David 63

Yes, it looks like the Osborne 51 1/2 cutter. I will try inverting the blade and if that works; I will get a new blade. Thank you for your help!

Help! I have an old Osborne strap cutter that won't (or I can't) let me cut an even strap (5/16 to 1/2 inch wide). When I start pulling the leather through the strap cutter the piece of leather has a tendency to pull away from the body of the strap cutter. The blade measured from the sharpened edge to the body is narrower ( around 1/16 of an inch different) than the back edge of the blade to the body. Should the blade be parallel to the body or slightly wider at the edge, than at the back edge of the blade? Do I need to file the opening in the body, so that the bar will allow the blade to sit parallel to the body? The blade has a taper from front to back, that looks like it was ground that way at the factory, and contributes some of the difference between the distances from the edge of the blade and the back of the blade. Thank you for any help, you might give me.

Bruce, I was able to clean out the threads with the taps you recommended and the tubes just went right in. I filed off the heads of the rivets on the spring side and popped the spring off. I then filed the stubs off and use a small punch to knock out the rivets from the inside out. The holes on the outside of the handle had been chamfered a bit so that the old/original rivet mushroomed out to lock it into place. The instructions from Osborne to knock the rivets out from the outside side of the handle would not have worked. I'm waiting for the new springs and rivets to come in; so I can tap them into place, file them flat to the outside of the handle, and use some wet/dry sandpaper to polish off the outside handle. Thank you for your help. David

Hi, I need help in replacing the springs on two Osborne # 153 hand punches and cleaning up some tube threads. I can buy the replacement parts from Osborne. 1. How do you remove the rivets from the handle. Do you grind off the heads of the rivets and then punch them to the outside, or do you punch the rivets from the outside of the handle towards the inside (like the Osborne people said to do)? 2. I also need to clean out the treads so I can screw in the new # 5 tube. Does anybody know the right tap to use, I don't think it is a standard tap. Thank you for your help. 3. The 1-7 punches use the same tap, does anybody know the size tap for the number 8 tube? Thank you in advance for your help with this matter. Osborne wants $50 to refurbish each punch.