Hair Blade

[stampz2]

Hello everyone,

My mother-in-law gave me the book "Australian Leather Carving" by Peter Main. Looks like I'll be busy for a long time. One of the flowers he makes in the book uses a hair blade. Can someone tell me what a hair blade is. Are they used very much or is there a substitiute for one, or can you make one? The flower looks fairly easy to carve so I was hoping I could get by with a substitute. Thanks to all for your help.

Merry Christmas

Jim

[Rawhide]

Afternoon Jim,

Hair blades are very easy to come by. I don't know your location, but any reputable leather tool supplier should carry them. There are two versions a course and a fine. A hair blade is nothing more than a a blade with multiple serrations that basically scratch the grain of the leather to give the appearance of hair, or grain to the surface. You can use a modeler to get by without the blade, but it won't be nearly as easy to control.

Hope this helps.

Good luck!

[rharris]

You can also use a lined pear shader or lined thumb print.

[8thsinner]

If that is what I think it is, it may look something similar to the following picture...

The feather here shown was made by breaking sharply and quickly the end of a standard needle, Or it might have been a broken sewing machine needle. I can't fully remember as this was some time ago. I would just use a fine tipped awl for the same thing these days, using the burr of a sharpening to mark with.

[stampz2]

Thanks for the help. I live quite a ways from a place with any kind of craft or Tandy store, but that's ok because I can get one online. I guess I do some online shopping. Have a good day.

Jim

[leatherman1457]

Tandy no longer makes a hair blade for the swivel knife,. they have a hair blade tool. it is course on one end and fine lined on the other. You can look on ebay or call kevin at springfield leather. or if you are like me and are resourseful just make one out of tool steel or an extra swivel blade and a checkering file.

put the swivel blade in a vice and file off the blade till it is flat.or angled whatever is easier for you to use.use the checkering file to make your groves in the swivel blade.you do not want the grooves to be to deep.

I have made several using this method. I have blades for making the right side and and one for the left side of feathers and leaves. I have used extra swivel blades and rat tail files and have made beader blades with them and have made creaser blades as well.

[King's X]

Interestingly enough.....the tips can be removed and you may want to try them out on a swivel knife. It is worth a try.

[TTcustom]

LOL I see someone else beat me to it. I have a spare swivel knife that I put the "hair tool" blades into.

Does anyone remember or have the "Swivel Master" swivel knife? it had 12 #16 exacto knife blades in it and was or is the best hair tool ever! I wish I had bought one when I had the chance. Something else I will have to make I guess.

[whinewine]

For those who DO have extra both fine & coarse hair blades, you can drill out a medium exacto knife handle on both ends & put one in each end. Drill slightly larger than the shaft diameters & you can hold them in place with a strip of very thin leather. I did that with mine & now I have 2 swivel knife barrels that hold 2 different Henleys; and now I have my choice of either coarse or fine blade in 1 tool.

[leatherthresher]

Hey All,

This is my first contribution to this forum. ( my introduction itself will follow) I have noticed your interest in a hair blade, may be even a swivel knife with hair blades that one that also Robb Barr used for his projects. Now, there is a shop here in Switzerland that sells such a swivel knife, resembling somehow that Swivel Master knife, and it comes with 12 cutting hair blades and 12 distance blades to create the hair effect whatever wanted. Costs CHF 250.00 inclusive those cutting and distance blades. According to the shop's website only German and French are the languages possible??! Accepted currencies are CHF and EUR according to the website's indication. The owner's name is Herr Louis Landwehr. Hereafter I add those interesting items from that shop.

Hope I can help, possibly even to make the one and other's dream come true.

Have a nice day.

Mark, the leathertresher.

[leatherthresher]

It's me again, the leathertresher,

Forgot to post those items from that leathershop mentioned before. Now, hereafter they follow.

Mark.

07 "Multi-Blades" Drehmesser = Multi-Blades Swivelknife.

[033 001-53]

Für eine grössere Darstellung

klicken Sie auf das Bild. CHF250.00

Speziell entwickelt, um Haare und Federn darzustellen. Jedes Drehmesser wird einzeln, aus rostfreiem Stahl hergestellt. In der höhe verstellbar. Mit 12 Klingen und 12 Distanzplättchen geliefert.

Translation: Especially developped to create hair and feather effects. Each swivelknife is made of rust free steel, one at a time. The length is adjustable. Delivered with 12 blades (cutting) and 12 distance blades.

Leder Louis Email: info@leder-louis.chLeder Kunsthandwerk Internet: www.leder-louis.chBadstrasse 12 Tel.: ++41 55 244 42 82 8634 Hombrechtikon Fax: ++41 55 244 14 65.

Hope that helps. Mark.

[King's X]

Do they accept paypal? Will they ship overseas? How much for that service? I am sure that he could make a wonderal sale circut on LW. Just my opinion. Thanks for sharing.

[King's X]

The conversion comes out to $242 dollars.

[TTcustom]

The conversion comes out to $242 dollars.

The Swivel Master is a patented and Copyrighted item. If this is not a Swivel master than the maker of this encroached on a US Patent. I would not want to enable that kind of behaviour. I have been busy however in my machine shop and made my own version for my use only... pictures to follow.

[TTcustom]

I am pretty sure after looking closely at the pictures this is the same knife.

Moving my reply to a new thread so as to not hijack this one any further.

Edited January 20, 2010 by TTcustom