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Columbus Mill Edge Polishing Wax
Columbus Mill Edge Polishing Wax is a Japanese product from Columbus Co., Ltd., a respected leather care and shoe care manufacturer in Japan. It’s designed for finishing and protecting leather edges (like belts, wallets, bags) to give them a smooth, glossy, and durable surface.
 
- 8 colours
- can be used for thread preparation 
- Made in Japan

Columbus Mill Edge Polishing Wax

PriceFrom £7.00
Excluding VAT |
Colour
Quantity

  • After burnishing with Tokonole (can be purchase here),

    - apply the wax to the edges by rubbing it, buff with canvas/microfiber cloth or

    - melted on with the flat-headed iron or

    - melt the wax and rubbing into canvas/microfiber cloth and burnishing further

    to achieve the perfect shiny edge.

  • Tools & Materials

    • Columbus Mill Edge Wax (colour matched to your leather, or neutral)

    • Rotary burnisher (e.g., cocobolo wood wheel, leather wheel, or felt wheel)

    • Fine grit sandpaper (400–1000 grit)

    • Canvas cloth or denim scrap

    • Optional: Edge dye / Tokonole (for pre-smoothing fibres)

    Step-by-Step Process

    1. Edge Preparation

    • Trim & bevel: Use an edge beveler to round the sharp corners of the leather.

    • Sand: Use 400–600 grit sandpaper to smooth the edge evenly.

    • Dye (optional): If you want a specific edge colour, apply leather edge dye first and let it dry completely.

    • Seal fibres: Apply a small amount of Tokonole (or water) and slick the edge with a hand burnisher or machine to get a compact surface before waxing.

    2. Wax Application

    • Turn on your rotary burnisher at a medium speed, around 1,500–2,000 RPM is common.

    • Rub the Columbus Mill Wax stick along the leather edge.

      • The heat from friction will start to soften and melt the wax.

      • Apply sparingly at first, you can always add more.

    3. Burnishing

    • Press the leather edge gently against the burnisher groove (choose the groove size that matches your leather thickness).

    • Keep the leather moving steadily to avoid overheating.

    • The wax will penetrate the leather fibres, sealing and darkening the edge.

    • Continue until the edge feels glassy and smooth to the touch.

    4. Final Polishing

    • Use a piece of canvas or denim to hand-buff the edge for extra shine.

    • This step also helps remove any surface wax residue.

    Pro Tips from Japanese Workshops

    • Multiple passes: Apply wax → burnish → cool → reapply → burnish again for the deepest gloss.

    • Neutral wax is popular even on coloured leather because it gives a warm, natural sheen without altering the colour too much.

    • For matte edges, reduce burnishing time and pressure, let the wax set without too much heat.

    • Store wax in a cool place, it softens easily in warm climates.

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