What type of tools?

JerkeeJoe

JerkeeJoe

Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
495
Hey everyone, I'm pretty new to leathercraft and have been sl;owly acquiring tools as I need them. Most of my tools are craftool from Tandy as that is what is readily available to me here in Vegas, but I'm finding some of them lacking as I get better. I picked up an Osborne edger the other day from an online merchant to see if I liked it better and it is far superior to the craftool edgers in my opinion. So, I took Siegel up on their Osborne tool sale and picked up a couple hundred bucks worth of stuff I've been wanting to get.

My question is, where do the Osborne tools fall in the quality scale? I assume craftool is low end and osborne is midrange, and if this is the case, who makes high end edge tools, awls, punches, etc...?

Please share your completely biased and experienced opinions with a noob! Thanks in advance.

Joe

ETA: I just remembered Wild Rose's post with a link to Jerimiah Watt tools in another thread. Are there any other high end tool makers out there?
 
Aside from small, high end, tool makers I think Osborne is pretty decent. I've used their edgers for the last 12 years and never had a problem with them. I've also got a head knife my dad bought back in the mid 70s that is excellent.
 
Osbourne has been in the tool making field for the leather industry for over a century. They are STILL in business. That has to say something for their quality! Some of their tools I find a little pricey, but when looking back on 40 or 50 years of use that has been trouble free, I have to readjust my thinking!!

As you are just starting and the attrition rate for beginning leathers workers is a very high percentage, I would go with the lower end tools until you have enough time in to have created a desire to continue. After that, the craft becomes an addiction and you can go hog wild on tools--even to the point of making it a collectiion!!! ---Sandy---
 
Joe, if you're that new to leather crafting as you say, what's the rush in buying high end stuff? The best tools in the world won't do you much good if you don't know how to use them.
I would advise you to use what you now have and "graduate" yourself upwards as you feel the need to.:thumbup:
 
Not really in any big rush to buy high end stuff, just curious as to what is what. If I'm going to spend $30 on a Craftool English Point Strap punch, and the Osborne will serve me better for $10 more, I'd rather spend the extra $10 for the better tool. I'd also rather spend a little more money the first time on a tool that I can grow into than spending money now on a cheap tool and then wanting to spend a bunch more to upgrade later. I hope that makes sense.

I'm new to leatherwork, but am now making 2 or 3 sheaths a week and am working on a few other larger personal projects (Laptop Bag, purse for wife, etc...).

I mainly ask because after using the Osborne edgers, I noticed a huge difference in performance, quality, and ease of use over the Craftool stuff. I don't mind spending some money on something I enjoy doing if it makes things better. Hell, with the amount of money I spend on knives, I could probably build a pretty nice small shop! :D Anyway, like I said, no rush, I just want to get better tools as I get better at working leather.

Thanks again for the input.
 
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