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simontuntelder

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Everything posted by simontuntelder

  1. simontuntelder
    Pre-world war II would be my best guess. I love the crude and solid work - the stitches are a bit off and the rivets aren't perfectly peener, but it's held up all those years. The copper rivets have a great detail with the star on the back. I wish you could still get them like that. I saw a box or two on eBay a long time ago, but I didn't win them.
  2. simontuntelder
    There's a Japanese seller on eBay. Keep in mind they're damn expensive, but they're good.
  3. simontuntelder
    If that falls through look on eBay. There seems to be a good deal of old Dixons floating around and they can be had for very little some times.
  4. simontuntelder
    I did some work with denim and other fabrics some time ago and bought two Olfa rotary cutters - the 60 and 28mm version - for that. Then I stopped working with fabrics and focused solely on leather, so the rotary cutters weren't used for some time until I did a bit of work with elk leather which is very spongy and actually rather hard to cut. So accidentally I started to use them again and they are my go to knives when working with upholstery and soft leathers. The big one for long straight cuts and the small one for cutting curves. So I would recommend getting both. I also used the 45mm Tandy copy where I used to work, but honestly didn't like it compared to both Olfa and the sizes I had at home.
  5. simontuntelder
    If you use a divider to make a small line to guide you, that gives a bit more of precision. At least for people such as myself who haven't used that method for years and years.
  6. simontuntelder
    Have you tried stropping it? Polishing compound and on leather. Sometimes that makes all the difference.
  7. simontuntelder
    I can sometimes be a had a little cheaper on eBay. There's a seller who regularly puts them up for sale. I wouldn't trust a wooden construction and if you're specializing in strap work, I'm sure that this model (or the pro EZ edger) would pay for itself rather quickly. I'm often surprised when I hear about these small Amish workshops and what they're able to produce. I'm thinking of Beilers for instance. Maybe some of them could make you something like this. I saw a guy here who had press made by an Amish guy that could click out the belt tip and five holes at once. Probably something that could also turn out useful for you if you're doing lots of belts.
  8. simontuntelder
    Cut a strap, edge it, burnish it and if that haven't made it more supple, then try giving it some good natural conditioner. Of course skiving the end will also help making the belt more workable. I tend to use quite thick veg tan leathers (4.5 to 6mm) and they always become more supple with a bit of manipulation.
  9. simontuntelder
    Hi Jonas, very nice bag. The welts/piping are added because they protect the stitches which get exposed when you turn the bag inside out. Thanks for the heads up. I'm no longer working for Skindhuset, by the way. So my only affiliation is being an occasional customer there.
  10. simontuntelder
    Well, I've just exhausted my tool buying funds, as I need to do some other investments first, but I'll definitely pick up some French edgers from Bruce then. I'm using Barry King edgers (I have all four kinds, though I think I lost the two bisonettes in my last move, but they never struck a cord with me anyways) and they come very sharp and I've polished them on my own jig making them even sharper. I think I have a Tandy edge skiver lying around, but it's dull and I don't know if I have the neccessary skills to sharpen it. I'll give it a go.
  11. simontuntelder
    Well, if the CS Osborne is better than the Tandy version, which I hope it is, then that might be the solution. Can you guys recommend a good maker french edge skiver? The leather that I want to put a groove in is 1.8 to 2.5 in thickness. I use very small edge bevelers (0 and 1s) and I tried, but none of them would cut a groove.
  12. simontuntelder
    I hope it's OK that I ask a general leather related question in this thread. Some of the most knowledgable people on this forum is following this thread. I quite often make small leather goods which are folded - and often I need to put in a small groove to get a tighter bend. What tools did the old time saddlers use to cut a groove? I've been using my mom's old lino cutter which I sharpened a lot. It works fine, but I would like to know if there's something better that will give more consistency. And please don't recommend the Tandy U or V gouge. That tool is terrible.
