Edge paint coverage and corner build
Whether the cut edges are sealed at every layer, and how the corners are turned, folded or left open.
The reading sequence
4 steps, starting at surface and finish and running to bend the edge and watch the coating. Evidence on this point is read at E1, and 2 of the 4 steps carries a condition that ends the assessment outright.
Walk one edge from corner to corner
Get the whole length of a single edge rather than the stretches that photograph well, since an edge fails first at one point.
Evidence: E1 — four overlapping macros covering one edge end to end, each taken square to the surface
- The four frames overlap and cover the edge with no stretch left out.
- The edge is in focus along its full length in every frame.
- Three frames arrive and one stretch of the edge falls between them.
- The frames are shot from an angle that hides the thickness of the edge.
- Only wide shots arrive, where the edge reads as a line rather than a surface.
- The seller photographs a different edge from the one that carries the most layers.
Read the paint where the edge is thickest
Decide whether the coating seals the cut fibres or sits on top of them, at the point where the most layers stack.
Evidence: E1 — the macro from step 1 at the thickest point, plus one frame of the same edge under light raking across it
- The coating covers the edge completely, with no fibre ends showing through or beside it.
- The film is thin enough that the edge keeps its own shape instead of rounding off.
- The coating is thick enough to round the edge and hide its line.
- A second layer has gone over a first that had already set, leaving a ridge along the edge.
- A fuzzy band of fibres shows through or alongside the coating.
- The coating has cracked at a fold and lifted clear of the edge.
Inspect the two lower corners
Judge how each corner is formed, because a corner is where several layers meet and where an unsealed cut end hides from a wide shot.
Evidence: E1 — a macro of each corner from outside, one from below, and one with the bag standing as it would when set down
- Both corners are folded and stitched or heat-formed, with the coating following the whole outline.
- The bag stands level on both corners and no cut layer shows in any of the three views.
- One corner is coated shut while the other shows a folded seam.
- The corner is rounded but the coating thins as it turns.
- The cut end of a layer is visible at a corner from outside the bag.
- The corner was trimmed flush and coated without being folded, so the layers are held by the coating alone.
Bend the edge and watch the coating
Test how well the coating grips, using a bend at the point buyers bend a bag every day rather than a flat view.
Evidence: E1 — a short clip of the seller folding the flap or the top edge back along its length, filmed close to the coated edge
- The coating flexes with the leather and returns without leaving a crack line.
- The fold in the clip reaches at least 90 degrees at ordinary hand pressure.
- The fold stays under about 30 degrees, so the coating's elasticity is never tested.
- A hairline appears at the bend and disappears once the leather is released.
- The coating separates from the edge along a visible length when folded.
- The seller declines the fold and offers a frame of the edge lying flat instead.
Why the thresholds sit where they do
Edge treatment is classed as surface work, yet it decides how long a bag survives being set down, which is why it sits above purely cosmetic questions and below the load points. Photographs of a painted edge hide the two things that matter: whether the cut fibres underneath were sealed, and whether the corner was folded before coating. Four overlapping frames replace the usual two, because edge failures begin at a single point and a gap between frames is where that point hides. The 90 degree fold in the last step is the angle a flap reaches when a bag is opened wide, and the 30 degree figure marks a fold too shallow to test anything. The three-view corner rule came from cases where a corner looked sealed from outside and showed a cut layer from below.
Common misreads
2 pairs recorded for this point. Each runs in both directions: 1 finding that looks worse than it is, and 1 that looks better.
- looks like Return actually Pass
An edge that looks patchy and matte in a frame taken with flash. Flash flattens the film and shows every brush mark, while the same edge under raking light is continuous and correctly sealed.
- looks like Pass actually Return
A smooth, evenly coated edge photographed lying flat. A coating can look continuous and still lift at the first fold, which is the failure that reaches the corner within weeks.
Check this point against what you were sent
Insufficient evidence
Nothing decided on edge paint and corner construction yet: 0 of 4 steps have been read.
0 of 4 steps judged
| Step | Reading | Evidence | Stop met |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Walk one edge from corner to cornerneeds E1 | — | ||
| 2. Read the paint where the edge is thickestneeds E1 | — | ||
| 3. Inspect the two lower cornersneeds E1 | A layer's cut end is visible at a corner. That corner holds on a film of coating rather than on a fold, and it opens the first time the bag is set down loaded. | ||
| 4. Bend the edge and watch the coatingneeds E1 | The coating lifts away from the edge when the edge is folded. Each later fold lifts more of it, and coating applied over a lifted film does not bond to it. |
Sources and checks
- Public community thread — Threads where edge coating or a corner was the disputed pointn=46
- Editor analysis — Four-frame edge rule, 90 degree fold and the three-view corner check set togetherno sample
- Platform published rule — Photo requirements for a damage or workmanship claim as publishedno sample
Last checked · next review due · status current.
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