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Got my amy rokes. I also ordered the Amy Roke new linen threads. Was impressed with the performance so I ordered a bunch of em. A bit stiffer than the Fil au chinois especially the 532 equivalent. But running the thread thru a bees twice makes this thread hug the leather better. IMHO its as close as it can get with the fil au chinois line. I find it better than the other lin cable alternatives (barbour etc...). Not much color selection like the fil au chinois line. However, you can get them half the price of Fil au chinois if you order via email. Ordering via taobao, you can get the threads cheaper (difference around 4usd). Below using amy roke 3.38 and cmdachong 3.85. Stitched with Amy Roke linen 532 (M55) & 632 (M45) equivalents on a cheap veg tanned leather (midly pulled). Not a great stitch, but you get the idea how the thread looks like in different SPIs.

Thanks Vic! Looking forward to meet you. I will be staying near Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Not sure how far it is from Asakusabashi though. Haven't done my research yet. Will google and learn more about the places you mentioned.

Thanks for sharing man! Also, can you recommend a great place in japan where to get some leather tool stuff? I'll be traveling to Japan this April and will be there for a month or two. The only place I have in mind now is Iwataya shop.

I easily get mine from china taobao shops. They normally do group buys and sell them retail. Can easily get GVT, ILCEA, barenia, togo, alran, taldekalt, minerva, buttero, box calf, saffiano and i can go on and on. The ones i metioned are the popular ones among chinese leathercrafters. Also no need to worry about the quarantine stuff.

Search PergamenaNY on etsy. They specialized on bookbinding leathers. They have thin .8mm aniline dyed goat vegetable tan leathers. Price per hide is only around 50usd. Good stuff.

If you dont mind getting it from china i can recommend taobao shops who sells 304 and 316 hardwares. Cheaper than anywhere you can get.

Check out leathercrafttools.com well priced japanese knives. They have left handed Yujin knives made out of tungsten steel. Blue steel, tungsten, carbon and white steel are all good and perform well. TBH, for Japanese knives get them from leathercrafttools.com. They have great prices and selection. If there is a japanese knife that you like and they don't have it in their online shop, you can actually message them and they will find it for you. Dol Dokki also sell some japanese styled knives. Damage around 68USD.

IMHO, I think the korea tools are very well made especially the ones posted by rickdroid and the ones being sold by dol dokki. For cmdachong edgers, I know some french guys who bought them and told me they are the best edgers they have tried. I have no personal experience with cmdachong edgers yet. I still use my old kyoshin elle edger.

Aside from the 5% Paypal fee, direct shipping is also quite expensive. Plus, if you cancel your order, I think your payment will be refunded to your Alipay account instead of directly going to your credit card. If you can wait, stick with your taobao purchase. You can try to purchase some cheap stuff and use the 4px thing I told you and see how it goes.

+1. I also get my stuff from Taobao. Interestingly, if you order amyroke irons from taobao the wait is much longer ( I waited for 2 months for my set. Buying via email will only take around 2-3 weeks ). IMHO, Taobao is a best place for leathercrafters. Let me tell you a secret: Lin Cables cost 10-15USD cheaper in Taobao. And.... you can easily get Barenia, Togo, Alran, Vachetta hides in Taobao. Plus.... Fenice products are way way way more cheaper as compared to the price offered by tandy.

I think the thickness of the leather, the pitch, size of thread and how you control when you pull the thread does affect how the stitch will look like. I believe this has been explained by Nigel in some other thread. I use the same technique like what the french guys do. Per my experience, stitching thin leathers (2-4oz total) will sometimes give me less slant on the other side especially when using thin linen threads. For me, as long as the stitch is consistent, this is fine.

you will surely enjoy his tools. Just remember to follow him up when you order and confirm when he will ship. Also, take note that the chinese new year is very near. Hence, most cnc factory will take a break within this week with delays in production. Plus, most shipping companies will be closed. Just expect some delays. Chinese new year is a big thing is china and normally every work stops to celebrate.

You are correct. Both perform the same, just like blanchards. I just like how amy roke iron looks.

I also have cmdachong irons. Honestly, I would rather go with AmyRoke irons. Looks better and thicker. There is a reason why the chinese leatherguys would wait 2 months and pay 2x for AmyRoke irons.

Ok. I received the tools from cmdachong. I ordered the 3.85mm (9+2) for $100 and its around 7 TPI. Every tooth is around 1.85-2mm wide. The iron is well polished when I received it. Every tooth shines like a mirror and very sharp. It's chunky/thick and dwarfs the Japan prongs. Easily, hammering this iron twice will make it pass thru the leather. I didn't even use my awl the first time I tried it. All in all, I am very happy with the performance of cmdachong iron. However, comparing it to my friend's Amy Roke irons, I have to be honest that Amy Roke irons look way better (still waiting for my copy).