My way of holding a ruler while using a knife to cut leather

00:04:08
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNUPTuT3jPc

Summary

TLDRThe video provides guidance on cutting materials using a metal or quilter's ruler, featuring tools like a rolling knife and head knives. It critiques inadequate ways of holding a ruler which can lead to slipping while making cuts. Instead of relying on cork-backed rulers, the video suggests a technique where you brace the ruler on the table using your fingers: place your fingers on the table and position them between the ruler and the table to hold it firmly. This method prevents slipping even when applying knife pressure and ensures a clean cut without additional anti-slip aids.

Takeaways

  • ✂️ Use a ruler correctly by applying pressure with your fingers against the table.
  • 🔪 A rolling knife is effective for cutting upholstery materials.
  • 👌 Hold the ruler firmly by wedging it between your fingers and the table.
  • 🛠️ No need for cork backs or sandpaper; technique matters most.
  • 🔍 Pay close attention to finger placement for precision cuts.
  • 👍 Proper grip prevents ruler from moving while cutting.
  • 🎨 Quilter's rulers can break, handle with care.
  • 🧤 Use head knives like Terry Nip Shield's for admiration, they're beautiful but optional.
  • 📏 Keep the ruler edge static to avoid cutting mistakes.
  • 🖐️ Practice finger pressure to gain mastery and save effort.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:04:08

    The speaker, Alba from Albany Leather, demonstrates using different cutting tools for materials, focusing on a technique for stabilizing a ruler without additional aids like cork. She shares that merely holding the ruler with fingertips may cause it to slip during cutting. Instead, she suggests a more stable grip using fingers for added friction and pressure on the ruler and table, ensuring a clean cut with a rolling knife, her preferred tool. Alba offers these tips to enhance tool use efficiency without extra materials.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What is the proper technique for holding a ruler while cutting materials?

    Use your thumb and ring finger to anchor the ruler to the table, and apply pressure with your index and middle finger to keep the ruler steady.

  • Can I prevent the ruler from slipping without using cork or sandpaper?

    Yes, you can prevent the ruler from slipping by using proper hand positioning to apply pressure and stabilize it on the table.

  • What tools are demonstrated in the video?

    The video demonstrates various types of rulers, a rolling knife, and head knives for cutting materials.

  • What is the benefit of using the rolling knife?

    The rolling knife is preferred for cutting upholstery weight materials due to its ease and precision.

  • What alternative techniques are suggested instead of using special equipment?

    Proper hand positioning to stabilize the ruler without cork or sandpaper is suggested.

