bruce johnson

They look just like the one I have for sale. As far as the tip profile, that is how they are. They may not come deadly sharp from the factory, so a replacement may not be any better. I don't know to what degree of sharpness Dixon goes with their new tools. Some of the old line companies did not put a final edge on cutting tools. I have not had a new Dixon so can't say. I have pulled old Osborne tools out of the paper that hand no real edge. Older guys have told me that was to put your own favored final edge profile on. I got a pretty old Dixon plough gauge knife last year with the blade having a profile somewhat but a square edge on the front - it is my most reached for user. Pretty much most tools you get are not going to be using-sharp out of the box. For new edgers, Bob Douglas and Barry Kings should be. I don't know about Ron's edgers since he sold the business. although we expect to get sharp ready to use tools when we buy them new, they mostly aren't. If they are, we are generally paying the price for the maker to do that. In some cases that doesn't mean the tool is bad - just that it takes a little time to finish it off and make it good. Sharpening up that edger might take 10 minutes. In the process you will get a feel for how hard that steel is and what you can expect out of the tool. Even the ones coming sharp will need to be worked on every so often.

Been there a couple times. They have a big warehouse and kind of let you freely roam. I am pretty sure most of the hardware and tools are at San Dimas though. At least that is how it was started out for San Dimas. Lots of leather to look at and they are very hospitable. Realize that most of their business is telephone orders. The reps will be on the phone and might point you to an area, but usually are tied up enough they won't lead you through and go through the different options in every aisle. Kind of find something and they will break away to explain a particluar leather and be happy to do that.

Does it look like the one I have attached? They make a flat bottom version and a hollow ground which has a rounded bottom. If it is the flat bottom then the sharpening is pretty straightforward. You sharpen them on a fine stone from the bottom until you get to a fine foil edge. Then strop if lightly from both sides to remove that foil edge. Biggest thing is to make sure you get all of the foil stropped off. For the round bottoms, do like Bill suggested and use a round base like a nail or screwdriver and wrap it with the wet-dry sandpaper. Make sure the radius matches the tool. If there are grit marks when you are finished then go to finer stone or wet-dry sandpaper and do it again until the grit marks are gone. You can strop the slot out with a thin piece of leather or the edge of a piece of cardboard from the back of writing pad works. I use green compound. I would not toss the Dixon's, I have a some Dixons I have kept and the steel is pretty good. The shorter toes are easier to do inside curves with. Pretty nice tools overall.

Nice work, and I think it is fine here. This is the finished leather goods section of the marketplace. One other place I would suggest is to get listed through the home page on LW.net in the "Leatherwork Directory" where potential customers can also hook up with you and your work.

I have played with one a bit, and know a guy with one. Here's a link to the wesite - MA III Series Clicker Press . I don't remember the size of the platen, but the bed is 12x9 and the head is smaller. I think I read somewhere that it translates into about 5 tons of pressure. They are pretty precision made and adjustable for die height. I saw one was demonstrated to use as an embossing press and used with letter stamps all lined too. They used to be around $1200 in memory ?? The website has a number to call for the US distributer.

I am with Chuck, just let it warm up and the chunks will dissolve. I keep my oils on a shelf in my shop. In the winter the NF oil gets a little or a lot pasty or almost solid. The Feibings seems to set up less than the lower end brands. I either set the jug in front of the heater for awhile (lid loosened) or if it will pour then glop it out into my paint roller tray. I fan it with the paint stripping/glue drying gun on high until it melts. I use my NF oil pretty much outside temperature in the summer (around 90 in the afternoons) or warmed slightly in the cooler times of the year. It penetrates better for me that way. Setting the jug in the sun until it feels slightly warm is all I need. Too hot and you can scorch leather and say bad words. I use a fair amount of olive oil too. For all the reasons mentioned already plus it is less greasy feeling for products that will be handled. As far as cost, they are almost a tie for me. The olive oil costs me about $23/gal at the wholesale grocery outlet and I can buy Feibings NF from the local handy livestock supply/western clothing emporium last time for $24/gal. I can buy NF cheaper from him than ordering it and paying even nominal shipping with a mixed order. I can see the latest fashions and continue to eat crow about my prediction that the crystal fad would die out within a year. I think I said that in late 2002.

