mikebiz

No kidding. My ex-wife's grandparents lived right off of 33 near the Shop-Rite. Small world. Like I said I'm down in Cape May County on the bayside about 20 minutes from Ocean City when there isn't crazy traffic during the summer. Thanks for the encouragement. I'm looking forward to getting started. Gathered up a nice collection of books on leatherwork that are very informative. Hopefully I'll have something to show for my efforts in the coming months.

Thanks MMLeathercraft. I'm in northern Cape May County. Where are you? Yes this is a cool forum. I've learned a lot already. Just don't have all of my tools yet, but some are ordered and will be on the way shortly.

Thanks for the responses. I think as a first swivel knife I'm going to go with a 1/2" barrel with a 3/8" straight blade and add a 1/4" angled blade as well. I plan to spend a lot of time perfecting my carving with the 3/8" blade. I do have another question. The maker has both standard and saddle (round edge) yokes. I am leaning toward the saddle, as it looks more comfortable. Unfortunately, I have not had much luck finding why folks choose one over the other. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Howdy, Calait. Not sure if you were asking me or the other Mike (TwinOaks). As I said I haven't done any swivel knife work yet, so I don't have any suggestions for you. I'm sure someone will chime in. Good luck with your carving. Practice, practice, practice.

Thanks, Mike. I had a feeling I was worrying a little too much about this. I feared that I may have swung the builders decision towards the smaller size with the mention of the key fob. Probably shouldn't have mentioned them to begin with. I think most of my carving would be on larger sized projects anyway. I appreciate the info and the suggestions. Yes, I'm a tool guy, so I have no doubt that I will acquire more knives someday.

I just introduced myself this morning on the member gallery forum (http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=61360), so now it's time to start asking questions. I've done a lot of research here and elsewhere regarding swivel knives. I don't own one yet and haven't handled one either, but I've read a ton of reviews, considered opinions, watched videos, etc. First off, I'm not one to shy away from buying quality tools. I'm a firm believer in you get what you pay for. That said I've considered the knives from what I would call the most highly regarded/frequently recommended manufacturers. I chose one model that I thought would suit my needs, be high quality and fit my "loose" budget. I will say that at this juncture I'm not up for spending over $100 for the knife. I have too many other tools and leather to buy. From my research I was set on a 1/2" dia. barrel with a 3/8" straight blade. So, I contacted the manufacturer via email, gave him some info concerning my needs and asked for his recommendation. I won't mention the maker for obvious reasons, but his response puzzled me a bit. I don't know if he is an active leather worker or just builds leather working tools. Below is my initial email followed by his response: My name is Mike and I'm new to leather crafting, so I have been thoroughly researching swivel knives on the internet. Your knives are highly regarded and I would like some information about them and how to select the best knife for my work. I have seen your website, so I know the basics features that are available, but if there is more I should know about selecting the "perfect" swivel knife please send that information along. I intend to tool leather on pieces as small as a key fob to those as large as a motorcycle seat. If you need any information from me that would help you tell me what to choose in a knife please let me know. I wear a size medium glove, so my hands aren't too large. I look forward to hearing from you regarding the knife. Thanks for your time and assistance. Hello Mike, Thank you for your interest in the swivel kinves, From what you described I would reccomend a 3/8" dia. barrell X 2" long with a 1/4" angle thin blade. Thanks again So, I have some issues with his response given what I've read about swivel knives: #1 I think a wider (3/8" to 1/2") blade will suit me better. I really want to learn good technique and I've read that bigger blades leave less room for error. I don't want to pick up bad habits as a novice. I'm leaning towards a 3/8" straight blade. I can always add a 1/4" later. #2 The 3/8" barrel seems really small to me. That's about the diameter of a round Bic pen. Feels narrow between my fingers (which are kinda short and thick). I think 1/2" may suit me better. I took the cap off a standard Sharpie marker. It's 2" long (the length the maker suggested) and 1/2" dia. It feels more comfortable and rolls smoothly between my fingers. Several folks here suggest 1/2" or 5/8 to start. The length on these knives is adjustable so I think the 2" will fit me fine. I know this is long-winded, but I guess it boils down to the fact that I don't want to insult this guy by going away from his suggestions. In the end it's my choice, my preference and my money, so I shouldn't really care. But I do (for some reason). To be honest, I was just going to order the knife with my initial specs, but decided to ask for a suggestion. When I hit the send button I just knew I was going to get an opinion opposite of what I was considering. I must be psychic. Let me know what you all think about this. I'm pretty set on this maker since I've read so many good reviews, but I do want to get the details right, so that the knife performs well for me. I will end in saying that I know ALL of this is personal preference and until I actually handle the knife I won't know if it's a proper fit. I also realize that no matter what knife I choose there is NO substitute for practice. Thanks for the help.

Hello Leatherworker.net gang, My name is Mike and I'm an aspiring leathercrafter from southern New Jersey. I've been perusing the pages of this site for a couple of weeks and it is a fantastic resource, so thanks to all who contribute. My only true leather work to date has been shortening my leather, archery back quiver a couple of inches and re-lacing it. Turned out pretty nice and that little task gave me the itch to keep some leather in my hands. My research here has given me a nice list of tools to acquire. I intend to work on projects that require tooling, lacing and sewing; from key fobs and wallets to larger projects like motorcycle seats. I'm a willing and hard working student (though not always the most patient) and I'm good with my hands. I hope these future projects keep me busy and find me success in the leather world. I have a question regarding swivel knives that I'm going to post in the "Getting Started" forum so look for me there. Just wanted to introduce myself first.