Difference between Craftools and "more expensive" tools

[Art]

@Tonners,

If your Craftools are older, without letters, they a probably pretty good tools depending on how much they were used or abused. Tandy stuff is cheap, but that is a good thing. You can definitely afford to buy one and take it home and see if you like it. If you start using it a lot, you can call-up Barry King and give him the number and he probably has something alike or at least similar for you. If you liked the Tandy tool, you'll love the custom tool. That way you don't have to buy a bunch of high dollar tools all at once. Bob Beard ditto although his wait time is longer, but the tools are really excellent and guaranteed forever.

Art

[ConradPark]

Don't forget to look at ebay for tools, with a little patience you can get stamping tools there for a fraction of the price of a new one. This is also basically the only way to get hold of a larger number of older pre -63 Craftools.

I have over 200 tools that I got for an average of a dollar and half each on ebay. Even with the shipping costs overseas, I have saved hundreds of dollars compared with buying the new and inferior Craftools. Just remember to buy them in bulk and resell the ones you don't want/duplicates.

Also, I want to point out an underlying risk called "tool craze". That's when you basically start to try to collect all the tools you don't have, always looking for the better or rarer ones.
The truth is that you can do 80% of general tooling with only a handful basic stamping tool. Everything else is either variations or specialist.

The fact is that very few people explore all the possibilities with the tools they have at hand, instead fooling them self believing that another new tool will help them doing better.
So unless money isn't an issue - I would just get some basic cheap Craftools or Ivans, and then tool away for all my worth. With time you'll learn and realize where and how certain stamps are limiting your progress and when that time arrives, you're able to seek out and purchase just the right tools for you.

I might have hundreds of stamping tools, but I probably only use 20% of them for 80% of my tooling work. The rest just sits there looking pretty 'just in case I need them'...

Edited June 5, 2015 by ConradPark

[JLSleather]

Are we still on this?

For tools that make their design from single impressions, the Tandy tools are not superior. By that I mean, basket weave, geometric stamps, perhaps some vein and seed tools -- anything where the FACE of the tool becomes the FINISHED LOOK.

But for bevelers, shaders (thumbprints), etc. where the tool is walked, this is far less important. Certainly the newer tools at Tandy -- say in the last 5 years or so that i know of - are pretty sad and I won't own them. But my older ones work just fine.

I personally think much of the "difference" in tools is marketing POO. As in a t-shirt is $6. But somebody tell you it belonged to a relative of Elvis, and suddenly they want $6k. Same shirt, different day.

Yes, I know the munkys will be here to go on about this guy or that guy is THE guy. But truth is, there is nobody here - in fact nobody LIVING - that invented any of it. BEAUTIFUL saddles were being crafted from leather CENTURIES before anybody here. They didn't use Craftool brand.

Edited June 5, 2015 by JLSleather

[ContactCement]

The  7 pc creative set found in hobby stores bent easily when using moistened veg tan leather. I also noticed that a magnet does not stick to my set. Cash in the trash. The extreme prices and poor quality may drive me to never stamp leather ever again.

[mikesc]

Try leathercraftools.com

They are in Japan..

Their stamps do stick to magnets..and are good..allow 7 days to 15 days from them to arrive ( USA customs delays permitting )..maybe a bit longer over the holidays.

Special stamps..beautiful work..try arbalet12...member here..he is in Bulgaria..

Edited December 10, 2017 by mikesc