Yes, with the tapered. It makes a big difference for me using anything over a 16 oz maul. Some of what I do are big pieces and I can't always reach the center if I rest my elbow and rock the maul. On my bigger baskets and block stamps I am faster and less fatigue to use heavier mauls and do one hit on the baskets or two hits on the blocks rocking the stamp one way and then the other. I can keep my elbow locked to my side and use my whole forearm with my wrist straight.

You don't have to lift you arm or shoulder as high to hit the stamp level.

I have gone through a few ways and this works the best for me. The backboard is a free standing display rack for beef jerky. I bent up the hooks for the pegboard and drilled a small hole in the bottom of green pill vials for the stamps. Originally I used clear plastic juice cups but the stamps and cup color kind of blended together. The green cups are an easier background to look against. The stamps sit at an angle and the heads easy to pick out. I have the sorted by type and so I can got through pretty quick to pick the ones I need. I have a small block wih holes I have on the stamping bench for the stamps pulled for a particular project. The mauls all hang right there, along with any handled tools like push bearders, creasers, or ticklers in use. The swivel knives hang on a pegboard gang hook and are all in one place. What I like about this set up is the flexibility. If I get a new stamp I can just drop into whatever cup it belongs to. I don't have to do the 'right shift/left shift" to make a spot in the organized one-to-a-hole rack I used to use. I can add a cup and break them down further is need be too. I try not have more than 10 to a cup anymore or 5 of the big blocks. The downside is that a certain maker's short stamps seem to be shaded by other stamps and are not standing right up there to see sometimes. I have been thinking about sorting those stamps into their own little corner of the world.

Trox, Yes I will ship to Norway.

Ferg, Yes you are right. I left out the word "easily" to change the height on that bottom roller. On this American a screwdriver or crescent wrench will do it pretty easily. The fork can bve adjusted for height on the others. They still have an upper limit, but can adjust down. Pretty much for most leathers, I leave them at the top limit. That lets me run lighter weight leathers through for edge skiving. and still have the flexibility to run thicker leathers through if I am doing skirt plugs or ground seat pieces. That is where backing off the spring tension helps to let that heavier leather go through. Still each of these machines are individuals and one might like to be more "high and tight" and the next one "low and loose". Sounds like you might need to throw a little heat to that jam nut and bolt. That is pretty much another set it and forget it deal for me too.

Ferg, They can get pretty squirrely if the blade isn't all the way forward to the stop. It usually on the bracket for the bottom roller on the left side viewed from the working position. I have had one or two without a stop, but had enough experience to kind of place it without cranking the blade edge off the first turn of the handle. The leather can go under the blade, over the blade or just wad up if there is much gap. To adjust the splitting height on most, you have to adjust either side equally to be level for splitting. You want to change a split thickness, you get the wrench or screwdriver and adjust both sides again. Pretty much I use a splitter to be a splitter and skiver to be a skiver. I set the blade at an angle I like and don't change it much. I adjust the edge left on the skived piece ( some edge or feather edge) with the fence guide. For the blade "Just set it and forget it". Not an original phrase and yes, I have a Showtime rotissierre cooker too. If you are consistantly doing heavy leather then you might need to back off the tensioning spring screw on the bottom roller. On most there is a place in the frame casting that limits the height of the lower roller. They can only go so high. At least one of them has an adjustment to change the space between the top and bottom roller. The American I just got has a lever/handle to open up the rollers. There is a long bolt on that you can tighten or loosen to adjust the gap some. Nice feature I guess, but the Landis I just sold didn't have the adjustment and worked fine for several years. None of the others have had them either. On most of the 3-in-1s there was a little table on the end by the round cutter. It helped support the leather to make a vertical cut. Seems like they are broken or missing on a lot of them.

