Whacha Been Up To......

[badweatherbiker]

Very cool thank you! I did check the size of the knives you mentioned in the comments section and I think the small size is the one for sure you want. Tried emailing you but it wouldn't go through.

Thank you sir looking forward to it!

 

[Horsewright]

Thank you sir looking forward to it!

Ya bet they are handy.

 

[Gary W. Graley]

After buffing and sharpening:

Whaha been up too?

That bottom one looks like quite the cutter !
G2

 

[ron finkbeiner jr]

All I know is that I want one!

 

[Horsewright]

That bottom one looks like quite the cutter !
G2

They both shave hair off a hair! Thanks G2

All I know is that I want one!

This pair is not spoken for yet.

 

[Horsewright]

If sold as a pair there is a slight discount on the knives but I want to make a Pack Pac for them too. This would be offered if bought as a pair at a pretty good discount.I have some cool ideas on updating this:

They both fit into this Pac:

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Random question, what edge bevelers do you guys use? I'm finally looking to replace my old budget ones with something a bit nicer.

I'm looking for something middle of the road price wise. I intend to grab a few different sizes, it would be nice if they weren't $100 a pop

 

[harronek]

Great to see you here Ken! Doing any leatherwork?

G'day

I haven't done any leatherwork for years , and as a result haven't been visiting here very often .
Your work is even more impressive now , which is really saying something .

But...... I did dust off my tools recently because a very good friend who I Deer hunt with started making knives and gifted me one .
So.......
I thought what the Heck make a sheath for it .

As usual I made it simple and Rough Out just like the old days .

I will say I'm definitely a bit " Rusty " but it is to be a working sheath that will receive a hard life so a few imperfections are no big deal .

 

[Horsewright]

Well bout perfect my friend!

 

[ron55]

Random question, what edge bevelers do you guys use? I'm finally looking to replace my old budget ones with something a bit nicer.

I'm looking for something middle of the road price wise. I intend to grab a few different sizes, it would be nice if they weren't $100 a pop

I just got a weaver 1/32” edge beveler through Amazon for $51 a couple of days ago. Haven’t used it on a project yet, but works great in practice.

 

[Horsewright]

Random question, what edge bevelers do you guys use? I'm finally looking to replace my old budget ones with something a bit nicer.

I'm looking for something middle of the road price wise. I intend to grab a few different sizes, it would be nice if they weren't $100 a pop

We have some Ron's Tools bevelers and they are a very nice tool. However, they are that $100 a pop deal. Day in and day out I use an Osborne #2 and an Osborne #4. I think these guys run about $50. They respond well to how I like to sharpen them, on an edge of a buffing wheel. I have used em for years. One criticism of the smaller bevellers is that the right side of the tool or prong is too wide. I always carefully grind them down. It's so wide it hits the workbench before the cutting edge hits the leather. Ya can put your work right on the edge of the bench but that's awkward so I grind that side of the prong down. Ya have to go slow and keep er cool so as not to screw up the temper in the tool but thats what I do. I also tend to grind flats on the handle. I've had several roll off the bench and break when hitting the concrete floor.

I have used some common other high end bevelers and wouldn't get them again.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

We have some Ron's Tools bevelers and they are a very nice tool. However, they are that $100 a pop deal. Day in and day out I use an Osborne #2 and an Osborne #4. I think these guys run about $50. They respond well to how I like to sharpen them, on an edge of a buffing wheel. I have used em for years. One criticism of the smaller bevellers is that the right side of the tool or prong is too wide. I always carefully grind them down. It's so wide it hits the workbench before the cutting edge hits the leather. Ya can put your work right on the edge of the bench but that's awkward so I grind that side of the prong down. Ya have to go slow and keep er cool so as not to screw up the temper in the tool but thats what I do. I also tend to grind flats on the handle. I've had several roll off the bench and break when hitting the concrete floor.

I have used some common other high end bevelers and wouldn't get them again.

When you sa grind, do you mean shortening that right prong?

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

When you sa grind, do you mean shortening that right prong?

I think Dave is saying he thins it so it isn’t so wide. One side of the beveler will hit the bench when you are beveling at the correct angle.

 

[Horsewright]

When you sa grind, do you mean shortening that right prong?

Thinning from side to side. It's too wide. Length is ok

 

[Sharp & Fiery]

Sorry Dave, Horsewright

I wasn’t sure if you were still online and didn’t want a prong shortened. Haha!

 

[Horsewright]

I think Dave is saying he thins it so it isn’t so wide. One side of the beveler will hit the bench when you are beveling at the correct angle.

This is absolutely correct The right prong (If you are right handed, if left handed it would be the other side of course), hits the bench because of its width and you can’t cut the leather.

 

[Horsewright]

Sorry Dave, Horsewright

I wasn’t sure if you were still online and didn’t want a prong shortened. Haha!

Da nada my friend. Thats why this is such a great learning place. Other folks chiming in make it happen.

 

[Horsewright]

Took some pics of some of my edge bevelers as I was using them the other day to kind of give a better idea of what I'm doing. I was working on two Martingale/Breast Collars, one in roughout and one in smoothout. There is a lot of edging involved in these guys. I once measured, at someone here's request, how many linear inches of edging each one of these guys contain. Each one is 330 inches of edge so we got two at 660 linear inches to edge bevel and then rub, ya wonder why I use a power finisher. Anyhoo here's what we're talking about:

These attach to the saddle on each side and the center part with the buckle attaches to the cinch between the horses front legs. This item helps provide stability to the saddle in rough country, particularly steep climbs and also gives the horse something to lena on when pulling calves to the fire. Makes that job more comfortable for the horse. Here my horse, Spud, on the left has one on. Lil Man on the right does not.

