🔪 Edge Bevel Size Guide

How thickness maps to a beveler number

The chart is keyed to weight in ounces, which is a thickness measure, not a mass: one ounce is 1/64 in of hide.

1 oz = 1/64 in = 0.397 mm (rounded to 0.4 mm in the trade)
mm  = oz × 0.4      oz = mm / 0.4
8 oz = 8/64 in = 1/8 in = 3.2 mm

Each step in the table covers roughly two ounces, so the size number climbs about one per 0.8 mm: #0 for 1–2 oz wallet linings, #1 for 3–4 oz, #2 for 5–6 oz, #3 for 7–8 oz belt weight, #4 for 9–10 oz, and #5 or larger above 11 oz. Glued laminations count as their combined weight: two 4 oz panels bonded face to face are an 8 oz edge and take a #3.

Using the chart at the bench

• Bevel both faces. Grain and flesh side each get a pass, so a square edge becomes a six-sided one that rounds under the burnisher. Skip the flesh side only where the edge will be glued to a lining.
• Undersize rather than oversize. A beveler one size small leaves a crisper edge you can round further; one size large cuts into the face and leaves a visible flat you cannot put back.
• Bevel first, then sand, then burnish. Damp the edge lightly before the cut on firm veg-tan; run chrome-tanned edges dry, since wet fibres drag.

Frequently asked questions