chrstn53

As Chief31794 said, Barry Kings tools are great tools. I have a mix of edgers from different makers ( Barry King, Jeremiah Watts Horeshoe Brand, Rons Tools, Weaver Leather, old Osbornes and Gomphs) Out of all of the edgers I own Ron's Tools are my favorite, but they are a little higher in the cost bracket. The edgers I seem to use the most are my set of Weaver edgers, they are in the middle of the road for price and are extremely well made and have never failed me. Weaver also sells a strop board set up that is a must for keeping them sharp.

Any die maker can add the punch holes but the finished product does not look nearly as nice. Your looking at $4 to $8 for each hole which adds up really fast, but if your selling 25 wallets a week you could defiantly justify the cost for the amount of time you can save and the amount of product you can push out. I thought about getting the punches with a simple card wallet when I had my die made and it added an extra $500 to the die cost.

Thank you WyomingSlick, I'm not at all surprised that you had some information of these tools. The set I have has all of the pictured stamps in the advertisement, plus two others that are not on the add. The two extras are numbers 9210 and 9213. I attached a picture with the two not on the add circled. These are defiantly some keepers for my collection and I will keep my eyes open for the instruction books. Hopefully I will come across one so I can make a copy for you. Thank you for your wealth of knowledge.

WyomingSlick, I picked up this set of tools a while back. Almost all of the tools are marked Craftool Co. but are all marked with numbers in the 1,000's, for example 7034, 4130 3020, 6034 etc. The face of the stamps are bright and shiny but the shafts have a completely different unfinished look with a yellowish tint. The detail on the face of the stamps are pretty impressive. I picked them up from a guy in Pennsylvania, but he did not know anything about them. Were you ever able to dig anything else up about them?

I think the official name for the tool is a single line layer creaser, but I'm not a 100% sure. I have a couple that I use occasionally when i want to dress up the edges.

Probably Hackbarth. Picture looks in the same style that Pro Leather Carvers does when listing tools.

Watts horse shoe brand tools are amazing quality all the way around, you won't be sorry when ordering anything he offers. King, weaver and Ron's tools are also great quality. In my opinion Osborne tools have gone down in quality and durability unless you pick up some of their older tools. New Osborne and Tandy tools are pretty much the same and at their price point you just need to spend a little bit more for something from a better maker.

Its hard to tell from the wallet picture but I though it looked similar to this without the scroll banner.

From my experience selling at craft shows/art fairs, the question of what to bring and prices depends on the demographics of the area. I have done about 30 shows the past two years and participating in these shows is like riding a roller coaster with really high arches in sales and low dips. Most of my products are in the $20 to $250 range with products like wallets,journals,cigar cases, belts, leashes, flasks, bags and general accessories, but I also have a few lower cost things like key chains and card cases. Most of my shows are in southern Indiana with a few around Nashville, TN and Ohio. From experience I do not participate in any craft only shows in my area. My sales are always the lowest at craft specific only events which have as few as 100 people to 3,000-4,000 people. It seems that most of my products are purchased by consumers in the 20 to 50 year old range and for some reason I have never had one good show that was a craft only show, so I don't do them anymore. I do best at street fair type of events, juried art shows, and markets put on by fashion companies or "hipster markets". Most shows run from $20 to $75 for a weekend show but juried shows run from $150 to $1,000+. I have trouble knowing what to bring to a show even if I have been to the same show in the past because they are so sporadic. For example last month I introduced a journal cover for the moleskine notebooks and did not sell one in the first two shows I had them in, but at the third show I sold out of them with only 10 made and took three more orders for cases from patrons who did a walk through and came back after I sold out of them. It's like this at every show so I have a lot of extra inventory for every item I make on hand under the table. When I do my southern Indiana shows I only have a few of the higher dollar items on display, but when I do my two juried shows in Nashville, TN my setup is completely opposite with the majority of my tables filled with my mid to high dollar items with only a few lower dollar items. I have only been getting serious with the shows this year and have put a lot of money into displays and tents, but to show the difference from normal shows and juried shows: Best Normal show $876 profit after $70 fee for two day show (street fair event 3-4,000 people); Worst normal show $85 profit after $40 fee for two day show (craft show 2-3,000 people). Best Juried show $3,235 after $485 fee for two day show (40,000 people); Worst juried show $740 after $260 fee for one day show (5-6,000 people). Once you have done a few shows in your area you will get a feel for what people have to spend and what type of products they are looking for. Helpful hints. Fold in half tables with handles Storage tubs Sturdy Tent for outdoor shows Display your items well I'm always saddle stitching something when not talking to customers, it draws them in and gets them asking questions which has led to many custom orders. ( I still get at least 10 or more people a show ask me if I make any of the items i'm selling while I am stitching) Make sure you have plenty of cash on hand for change. ( I normally have $200 in 1,5,10's at local shows and $600 at juried events). Business cards and either a social media site or web site for custom orders and a place to show off your work Cooler with some food and drinks. ( If i'm doing a show by myself without help from my wife or bother, I eat and drink before the show and nurse one bottle of water during the show with some beef jerky, so you don't have to leave your booth to use the restroom) Always be friendly with other exhibitors and find out what shows they do best at. ( I have found out about my best shows from other vendors) Sorry for the rambling,, hope this helps.