So that's what we're edging:

SwissHeritageCo here ya go my friend. This pic shows the grinding I've done on this Osborne #2:

Now in use it would the right prong if you are holding the tool in your right hand. Here in this pic it is the left prong as we are facing the tool. The prong is narrowed for its entire length. This allows the tool to cut the leather without bottoming that prong out on the work bench surface:

I don't grind the #4 because it is used on thicker items, here two ply of 8/9 oz and 8/10 oz. With this added thickness of leather the prong of the #4 does not hit the the workbench and so grinding it thinner is not necessary.

But since the #2 is used on single ply or much thinner projects I've learned to grind down that prong:

Here's what I was talking about on using the corner of a buffing wheel to sharpen up the Osbornes. Really just 3 or 4 seconds and it's done. If you don't have any experience with buffer don't do this. The buffer is the most DANGEROUS tool in the shop. But most pro leather outfits use one to touch up their cutting tools because it works very well and is quick.

Here are two other edge bevelers.

The top one is a Weaver. I have two, a #1 and a #0 They are a quality tool. But there is kinda a learning curve with them as they are used at a much steeper angle then other bevelers. Also they are a little harder to resharpen. The bottom longer tool is a Ron's #2. Literal the best I've ever used on edging that water buffalo. If you aren't getting long strings off your project, your angle is wrong, or your tool isn't sharp enough. The Ron's edge bevels come with a sharpening aid for each size. Pretty quick and simple but they are pricey at $100 a pop. Hope this helps folks.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Took some pics of some of my edge bevelers as I was using them the other day to kind of give a better idea of what I'm doing. I was working on two Martingale/Breast Collars, one in roughout and one in smoothout. There is a lot of edging involved in these guys. I once measured, at someone here's request, how many linear inches of edging each one of these guys contain. Each one is 330 inches of edge so we got two at 660 linear inches to edge bevel and then rub, ya wonder why I use a power finisher. Anyhoo here's what we're talking about:

These attach to the saddle on each side and the center part with the buckle attaches to the cinch between the horses front legs. This item helps provide stability to the saddle in rough country, particularly steep climbs and also gives the horse something to lena on when pulling calves to the fire. Makes that job more comfortable for the horse. Here my horse, Spud, on the left has one on. Lil Man on the right does not.

So that's what we're edging:

SwissHeritageCo here ya go my friend. This pic shows the grinding I've done on this Osborne #2:

Now in use it would the right prong if you are holding the tool in your right hand. Here in this pic it is the left prong as we are facing the tool. The prong is narrowed for its entire length. This allows the tool to cut the leather without bottoming that prong out on the work bench surface:

I don't grind the #4 because it is used on thicker items, here two ply of 8/9 oz and 8/10 oz. With this added thickness of leather the prong of the #4 does not hit the the workbench and so grinding it thinner is not necessary.

But since the #2 is used on single ply or much thinner projects I've learned to grind down that prong:

Here's what I was talking about on using the corner of a buffing wheel to sharpen up the Osbornes. Really just 3 or 4 seconds and it's done. If you don't have any experience with buffer don't do this. The buffer is the most DANGEROUS tool in the shop. But most pro leather outfits use one to touch up their cutting tools because it works very well and is quick.

Here are two other edge bevelers.

The top one is a Weaver. I have two, a #1 and a #0 They are a quality tool. But there is kinda a learning curve with them as they are used at a much steeper angle then other bevelers. Also they are a little harder to resharpen. The bottom longer tool is a Ron's #2. Literal the best I've ever used on edging that water buffalo. If you aren't getting long strings off your project, your angle is wrong, or your tool isn't sharp enough. The Ron's edge bevels come with a sharpening aid for each size. Pretty quick and simple but they are pricey at $100 a pop. Hope this helps folks.

Dave, you're an absolute legend! Thank you so much for this amazing write up man, damn.

What I've been finding on the bevelers I've tested is not a great heat treat, so sharpening is definitely weighing into my concern. My favorite at the moment is the crafttool #2 funnily enough, because it has a nice flat underside which is easy to strop and sharpen. I've ruined two #4's trying to sharpen with that sandpaper over a stitching needle method. Should have tried a proper dowel, but I kept them alive for the longest time with your corner buffing wheel method (except I used the rounded corner of a strop).

Being that the osbourne's are usa made and heat treated I think I'll go with them and just grind the #2 out on my stone. Again man, thank you for the lovely illustration

 

[Horsewright]

Dave, you're an absolute legend! Thank you so much for this amazing write up man, damn.

What I've been finding on the bevelers I've tested is not a great heat treat, so sharpening is definitely weighing into my concern. My favorite at the moment is the crafttool #2 funnily enough, because it has a nice flat underside which is easy to strop and sharpen. I've ruined two #4's trying to sharpen with that sandpaper over a stitching needle method. Should have tried a proper dowel, but I kept them alive for the longest time with your corner buffing wheel method (except I used the rounded corner of a strop).

Being that the osbourne's are usa made and heat treated I think I'll go with them and just grind the #2 out on my stone. Again man, thank you for the lovely illustration

I get it. I had a major high end edge beveled once from a very respected tool maker. It didn't come sharp and I couldn't get it sharp. After trying for a couple of years I tossed it. I figured it never was heat treated.

Thanks very much for the kind words. When I get a chance I'll take some pics of our workbenches for ya for that thread of yours.