bruce johnson

Slick an edge with real bone one time and you'll want one. In some of the old sets I get there is a slicking bone or two. We have two lambs in the freezer and suspect some of the bones will make it out to the tool shop.

Got that price fixed for you. Fair prices for some nice tools.

I am just going by some that I have. These came with a bunch of lift the dot fasteners in a couple styles that fit these punches and the handled drivers are apparently to work the stud portion. Some of the sockets did have the tabs wider above the hole than below. I got these with a bunch of handled drivers and some of the punches were different from these also. I sold the fasteners, all the different handled tools, and the punches to a car restorer back east somewhere a few years ago. I kept the few duplicates back. The handled tools are all marked Carr and "Lift The Dot" but no markings on the punches. .

This one is for punching the holes for a Lift-The-Dot fastener. They are a directional safety snap that only are supposed to open if lifted in one direction.

And I have just the candidate to hang this on. Looks great Bret and I can't wait to turn his head with it.

Olaf, They probably don't have blades on hand, but can make them up. - Bruce

Olaf, Sorry I missed the last couple of posts to this thread. My blade measures 1-3/4" on the bottom from the leading edge to the back edge. The bolt spacing is variable and needs to be matched to your frame. As far as making a blade, I have been happy with the blades I have gotten from Campbell-Randall. I haven't tried anyone else. On the lever, the original is a wide head bolt, not a normal machine screw and a bushing. The square blocky looking nut in the first picture is what is on both sides of my Randall. The socket head screws on the back side that position the rollers are not original but no big deal. Pretty much my user has had all the adjusting screws replaced except for the one holding the lever on. I would borrow from it when I was refurbishing others and until now they have all been borrowed except the one.

Here are a couple I need some help with makers, and the plough gauge mentioned previously. The knife is one I have had for a while and is on my bench in use. I need help with the maker - I haven't seen a Mayer-Flamery with the hammer mark before. Is it one of theirs? The plough has only the tassel or bell marking on it. It is a nice smooth working one, just not sure who might have made it. Finally the plough gauge mentioned above. I still have some work to do on it, but here it is just about there. The shoe and guide block is gun metal. The fence and beam are steel. The top adjust and the binding nut for the roller are ornate brass. This is the prettiest English made one I have seen yet. It is marked "1897 A Butler London Warranted" on the shoe and the knife is marked "A Butler". Interestingly the knife is marked on the right side of the blade. I can't recall any others I have seen marked anywhere but the left side.

Tor, I finally got several Dixons at one time and cleared the waiting list for them. I have a top lever adjust on my website and also one that adjusts with the long screw mechanism. Those are pretty rare and a delight to use. Wait until you guys see what I just cleaned up - yes, from England. I need to do a little more on the knife and will have pictures tomorrow.

Not any more Mike. It is in the mail to a newer home.

Looking good there Mike!

I never started out to be a collector. Problem was I would get a cool old tool and it would never leave. Then another shows up, and pretty soon they have their own section. After a while it enlarged and now I have to admit - it is a collection. When we did the saddle tool display for the cowboy museum we got a lot of interest. It sparked the idea for me to make up a webpage of some of my collection to share on the internet. These are some of the more obscure early makers - all from the 1800s. Most of these tools are not for sale, but there is a lot of history there. Here is the link to that gallery page - http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/myleather-tool-collection-history-in-your-hand/ . I hope you enjoy.

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