bruce johnson

The last order I had from them took about 3 weeks. Slowest international mail is usually between the US and England, followed closely by the US and Canada.

Thank you Walter, Macca, and Tor! This is my favorite thread on the forum! One thing I am finding interesting after seeing several are the different configurations of the fences (guides). Steel, brass, two pieces of steel, etc. Then the shape viewed from the top is interesting. They all have some "flare" on the front. From there some have a long flat area. Others have a shorter flat area and may flare back out a bit on the back edge of the guide. This flare at the back seems to be a bit more common on some of the Dixons. One question I have is on the screws on the Blanchards. Is there a name for those with the rounded heads? Are they still available in Europe? One thing with them I found last year is at least some, the rounded head is threaded onto the shaft of the screw. I had a plough gauge that the head would unscrew from the shaft when it was loosened. Thank you, Bruce

Macca, Thanks for posting these. The pictures look much like my shop does right now. I just got several plough gauges and French knives. No French splitters or eyeletting machine though. Like you, I have plenty to keep me busy for time to come. - Bruce

The needle and awl machines were harness and saddle stitchers. They were mostly used for edge sewing and don't need the reach. The single needle machines were for other sewing, when you are sewing tarps, wear leathers on saddle blankets, and centered inlays, that extra reach is nice. As far as making the needle and awl machines affordable, the affordable 441 clone machines are made in parts of the world with a different cost of production than the US.

If you asked for 8' and got 7-1/2', I'd have them issue a call tag for this one and send an 8 footer. You aren't going to get 6" of stretch out of 7-1/2, and if you can I sure wouldn't use them for reins. There are some makers who do some creative cutting on a curve to get more length, but then you have a curved piece to straighten, it may want to go back to that curve some and hang funny.

Nice nice nice! I particularly like that knot on the popper.

I don't think I'd have them put in at all. If one ever breaks or bends, then there'd be a problem. You may decide down the line you want to do finer work and want to sew 7 to the inch. I hate to sound all old fashioned but a sewing awl and couple sizes of overstitch wheels will probably cost about the same as having slits put in a die and give you more options. My thoughts.

Tor, I understand about the sentiment of nobody carrying the tradition of tool making. One of my Australian customers wrote me this - In 100 years somebody will find a 2012 plough gauge and wonder why they used a square fence plough gauge with a plastic roller.

The top wheel is narrow and coarse and you'd have to have a new one made smooth to not mark your leather. Depending on how this particular model feeds, that might be a problem. The screw backing the blade is broken off. Not the end of the world, but if you break the piece trying to back it out, that could be. Overall - pretty rough and probably would need a good breakdown, clean up, and reassembly. On Ebay that means you buy it, you own it and you hope to hell they pack it well enough to arrive in one piece and expect it in 2 or 3 pieces. Once you do all that, you will have a machine that will skive and cut leather out on the end. There is no Osborne machine comparable. These were designed for shoe shops. The end wheels would cut and the skiver would put a tapered skive in soles. Good for doing a consistant skive for groundseat work, a folded edge, or run a strap through cross-wise and do a lap skive. Handy to have one for sure, but I'd be wary on this particular version and condition.

Pcox is right. Don't grind, you can mess up the spacing and won't work. It looks like the bottom wheel is a driver. If so then you could get a wheel made by a machinist that is smooth for the top. A friend of mine got one made for a wide American for $40 last year. These will work with one driver. They will do vegtan and firm latigo OK with a good sharp blade.

Only a few makers send out tools sharp enough to use straight out of the box. Right after you buy the first edge tool figure out how to sharpen it and what to use to sharpen it with. It can go from wet-dry paper to stones of all varieties to power systems. Get a comfortable sharpening method and learn how "sharp" is really sharp. Not an orginal quote from me but "Sharpening is not an optional skill".

I have Ferdco machines I bought several years ago.

I didn't write the laws but some distributors will ship and some products can be shipped if you have a business license and not as a retail customer. Not a real issue to have it shipped to AZ or NV either that I can see. With all the stuff coming across porous borders, a case of glue or finish is small potatoes. Next spring there are leather shows in Wickenburg and Prescott AZ, people that sell this sort of thing will be there.

Another maker to consider is Wayne Jueschke. I use a 12 oz, 16 oz, and 32 oz the most. The 16 oz is pulled most of the time.

Kate, As far as replacement parts, Pilgrim Shoe has the most in the US I'd guess. A few others like Bogle-Greenwell might, but otherwise you have to either have them made or scab them off a parts machine. Problem is that the stuff that commonly breaks or wears is probably what made a "user" into a parts machine.

These can can be adjusted a few ways, Like Kate said the top screws will raise and lower top roller and working one side or the other will level the roller and blade edge relationship. You can adjust the bottom roller buy working the nuts and machine screws below. These were designed for sole material period. If you are running thinner leather through consistently then you need to raise the bottom roller some to get adequate pressure between rollers to grip and push. If you are splitting really thin splits off heavy leather consistently then lower the top roller for less clearance and the lower bottom roller to allow the split to go through the gap between it and the blade without really compressing those springs and straining the frame. These can be tuned for about whatever thickness a guy starts with and expects to end up with. Set them up like you use the most and most of the time the tolerances will let you do outside those ranges easy enough.

Look really good, Bret. If I had about 2 more horses I needed to rig up for, I'd sure be looking hard at these.

Beautiful paring machine Walter! The maker had some good ideas on the design also.

Hey, Mikey likes it!! I do too.

Good looking reins.

Walter, More great tools! I really enjoy seeing them and the variations from anything made here. You did another awesome job finishing off that Randall splitter as well. Enjoy it! - Bruce

It may also have been done with the nylon beveler that fits in a swivel knife or a push beveler. Either make short and smooth work of a long straight line like this.

Walter, You are very welcome! I am glad you are enjoying it and putting it to use. It looks great and you did a wonderful job cleaning it up. - Bruce

I hold mine with my middle finger on the trigger, my index finger on the right side of the frame above the bar pointing forward and my thumb is to the left side of the frame guiding the leather and keeping it down. I set my gauge blades in tipped towards me just a bit. That slicing action helps keep the leather down on the bar too. - here's a little unrehearsed off the rack action clip some schmuck was featured in for a museum display of saddler tools - .

I replied to your email, but to share with everyone - I would contact Dan at Campbell-Randall - http://www.campbell-randall.com/ .