Is there a difference b/t a crafttool or a Al Stohlman swivel knife?

[filluptieu]

I really want to get the crafttool because its so much cheaper. Is it worth it to buy a Al Stohlman insteead? will it last longer?

[electrathon]

The main differance is the craftool one is smaller and less gawdy. Personally, I would not waste money on either one. Buy a good one with a bearing in the top pivot.

[Jordan]

For what my opinion is worth (0.02 cents) , I really do not see much of a difference. I believe the fancy look and the name are what you would be paying for. I will say that I bought a set of Stolhman punches, the one with a barrel and 8 or 9 screw on tips and so far the barrel has been ok, mainly because it is heavier and looks fancy with chrome and design. but the chrome tips are junk, the leather will not eject properly, builds up and splits the tip. I got it at very low clearance price but have decided not to buy another. I am beginning to realize, or I should say, admit to myself that it is better to pay for quality now rather than pay again later.

[flathat4life]

I'd say the Al Slohlman knives are better than tandys but not by a long shot. There both junk and as said above, your pretty much just paying for the name. I would suggest one of Barry Kings knives. I think they might even be a little cheaper the than the AS brand and the quality is MUCH superior. You cant beat the tight and smoooooth spinging ball baring spindle with a comfortable yoke where tour finger goes on top of the knife. They come with a pretty good hollow-ground blade for $45 plus 7 in shipping. Look him up on his website www.BarryKingTools.com. You wont regret buying eny tool from barry and you cant beet his customer service. Plus, if you ever have eny problems with his tools just let him know and he'll do what he can to fix it. Dont compromise the quality for just a few more bucks...... just my 2 cents.

Hope that helps.

Jed

[Aulus]

Just a week ago, i worked with a normal swivel Knive from Tandy. Since a week I work with one from a fried who buyed them in Japan. And I must say, the Tandy one is crap against this.

The thing is, that the Tandy ones (the "normal" ones) are not whith a ball spindle, that makes them not good. And the Stohlman one looks fine but you can have better ones for cheaper. Just like Berry Kings Knives.

[Kevin]

I'll probably be crucified for this, I've never tried a knife with bearings, I just pull the yoke off, buff that little point 'til it's shiny,rub a little parafin on the point,put the yoke back on and let 'er rip. I don't think the old boys had ball bearings in their swivel knives and look what they managed to do. I would be more worried about the blade.

Like I said though, I've never tried a fancy swivel knife, and maybe I would think I had died and gone to heaven if I did. Also, none of my swivel knives are less than about twenty years old and maybe the quality has gone down so much, you can't get that point smooth anymore.

Kevin

[Billy P]

I've got small hands for a dude and need a short barrell on a swivel knife. I used and still use the first knife I ever got. My bro-in-law who got me started carving gave me an old Tandy with an extremely short barrel that is adjustable. I too took the yoke off and polished it and oiled and waxed and it works pretty good, but 3 years ago my dear departed friend Larry Huston sent me a Henley knife and blade. I don't care what you do to a Tandy knife you ain't gonna get it to work as free and easy as the better knives. I don't have a Barry King, Bob Beard, or one of the new Pablo knives, simply because the government won't pay me enough disability to afford one. I can tell you that 100% sure that one of the better blades in any swivel knife will make it better for you to use. Until Larry sent me my Henley I had never used a good really good knife before, but it doesn't take long, as injust a few seconds to know the difference. Like Jed said just my .02 worth. Later and wishing everyone a great day Billy P

[CitizenKate]

I agree with what most of you are saying. The Stohlman knife is better than the stock Tandy knife, but not enough better to justify the cost. You're paying mostly for the name and the pretty look.

There is one knife I know of that is under $20 that you can get from Springfield Leather that is very nice for the money. It's all stainless steel, comes with a hollow ground stainless steel blade, and has a ball-bearing swivel. It's called the "Adjustable Pro" swivel knife. I got the 3/8" barrel size, and tried to get the 1/2" barrel size along with it, but they ran out and don't know when or if they'll be getting more. So if you want one of the 3/8" ones they have left, you probably need to hurry. Kevin says he's working on having more of them made, but so far that hasn't happened. And no, I have no affiliation with Springfield Leather, just love the knife!

In addition to those mentioned by the others (Barry King, Robert Beard, Henley, etc.), Hidecrafters also carries a couple of knives that are pretty nice. The Lancer and Magnum swivel knives are both nice quality knives, and according to the latest price list I got from them, they not only still carry them, but the prices have dropped.

Is a better knife worth the money? I think so, but it took me several years and a few dozen projects before my skills had gotten to the point where the better quality made any difference in my work. Just one other thing to consider.

Kate

[filluptieu]

and what do you guys recommend when purchasing one from barry king tools? as in barrel size and blade size

[Tkleather1]

and what do you guys recommend when purchasing one from barry king tools? as in barrel size and blade size

That is all gonna depend on the size of your hand and what feels good to you. For me just for example I have small hands but prefer a little larger knife. the 3/8 makes my hand cramp up so bad. and the 1/2 is a little better. I bought a 1/2 for most of my work and wrapped it in athletic tape so the knurling didnt chew up my fingers and it gave it a little more bulk so my hand dosent caramp near as bad. But I use a smaller knife and a smaller blade for finer curves and whatnot.