bruce johnson

I have never been so take that for what it is worth.I keep thinking I want to go, but something else always comes up. I know guys who go every year, and have bought me a fair amount of stuff out of there. The offerings range from big stitchers to bench machines to hand tools to leather. There are some bargains, some horsetrading, and some stuff goes higher than it should. Some stuff is really good and some is wore out #3 crap. A few things maybe have diluted it from what it used to be. This year there was another harness-makers auction already sold in Shipshewana, IN. Weavers is next up. The Harness Makers Get Together is someplace different every year and they have an auction. This year the Harness Makers is something like 15 miles away from Weavers and 3 or 4 weeks later. Some guys are thinking what normally might go to Weavers could end up at the Harness Makers instead so that might be a factor. Still, If I was in the area, I'd dang sure be there.

To replace the ferrule you have to take the bit off, slide a fresh one on, the replace the bit. I have some and do it pretty frequently if you'd want to send it here.

Nice tool and I'd replace the ferrule for sure, but that's me. There is a check in the wood and I'd go so far as to rehandle it if I had one with the right receiver for the shank.

I am in the middle of doing a tutorial on edge beveler sharpening now. It is one of the most common questions I get. In a nutshell until I get the sketches done, here's the abridged version. Abrasives - Use very fine stones or fine wet-dry. More damage is done by using a heavier grit than necessary and then trying to work that out. Most edgers just need a touch up first and then a good stropping. If you start too coarse you might end with a more ragged edge than you started with. By the time you have worked that out with progressively finer grits you have wasted time and metal. 600something to 800 wet-dry is about where I start on most edgers. work up a grit or two and get to a nice even pretty smooth edge. Once I get to a strop, I use green compound. It will remove some metal maybe, but if I work it right I get the best edges. On most edgers I work off the bottom. It is more accessible and easier for me to maintain a consistant angle. One I have a pretty fine edge and starting to draw a thin burr evenly across the width, I start stropping. top and bottom to work that bur off. On the bottom I rotate up slightly at the end of the stoke to make a slight convex edge. It is more durable on thin stock edgers and holds better. If the edger is good it doesn't take much of a convex to hold it. Some edgers have the top in a slot and compound on stiff cardboard works well for me. If I have nooks and crannies like a round bottom Gomph or vizzard edger, I use an angled piece of hard leather to get into the corner OR I use a soft wire wheel and lightly do the top with that rotating away from the blade edge. On round bottom edgers I use something that mimics that same curve. Best way I was taught was to edge a piece of leather slightly smaller than the profile, wrap wet-dry over that to fill in the profile and match the tool, and secure it in a vise. You can draw or lightly push to work up an edge. Once you have the edge, time to strop. An edged piece of firm leather rubbed with compound and held in the vise is good, just draw back and strop the bottom, Use whatever works for the top. I know this is contrary to a lot of instructions. They show most of the work done with files or wafer stones in the slot from the top. My problem there is that with the bent shanks you can't get a good stroke without running into the shank or handle. Three things happen. You raise the angle to clear them and you are really making a steep and stubby edge. Second is that you get tired and quit too soon and the edge never gets sharp. Third thing is you have spent an inordinate amount of time sharpening the edge but you do get it right. This is the thumbnail of what I have so far. I figured how hard can it be to write a little tutorial. Yeah... I am on three pages and no sketches yet.

It depends on a few things. If you are cutting bigger projects, then a small board can be a hassle. Making part of a cut, moving the board, cutting again, etc can result in a choppier cut than a bigger board under you. LDPE boards tend to grab knives more and makes a bit more effort as well as mark up faster and those grooves can catch a blade edge too. I like HDPE better for cutting. If you are going to use one to punch on, the HDPE can be brittle though and crack or break. LDPE is a better choice there.

WS, Thanks for the heads up on the misID'd stamp. I'll pull it tonight and change that. I have had several unmarked Osborne (or seriously Osborne-like) tools. Knives most frequently but handled tools as well. Some may have the USA stamp in the wood, but no maker marks on the metal. I am not sure if these are subbed tools from Osborne's military contracts or just pushed through to meet the immediate needs at the time. I may have had or do have an unmarked Compass groover also. I don't remember off the top of my head.

WyomingSlick, You made me go look! I have a page of only preletter Craftool stamps for sale and another "Bargain Basement" page with lettered Craftool stamps on my website. I had to double check to see if I had a #115. No joy, but I was kind of excited for minute or two there. LOL, Thanks, - Bruce

My technique is pull, push, pound, and swear a lot. I hope Dawson didn't learn any new words.

What do you mean "that's not much of a feat"? That is always a good feeling for anyone! Nice job on the whole thing. Now send it out to get used.