Ferg, Nope no manuals for one in my shop either. I couldn't say for sure, but they may have used this frame casting as a "universal" at some point and bolted the welt roller on as an option. The American and Landis ones are fairly intuitive to figure out the adjustments. Yours look like the blade angle adjustment is done with eccentrics. I have a Progressive that I am playing with, and that is a whole nuther cat. I think I like it, but it is way different.

I have a Ferdco and bought the bundled set when I bought it, and then got more. I use the stirrup plate quite a lot. It makes sewing gussets into casework much easier, especially sewing into and out of 90 degree corners. You swear a lot less than with the flat plate or holster plate. I use the left toe foot when I am sewing with a guide. I use the right toe foot whan I am sewing something with spots already set. I use the buckle feet a bit for getting close to hardware, and the holster plate gives me some clearance to tip a center bar buckle back out of the way some. I also use the right toe foot sometimes sewing next to raised area like on bucking rolls or leather covered wood picture frames. Sometimes on repair work that is a pretty narrow lip to sew, the right toe foot was off the leather. Ferdco makes a case and boot foot that is in line with the center presser foot and I bought that later - very handy. The only foot set up I haven't used much is the blanket foot. Just don't sew canvas or heavy fabric. As far as the slotted plates and bottom feeddogs, mine doesn't have them. My Adler did, but I never had near the accessories for it I do for this one anyway. I have a lube pot and use it for heavy or fast sewing. I don't use it all the time, but If I know I am going to be high speed sewing reins my needle will smoke if I don't. Same deal for slower sewing on repair work on harder leather. I use lexol in mine or some thread lube a guy gave me. I don't run the thread through the rubber gasket wipers though. No particular reason other than it takes time to thread it through. I run the thread out the hole in the top and before the thread guide loop. Between the hole and the thread loop, I stick a 1-1/2" cube piece of dry cellulose sponge with a slit partway through it for the thread. It stays in place there and wipes the excess off the thread. When it saturates the excess runs back into the hole or runs back down the thread. Every so often I might squeeze the excess back into the pot also or when I am done.

Dan, I am pretty sure that is what the turnbacks are. A guy might try it on one and see. I don't think you could just fold a good one back and not break it. Heat it up and you could mess with the temper.

These are some examples that I recently got in. In the top view the upper one is a round bottom edger, the middle one is a turnback, and the bottom one is a CS OSborne round bottom French type edger that will also work. It is pretty similar to a Vizzard edger, but the purist will say that only Gomph made a true Vizzard edger. It will have the toes taken back some to make the tight turns easier.

For new ones Bob Douglas (sold by Sheridan Leather Outfitters), Barry King, and Jeremiah Watt all sell them. For old ones like Gomph, HF Osborne, or CS Osborne Sheridan Leather Outfitters usually has some and I currently have some round bottoms. Most of the time the turnback and vizzards I get are sold to want-list customers.

When you get to tight turns you need an edger with the cutting edge out in front. Some examples are a round bottom edger, turnback edger, or vizzard edger. I use whichever is handiest.

If they are only getting 10% to sell it, but $10-$30 a month to rent shelf space then they really have no incentive to sell it. The longer it sits, the more they make. The only way this would work is high dollar things that don't take up much space and sell themselves within a month.

Here's how I do the scrap latigo snaffle bit straps with no ring knots or loops. It uses up three short pieces of latigo. The bit rings are secured with the slit knot like a hackamore hanger,

Charlene, Everytime I have tried to fix a minor wreck I made it worse. If it was me I would tool some generic looking basket stamped corners and peddle it or donate it to a benefit auction. . If I was getting more custom orders in the pipeline, I would wait and have it for an order. Trying to remove contact cement from fabric isn't easy. I have a shirt that has had some on it for a couple years. The thinner took the color out, and just thinned the glue enough to spread and make a bigger spot.

Johanne, I think it is OK to use the name. Some of the trainers/clinicians who sell their own line of tack stay with one supplier pretty steady and others seem to bounce around some. You can pretty well be assured that whoever may not tell you exactly who is making it for them. They want to keep sources confidential and not have a customer bypass them. That is a real sticky area for the maker who sells retail and wholesale too.

