Tools

Jonathans

Jonathans

Joined
Jan 9, 2008
Messages
588
Hi guys,
I've been making blades for a couple years now as a hobbiest, and have too many naked knives laying around. Its time I started making my own sheaths. I've made a few in the past, all hand stitched, or leather laced
Now I am looking at picking up a Tippmann Boss (not excited to get back into hand stitching) and perhaps try my hand at some stamping as well. Bordered basket weaves seem nice to my eye.

I searched, but couldn't locate a previous post covering this.

I would appreciate some suggestions for a tool set to put together, and a source for high quality tools. I would rather pay more and buy once. I know it doesn't seem to apply to my choice of sewing machine, but I am leaning toward the Boss because I don't need the speed and I can put it away when I'm done.

When recomending a kit, I would really appreciate brand names to consider.
I am budgeting $2-300. Hopefully I am realistic, but i'm not firm on it.
Thanks so much
Jonathan
 
depending how many tools you want 200$-300$ won't get you far if you're looking for high end tools... better dig deeper. I'm limited to buying within canada with the low dollar but I get my stuff from tandy. Skill level is more important then high quality tools in my opinion. I've seen people do amazing work with a sharpened nail. Properly cased leather will have a huge effect on how your tooling will show. It took me about 300$ worth of leather to realize that ... i'm just slow though :rolleyes:

Like i said i use tandy's tools and i'm content. Take a look at their starter kits , they always go on sale. And i've always had real good customer service. It's what keeps me going back.

cheers

grumpy
 
Thanks Grumpy,
I'm actually willing to spend what I need to. I also have experienced in my other areas of craftmanship that good tools save on wasted materials and will often complete the job in a more controlled matter in less time. It took me a while to get fine woodworking tools, and when I did, I wished I had done so 20 years earlier!
 
Jonathans said:
Thanks Grumpy,
I'm actually willing to spend what I need to. I also have experienced in my other areas of craftmanship that good tools save on wasted materials and will often complete the job in a more controlled matter in less time. It took me a while to get fine woodworking tools, and when I did, I wished I had done so 20 years earlier!
Click to expand...

I hear ya brother. I've never really used anything on the high end side so I can't reAlly comment on it.
 
I just watched a video on a Cobra 3 machine. Does anyone know where I might look for a used one besides Ebay?
 
I was gonna suggest that with the Boss you were almost at the price of a machine but you got there. Ya might check directly with Steve at leathermachineco.com for a used one. Cobras are great machines and Steve really does provide exceptional service.

Check Barry King for many of your hand tools, stamps etc. Excellent tools, reasonable prices. Fantastic mallets and mauls and their bevellers are the best I've ever used.. Weaver also has a line of "pro" tools that are very good. Their punches are the best by far I've ever used and their edgers are great too. They also carry tools by Jeremiah Watt (JWP or Horseshoe Brand). They are great tools to look at as well. To me there is a big difference between a quality edger and a lower end one. I have sizes 0- 5. I find myself using the #1, #2 and the #3 the most. I use the #0 for only a specific job of trimming a sanded edge that I'm sewing a strap to and want to clean the edge up flush. The #4 and #5 I never use. I have several #2s including a turnback. I bet a good start would be a quality #2.

There are lots of tools where price doesn't make a difference. Cheaper creasers and stitching groovers seem to work just as well for me as the more expensive ones.
 
Thats basically a knockoff of my Ferdco 440. The walking foot is a problem, the feed dogs will chew stuff up more on the backside which is one of the reasons I want to replace mine with the Cobra 4. The presser foot will lift that high but you can't sew that high (it has to have downward spring pressure to tension). With mine you don't have that wide range of thread either. Uses the heavier stuff just fine but for even 138 it has to be tricked (use 202 in the bottom). I simply don't use the reverse on mine. Doesn't work well. Misses the holes and then when it releases it hits the screw that is your stitch lenght adjustment. I turn the project around to finish off to double sew the last couple of stitches. That brings up another pecularity. The stitch length is a sliding screw. Tighten it down and there you are, but where are you. There is no indexing so in reality no repeatability. Can't move from one size to another and especially back with accuracy. I made a chisel mark index and leave it there on mine. Now mine has served well over 25 years and is still going strong. Motor burned up and they had a new servo motor to me in a couple of days. Thats been it, clean it and oil it and it goes and goes. However a very steep learning curve. I had it for about a year and still did quite a bit of hand sewing. Sometimes it wasn't worth the aggravation of going out and getting in a fight with it. Cobra's have Steve. He is legendary in the industry for his service and its true.
 
Thanks for the first hand review Dave. I think I'll just wait for a Cobra to become available.
 
Well, after giving up for a while on finding a used Cobra or equivelant, I've settled in (with the encouragement of some folks here) to the idea of hand stitching. I went shopping for tools. Mallet, knives, stamps, edger, groover, punches, etc. and picked up some leather as well, and glues, finishes, dye, etc.. I must have been out of my mind in my first post thinking I would be into it for a few hundred dollars! This stuff adds up! Happy to have it though, and what I now have will serve me for many years. Now to view Pauls videos again, get my pattern made, and start cuttin some hide!
Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions. You guys are great. Merry Christmas!
 
Jonathans said:
Well, after giving up for a while on finding a used Cobra or equivelant, I've settled in (with the encouragement of some folks here) to the idea of hand stitching. I went shopping for tools. Mallet, knives, stamps, edger, groover, punches, etc. and picked up some leather as well, and glues, finishes, dye, etc.. I must have been out of my mind in my first post thinking I would be into it for a few hundred dollars! This stuff adds up! Happy to have it though, and what I now have will serve me for many years. Now to view Pauls videos again, get my pattern made, and start cuttin some hide!

Thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions. You guys are great. Merry Christmas!
Click to expand...

I told ya it adds quick skipper. Jomathan , look up stolhman's books they are amazing , i own about 8 of them. 4 of them which just arrived today. They are priceless tools in my opinion. they add up quick but are worth every penny.

You will take a liking to hand stitching , trust me. Look up plans for a stitching pony or stitching horse. It will make things even easier! Put on your favlrite shows or movies , watch the hockey game or ball game (first time watching the jay's in a looong time) crank up the george jones and you'll love it. Just a heads up tandy has a very good boxing day sale. I'll getting craft tools and the herman oak is also on sale. I always keep an eye on sales. You can sign up on tandy's news feed.

cheers
 
A stitching horse is definitly the way to go if you are gonna hand stitch. Got lots of miles on one and never got bucked off!
 
Bluesman1951 offered me plans he put together to build a horse. Pictures in his profile ballery look pretty nice. Once I get them I'll have to spend some time in the woodshop. Until then I'll just use the Tandy.
 
Heck if you buy stolhman's hand stitching book , you get a great educational tool and plans to a stitching pony and stitching horse! :p
 
I really like the Osborne tools for leather work. Better than the average Tandy Craftool stuff and similar in design to the Stohlman but not fancy looking. As for the Tippmann Boss, even used they still seem to bring $900/$1000 on eBay. I have one and even though slower than a powered machine it us plenty east enough for sheaths.
 
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