bruce johnson

Back from Sheridan and catching up. First off, It'd be hard to find that part commonly. I don't have any, sounds like Campbell-Randall doesn't, so that leaves Eli Schlabach or Jim Brainerd. On the American crank splitters that blade holder is cracked on them more than other makers. Not real common but an observation some of us have seen. Usually just to one side of the center hold down bolt. Some have said the machining and casting were probably slightly off and the tightening the bolts that hold it to the frame stresses it. Most Americans work just fine since the blade is held by the side hold downs and that center bolt. These blades are rigid and don't flex so they act like a splint across that crack. A good repair and the right adjustment should be OK on yours. As mentioned above, there are the tabs on the bottom roller bearing blocks. There is a set of directions for Landis 30 floating around the internet that say to set the blade edge against those tabs to just kiss, run the backup stop bolts to the back of the blade, then back those bolts off to let the blade slide back slightly - 1/4 or half turn I think. Tighten the center bolt and side hold downs. That keeps the blade from grabbing those tabs as the bottom roller floats up and down with thickness changes in the split. That is a good starting place for me. Every splitter has a sweet spot as mentioned for the leather you are splitting. If the blade is too far back then it doesn't completely split all the way and hangs up at the end. Some splitters have some variations in roller position and tabs and the blades need to be even further forward than the stops let it. With those, might have to grind those blades ends back a little to get that blade pushed up there further. Rare but have had a couple like that, at least one was a Champion and both might have been. An old chipped blade worked great, but a new even blade did not until it was tipped a fraction. I set mine usually with a scant 1/16" gap between bottom roller and blade for heavier leather. My thickness gauge is a motel key card. Flashlight and eyeball. I get some people that buy these to split thinner leather or taking off a very small split, On those I go less gap to the bottom roller and drop the top roller down to get some feed pressure between the rollers. They were designed for shoe soles but can be tweaked for thinner leather.

Back from the Sheridan leather show this afternoon and catching up. I had a guy bring one of these splitters to my booth to sell me or trade. He was not getting along with it and it was doing what the complaint was here. Once we looked at things and for his needs the one he has is fine. he just needed help. #1 - of course the blade needed sharpening. He took it to a guy sharpening at the show. Now he knows what sharp is. #2 - the blade adjustment was like this in the picture. Serious question - are there directions that show to adjust the leading edge of the blade that FAR back from the top center of the roller? I find it really odd that I saw this on his and now in this picture. That blade edge should be centered over the top center of the roller. This picture and his were too far back and naturally will cut a strap in two easily. I showed him Osborne #84 and #86 I had for sale at the show. I told him how to center it and the light came on. #3 - pulling leather through any pull-through splitter other than a Chase pattern splitter. The leather in front needs to be lower and direction of pull in back needs to be lower than the edge of the blade. The leather almost needs to wrap around the roller slightly to feed correctly. The Osborne #84 has a hold down rod that locks in place, Looks like this Tandy doesn't latch down. Some of the knock-offs do, some don't have a hold down at all. #4 Dwight, I am not understanding your recommendation to loosen the large Allen's that hold the blade to adjust the up and down on the blade. They should be used to set the position of the blade edge in relation to the top center of the roller. Once that is set, they don't need to be touched for anything other than removing the blade for stropping or sharpening. As the blade wears then they go further back in the slots to maintain that blade edge/top center roller position. The thickness is adjusted with the limiting screws and black knobs only, the knurled is a jam nut to help hold that setting. Set them to the stop height, and that's it. For a lap skive they can be all the way up to taper out to a feather edge. Otherwise set to thickness and like you said, pull the leather as you push the handle to start the level skive. Once the the roller tops out against the height adjusters then you can tighten that side knob to hold position and use two hands to pull. Some can just hold that handle forward and pull with the other hand for the whole split or level skive length too.

His wife recently passed away. That is likely one factor.

I’ve got them in old sets predating Craftools. They were just different diameter rod with the end cut at an angle and then knurled. could go ahead and checker them too

When I saw a Tandy announcement for them about 30 years ago I was there every day for a week to see if they came in yet. They really improved my floral and oak carving at the time. Smooth ones are good for inside curves, like the scallops on leaves. mild undercut effect if you tip them. They used to make checkered ones also, somebody still might. Good for cleaning up the slicking effect from smooth undercutters or petal lifters against a checkered background. I like those a lot for inside curves on oakleaves especially. You can just hold them vertically in one spot and turn slowly while tapping. You can do a 180 degree bevel pretty fast and smoothly. It is hard to do that even with really narrow regular bevelers without leaving chatter marks.