I added more tools today to my website. There are a couple new knives there (CS Osborne and Rose), several draw gauges, and quite a few hand tools. If everything goes well, I will have a really nice 10" Chase splitter ready in a couple days too. Thanks, Bruce

Well I do cut a lot of 3 inch and wider straps. Most of the stirrup leathers for roping saddles are 3" and I do a fair amount of repair work. I cut blocks of heavy latigo for reins and depending on the side, I may be able to cut 6 inch wide blocks to glue back to back and then cut my finised rein widths from the doubled blocks. First off I straighten the side with a long rule and knife. From there is depends on what I choose to cut with. The Wooden strap cutter - It depends on how good it is. Some are not square with the blade and handle. If the blade is sharp, it will do up to 4" widths. Like a draw gauge, it tends to drag and more torque the further out you get. It is limited in thickness. Some skirting is thicker than the capacity of some cutters, and will bind when you get to heavy areas. They won't cut doubled up pieces. You need to tension the strap as you pull. Either reach forward and hold it yourself, have someone holding the end, tack it to the bench, or use a clamp like a "third hand" cam action clamp. I do cut some heavy leather with the wooden strap cutter, but not much. I use razor blades in it, and break off the excess sticking up. The razor blade will last a while on vegtan, but a new one is great for me cutting softer leathers like chap. I use it mostly for that. Advantage - pretty inexpensive. Draw gauges - I like them for narrower straps and still might cut some leathers with them if one is handy. The blades can be sharpened up well and the sharper they are the better they stay straight. Stock blades from Osborne are pretty decent for the price but requir esome work. I thin them down some and sharpen them up to get a better cutting profile and edge. I put a new blade in every draw gauge I sell and sharpen them up in batches. Draw gauges for me are a little more ergonomic than the wooden strap cutters. Still they will have more torque the wider you are cutting. Three inches is max for me and I have to really watch the cut to make sure the leather is staying up next the handle and maintaining width. Leather can ride up the blade. You also need to tension the strap like the wooden strap cutter. You also need to have the leather off the edge of the bench to have clearance underneath. The little handle on the blades can be reached for with your left hand and two hands used to help counteract the torque and stabilize the cut. Advatnages - cheaper than my next option. Disadvantages - there are several makers and choices in handle materials, beam widths, handle shape and materials, and desirability factors with old line ones. They aren't one size fits all in terms of makers, new vs. old, old in as-found condition or refurbished, gibs installed and blade condition, and price can be all over the scale depending on those factors. Plough gauges - I use them for anything over 3" and most stirrup leathers are cut with them. They are pushed into the leather. The blade is in line with the handle and there is no torque. I have them in widths up to 20 cm and have cut very well that wide. I like them a lot. They are much more commonly used in Europe and those areas influenced by them. Since you are pushing the strap is tensioned from the rear. I push down with my left hand and push with my right in a cross arm motion. If I have the clamp, I just walk away pushing. There is roller in front of the blade that keeps the leather from riding up the blade. The leather lays flat on the table. Disadvantages - biggest one is cost. They are and to my knowledge always were made in Europe. If anyone has any info on any USA maker in the past, please let me know. Dixon and Vergez-Blanchard still make them, and the guys selling the Barnsley have their old found stock. They are not as commonly found in the US, and bring a pretty good price. I like them and hunt them up pretty hard. I try to always have some choices around for sale. That is my experience with the wider straps.

Brent, I use the side window from a car. Some guys that do really thin skives use a turned over glass bowl or a 1 gallon glass jar in a rack to hold it steady. The push skiving blades are called a few different things and I suspect it is a regional thing. Some call them paring blades, English parers, skiving blades and they may or may not have anything but just the blade. Some wrap tape on them, and some glue leather to build them up a bit. They also make skiving knives like that with handles. Most of these are European influenced and Vergez-Blanchard, Dixon, or the outfit selling the Barnsley tools would be sources. Some are home made from saw blades. I've had a couple that were good.