One thing I have found are a couple references to the Newark vs. Harrison marking. Osborne changed the marks on most of the tools soon after the move. The round knife with the Newark mark was their ID/badge/flagship/"brand recognition" item. An image of the knife and marking was on their stationary, catalog covers, and flyers. At least a few have thought they might have still marked the knives with the Newark stamp up until maybe WW1.

Your knife could be 1890s or thereabouts. I have an 1897 catalog reprint with the "X" marks on the knifes. The usual knives were 6" wide, the "X" knives were 6-1/2", the "XX" knives were 6-3/4 and the "XXX" were 7". The single X knives then were $1.84.

I had one for my Boss when I had it and have one for my cylinder arm power machine now. What they do is let you sew a gusset in bags and cases with 90 degree inside corners. The rounded profile on top of the stirrup[ plate shortens the radius up instead of flattening what you are sewing. They will let a machine march right around the gusset corners.

Cut and paste got me and left out more of my reply above. The second one is a loop creaser that was used to put a creased pattern onto loops. I have never seen them maker marked, but the only place I have seen them cataloged was on a single page flyer from Charles Rosecrans. I find a few here and there. I am up to 14 of them and have yet to get a duplicate.

First one is a washer/gasket/circle cutter to use with a hand brace. The second one I'll buy from you for $25 and then tell you what it is. ;)The third one is missing a wheel where the hole is. I have been variously told they are for cutting leather and cutting wallpaper - probably both because I get them in old leather sets. The last one looks like a fine saw, maybe used on leather but more likely wood.

First one is some sort of glazer or creaser. Middle one is an ice chipper or webbing stretcher. Last one looks like a glazer also.

Tandy pops up right off, and I just saw in ShopTalk or Leather Crafters Journal that Double K Leather in St Louis now has a catalog. Other than those, there are other suppliers like Springfield Leather, Zack White, and more I am missing that have pretty extensive websites.

I have had a couple of them mounted on the wood blocks. One guy told me they were a magnesium alloy that printers use. They don't take pounding all that well but last a long time with a press.

I have added a quite a few tools for sale on my website. There are a bunch of fresh stamps from Barry King, Gore, and Wayne Jueschke. I also added a page of just pre-letter Craftool stamps and another page called "bargain basement" with other Craftool stamps. I also added several rein rounders and two splitters. There are two lacing and braiding string cutters fresh also. Here is the link to the landing page of the tool section of my website - http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/ Thank you, Bruce

Call Vicki at Hitching Post supply - http://www.hitchingpostsupply.com/

Tough to hear that. I have had damage in both but have avoided surgery. It started out with my right shoulder. My doctor is a young guy andpretty sharp on sports medicine. He lined me out on some exercizes to strengthen everything and increase range of motion. He said he wanted me to do that before sending me to the surgeon and two things - either I wouldn't need the surgery or I'd recover and rehab a lot faster afterwards. No weight arm motions in different directions 50 reps each at a time 3X a day. Then step up to a 8 oz weight in my hand after two weeks, the 1# 2 weeks, then 2#. Never get my elbow higher than my shoulder the whole time. After 3 weeks I was thinking "This s**t is boring and it is NOT working!". A week later I was like "Whoa!, That twinged me when I started, this IS doing something after all". A two months I was good to go for the elbow-higher-than-my shoulder routine. No surgery and I am doing pretty good.

Many thanks for the great pictures, Wish I was there again!

Johanne, I just sent you a reply to your email. - Bruce

I'd agree with the others that slightly over is better. With English points the tip is easier to center of the fit it close though. Out of curiosity I measured about 40 English point and round end strap punches here. Makers represented are CS Osborne "Made in England" one piece forged punches, CS Osborne forged one piece punches, HF Osborne forged, Gomph forged, Dixon forged, older CS Osborne arch punches, and some recent make CS Osborne arch punches. All except one group were either dead on or all under 1/16" (most about 1/32") over the marked width. Although it can't be a scientific study due to low numbers, one of these groups was 1/8" over - 3 of the 4 modern CS Osbornes are a full 1/8" wider. The 3/4" was a touch under 1/8". Ed, please let us know how the SLC punch measures when you get it.

Yep, binder clips and line them up side to side. Sew slowly and take them off as you get to them.

For cleaning that smooth roller I would not start with 120. I would start with just plain steel wool to clean the surface grunge and see what I had. I think 120 is too coarse and may leave more grit pattern that you would then have to take out. I would start finer and maybe into the 300-400 range. You mostly want to take off burrs and sharp edges from the scratches. Once they are smooth, they won't mark your leather unless they are deep and wide. If you work lightly and evenly around the roller I think you can work them down by hand with out changing the profile enough to matter.