I would like to do leather over cord grips for my Practical Single and Hand and a Half swords, and I think I have the procedure down, but I do have some questions. Here's the procedure as I see it (I know it's far from perfect, and any critiques are greatly appreciated):
1. Wrap the grip in some type of fine cord, using glue or epoxy as a fixative.
2. Once the fixative is dry, measure and cut an appropriate size of thin leather and soak in water.
3. Apply a slow drying fixative on top of the cord wrapping and wrap the leather over the grip. Over top of the leather, tightly warp a layer of cord and allow to dry.
4. Once the leather is dry, trim and dress the seam.
5. Apply some type of leather treatment to the finished grip, either some type of oil, wax, etc.
These are my questions: what type of leather and what thickness is appropriate, how long do you soak and what temperature should the water be, what type of adhesive is needed for the leather, what is the best way to dress the seam, and how should the leather be treated?

Thanks in advance for your help! :)

Got some help; thank you very much!

Could you post some of the answers or info that helped you, if possible? I am also interested in redoing some hilts, and would love to hear your tips. Thanks...