simontuntelder

Hi Martyn, I'm sorry, but I think those are incorrect assumptions. I have quite a lot of the tools that carry the MOD stamp (broad arrow) and they aren't all made by Dixon. Some are made by Dixon, others Brindley, Wynn Timmins, Priory and I might also have one from George Barnsley. Often they would simply add the broad arrow stamp after the having purchased them from the manufacturer. you have to imagine that they're from a time when there were plenty of tool manufacturers in the UK that catered to all sorts of trades including leather related trades. So Dixon wasn't the only manufacturer. That being said your crew punch is very good and it'll serve you well for years.

Still the best thread on LW. I would interested in knowing if Rossler in Germany is still making punches too. They're by far my favourite punches. I had a complete set from Paffrath and they did OK, after being slightly reground and polished. They're dirt cheap, but not what I would call world class tools. I tried some new Blanchard punches. They needed a bit of work, which is fine, however one of them hadn't been heat treated properly, and broke. New Blanchard is hit and miss. I have a lot of oval punches. Let me know, what you need and I'll see if I can help.

Interesting question and I don't have an answer for it. I guess it's a personal thing. I've always been into old stuff - like vintage clothes for instance. And I can appreciate goretex, but I prefer waxed cotton.

Tons of companies are doing it - a lot of them are even adding the stitch holes. It makes sense doing it if you have very intricate patterns or if you're doing great volumes. I would probably never do it myself. I have too much respect for history and the craft, but if I was all about making money, I would definitely do it.

No tool dealer with the same assortment as Weaver. American edgers are the best in the world - go for Rons or Barry King, or the new Jeremiah Watt quick change edger if you're on a budget. There might be some Asian tool makers making equivalent tools, but you won't find it in the uk. There are two resellers of Rons in the EU, however you might as well order in the us and the pay the fees.

Wad punches might be a solution. They can be sharpened and maintained. Otherwise there's a good one from Germany - I can't remember the name of the maker, but it has a red handle. Ivan makes a terrible copy - that can't be sold in Germany, but if you get the German one I'm sure you'll be pleased. I've had mine for 8 years and it's still going strong.

FYI W&C bridle or any bridle for that sake is still veg tan

I recently walked past a local thrift store and surprisingly saw a plough gauge sitting in the window, which I of course bought straight away. Unfortunately the rest of the tools from the estate had already been sold. Anyways, the plough is German or from a German speaking country, as there's writing on the blade saying "Edelstahl Geschmeidet" meaning "forged stainless steel" and furthermore there's a stamp on the beam saying "King", which I'm guessing is the brand/maker/wholesaler. Has anybody seen or heard about tools from King before? I'm having trouble uploading pictures, but I'm trying to solve it.

Conrad, that's not a french edger, that's a creaser you're referring to. And creasers weren't really used by shoemakers - they mostly used glazing irons. A French edgers isn't very common in Europe. It's sometimes referred to as a skirt shave in the UK. It's used to skive, miter an edge and in numerous other applications.

Those etsy pricking irons from South Korea don't look too well-made. Probably better than Tandy, but nowhere near Blanchard or Amy Roke. Have any of you tried the edgers from cmdachong or Muxi Lu? I'm very happy with my Rons and my Barry Kings, however I wouldnt mind trying some new ones.

You probably came too close to the belly. The fibers are loose. Or you hit a soft spot in the hide or the hide wasn't tanned probably. But probably belly.

European here. Well what do you wanna know really? Vachetta is a vague term that I don't come across very often when dealing with tanneries. But it usually covers vegtetable tanned and aniline hides from cows or calfs. It's also used to describe a slightly softer/milled hide and sometimes also used to describe a flawless hide. And the "luxury" brands use it as a term to sell bags because it sounds Italian. If you want to make belts, buy backs or butts of a descent thickness and you should be set. English bridle in the US is definitely not the same as proper English bridle and I also see that American harness differs from the harness leather I buy from Germany and England, so I would rather not advice you on that.

Wow, thanks for sharing all of these links. Some of them I knew already and others I didn't. I'll have something to read up on now. If more comes to mind, don't hold back. I have a Japanese friend who goes to Japan ever so often. He could possibly pick up stuff from Iwataya if I knew what to order. He told me that Iwataya is completely back ordered because of orders from other Asian countries.

I searched for engravers in the UK, and there was a lot of companies that came up. I didn't order from any of them though, but there should be plenty of companies that are able to make a good stamp for you. Especially in and around Sheffield. Sorry I can't recommend anything concrete, but you have options I what I'm saying.

Your English is very good! And thank you for sharing your knowledge here. And I hope you'll share some pictures of your custom made tools once they arrive. I already know Dol Dokki and have been following him on Instagram for ages. You can tell his tools are high quality but they just don't speak to me. They look too hi-tec in a way - like the new French company Eprose. I guess I prefer tools that just look classic... I wish there were more resources on Japanese tools too. For instance I've seen "Go leathers" on Instagram and he seems to be using a good mix of Japanese and European tools. Like he has tools from Iwataya (I believe that's the name) and they look really good. A bit crude, but they seem to work really well and I like that. I guess I'll try ordering an edger or two from cmdachong and test the quality. I'll of course share a review here if or when I decide to pull the trigger. I'm really not acquainted with taobao. I do believe I came across some forum or blog on taobao with a lot of American tools (mainly Ron's) - however I didn't bookmark it and haven't been able to find it ever since. If you know any good threads or blogs to follow from China or Asia in general do share them.

Guess you didn't bother reading the thread

Could you share a link to some of these forums? I've been more and more curious about some of the Chinese toolmakers that are making quality products. However the ordering process seems complicated with some of them and there's a lack of proper reviews available - at least I haven't come by any. So if you have any experience with some of these toolmakers, please do share them.

Could be from the belly area of the hide, and I don't think Tboyce is much off with his suggestion - chrome tan stuffed with wax/oil. But the grain pattern looks quite regular in its irregularity and that tells me that it might be embossed.

What a loot. Go back and buy the rest!

Whetsone/fine grit emerypaper, a couple of fine grit jewellers files and maybe a bench grinder for final polish. It's called a strap pricker and I don't think you should sharpen it too much.

Isn't almost $9 sqf a bit much for a chrome tanned leather intended for work boots a bit rich?

Have you tried the leather chemists forum? They should know....

It has to be done with vegetable tanned leather, as you can't case and mold chrome tanned leather. Other than that you need to make a shape to mold it over (info on wet molding/casing can be found numerous places), but it wont be easy getting a perfect shape. Ideally you'd use a positive and a negative mold in a press. But if this is probably not a viable idea if it's something you're only going to make once.

I have a full set of DMT bench stones, a Spyderco ceramic stone (fine) and some old, translucent Arkansas and Belgian Brocken. And I also use a bench grinder for final polish and I always have a strop with compound on hand. I thrifted my first stones and used emery paper for some time until I bought the DMT's. I have to say that I'm very pleased with how they perform. I'm by no means a sharpening wiz, and sometimes I think that it's more about luck than skills when I manage to get a knife scary sharp. But the DMT's certainly help. They're easy to use and maintain and they're fast. Depending on your budget I would recommend DMT Coarse DMT Fine DMT extra fine Spyderco (or similar Japanese) ceramic stone

From experience Rons Tools and Barry King and I think Jeremiah Watt makes good tools too - his new quick change edgers look really fun. There's also the option of buying refurbished Gomph or Osborne (don't buy new Osborne) from Bruce Johnson. Regarding the size I guess it's a matter of preference. I tend to go with edgers from 00-1, and I make small leather goods. Either way when you buy edgers, buy from American companies... :-)