Kimby Report post Posted November 13, 2023 Good morning everyone! I have come across some old leatherworking tools, I would love to find an approximate date. Does anyone know when glass slickers or burnishers were first used? And I have a punch labeled T. Adams Philadelphia. Attaching photos. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuck123wapati Report post Posted November 14, 2023 23 hours ago, Kimby said: Good morning everyone! I have come across some old leatherworking tools, I would love to find an approximate date. Does anyone know when glass slickers or burnishers were first used? And I have a punch labeled T. Adams Philadelphia. Attaching photos. Those are very cool tools my friend. both glass and leatherworking are centuries old I doubt anyone knows for sure. you may be able to date the punch easier, it appears to be early 1900's imo. i have no idea how they date glass but there is a way I'm sure. or you could try and find the name of the person on Ancestry . com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted November 14, 2023 There is a little confusion on the Adams tools. Thomas was a very common first name and Adams was a common last name. There was a Thomas Adams in England who was a tool maker. Also one in the US and I think Philadelphia. The punches have the English style and most assume one of two things - the punches came from England or they were made in that style. The bigger question is were there two Thomas Adams who made tools or did the original migrate to the US and make tools here too. There is cases to be made both ways. I will check my older Osborne catalogs and see when they had glass slickers. I’ve also had old steel plate slickers too Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted November 15, 2023 Oldest I am finding the glass slickers is in a CS Osborne 1897 catalog. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
