CampbellRandall

Tom, I can see why two ply on an EZ Edger can give you problems. The EZ Edger just cuts the corners, like a Bissonnette edger.Advantage = no reduction in strap width. Disadvantage = in a two ply or straps cut to width unevenly it will skip spots. [*]The top and bottom blade sets follow your edges independently. Advantage = its a nice design for single straps or uneven thickness (like heavy reins). If your thickness jumps drastically (like 10 oz to 14 oz) the blades will not cut any deeper. Disadvantage = I would think soft lining leather can also be hard to edge. The strap is following the path of least resistance. The NSB (and similar Italian edgers) uses shaped knives. Advantage = Trims uneven edges (I don't care how ugly they are) to a smooth round edge. It can true up an uneven width, and much faster than pulling them by hand. Multiple ply straps are not a problem. Disadvantage = It will reduce your strap width some. How much is adjustable with the guides. Since its a shaped knife, it will cut everything equally, so if the thickness changes drastically, you'll see a change in the radius. Weaver used to sell the NSB in there catalog. I think they now only show the EZ Edger because the price is right for smaller shops. They use our NSB machines in their factory.

We sell both the John James and the Osborne. Osborne is probably the most used and best price in the "name brand" awls. We started stocking the John James because they are harder and won't bend as easily for heavy jobs like saddle cantles. Regardless of brand, sharpness is probably the most critical part. Ive never used the Douglas awls, but it sounds like he's doing a good job of presharpening. John James are ground out of the package, but Osborne has a factory edge and should be honed. Regardsless of brand, its a good idea to keep them sharp.

esantoro is right. If you are talking about 220 volt 3 phase (4 prong plug) - forget it. Just replace the motor. If it is a 220 volt single phase (two legs with a ground) some motors have a switch to change to 110 volt power. I don't think you'll be that lucky.

New machines are priced at $4,650 on power stand. Please keep in mind these machines are built in the US and last for decades. If that's not in the budget, we offer rebuilt machines at $2,900 complete. Occasionally we have used available, or used Italian type machines for less. UKRay - we have a few machines in operation in England, as well as Europe, Australia, South America... Hobby Tom - We also carry a line of burnishing machines and accessories. Just so I'm not accused of shameless self-promotion, you can often find used machines at auction, private sellers, or machinery dealers. Besides the Randall NSB, the hand powered Easy Edger that Weaver sells, and a few Italian models, I'm not aware of any other power edgers currently made. Randall has been around a long time, and we have more specialized leather working machines than any other company in North America.

Randall makes the NSB Beveling machine. NSB Beveling Machine Bevels all for edges in one pass. Capable of beveling about a gross of belts in 5 minutes.

For sharpening, the WHITE is normally a fine grit, and the GREEN is even finer. For a mirror finish, we recommend the green - which is our best seller. Besides the material type and grit size in the compound, some compounds will have more moisture in them, dependind on the make. We sell the various compounds primarily for sharpening knives and beveler blades. (COMPOUND) Most of our customers buy the large green blocks and sharpen using cloth wheels on a grinder. You can also apply to strops. For a factory, the grinder method its fast and easy, although not as precise has hand sharpening. The paper wheels are a considerable improvement over the cloth wheels. In our shop we use the paper wheels for straight blades and the cloth wheels for shaped bevel knives (machine blades).

The dies are probably made for a Randall embosser (1-5/8" bore). The Randall dies are larger for longer repeats and can emboss deeper the hand crank machines. If its a 1" bore, it might be an old Russle or McMillan embosser die, but 3" OD sounds like a Randall.

Here's an article about corner stitching with the Campbell CORNER STITCH - Dan

Here are a few articles I wrote on the old needle and awl machines..... NEEDLE & AWL MACHINES The BOSWORTH & the CYCLONE And another on splitters.... SPLITTERS Just a little history to go with your machines.

We'll I'm not old enough to remember when they started making these machines, but the patent dates indicate who came first. I have researched the US patents on these boys and have found the following... The Campbell LockstitchFirst patent = Sept 7, 1880 #231954, by Duncan H. Campbell Improved design first seen around 1882 Pattens for diffrent mechanisms continued through the 1910's This machine was leased rather than sold, until recent decades [*]The Randall Lockstitch I have only found one related patent for Sept 3, 1901 #681956 by Henry A. Dodge I believe the Randall type came out between 1900 and 1910. They slightly changed the mechanisms that were patented by Campbell. Patents apply to designs, concepts, etc - not the whole machine. They took the design and changed it enough to get passed the patent laws. Today we can exchange those mechanisms for current model Campbell parts, so a Randall can be converted to be 99% Campbell. The Randall advertised their machine with "No Royalities", so you could buy rather than lease. Campbell maintained the lions share of the market for decades. [*]Landis 3 The first patent found Nov. 23 1910 #976,746 by Christian Pedersen They machine was described as a "Campbell Type". They changed most of the design but the way the machine operates is the same. A few parts are directly interchangeable but most are not - unlike the Randall which is almost a direct copy. The Campbell was the first successful needle and awl design, and ironically its one of only two (the Unionlock being the other) which are still being made today. Here's an article for those intrested in a little history... http://www.campbell-bosworth.com/articles/Point-Part2.pdf Regards - Dan