billybopp

The sheaths were a fun project to design and make. They are the thickest things that I have sewn to date, which presented its own challenges. The beltloop, back, and strap are all one piece. I made a mistake on the Gomph sheath and have the strap coming off the same side that the knife slides out from and it gets in the way a bit ... better to have the strap on the sewn shut side! I may still cut the strap off and rivet a new one on going the other direction, but haven't decided yet. Another lesson learned from a straight knife sheath that I made previously was to put a thicker piece of leather between the back and welt to help offset the handle from the loop a bit.

Some months ago I decided, like you, to see what all the fuss about round knives was. I bought a really cheap one ($15-20) from ebay to give it a go and to learn more about them. So I bought the one pictured at the left below .. It is probably a food slicer blade cut and put into an old handle. It worked pretty well once I learned how to sharpen it, and found that sharpening a curve like this has quite a learning curve so I'm glad that I could learn on cheap stuff first. I liked it well enough to take the plunge for the other two antiques that you see below, a Gomph round knife and a CSO Newark head knife. The antiques are just awesome, and seem to hold an edge well. What I found with these is that they are extremely versatile. They don't replace other cutting tools that I use, but do just about every cutting task pretty well .. they are extremely handy that way! It's also just very very sexy thinking about the history of these every time I pick them up. How old are they really, who has used them and what did they make? We'll probably never know, but it's just too cool and they are just beautiful. One day, I want to add a W. Rose to the collection .. Just for history's sake since I live very near where they were originally made in Philadelphia. It'd be cool to bring one back home. They also led me to think about why these were so popular, and the best explanation that I can some up with is a matter of economy. Modern mass produced tools cost a couple of hours to a day's pay, so buying a single-task tool is not such a big deal. These, at $4-5 or so, would have been more like a week or two's pay. For that money, they HAD to be long lasting, and versatile multi-taskers. Even high end modern round knives such as LeatherWranglers or or Knipschield are comparably priced or less than these were in their day. They won't replace my utility knife for straight cuts along a straight-edge, skiving knives especially for thin leather, rotary cutter for rolling cuts on thin leather, or going around curves with a clicker, but if needed they can and often do those jobs well. The one thing that they do better than any other tool for me is free-hand long straight cuts. P.S. The sheaths were each made using the knife that they hold. I had to try them out thoroughly! They also got progressively better as I figured out how to make them. The "belt loops" are for future use when I have a proper workbench so that they can hang above it.

I was poking around craigslist in Philadelphia the the other day, and came across a Standard No.3. with some pretty good pictures. It looks fascinating, but certainly too pricey for me and I somehow doubt that parts are available. I'd love to see a video of one o' these in action! They claim that this one was made around 1873, so shortly after the civil war. http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/for/5888005948.html

Wow. Just wow. Beautiful work!

... Good point Tinker .. That also assumes that one has the woodworking tools and skills to do the job, which not everybody has. Bill

Looking good so far! You'll have no problem with a messenger bag if you decide to go there. Your sewing looks pretty good, but be prepared for some sore hands with a messenger bag, LOL. Bill

All the above said, it came from your wife's aunt and there's probably plenty family history in that machine. While nobody displays last year's plastic fantastic sewing machine in the family room as a functional display piece. These old machines are beautiful and usable! While you may not be able to sew much if any leather on it, most of us still need to sew fabric or really thin leather from time to time and it may be able to do that. I have a little lightweight Singer that belonged to my grandmother and was used by her, my mother, my sisters, and me. As the story goes, once as a young girl my mother was getting ready for school one day and despite a closet full of clothes claimed that she had nothing to wear to school so my grandfather sat down and whipped out a skirt for her! (Now THAT'S love). One day, if I do enough leather work to justify it I may pop in at Keysew and talk to 'em about a bona-fide leather machine, but even then I wouldn't trade this one for anything.

