bruce johnson

I have added quite a few more stamps and mauls to the website today. There are 4 Wayne Jueschke mauls and a Barry King mallet - all basically unused. There are several 15 degree Barry King bevelers for traditional stamping as well as 30 degree bevelers for interior beveling or Sheridan style. Some basket stamps, backgrounders, matting stamps, and few more. Also added 6 really good old knives too. thank you, Bruce

You can PM me through the forum here or drop me an email

Same thing here throughout the afternoon. You are not the only one, but I don't know what happened. I had a few other sites that did the same thing today and pretty sure they are not all on the same server.

I have added several bench tools to my website today. There is a Champion 6 inch crank splitter, Landis crank skiver, two American crank skivers, three #86 splitters, three rein rounders, and a couple nice knives. Here is a link to the tool index page of my website - http://brucejohnsonl...tools_for_sale/ Thanks, Bruce

Blade is most likely not original. For sure one of the adjustment screws is a replacement. The original blades had holes drilled not slots. Problem with them was that on some of the early ones the holes were not drilled on a jig. The hole spacing was variable. Someone along the line may have ground out these holes to adjust for bolt hole spacing when they replaced the blade. This blade is pretty much worn out looks like and a homemade attempt to hollow grind by hand. There should be more blade past the front of the sidetabs.

Welcome Walter! I am glad to see you here on this group and sharing your pictures. I have sure enjoyed them. -Bruce

Tor, I am back at work for a few weeks, then another week off for the last of the year. I still have not found the exact purpose of this tool I sent pictures of it to Walter Roth a few days ago. Without seeing the pictures Walter thought it may be a tool for cutting slits with reins to make the center braided style of rein with the ends left intact. Here in the US they call that a "mystery braid". I have not heard back from Walter yet, but had a private email of his wonderful tools a few days ago. Bruce

There is a guild called the Silicon Valley Leather Guild that meets over that way once a month or so.

I am with tnawrot, I cut on HDPE exclusively and have a 2x4 sheet I use. The softer plastic cutting boards tend to grab points more, and the green mats or heavy black rubber mats are worse in that regard. I skive on glass. One of the bigger mistakes new round knife users make is to push down rather than forward. With the curved blade the slicing action will cut through without much if any downward pressure. Pushing down will put the tip into the board, make it drag, and dull it faster than it should. If you make a tight turn you can twist off that point if it is buried.

I have never tried vinegar - might work, but is also the carrier for vinegaroon which is iron soaked in vinegar to MAKE a black dye effect so I'd be a bit doubtful. Lemon juice works straight, but I have found you need to work the whole piece or I'd get spotting where I used it. I use oxalic acid on big pieces and sponge the whole piece when I am done and before finishing. Sources of the iron can be your water. I used to fill my dunk tub from an outside spigot. Lived with spots all the time. Water from the house and I never spotted. Outside spigot had enough rust in the pipes to do it I guess.

Super cool work as usual. I sent a couple people your way last week.

Mike, You can probably tell by looking but Bret's work uses as well as it looks too. I've got a set of reins and a two rein bosal and just dandy to use. Have a 1/2" coming, and then I'll be making a headstall and some hangers to suit them.

I have added three Gomph and Three CS Osborne round knives for sale today to my website. Also several pinking punches, slot punches, round ends, and one English point punch. Here is the link to the tool landing page - http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/ Thanks, Bruce

3-in-1's will do edge skiving on vegtan and most latigo. They won't do chap or soft chrome tans. Chase splitters split with the grain side up. The split falls off to the bottom. The old originals didn't have legs. They were screwed down flush to the bench and the splits fell through a hole in the bench into a container. Some guys mount them just overhanging the edge of the bench slightly and the splits go to the floor or into a handy trash can.

Reddevil, The 12 inch sold right away. I will be having some more splitters, skivers, and maybe a 3-in-1 within a couple weeks. A few leather orders to finish this week and then no more orders with a time frame for a few months to catch up on tools. Thanks, Bruce

Quite a few of us have business licenses. The upside - You can buy from some sellers who sell to wholesale only. Other sellers have several price lists - and wholesale usually gets you the same or better pricing than their "buying memberships" without paying a fee. You can write off a lot of expenses if it ties to the business - travel for one. I spend a week in Wyoming and it's mostly a write-off. I visit my dad in Indiana and go buy some tools, ditto. Some people who work out of their house take a business deduction there, portion of utilities, phone line, cell phone, internet, etc. The downside is record keeping and taxes. Record keeping can be simple or complicated. It is really not hard once you set up a system and keep it up. Individuals file a schedule C along with your income tax. The state will want sales taxes collected for in-state sales too.

I have cleared up the want list for Dixon plough gauges and have added two Dixons and three Blanchards to my website this morning. I also put on two rein rounders - one of the best CS Osborne vise mounts made and a good Sauerbier bench mount. Here is the link for the landing page for tools - http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/ . Thank you! Bruce

I have added a new page to my website today of carving and stamping tools. There are swivel knives by Leather Wrangler, Chuck Smith (Ol Smoothie), Barry King, and Henley. I have stamps from Barry King, Gore, McMillen, Horse Shoe Brand, and CLT. Here is a link to the new page - http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/leather-carving-and-stamping-tools-for-sale/ . Thank you, Bruce

I use Feibings Leathersheen on elephant to protect it some, but most top grain elephant is pretty durable as is.

I have 1" plates and am convinced that is way overkill, at least for the top. On the flip side, they were cut offs at a steel yard and free. A dozen doughnuts got me past the secretary and into the back. He gave me a big piece for the bottom and a couple sizes for putting over the dies. A 12 pack was later delivered in appreciation.

I like to use them. I think they are easier for bigger widths than a draw gauge. Push is in line with the blade, don't need to hang the leather off the table since you cut on the tabletop, roller to keep the leather down on the blade, etc. I still use a draw gauge too, but much over an inch and I am ploughing. They are a European tool and so most of the popularity is either in those countries, influence from them, or being taught by someone who grew up using one. I normally have a want-list for the Dixons. Mechanically most of the Blanchards work very similar, but at one point this spring I had a waiting list 9 deep for a Dixon - all but one to Australia. Being of English bent, they prefer the Dixons and Lefflers is still listing a new Dixon on their website for around $1200 (One thousand two hundred!).

Ask the Australians what they pay for a new Dixon plough. I have finally cleaned up my want-list for Dixon ploughs, and most every one of them took a plane ride southwest from here.

It is probable sewn with a partial thickness stitch pattern. The thread comes out about half way through the thcokness of the leather and into the other side, then up to the inside. The camo stamp is used to help hide the butt joint.

I used to make harness leather reins but stopped several years ago. It was not profitable enough to compete with everybody else that was selling them.I make doubled and stitched latigo reins, but that is as far as I go there. I am not particularly fond of the new tannages of harness leather. Too stiff for me. It takes some work and oiling and more work to have the feel they did 30 years ago.

Nate, It is the neck end and natural thickness on most of them. These sides are unsplit/unleveled then selected or picked through for long sides with heavier necks. You can also skive a short piece 10-12" long and skive one edge then sew it on for a popper to add weight.