On the leather fly wallets that are made in my shop, I take the time to finish the edges by dying them with a special black dye. This seals the end grain of the leather & gives it a better look than just the raw leather. I then coat the edges with good old fashioned beeswax & then I buff the entire edge for a smooth finish. Not only does this protect the edges of my fly wallets, I think it looks so much better than just the raw leather.
See for yourself: here is a newly sewn fly wallet, before I've done anything to the edges of it. Take a close look at the end grain:
For more info about these wallets & all the other fine items made in my shop, please check out the Accessories page. If you're after a really special, one-of-a-kind leather accessory, be sure to visit the Hand Stitched Leather Accessories page of this site, too. If you have any questions about anything, please contact me anytime.
So remember this tip the next time you're buying any leather item, for fishing or otherwise: look at the edges to see if & how they've been treated. A good edge is the sign of a well-made quality item.