Medi1979

Hi Claire, The blade was delivered today, and though I haven't had a chance to do any proper testing, I managed to have a quick attempt at splitting a couple of small pieces. The difference is certainly remarkable, a lot lot sharper than it wa! I'm no expert on blade sharpening but I'm very happy with the results! Thanks again for taking the time to sort this out. Cheers, Medi

Good job! That sounds like a good deal and a great resource I'll send you a pm.

Hi Claire, You seem to be making some great progress on this; sounds like you have a great sharpening set up! I've been basically using my own version of the 'scary sharp' system which is just different grades of wet and dry paper on glass tiles. The problem with the Dixon blade is that I think it will need a little more work from a proper grinder. I've attached some pictures. What sort of splitters are are yours? The hand crank type? Unfortunately, I'm based in sunny Lancashire (it is grim up norf!) so quite a long way from Dixons. Would be great to live around that area for leather work as a lot of the suppliers seem to be from round that way. Medi

Very timely question for me as I've recently bought an old 8" Dixons splitter that needs a lot of work done on the blade! I got in touch with Dixons and they told me that it would cost £30-40 + Vat to get the blade re sharpened (though, apparently, this would include re calibrating the whole device). Seemed a little pricey to me as it costs £62 +Vat for a completely new blade. I visited a local company that specializes in sharpening and making industrial saw blades a couple of days ago but they seemed to be a bit stumped about how to proceed. The blade looks to be hollow ground so they weren't sure if that was how it came from the manufacturer or the way it had been sharpened by the previous owner. I wasn't sure either. Are these blades meant be concave on the top surface? I'm gonna be looking into finding specialist industrial blade suppliers in the UK over the next few weeks so if I come up with anything I'll add it to this post. I'd also be curious to know if there is anyway to fashion a new blade from scratch using blade stock to try and save a few pounds...

Just wanted to say thanks for everyone's contribution on this thread; it's been a real learning experience. Amazing to see the collection of tools some of y'all have! As an update, I ended up having a telephone conversation with the seller and ultimately it was decided that a refund would be the best way forward. The seller seemed like a genuinely nice bloke and, without prompting on my part, very kindly refunded the postage costs too. I'm not an expert on these tools, but I'm still feeling a pang of regret at letting this one go since it was such a beautiful thing. But ultimately, I need something that I can work with. Now I've gotta decide whether I should invest in another plough gauge or just stick with my strap cutter... Cheers all.

Huh, that doesn't sound good :/ I paid £155 as a winning bid on eBay.

Hi Bruce, thanks for the response. A double slot blade makes sense! I'll send you a pm about those blades. Cheers.

Hi all, I've been in the background reading up on this site for the last few months, so please allow me to say a big thanks to you all for the great tips and advice that's freely available here. I'd appreciate some advice from those of you who know a little about plough guages. I've recently purchased an old 'Blanchard of Paris' plough gauge on eBay (pictured below with blank blade). This was basically an 'upgrade' from a strap cutter and my first gauge. The seller noted on the listing that there was a replacement blade rather than the original. When I received the item, I realized that the blade was totally wrong for the guide. Basically, it was an entirely plain blade which had been wedged between the screw fitting which was very insecurely attached. I sent the item back to the seller who told me that he could probably source a better blade. Yesterday he sent me some pictures of the new blade (attached below with the slotted blade). From the look of it, I'm pretty sure this blade won't be suitable either. So, having almost zero knowledge of plough gauges, I'd appreciate any advice before I give up the ghost and request a refund from the seller. My questions are: Has anyone come across this particular style of Blanchard gauge? Is it a 'standard' fitting blade? Any suggestions for a fix? Any help would be appreciated. Cheers.