View more video summaries

Get instant access to free YouTube video summaries powered by AI!
Subtitles
en
Auto Scroll:
  • 00:00:00
    is albane from albanian for leather and
  • 00:00:02
    i want to talk about cutting a line
  • 00:00:04
    using a ruler
  • 00:00:06
    with any one of these tools okay so what
  • 00:00:09
    we have here is a basic ruler the metal
  • 00:00:12
    ruler there's nothing fancy to it it's
  • 00:00:14
    just a metal piece piece of metal and
  • 00:00:16
    then here's another
  • 00:00:18
    you know quilters
  • 00:00:19
    ruler this one just kind of fell off the
  • 00:00:22
    table and broke the end off and then a
  • 00:00:24
    rolling knife which is my preferred
  • 00:00:26
    method for cutting
  • 00:00:28
    upholstery weight materials and then
  • 00:00:30
    there's a couple head knives that terry
  • 00:00:31
    nip shield makes those are just there to
  • 00:00:34
    marvel because they're so beautiful
  • 00:00:36
    but anyway um people put up videos
  • 00:00:39
    talking about how to use this ruler and
  • 00:00:41
    then
  • 00:00:42
    inevitably they'll just hold them down
  • 00:00:44
    with their fingertips like this
  • 00:00:46
    okay
  • 00:00:47
    and
  • 00:00:48
    the unfortunate reality is if you just
  • 00:00:49
    hold it like this it doesn't take a
  • 00:00:51
    whole lot to shift it around on the
  • 00:00:52
    table
  • 00:00:53
    right it'll push it around the edge of
  • 00:00:56
    your blade will
  • 00:00:57
    shift the ruler out of the way
  • 00:00:59
    same thing with this one
  • 00:01:01
    so
  • 00:01:02
    the way you hold it
  • 00:01:05
    is going to influence how it stays on
  • 00:01:07
    the table or against your leather piece
  • 00:01:09
    right so people recommend putting cork
  • 00:01:13
    or buying a ruler with a cork back or
  • 00:01:15
    something
  • 00:01:16
    um that's just
  • 00:01:18
    you know trying to compensate for
  • 00:01:21
    poor technique so here's here's how we
  • 00:01:23
    do it okay so what we do is we
  • 00:01:26
    we're going to let's hypothetically say
  • 00:01:28
    we're going to cut along this edge
  • 00:01:30
    on my side
  • 00:01:32
    where my hand is on the left side of
  • 00:01:34
    this particular i'm going to brace my
  • 00:01:36
    finger
  • 00:01:37
    on the table
  • 00:01:39
    basically just put my fingers down
  • 00:01:43
    along the table and then i'm going to
  • 00:01:45
    put that
  • 00:01:46
    pressure
  • 00:01:48
    between the ruler
  • 00:01:50
    and the table
  • 00:01:51
    and hold the ruler like that so i
  • 00:01:53
    usually use my ring finger
  • 00:01:55
    and my thumb and then put my index and
  • 00:01:58
    middle finger down and now the friction
  • 00:02:00
    from my thumb
  • 00:02:02
    and ring finger in contact with the
  • 00:02:05
    table makes it really hard to move and
  • 00:02:06
    then my index finger and ring finger
  • 00:02:10
    pushing down keeps pressure on it
  • 00:02:13
    right so that's kind of how you hold the
  • 00:02:15
    ruler and then
  • 00:02:17
    the edge pressure from the knife sliding
  • 00:02:19
    against it doesn't allow the ruler to
  • 00:02:21
    move at all because my fingers are
  • 00:02:23
    planted on the table
  • 00:02:24
    okay
  • 00:02:26
    so let's look at it
  • 00:02:27
    now
  • 00:02:28
    here's a little line that i drew to cut
  • 00:02:31
    i want to cut the line clean off so i'm
  • 00:02:33
    going to give myself a teeny bit of
  • 00:02:39
    black where i can see that the whole
  • 00:02:41
    line is about to come off
  • 00:02:44
    now i'm going to brace against my ruler
  • 00:02:46
    against the table between the leathers
  • 00:02:48
    between my fingers and
  • 00:02:50
    the table the
  • 00:02:52
    rulers between my fingers the leather
  • 00:02:54
    and the table and i'm all braced off
  • 00:02:57
    i don't think i can hold this
  • 00:02:59
    and cut at the same time give me one sec
  • 00:03:02
    let me see if i can find a way to hold
  • 00:03:04
    the phone
  • 00:03:05
    that looks like it's going to work
  • 00:03:06
    pretty good okay so i'm going to line my
  • 00:03:09
    ruler up make sure that
  • 00:03:10
    all of my mark is going to come off or
  • 00:03:12
    most of it anyway
  • 00:03:14
    i'm going to brace my thumb on the table
  • 00:03:16
    brace my ring finger
  • 00:03:18
    put pressure down with my
  • 00:03:20
    index and middle finger
  • 00:03:22
    open my blade up
  • 00:03:25
    and slide it along
  • 00:03:28
    okay now look
  • 00:03:30
    the ruler can't move
  • 00:03:33
    no matter how hard they push
  • 00:03:35
    and we get a good clean cut
  • 00:03:44
    this has been your good friend alba in
  • 00:03:45
    albany leather trying to talk about uh
  • 00:03:48
    tips and tricks so that you can
  • 00:03:50
    use your
  • 00:03:51
    native tools a little easier without
  • 00:03:53
    having to find a bunch of cork or
  • 00:03:56
    sandpaper or anything to prevent them
  • 00:03:57
    from slipping simply put your fingers
  • 00:04:00
    and wedge them against the table and
  • 00:04:02
    between the ruler and the table
  • 00:04:04
    and you should be good to go
  • 00:04:05
    please pay it forward
Tags
  • cutting techniques
  • ruler usage
  • material cutting
  • tool demonstration
  • anti-slip techniques