Binder clips really do make great (and CHEAP) clips for leather work. They do however mark the leather and can rust and leave rust marks if you're not careful. I glued on some little pieces of leather to help mitigate both of those situations. I also have a bunch of inexpensive plastic clamps in various sizes, made mostly for woodworking, also with little bits of leather glued on to prevent marking. Bill

I used to use a lighter, but occasionally burnt the leather if not very careful. Tried an old soldering iron, which worked well but they take awhile to heat up, so not very convenient for burning a thread or two now and then. I've recently started using a battery powered thread zapper, and really like the kind that has a retractable tip so that I don't accidentally burn something I shouldn't, and to protect the wire when not in use. Rechargeable batteries are also a good idea since they do go through batteries fairly quickly. Bill

As far back as the 1920s leather tobacco pouches had a rubber liner. Can't say about before that tho.

That is a really great looking stamp set. I don't know that I've ever seen another set that is meant to give a 3-D effect like that. Bill

Let's not forget about the dreaded dunlap disease too! When your belly dun lapped over yer belt!

One or two orders a year? Probably not worthwhil but. It doesn't take very long for Amazon prime to pay for itself if you order stuff online. It also includes prime video which is pretty nice stuff too. Bill

There is a thread on here somewhere which shows a useful spring modification to pull the handle and ram back up ... Haven't modified mine but will eventually since it looks useful!. Bill

You might experiment with a mule foot to simulate body feathers. Bill

It would work if you can work out how to control it.

Looks great, Constabulary! Congrats on a great find and great work. It gives me hope that I might one day find something similar. I think it would be a great learning experience to restore an old machine AND get something usable at the same time. I know I could do it with the fantastic help that you and others here provide. Thanks for sharing! Bill

I have a term for the current mentality in the US, and to some extent worldwide, "The WalMart Society". It doesn't matter the consequences, just get it cheap. I, for one, refuse to shop at or support their store. It would be bad enough if, as well publicized, WalMart (and others) didn't just screw over their employees. Less publicized is the way that they screw over their suppliers. A few years ago, I spoke with a VP of a well known paper products supplier, and was told that WalMart sends in teams to inspect the books of their suppliers, performs their own cost analysis and then negotiates what price they will pay for products. They offer a take it or leave it deal, which leaves virtually no profit for the supplier, who then has to decide, from a marketing standpoint, whether they can afford to not have their product on the shelves of the largest retailer around. Sounds like a good business plan for WalMart, doesn't it? The supplier doesn't really profit, and can't then afford to raise the standard of living for THEIR employees, ensuring that THEY no have to buy their needs as cheaply as possible. It also ensures that WalMart's small competitors likely cannot match their deal. Unfortunately, other large retailers are now using the same sort of practices. It's a downward spiral all around that can only be stopped by all of us. If we're willing.

I'd open a case with ebay. You did not get what you paid for.

That'll work just fine, Tinker. At 1190 RPM you will need a reducer, but this motor has the huge advantage of not needing a table at all. You just mount the head on the motor itself. Bill

Getting swatches is a great idea, but possibly even better if you have some scraps left, send them to some of the suppliers that deal with a variety of tanneries .. That way they can compare what they have to what you want! You might also look to upholstery suppliers as well. Bill

Those are very cool! Thanks for the video too. Oh, and if you need help with product testing, I'm ready! Bill

I haven't used this for dyes, but for paint where the pigment settles out, I use good ol' fashioned BBs. They work great and they are really cheap. Hmmm. Sounds like a product idea. "New, from Ronco! 'Nuts in a Bottle'. Shake 'em, stir 'em. Make your paint and dye work for you instead of you working for them." $9.95 if you call in now. But wait .. There's MORE. We'll include the shaker holster for FREE is you call in now."

It looks like the Green Grizzly has a pretty shallow throat depth, so that could be a problem depending on what you are doing. The Tandy rivet press is on sale right now for $170.00. Some of the die sets are on sale as well. It might be worth a look for you. Bill

I use 50/50 neatsfoot and beeswax with a few drops of eucalyptus ... Just because I like the aroma. I use a mason jar to hold the ingredients in while melting in a water bath in a crock pot. When melted, pour out into some cupcake papers and there you are. A very nice finish. Not too shiny, not too dull, just right.