When you buy a continuous roll of boning you have the freedom to cut your pieces of boning to exactly the right length, as opposed to just rounding to the nearest half inch. You can work on your project according to your own time frame, you don’t have to know ahead of time exactly what sizes you will be using. If you make alterations in your patterns, you can cut the boning to the right size as you need it. You can also use smaller or longer pieces than are available pre-cut and tipped.
Cutting white steel boning: The best cutter for white steel are these snips. We are happy to finally offer them for sale. They have a longer blade than the cutters for the spiral steel, and they have 4 pivot points, increasing the torque, and the ease of cutting steel boning. They also have a safety latch to keep the tidy and closed while you have them tucked away in your tool bin.
Mark your length with a marker and cut straight across, then snip the two corners off. Use a metal file to smooth the sharper cut ends. *If you don’t file the edges you will increase your risk of the sharpened steel weakening your casings and fabrics.
You can apply nail polish to the cut ends if the garment won’t be washed or dry cleaned.
To avoid rusting and for a permanent coating use Bone tipping fluid. Dip the ends, allow to dry, then add a second coat. (I set the boning onto a small mason jar so they don’t stick to the table while drying.)
~Happy Corseting, Amy Delicious
If you don’t have enough hand strength to squeeze the snips, simply put the back edge of the bottom handle firmly on your table, then press the top handle down to make the cut. Hold the boning firmly in your other hand so that it stays stable and cuts cleanly.
