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Has anyone used this clicker for bullhide? I plan to use it with dies that are about 8” x 8” Also wondering about cutting footbeds out of 9/10 oz veg tan Any advice? Recommendations?

I did a blog post review of Texas Leather Dies. I won't recreate it here, but the condensed version is --they are amazing. Ten outta ten! If you'd like the details, check it out on my website at https://www.BruceGibsonDesign.com If you're in the market for clicker dies, mallet dies, etc., I highly recommend these folks. They are also Leatherworker.net supporters. Awesome all-around!

Hello everyone here is my review on my new SK which I purchased from Bulgaria-based tool maker and leather worker - Sergei Neskromniy. Some of you probably already know him from Leatherworker Magazine.

While researching suppliers, it's a bit tricky sometimes to tell whether a supplier or warehouse is suitable for you. Some require a minimum order size, may be online only, and may not have a way of viewing what you're buying (e.g. ebay). With this in mind, I wanted to write a short review of my experience at suppliers so that others might benefit. A.W. Midgley and Son is a UK supplier (website http://www.awmidgley.co.uk ) based in Cheddar, in the south west. It's reasonably accessable from Bath, Bristol, and is just over an hour's drive from where I live. On the website they say they are happy for customers to call at the warehouse, so I gave them a visit. Google/satnav directed me to the buisness park (BS27 3EB) easily, and they are located towards the end of the park - just keep driving and looking, a couple of turns later you should see it on the right - there is a small carpark for visitors. On opening the door, you walk straight into the warehouse - a veritable playground of leather hides - in a hundred different colours and patterns. https://plus.google.com/photos/104400411479647274773/albums/6028107499498037585 We were met by a very nice chap, I think his name may be Will (from http://mirjamidesign.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/luxurious-leather.html). He was extremely helpful and knowledgable, and although I had a vague idea of what I wanted (some thin veg-tan natural, maybe coloured) he helped by showing me several natural veg-tan skins and explaining a lot. He also grabbed a huge stack of mixed single veg-tan shoulders, and went through them, one by one - explaining a bit about the different types. With his help, I chose 3 coloured veg-tan shoulders and a natural veg-tan calf hide. Pricing was very good too, and they seem very happy to give even the casual hobbyist a great customer service. They seem to have a pretty wide variety of hides, different weights/thickness, and plenty of colours. They also have pretty large stocks of popular (e.g. blacks and browns) - if you wanted a larger order. I would definitely recommend a visit for anyone in the south west - you're bound to find something nice, and I am definitely coming back for more in the future. Great place.

So I just received an email from one of their mail fulfillment people telling me that because there always seems to be an issue with my order, I should no longer order from them. - stop and let that marinate for a moment - they pretty much told a customer to get lost instead of striving for excellence in customer service as they claim to do. I have ordered from Springfield exactly 4 times. 3 of those orders have had errors - and ones that could have easily been avoided with proper internal processes in place. The first time what I ordered and what was sent were two different things. After some back and forth with customer support who actually spoke to me quite rudely and was combative, the owner, Kevin, stepped in and made it right, sending me what I required. I judge a business more on how it handles an issue than completely writing it off when there is one, so I ordered again based on this experience. The second order had two pieces of leather I ordered missing from the order, along with a big hole in one of the small pieces I ordered, making it pretty much unusable. Again, Kevin corrected this and sent me the correct pieces, and made an effort to source some leather I was having trouble finding. The third time had no issues - I received what I ordered. My last order was ordered 3 weeks ago and still hasn't arrived, and has ended up in California despite my mailing address being in Washington. When I contacted them about this they wrote back and literally asked me what I'd like them to do about it. I explained that as someone who runs a business when my customer tells me something hasn't arrived, even though it's usually the fault of the mailing system and not me, I go and figure out where it is and why it's stuck there before even responding, much less asking the customer what I should be doing. To this, I received the following response: "Obviously we’re not capable of doing business successfully with people that live in your part of Canada. In view of that, we’re requesting that you no longer order from us. We realize that you’re not at fault here, and I’m sure it will save much frustration on your part, and enable you to better supply your customers if you get your supplies from a more dependable vendor, like perhaps Tandy, or Oregon Leather. " This response shocked, baffled, and downright enraged me - and not only because they used my geographical location as a thinly veiled excuse to get rid of me 'politely'. Despite my shipping address being in Washington, where I'm located has no bearing on the majority of the problems I've experienced with them - they've been errors in processing an order and things that could be avoided with good internal processes in place. But telling a customer to get lost? And to go find a more "dependable" vendor? Why not strive to improve your dependability instead? I'm blown away by this way of 'solving' a problem - by essentially throwing a rug over it and pretending it doesn't exist rather than taking steps to ensure it doesn't happen again and again and again. If they screw up with me on 3 out of 4 orders, they are likely going to screw up with someone else pretty soon, if not already, so I hope in all sincerity that anyone considering shopping here thinks twice before placing an order, as you could very well be the next customer they decide to expel. I'm not sure how it is that they offer 'excellent customer service' to some, and treat others like garbage, and much less how they've survived doing so; but the idea of telling a customer to get lost because they cant get their ducks in a row is appalling and completely the opposite of excellent customer service.

I am a big fan of giving credit where it is due, and of sharing my experience when I think I have been screwed. Unfortunately, this review is the latter. In the beginning of July 2013 I ordered some buckles from eleathersupply.com. I got an immediate electronic confirmation of my order, and my card was also charged immediately. I didnt get any more word from them for a couple days, and I was expecting some kind of confirmation or shipping notice. I called them after about three days to ask if my order had shipped only to be told that the items ordered were on back order. I asked if they had planned on telling me, to which the man replied that if he had to notify everyone when a product was on back order, that is all he would have to do all day! I should have taken the hint that the company is not professional at all at this point and cancelled my order, but I also like to give people the benefit of the doubt, so I told him I still want the buckles and asked when will they ship. He said 1-2 weeks. It is now September 12. I sent an email last week asking about my still outstanding order and if he could just cancel the order and return the funds through my credit card...No response. I called the number on the website...mailbox is full. Saving grace is that I did not make a large order, only about $30.00 worth, but the fact remains that my money is gone, and I have no buckles to show for it. This is no way to conduct business on so many levels. My advice is this, take your business elsewhere!

Hey all, I've been doing some research on round and head knives. At first I thought that I would go with the Tandy brands just because they're close to me and reasonably cheap, but I've since reconsidered after reading some reviews. I've decided to save up and wait for a good quality one. However, I'd kind of like a 'stop-gap' knife for cutting curved pieces and patterns. Right now all I have is a utility knife that doesn't do a good job on curves. I've looked at the Tandy Industrial Knife and I'm wondering if it would fit the bill. Anyone ever used one? Pros and cons? Alternatives?