bruce johnson

Make the template, then use that on your baseline to establish the angle

Ed,' I bought a new replacement blade for a 5-in-1 from Pilgrim Shoe in October for $52. Shipped for about $3. Harris is a good guy - very knowledgeable and helpful.

The general rule of thumb in the old edge Gomph, HF Osborne, and CSOsbornes edge bevelers was each size number = 1/16 inch of cutting edge. realize that when these tools were made horses were transportation - harness was the primary use and saddlery second so they were mostly used on heavier leather. The finer sizes were not used much. Most of the edgers follow that sizing general guideline fairly close. Some of the European and other makers varied a bit. As was mentioned above - improper sharpening can change the profile or width of some styles of edgers. Bisonettes are notorious for that, Use something too wide for the size and you can make a wider hole and change the size, Gomph and HF Osborne are no more, and CS Osborne has sacrificed some old tried and true patterns for ease and lower cost of manufacture. The modern CS Osbornes can be pretty different than the older equivalents. French edgers were also sized at the each number =1/16 of cutting edge for the most part. Again some individual tool variation and a bit of variation between the other makers. Creasers - Took me a while to figure the sizing there! After a few hundred the light came on. Each size number = 1/32" . Gomph and the Osbornes made a smaller size range from 1-5 in 1/32" increments. One in a while you will find a #6 that is 6/32". Then they both made a larger size range that Gomph called a large round creaser and Osborne called a layer creaser. To slightly complicate things they again numbered them #1 to #6. The large range #1 started at 6/32" and went up in 1/32" increments. As found creasers can sure vary. The creasing edge will round and wear over time and use. Some sharpened them for a nice fine crisp line and others are rounded for a bolder line according to preference I can and do try to bring them back to the spec size with bits of the proper radius to regrind the groove and then polish them.

Here's what I got on an average of several new tubes in the #3-#6 range that Osborne says are interchangeable tube sizes for the single tube punches. The outside of the threads is 0.31 inch With my thread gauges the M 1.0 is a fit as far as I can tell with magnification. My SAE gauge jumps from 24 to 27. The 24 is too coarse and the 27 is too fine. My experience with the old single tube punches is the threads seem to match interlocked in TPI but the thread height on the old ones is lower. The new tubes do not run into the old holes very often. Run the M8x1.0 tap through and the new tubes go. I take the old tubes out before bead blasting the handles and toss the old tubes so I don't have any right now to check the outside of the old tubes vs. the new tubes. Whether we are dealing with very close but obsolete or propriety threading in the old frames, I don't know but the M8x1.0 makes them work for the new tubes. I am sometimes dealing with 80-100 year old or so frames and last month's replacement tubes.

Interesting because the #1-#7 tubes on the single tube punches I use a M8x1 tap. From there they got to a fractional for the #8 and I'd have to double check what runs the #9 - #10. Osborne does not seem to follow the KISS rule.

Dallas, There are a few considerations and a lot of it comes down to how much you have, how much you want to put into selling, and how long you have to sell it. There are a few people around who would buy a whole shop no matter the size - tools, machinery, hardware, the whole deal for one money. The other option is to sell machinery by the piece, tools by groups, and hardware by groups. Somebody might want a heavy stitcher but doesn't need a chap sewing machine, next guy wants a splitter and skiver but has a stitcher and machine. These are likely the bigger priced items and less of them so selling them separately isn't a huge hassle, especially if somebody can pick them up. Grouping tools like strap end punches together, hammers, stamps, pliers, etc by type will shorten up that group up some. If you have a bunch of stamps from different makers, sorting them by maker will bring more. Hardware by groups. Most all this could be shipped without a problem. That will likely bring a little more money without a ton of work on your part. Final option is piecing out the machinery and tools by the piece and hardware by size and type. Lot more work and time involved, and the returns may or may not be much better than grouping them. Figuring out what it is all worth is the big thing. You no doubt know from experience in the business that some machines and tools are more desirable than others depending on maker. Then factor in condition. Finally there is the demand. - Bruce

Good guy. Matt has been in the leather business a long time in a partnership or two before he started Maverick a few years ago. Recently moved from CA to Oregon. Talk to him and tell him what you need and he'll do his best to get the right stuff the first time.

