Recommendation? Pro Leather tools

[Usmcguy]

If you are not cutting out lots of patterns you can use a scalpel-they are super sharp and disposable (Amazon) and is what I use on 6/9 oz Herman oak leather for my folding knife holsters- a saddle maker I know just uses the cassette skiver blades inserted into an exacto knife body. I hardly ever use my round knife anymore. For long cuts like putting a square edge on a side prior to making belt blanks I just use a straight edge and a rotary cutter.

Another source of quality handmade leather tools is Bob Douglas (Quality Douglas Tools, Sheridan, WY), he’s a small shop so call his wife Lee 307-737-2222 or email her douglastoolswy@gmail.com and they are very helpful, his copper saddle rivet setting tools are the best I’ve ever used and his hand tools are great as well.

 

[NickHFSS]

New tools arrived at last!
Thank you very much everyone for your advices !
Looks promising and made to last, already cut my hand with the head knife , I'm guessing thats gonna happen a lot in near future lol , hopefully I'll still have a finger or two by the time I get experience with it.

 

[Horsewright]

New tools arrived at last!
Thank you very much everyone for your advices !
Looks promising and made to last, already cut my hand with the head knife , I'm guessing thats gonna happen a lot in near future lol , hopefully I'll still have a finger or two by the time I get experience with it.
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Very cool! I have that same #1 edger. The Weaver ones are a little tough to learn to use if you are use to others as they have to be held at a much steeper angle than other edgers. Once ya get the hang of it though they are great edgers. Congrats! If I can be of help with the use of these new tools dont hesitate to ask.

 

[NickHFSS]

Very cool! I have that same #1 edger. The Weaver ones are a little tough to learn to use if you are use to others as they have to be held at a much steeper angle than other edgers. Once ya get the hang of it though they are great edgers. Congrats! If I can be of help with the use of these new tools dont hesitate to ask.

Yes you are right sir , the I've never had such steep angle edge beveler, feels strange doing at such steep angle...
any advices you can give me , tips and tricks with the head knife , I'm sure I'm interested in everything and will come in handy, lets say this way , what would you tell yourself when you first hold the head knife from todays point of view?

 

[Jessica2k]

Hello everyone , what would you recommend for premium leather working tools?
Most importantly I am looking for top notch pricking irons , edge bevelers and half moon knife.
I was looking at tandy leather but they just tend to sell higher end Chinese stuff for their pro line.
Also looked at weaver leather but their half moon knife seems kinda too pricey at 250$ and they dont have pricking irons
I have a few tools by ivan tools , can someone recommend their half moon knife and pricking irons?
Any other advices are welcome as well
Thanks

You won't do a lot sharpening / stropping, but you will still help if you use rotary cutters and a utility knife with a single ladder.

I get a lot of miles from a basic sharpening stone and some small files or needles. In addition to sharpening the edges, a lot of additional instruments can be maintained, modified, and repaired. Punches, punching's, iron pricking, tooling stamps, and so on can all benefit from some kind of affection. When you are able to get them back to their top condition, it facilitates the purchase of cheaper instruments.

 

[PEU]

This is my take on the half moon leather knife, I recall is based on a design of Bob Dozier that I adapted to my liking. The tabs you see at the edges are there for grinding time, they are removed once the knife is done.

I like the asymmetric design, gives more options at cut time.

Pablo

 

[NickHFSS]

You won't do a lot sharpening / stropping, but you will still help if you use rotary cutters and a utility knife with a single ladder.

I get a lot of miles from a basic sharpening stone and some small files or needles. In addition to sharpening the edges, a lot of additional instruments can be maintained, modified, and repaired. Punches, punching's, iron pricking, tooling stamps, and so on can all benefit from some kind of affection. When you are able to get them back to their top condition, it facilitates the purchase of cheaper instruments.