  13. simontuntelder
    I have both Dixon and Barry King. The Dixons were probably the most disappointing purchase ever. They needed a lot of work before they would cut nicely or even cut (sharpening with a diamond rod and polishing on a piece of leather cord with polishing compound on it) and the shape of the shank was a bit awkward - they're probably meant for doing straps. The Barry King edger are VERY good. Maybe a smidge too short/small, but either way very sharp and easy to work with. I liked them so much that I never bothered buying Ron's edgers, though I was contemplating buying both at some point. Maybe I will, if I decide to do thinner stuff at some point.
  14. simontuntelder
    I don't think there's such a thing as a "complete set" first of all. So maybe give up on that idea and try to figure out, what you want to make, what you might need and what you're willing to spend. Second of all. That being said, there are some Japanese shops (like Goodsjapan and leathercrafttools) that do offer small sets. One of those sets could get you started and you wouldn't neccesarily want to exchange all of those tools straight away. Some of the Ledermacher tools appear to be Japanese made tools by either Kyoshin Elle, Craft Sha or Seiwa - but their tools are basically mostly made by the same factory, as far as I know.
  15. simontuntelder
    I have the Geo Barnsley knife, and I've handled an old Don Carlos knife. I don't think there was much difference between the two. Both are descent knives and good value for money, however nothing spectacular. I would definitely not buy anything from Ivan. If you want to spend a bit more and get something that you'll not want to replace down the line, I would buy something refurbished from Bruce Johnson or something from Terry Knipschield like Art recommends. Though I've never handled the Knipschield knives, you can tell that they're excellent quality. Quite often you'll be able to find old Dixon knives on fleabay - they're pretty damn good too.
  16. simontuntelder
    What you have there is cow split that has been chrome tanned. If it's thick and pliable that almost always a give-away, but in this case what does give it away is the white center line in the cut. If it's blue/green/yellow/very white then it's a chrome tan. And of course the fact that veg tan contracts with temperatures over 70* celcius (or there about)
  17. simontuntelder
    Well, to be honest Blanchard leaves a lot to be desired on a lot of their tools, so if this guy is offering something very well-made, then don't compare them just because of prices. I'm not in the market for any of the tools he's offering at the moment, but if someone here buys some from him, and is will to share an objective or at least somewhat objective review then I wouldn't mind ordering from him in the future.
  18. simontuntelder
    Hey guys, thanks for the input. I know Germany should have numerous die makers. But finding the good and reliable ones is always hard. But I'll enquire with my go-to tannery in Germany. Maybe they'll be able to recommend someone.
  19. simontuntelder
    I'm double posting here as there are many Brits and Europeans lurking in this thread. Can you guys recommend any die makers in Europe or the UK?
  20. simontuntelder
    Thanks for the advice. I need to work more on my tool maintenance. Basically I still miss some basic tools for doing that. AND thank you Walter for the info on the awl shaping/sharpening. I took some of my awls and I decided to work on them. The first one I ruined because I removed too much material from the blade, however the other three were quite succesful. What I'm experiencing is that the "exit hole" from the awl is much easier to control and that creates a neater and more consistent stitch. But it's probably something that I'm the only one noticing.
  21. simontuntelder
    I'm looking for suggestions from some of the European members here om LW. I'm looking to have some clicking dies made (my very first) and I'm looking for some good (foremost) and hopefully fairly prices dies from a European or UK maker. Normally I wouldn't mind buying from the US, where I've heard of some good makers (including Texas Custom Dies), but the exchange rate is terrible, so I'm looking for someone closer to home. I have a maker on hand, where I live, but I would like to get some quotes from different manufacturers, as I'm about to place a very substantial order.
  22. simontuntelder
    How do you guys keep your tools free of rust or simple tarnish? Most recommendations go towards using grease or oil, but I'm pretty certain that it'll stain the leather.
  23. simontuntelder
    I think you're referring to vulcanization, where you heat the rubber to a certain degree and the heat creates a chemical reaction in the rubber, which gives a strong bond. Here's a good link to a "How it's made" showing an old Converse factory
  24. simontuntelder
    It's not recommendable, as it wouldn't be a fast dye, which could lead to it transferring to garments. Shoe polish goes on shoes - hence the name
  25. simontuntelder
    Ask around for retired guys. They'll have way more time and wealth of knowledge that they're often eager to pass on. Ask around at the local leather shop, cobbler, saddler or wherever people work or deal with leather.
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