Saddle soap contains oils and conditioners. They wont dry. over time they may migrate and even out some.

You can drive the burr, nip it off slightly more than 1/16”, then peen it to set it. There are tools for this. Economy one piece setters called a “tinner’s rivet setter” - designed for metal but works on leather. You just need to be careful not to mark your leather with then setter. There are three piece sets designed for leather work. A burr driver, peener, and domer for the head. Here is a link that shows the process with the leather set - https://brucejohnsonleather.com/products/rivet-setters

Welcome back my friend! I hope you find the right person.

This could a chapter in a book. The first thing to consider is thickness and type of leather you are edging. The second thing is to realize that size numbers generally mean nothing between makers. Next factor is your ability to maintain an edger, some styles strop and sharpen up easier than others. Steel types - once you get past the entry level lower priced edgers, I could care less what they they use. The makers have thought it out and and found out what works for them and their manufacturing process. In use, can I tell if an edger was made from D2, 53, or 390? I am not that good and the previous factors are more important to me. Going forward, everyone has a favorite and likely they are going to be different. Once you get past a low price edger that never came sharp and limited instructions to sharpen it then whatever you trade up to is going to be better and your recommendation. Might be Weaver, Barry King, Ron's Tools, WUTA, Palosanto, Owden, older or newer CS Osborne, older Gomph or HF Osborne. Styles might be a round back edger, bisonette edger, fine edger, bent toe or "western" edger, European edge shave, and others. That doesn't make any one of them better than others, just personal experience and we are all different in expectations and budget. You can pay from $30 to $120 for an edger. Everybody's best for the money is going to different.

Agree with AlZilla. Metal contamination. You can clear it with an acid treatment. The metal flakes interact with tannins in the leather when it gets wet. Diluted lemon juice wiped on or oxalic acid. Most hardware stores sell oxalic acid as “wood bleach”. Dilute 1 teaspoon into a pint of water and sponge it on. The source of the metal can be anywhere from the tannery to your shop and tools. If you handle a steel tool and then wet leather sometimes that is enough to make specks or smudges. Particles falling off a tool can do it.

I have not seen that particular version, but see these once in a while. I don't actively seek them out to buy but have a Sutton on the shelf here with a small sack of other heads and anvils for it. I kinda like looking at it for now. These set a lot of different things - eyelets, lace hooks, snaps, etc. These multi-head fly presses seem to be mostly on the back bench in old shoe repair shops next to slopped over glue pots with a cranky 80 year old repairman wearing an apron to match. Those guys normally don't say much but usually open up when I ask if they have an aglet press too. (Press to put the ends on shoelaces). Once I say that they figure I might be worth their time to chat with.

Welcome to the forum! I don't believe I have talked to you but may have. Dan and I talked quite a bit several years ago when I was still doing active leatherwork and then more when I was getting started in leather tools. I called once and your dad answered. He found out where I lived and we had quite a talk. Knew lots of people in common. When I first moved here to California many of the older horse generation still talked about "ol' Buster Naegle".

It is mostly called filigree work or filigree punching. Used to be pretty common in the 70's and some people referred to it as "hippie style bags and belts". Those shaped punches can be bought in sets and really quite inexpensive.

Tonight we have added another section of leather tools for sale on our website. At the leather shows my wife, Rundi, has a table she manages of lower priced leather tools. Stamps sorted into cups by type only, trays to contain hand tools, punches, hammers, etc. Set price and U-pick kind of a deal. These are the lower priced more common tools like Craftool, Rampart, Midas, and others. We don't actively seek these tools out but still accumulate them throughout the year from estate and retirement sets. A large share end up donated by us to veteran's and youth programs, and most kids at shows get a few free stamps. They get a free youth project pack from our friends at Makers Leather Supply and come over to us for stamps. At the shows these other tools have been sold in as-found condition in the past. We have decided to start offering them on the website along with our other leather tools now. Here on the website the tools are cleaned up and sharpened to be ready to use. Everything is functional and no junk. I have the initial tools up and going tonight with more additions to come. Please check them out at https://brucejohnsonleather.com/bargain-table Thank you! - Bruce and the ever gracious Ms Rundi

I know it is semantics but it makes them adjustable creasers. Creasers make parallel lines. Beaders are a fixed width tool that rounds up between the tracks to make a rounded bead line.