I have wetstones , profil kadet system , edge pro apex , worksharp ken onion , so basically IM set in sharpening supplies , thanks for the advice though

 

[NickHFSS]

Hello everyone , today a disaster happened , I was making 2nd or 3rd project with this 80$ "PRO" pricking irons form tandy, it broke going in a single layer of 3mm thick leather , I'm in shock , my 5$ amazon pricking irons I got 7 years ago went through hell and back until they broke , some times going in 3 layers of 3.5mm thick leather ! I'm gonna ask for a refund and then I dont know what to do and which irons to buy....

 

[A.McPherson]

Send it back and get it warranteed... It could be that this one just slipped through the qc process.

 

[NickHFSS]

Well , I contacted them showing it , explaining what happened , showed picture that I was going in one single layer of leather , but they told me it is a marking tool and said goodbye...
Then I showed them video of the maker (tandy just boxes them , maker is Since) of literary the exact tool being used by the manufacturer to make holes , using exactly like I was using and they again blamed me and said "for us they make it as a marking tool" which I call bs , yeah tandy telling the company to make a worse tool.... I am so disappointed I can't even express myself , I was saving for this tools for so long , looked around on so many options , chose this thinking it was quality and was backed by a reputable company but no , both the tool and the company are garbage , now I see why they are close to bankrupt and are closing stores nationwide.....
Brought it overseas using shipping forwarding companies only to break it on 3rd use, literary my chinease 5 $ pricking irons lasted 6 or more years taking abuse like punching in nasty chrome tan leather , 3 layers at once....

 

[Horsewright]

Well , I contacted them showing it , explaining what happened , showed picture that I was going in one single layer of leather , but they told me it is a marking tool and said goodbye...
Then I showed them video of the maker (tandy just boxes them , maker is Since) of literary the exact tool being used by the manufacturer to make holes , using exactly like I was using and they again blamed me and said "for us they make it as a marking tool" which I call bs , yeah tandy telling the company to make a worse tool.... I am so disappointed I can't even express myself , I was saving for this tools for so long , looked around on so many options , chose this thinking it was quality and was backed by a reputable company but no , both the tool and the company are garbage , now I see why they are close to bankrupt and are closing stores nationwide.....
Brought it overseas using shipping forwarding companies only to break it on 3rd use, literary my chinease 5 $ pricking irons lasted 6 or more years taking abuse like punching in nasty chrome tan leather , 3 layers at once....

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That is a bummer! Have you tried contacting the manufacturer? I'm unfamiliar with them.

Was just rereading this thread and realized I'd completely missed your question on the roundknife. How is the learning curve going on that. If I were to give ya one piece of advice it would be to make sure that the handle is short enough so you can choke up on the blade. I would find one repetitive shape and cut that out multiple times form scrap. For instance my welt pattern works good for that. So find something that curves in both directions and has some straight lines too and just cut a bunch of them out. Agtain just scrap belly leather is fine for this. Understand too that the knife is not just a push cut it can also be used with a little bit of a roll as you push. keep it sharp.

 

[NickHFSS]

That is a bummer! Have you tried contacting the manufacturer? I'm unfamiliar with them.

Was just rereading this thread and realized I'd completely missed your question on the roundknife. How is the learning curve going on that. If I were to give ya one piece of advice it would be to make sure that the handle is short enough so you can choke up on the blade. I would find one repetitive shape and cut that out multiple times form scrap. For instance my welt pattern works good for that. So find something that curves in both directions and has some straight lines too and just cut a bunch of them out. Agtain just scrap belly leather is fine for this. Understand too that the knife is not just a push cut it can also be used with a little bit of a roll as you push. keep it sharp.

