bruce johnson

Osborne calls it a push beveler. I have been chasing one around for a couple years and haven't really found it to have much use.

Shoe maker lip knife

Mike is correct, it is a channeler. They also make or made a variation with a loop type blade.

Sheridan Leather Outfitters

The oil tanned is 5 oz I like. Hairon gussets. Don't like them for one reason. The lay of the hair will be down on one side and up on the other. I have done them, but don't particularly like to. Piceing them looks off to me. Also, hair on is really soft so needs to be backed for some firmness, especially ate the bottom.

I use oil tan for the gussets. It has a little more body than chap leather and helps hold the shape. Soft enough you can open the zipper and sort through. I over lap it on the bottom about a third and sew across the ends. That double layer helps prevent sagging from weigh and keeps the shape better over the long haul. I just sew them to the front and back with a machine.

I have asked a few guys since you PMd the picture. It is a split nut screwdriver. Not really a leather tool, but there are a few fasteners on some leather tools that use them.

John, One other person I asked about the ELBO stamps was Chuck Smith and he popped that right off. He said it was one of Ellis's deals and didn't think he marked them like that very long and thought about the same time frame with the other stamps in this set. They might have been a line for one of the other short-lived early crafting supply sellers in SoCal. Interesting for sure.

Here are the two CalCarved I have, along with the ELBO marked stamps. Neither of the CalCarved are plated. The ELBO bargrounder isn't plated, the checkered beveler is clean and not knurled. All are magnetic. The "ELBO" was in larger letters the length of the shaft. Chatsworth is in very small lettering the length of the shaft and not into the knurling. These all came in a set with RBS and no prefix Craftools only. Most were plated, but a few of them weren't. Local estate set, not a put-together deal. - Bruce

Just to throw another iron in the fire here. I bought a set of tools that had no prefix Craftools and RBS mostly. There were a couple Cal-Carved and a couple marked ELBO and Chatsworth. One source told me that ELBO was one of Ellis's aliases (say that three times fast!). Any thoughts on ELBO?

I have never even glued the bottom. I just tack and stitched the fender to the leathers. With the buckle rivets and stirrup hobble strap, they aren't going anywhere.

There used to be a deal sold that was a roatry shaft tool and reciprocating handpiece with a large collet. They called the "SpeedStamper" and weren't in business very long. I had one and liked if for long beveling especially.

Don't even need to see the video anymore, question comes about once a month and it sure looks handy. I tried to track it down a few years ago. I have asked a few folks in England and even the one I talked to at Jeffries was not real sure where they got the cutter. One guy said he thought it was made by a handyman sort of guy in Walsall. He said it used roller knife blades and spacers between to set the widths, sort of like the strap cutting machines. It really doesn't look all that hard to make knowing that now. He said it was good for fixed widths, but he liked the ability to change widths and used a plough gauge once he left production work.

Awesome work - again - and CONGRATULATIONS!

I like that a lot Little John. The lining cuts are a good touch for sure.

It depends on what kind of leather you are making the binding from. A crank splitter pushes the leather into the blade, so the leather has to be pretty firm or it bunches up against the blade. You can pull a little softer leather with a pull-through, but there is a limit as to how soft you can go there too.

I think you are probably the one who sent me an email this afternoon. I gave you a call back but missed you. I curated an exhibit on old saddle making and leather working tools and use for our local cowboy museum. It was supposed to be a 4 month rotating display and was popular enough they kept it up 9 months. I'd sure be glad to talk to you about how we set it up, and details.

Depends on how much you think you'll use it. A guy can sure make one himself, but that takes time. I think the draw down feature on Ron's is really handy. You can raise and lower it, or spin it and it doesn't change the strap tension. I was a the first Wickenburg show and a stand was not even on my radar screen. I got hung up BSing and my wife went on ahead. She came and grabbed me to go look at Ron's stands.She talked me into it. Never a regret.

First call I'd make tomorrow is Keith Pommer - (605)372-4523

Call Keith Pommer - (605) 372-4523

Used both and wouldn't be without the stand. The cantle binding attachment is a back saver.

Here is a quick sketch of what I was trying to explain regarding the different rounds.

If that is machine belting, it is probably one layer of leather - no folds or gaps to fill in. Just one ply of thick leather that is heavily edged and worked through a rounder. Heavier belting might be folded and stitched in channels top and bottom. Then the excess is trimmed the two cut edges are edge beveled heavily and rounded up. Even heavier round are made of two pieces, The outside is folded around a flat piece, sewn through in channels then trimmed and edged like the folded one piece before it is rounded up

It is a type of a "V gouge. TLF might still sell them.

Once you edge all four edges you are giving it a somewhat rounded profile, especially if you are using an edger that leaves a rounded cut - like a Gomph round bottom edger or equivalent. You start in a larger hole and pull it through a few passes. Then step down a size and repeat until the leather is compressed and round. The deeper moisture is critical to allow the leather to compress and hold that profile.