Likely nobody had to work very hard to polish out the maker mark. The Clyde and Shapleigh knives made by Clyde had an etched marked that is pretty light. A lot of them you just ID by the handle shape because the mark is pretty much gone. I like them - nice knives and especially for a first knife. They are a good mix of "hold a pretty good edge but don't take all day to sharpen". You will have to strop and stone them more often than the higher end knives, but they will do the job for you. Price wise - you paid ballpark for one.

Thanks, I saw it on Ebay and will just let it play out there.

I don't know what fits the rotary punches. I mostly get the single tube punches and have an outlet for the rotary punches as-is. You'd likely need to take a tube into the local hardware store and use their screw and nut checker to see what size tap will fit it. That is what I used to do until I got a thread checker of my own. They may be metric and may be fractional. Check both.

I could be interested, please message me. Thanks, - Bruce

I would not give more than $75 for sure and likely $25 would be ball park.

Hansens or handmades are about it for what you are looking for. I can vouch for Hansens quality. The handmades are going to be more than Hansens.

I only see a missing blade and blade screws also. The thing I see against this is the top wheel is the feed wheel and will mark your leather. Later versions of the Americans had the feedwheel on the bottom and the top wheel was a lot smoother. Those are much more desirable. You can get blades easy enough - Pilgrim Shoe, Campbell-Randall, and maybe still Weavers.

David, Don't ya just love the helpfulness of the CS Osborne crew? I don't replace springs. Some like them, most don't . Lots of the old guys just cut the springs off. Sorry I can't help you with tips and tricks. I use a M8-1.0 tap for the 1-7 tubes. Yes, metric. For the #8 I use a 3/8-24 tap. Yes, SAE. You may find that the new tubes don't want to go into the older Newark marked frames. The older tubes (and taps) had a lower thread height and that is what I found. They tell you thread sizes never changed. True to a point, the thread count is the same, the height may not be. That is the part they don't tell you. Run a new tap through and they go right in.

Elton Joorisity turned me on to using Todd nippers. Todd end nippers with the replaceable edges will make short work of cutting off excess shank. Another advantage is the bevel on the cutters is just right to set flush to nip and the remaining stem is just the right length for a clean peening. The three piece setters work best for me. One sets the burr, the second rounds over the peen, and third domes the head of the rivet for a clean, finished look. Sheridan Leather Outfitters sells the set and they are the real thing. If I can't set three within a minute, I'm slacking.

I see no issue with replacing the strap either if the leather is dried and cracked. Could be your great-granddad and granddad went through a strap or two in their day with it too. Also, take a look at the jaws and how nicely they really taper up and thin out at the tips. You will be able to set your stitch line close to the jaws for security and your hands will be able to get in close for control and do some fine work. Some modern makers of stitching horses should see this profile and take a lesson. You've got a nice one.

Keith, I sent you a PM

The felt may help date it some. During wartimes wool was a war commodity and a lot of saddles were done with felt. Option two - felt was used on lower end catalog saddles instead of wool. The felt may be original. It looks like some parts were restitched along the way and the stirrup leathers are replacements. The swells and leg cuts are interesting but hard to say. The tree may or may not necessarily narrow down to a maker. The horn covering style was common in the 30s and 40s, and may be on either side of that time period too. Without a maker stamp it is kind of hard to pin down a maker. Just a number without a maker may not mean much. My great-granddad's saddle has a number on the latigo carrier, but is maker marked by Duhamels in Rapid City, SD. I never paid much attention to the number until I read that is how they marked the model number of the saddle. There are some similarities to your saddle, his came in the 30s.

Thanks for posting! I like looking at this old stuff.

Most have a wooden piece between the shells. S,mall post section, something like that. The ends are carved down some to taper into the shells and awood screw ran through the horn into the wood connector for the back side to keep them on. .

I don't have any round knives but I have a heck of good Harrington head knife laid out for cleaning up tomorrow. If that might work for you, please contact me through the links in my signature. Thanks, - Bruce

It seems like Dixon dropped the older patterns to their tools and took ease of manufacturing shortcuts that sure weren't very good. Comparing the old Dixon plough gauges to the last ones made have you wonder what they were thinking. CS Osborne is not far behind with some tools. I get the same feeling handling a modern CS Osborne creaser, French edger, or bisonette edger as a quick example. Handles aside, the working ends are not even close to the old tried and true patterns.

FWIW regarding Leather Machine - I'd suspect that David and the other guy are both at the guild show in Indiana this weekend. Takes a few days to get there and I expect a few days to get back.

If you are serious about selling it for $200 shipped, then consider it sold to me. Please send me a PM about payment details