I contacted them on instagram but no answer , gonna try email now.
The explain that they purposly told the manufacturer to make the tool worse is just funny, I also tried explaining with my logic that if it was just a marking tool the heads would be shorter and wouldnt need to be so brittle since its just for marking...


as for the round knife , oh its easily my favorite tools in 100+ tools and machines in my shop , its always a happy day when I have to use it and when I;m done using it I almost always keep cutting offcuts and junk like a small child , thats how much I enjoy using it.
As of sharpness , I dont have any others to know if the edge hold is good or bad , I just strop it every now and then and keep working with it, I have the regular green cutting mat , also a friend cobbler workshop owner gifted a big cutting mat , so far have to build a table for it and have a dedicated leatherwork table. I love it so much, one thing for future , if I decide to make my own , I will make one half of this , so it only has one point or at least not so much , would find useful in some cases

 

[Horsewright]

I contacted them on instagram but no answer , gonna try email now.
The explain that they purposly told the manufacturer to make the tool worse is just funny, I also tried explaining with my logic that if it was just a marking tool the heads would be shorter and wouldnt need to be so brittle since its just for marking...


as for the round knife , oh its easily my favorite tools in 100+ tools and machines in my shop , its always a happy day when I have to use it and when I;m done using it I almost always keep cutting offcuts and junk like a small child , thats how much I enjoy using it.
As of sharpness , I dont have any others to know if the edge hold is good or bad , I just strop it every now and then and keep working with it, I have the regular green cutting mat , also a friend cobbler workshop owner gifted a big cutting mat , so far have to build a table for it and have a dedicated leatherwork table. I love it so much, one thing for future , if I decide to make my own , I will make one half of this , so it only has one point or at least not so much , would find useful in some cases

Yeah when I was making them its much easier to make an asymmetrical one than a symmetrical one. Good deal glad that is working out for ya. I can't cut on those roller mats with a roundknife, I get stuck. Hydroma cutting board is the way to go. The wife was really struggling with her round knife cutting on those roller mats. She finally tried it on a piece of hydroma and now I don't have to cut stuff out for her anymore.

 

[Cushing H.]

Cutting leather when wet has made a huge difference for me. I still need to thin my roundknife though ... i suspect that will likewise make things even easier..

 

[Horsewright]

Cutting leather when wet has made a huge difference for me. I still need to thin my roundknife though ... i suspect that will likewise make things even easier..

How thick is it now?

 

[12345678910]

I contacted them on instagram but no answer , gonna try email now.
The explain that they purposly told the manufacturer to make the tool worse is just funny, I also tried explaining with my logic that if it was just a marking tool the heads would be shorter and wouldnt need to be so brittle since its just for marking...


as for the round knife , oh its easily my favorite tools in 100+ tools and machines in my shop , its always a happy day when I have to use it and when I;m done using it I almost always keep cutting offcuts and junk like a small child , thats how much I enjoy using it.
As of sharpness , I dont have any others to know if the edge hold is good or bad , I just strop it every now and then and keep working with it, I have the regular green cutting mat , also a friend cobbler workshop owner gifted a big cutting mat , so far have to build a table for it and have a dedicated leatherwork table. I love it so much, one thing for future , if I decide to make my own , I will make one half of this , so it only has one point or at least not so much , would find useful in some cases

I don't consider social media a professional way to contact a business.

I"d do it through a well written email, direct to their proper contacts on their website (if they have that)

Spend time writing it in a proper word processing program, proofread it.

 

[Lorien]

don't really have anything to compare it to, since I haven't had a round knife before this one. Got it a couple years ago from Black Cat Metal and not only is it super handy it's very nice to use. Didn't cost much more than the high end Weaver or Osborne knives, and it's AEB-L, which is great stuff.

 

[Horsewright]

don't really have anything to compare it to, since I haven't had a round knife before this one. Got it a couple years ago from Black Cat Metal and not only is it super handy it's very nice to use. Didn't cost much more than the high end Weaver or Osborne knives, and it's AEB-L, which is great stuff.

Looks like it'll cut for sure. I've found AEB-L at the right hardness (62-62) to just about be optimal for these tools.

 

[Cushing H.]

How thick is it now?

Horsewright - sorry I took so long to answer this. Not a lot of shop time recently (my wife just had rotator cuff surgery - prepping for winter /cleaning house before that, now taking care of her.....) The roundblade is 0.02 bte

 

[Horsewright]

How thick is the stock, how thick in front of the handle?