colour onto already-compacted edges. |
The real technical lift? Controlling thickness (the skive) and pressure (the press). Everything else is choreography.
2 Technical checkpoints & how to clear them
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Consistent skive depth
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Aim for 50 % thickness on chrome-tan, 60–70 % on stiff veg-tan.
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Keep the edger’s sole flat; tilting digs trenches.
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Even adhesive tack
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Water-based cement flashes fast—30 sec open time tops.
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Work one seam at a time; don’t coat the entire panel and chase the clock.
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Parallel compression
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Uneven jaws will leave witness marks you can’t sand out.
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Moderate hand pressure (≈10 kg-f) for 10–15 s is enough; over-clamping thins the grain.
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3 Why Edward’s tool choices help (brief and to the point)
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Edge work — the French edger in the reel is a narrow-throat model; a powder-steel blade such as the Yorkshine M390 keeps its keen edge through long skive runs without grabbing the grain. CÍ OFFICIAL
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Seam pressing — parallel-jaw pliers, similar to the Nattools 2nd-Generation Flat Pliers, apply uniform pressure and avoid the crescent-shaped bruise common with tapered jaws. CÍ OFFICIAL
Use any equivalent tools you trust—just make sure the edge is sharp and the jaws are parallel.
4 Common mis-steps & quick fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Corners balloon after turning | Skive too shallow within 5 mm of tip | Feather deeper, stop 2 mm before the edge |
| Glue bleeds onto grain | Too much adhesive or delayed press | Lighter coat; press as soon as cement turns matte |
| Visible clamp lines | Uneven jaw pressure | Re-align jaws or insert oiled Kraft paper as buffer |
5 Try it yourself, tweak as you go
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Start small: sleeve scrap → coin pouch.
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Swap in waxed canvas if you want to practise the pattern without skiving.
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Keep every zipper and snap you salvage; matching hardware streamlines the look.
About CÍ
CÍ is一boutique tool house based in London. We run a small factory for short-run production and partner with independent makers—Nattools, Yorkshine, Maxita—to bring well-built tools to working benches worldwide. Shipping is free (duties included) to almost every region, and we back each order with long-term support. Beyond edgers and pliers you’ll find hot-foil presses, pricking irons, 360° stitching ponies, skiving machines, precision cutters, and more—everything built for people who prefer doing it right once.
References
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De Lacy, E. (2025) ‘Leather jacket → sling bag’, Instagram Reel, 9 July. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL5GGrRI3Yj/ (Accessed: 11 July 2025). Instagram
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CÍ OFFICIAL (2025) Yorkshine M390 French Edger / Leather Skiver Knife – Product Page. Available at: https://ciofficial.com/… (Accessed: 11 July 2025). CÍ OFFICIAL
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CÍ OFFICIAL (2025) The 2nd Generation Leather Flat Pliers – Product Page. Available at: https://ciofficial.com/… (Accessed: 11 July 2025). CÍ OFFICIAL