Price?

Several passes are needed. When I make cases its usually with 8-10 ounce leather. As with the round knife or any other leather tool it takes a lot of time and practice, then one day it all seems natural. if you looking for something to cut thick leather relatively easy you might try to find a landis/champion/american sole cutter. I've been lucky enough to pick up several 5 in 1's at farm auctions for next to nothing and they cut through thick leather like butter.

You might look into clicker knives with either straight or curved blades. When cutting corners I love using rein trimmers because you can push through the corners instead of dragging a blade. I found something along the lines of what I use on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Hyde-Knives-3-Xacto-Knives-/400748077296?hash=item5d4e7260f0&item=400748077296&pt=Motors_Automotive_Tools&vxp=mtr low investment so it would be worth a shot.

I ran into the same problem when making a simple one piece wallet. I had texas custom die make a long oblong bag punch about 3-1/4 inches wide that makes a clean professional looking slot.

Having a good strap cutter or draw gauge will open you up to a lot of different projects. I find when making wide cuts on long sides it helps to have someone hold the top of the leather while you cut the strap. Make sure you always use sharp blades and the strap cutter will slice like butter. I think they normally run 10 to 15 cents a blade. Also depending on what type of strap cutter you purchased, it can be difficult at times to set the width correctly. Black river laser makes a gauge that is a time saver and sets the correct width every time. http://www.ebay.com/itm/STRAP-CUTTER-GAUGE-FOR-LEATHER-CRAFT-WORKERS-USE-WITH-TANDYS-TOOL-ALL-NEW-/131091046931

Where did you get the stamp to make the design on the spine of the book?

I thinks they are called military buckles

You should be able to bevel the edges with a size 0 or 1/32" edger to round them off. Try some saliva or water and a wood handle to blend the pieces. Bob Park has a good article on fishing edges. http://leatherworker.net/bob-park/FinishingEdges-2-15-11.pdf

Weaver makes good edgers that cut like butter. Remember you get what you pay for, so you might as well get the best you can afford and you will have a lifetime tool if properly taken care of.

I agree with mlapaglia by marking the point and making sure the overhang is spaced evenly on both sides. If your going to be cutting the end of a lot of straps you should probably invest in a good quality end punch. As for newer production strap end punches in my opinion Weaver Leather makes the best strap end punches. If you can get a hold of some gomph, H.F osborne or older C.S osborne end punches you won't be unhappy with your purchase either. The Weaver end punches run $35 to $50 wholesale depending on size and are amazing in quality and how long they stay sharp.

The knife has been sold Thanks

Old Hackbarth Swivel Knife with what I am told is an original blade. The blade has a flat shaft above the blade. $50 plus shipping

Does anyone know of a source in the United States that makes or sells this type hook? I have had several request to make a wallet leash using these hooks but have only been able to find them for about $30 a piece. Any leads would be helpful? Thanks

Joe, is the liner on your wallet a sticky back fabric. Awhile back I watched a video of a guy making a wallet and it looked like he lined it with fabric that had a peel off back, just wondering if you used the same thing. If so where would I go about finding something like that?

where are you located?

There is a similar one on ebay for $250 or best offer, but they both are in rough shape. There would not be much added value for a 1st edition in this condition. Personally I would just check ebay from time to time or buy a later edition in excellent condition for less money. Just my opinion! http://www.ebay.com/itm/LEATHER-TOOLS-LEATHER-SECRETS-BOOK-1951-F-O-BAIRD-great-leather-book-/191118865186?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c7f927322