cool swivel knives

[Clay]

Hey all,

I wanted to share a link to a friend of mine Paul Zalesak's web site. He has just started a website for his swivel knives. They are very cool and also very good swivel knives. I have one of the first ones he made and use it a lot.

Here is the link http://www.leatherwranglers.com

check the site out some time.

[Chuckboy]

Can you compare these swivel knives to any other? What are the blades like? Is it a ball bearing shaft?

I guess I just want some more info. on these knives.

[Clay]

Can you compare these swivel knives to any other? What are the blades like? Is it a ball bearing shaft?

I guess I just want some more info. on these knives.

Chuck,

The knives compare to any of the high end swivel knives out there.The swivel knife barrels are aluminum, with I believe is a ball berring finger saddle. The blades are a hardened steel that holds an edge. If you go to the web site there is a place to contact Paul and he will be able to answer any questions that you have.

Clay

[Dale]

What advantage does it have over its competitors to make it the most expensive knife on the market?

[Clay]

Dale,

The way I understand it he will custom make the knife to fit each individual. He probably has to get some kind of measurements from the person he is making the knife for. i am not sure how he does this, you will have to contact him for more info...

ClayM

[pabloz]

What advantage does it have over its competitors to make it the most expensive knife on the market?

Dale,

Please forgive my very late response to your question - Clay had copied me on some posts & now I'm figuring this site out.

Here's my 5-part answer to your question. 1st: UNCOMPROMISED QUALITY - I use only the highest quality materials & there are no seconds; it's either the best, or it hits the trash bin. I apply this to the yoke, bearing, shaft, barrel, & most importantly, the blade. 2nd: it's the LIGHTEST SWIVEL KNIFE IN THE MARKET - a 1/2" barrel with 1/2" blade, & a large yoke weighs about .9 ounces - yet it's strong enough to handle even the most abusive carvers. 3rd: my SWIVEL KNIFE GOES OUT SHARPENED, STROPPED, & READY TO CUT - it's totally up to you as to whether you strop it after that. I've had some customers tell me that they don't even need to strop, but still do it out of habit - reinforcing that it doesn't need frequent stropping. I've tried over 22 different alloys, hardened & tempered to everything from RC-67 down to RC-45, which has resulted in approximately 220 different combinations of alloy & tempering techniques. This blade will cut as smooth on the best-of-breed top shelf leathers, as it will on the bottom-of-the-barrel cheap leathers. 4th: It's CUSTOMIZED TO FIT YOU – you can adjust the height so it fits to your hand, you get to choose between yoke styles & barrel sizes. Once the right combination of components is put together, you can carve effortlessly, all the while enjoying ultimate comfort. 5th: COLOR CHOICES - not that color makes a swivel knife perform any better, but color just adds that one more touch that makes this knife customized for you.

I've been carving leather since 1974 & the only tool I've ever been passionate about as far as improving & getting it to work the way I want it to work, is the swivel knife. This is the best available today, but I'm always looking towards continuous quality improvement. So, if you ever end up owning one of my knives & you find a way to improve it, call me & let's talk about it... call me any way! 505-269-8563. Paul Zalesak http://www.leatherwranglers.com/products.html