Best Basic Set Of Tools?

[colby]

hi everyone,

i am new to the forum and have been wanting to get into leather work for some time. I have been looking at some starter kits on the internet but the quality is not great and the tools just end up getting outgrown. So with that in mind, i am wanting to put together a pretty decent set of tools. Basically, I am asking someone to please help me put together a nice starter set that I can keep on using in the future. Thanks a lot.

Colby

[$$hobby]

welcome,

imo, those starter kits arent that bad. yes, the quality may not be there, but for the most part they do work. if you have the $$$, then buy the best you can afford. the only thing is, do you know how to take care/sharpen them? having good/expensive tools is okay, but if you dont know how to care for them, its wasted $$$.

the starter kits would be a good way of learning the craft and then once you get stared, theres nothing to stop you from buying better tools.

also, what you want to do in the craft will dictate what tools you will buy. it will help the others with what to suggest in terms of tools.

[superchute]

for a starter set at a fair price look at these Ellis Barnes

Gomph-Hackbarth Tools (The Belt Company)

10754 Martineau Rd N

Elfrida, AZ 85610

Phone: 520-642-3891 have a nice set and thay make nice print if you get from seigel of cal thay ship free 145 for 15 tools you will love them

Russ

[WyomingSlick]

For a starter set, I suggest you look on eBay. For example; here is an auction that ends in a few days which has a nice selection of tools.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160398818748&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

In general, when buying tools on ebay, you want to look for the older Craftools made back in the 40's to early 60's time period. These will not have a letter prefix before the tool number.

I have posted a number of guides on leather tools at ebay which you can access here : http://myworld.ebay.com/wy-slick They will give you the basics on tool information to use in your search.

You are better off by far in buying the older tools on ebay than buying the newer tools from Craftool. Sometimes you can get a real steal as in this auction that ended a few days ago. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170436239301 Someone got nearly a thousand dollars worth of tools there for just over a couple hundred bucks! I kinda felt bad for the seller. But that just goes to show you that it is very important for eBay sellers to have the very best pictures and description possible.

As someone totally new without any tools yet, a set like that would have been great as you would not be getting any tools you already have.

[King's X]

Welcome to the Forum!

As a newbie to the leather, I would suggest that you stay off eBay for tools. Though someone like WyomSlick (a collector), eBay is very beneficial to him. The reason is that he knows what he is doing when he looks. Just look at his response.

eBay is are three types of shoppers. The naive one, the lurker/researcher and the experience shopper. I have been in everyone of these positions, so I speak from experience.

I would suggest from my personal experience that you look at calling Siegel of California and ordering the Hackbarth-Barnes starter set for $145 with free shipping. You can order them from the factory direct but you will pay for shipping ($4.95). I purchased this set after purchasing many Tandy Leather Factory, and other Tandy tools and these have been some of my best tools to date.

[colby]

THanks guys,

I checked into all those things and I just ordered a set. I am sure i will be back for more information soon. Again, thanks for taking your time to help.

Colby

[King's X]

let us know how your new tools work out? Show us something you have used them after getting them.

Good luck

[colby]

I just got my tools in the mail and have been playing all weekend. So now I have a few questions.

1. When cutting tight turns like on leaves and flower petals, what is the best size blade to use? I seem to have trouble with the current blade because it seems to big, i think it is 3/8. I am going to order a nicer knife, what would be a nice one to buy?

2. Beveling- the same situation with the leaves and flower petals, the bevel tool seems to be to big to maneuver around the tight turns. I know there are smaller bevel tools and rounded ones, so is that the answer to my problem?

thanks

[King's X]

A couple of things. It would best if you posted your problem with pictures on here, but I will take a swig at it.

My general use blade is a 3/8" ceramic knife, but I also own a Leather Wrangler 1/4" blade and a Chuck Smith 1/4" blade. I would suggest that you practice, practice, practice with that swivel knife. Attached, are my tap offs (patterns) that I use to practice before my projects and in between leather craft projects since I do not do this everyday. Yea, I know it sucks. Anyways, I would work on these patterns for while and you will see your success increase.

If you are like my kids and don't want to do this, try this. Tilt your blade back a bit more as you cut around the flower/leaves. see how this works.

As for the beveler, for a while I just tilted my beveler a bit in the direction that I was beveling. If you tilt the bevel backwards (or oppostie direction you are going) then you will get bevel tracks left in your wake. Just try what I just told you out a bit. Testing is best practice; along with practicing.

Again, without know what you own, tools you tried or pictures of your flowers, I can only speculate. Almost every tool maker makes smaller belevers. I mean Barry King now makes a 00 beveler, which I own, but hardly use since I was able to figure out what my current tools could do for me.

As always, good luck!

[colby]

Kings X,

I noticed you live pretty close to me. I live outside of Temple. I have been looking for some places to go tool and get some instruction. Is there anywhere near you that offers such a class?

[King's X]

Funny you ask. I am in the beginning works with CitizenKate on a project that will hopefully help most of us that do not have regular places to learn and tool. So please be patience.

I have tools and I am willing to travel to tool anywhere! As long as I can afford it. Unfortunately, I can do one of two things right now. I can either come up to your end or you can come down to mine. I live between Georgetown and Austin right off IH35. When I wanna tool and get away from the kids, I will drive into Tandy Leather Factory in Austin. I have a couple that live in Taylor that want me to come and teach them a Basic Western Floral Carving class in the immediate future at their home. I am doing it because they are very good friends of mine. Normally, participants have to come into Austin to take this course.

I have been looking into a place to teach/hold course for quite some time. I found a place just north of Georgetown who is willing to rent me some space, but that take $$ as with everything. I am not aware of any places north of me that you could go to. The only other place that I could suggest to you would be Hide Crafters on Saturdays in Fort Worth, but that is still a days ride on a horse from you.

You are more than welcome to join me and the OFC (Ole' Farts Club) to beat on some leather and pray that it turns out decent, but I just don't see it economical for you?

Let me know, my door is always open to other members on LW.

Good luck.

[colby]

Awesome! Thanks a lot for the invite. Driving down some evenings wouldn't be a problem at all for me, so keep me informed. I realize your time isn't free, so just let me know what a few hours of your time in the evenings would be.

On another subject, I have been tooling every night for a few hours and have a question.

1. Is there a trick besides just practicing to "walking" tools such as the beveler, shader, etc.? I think I am pretty decent with my swivel knife only to chop the pattern up with the beveler!

[terrymac]

Awesome! Thanks a lot for the invite. Driving down some evenings wouldn't be a problem at all for me, so keep me informed. I realize your time isn't free, so just let me know what a few hours of your time in the evenings would be.

On another subject, I have been tooling every night for a few hours and have a question.

1. Is there a trick besides just practicing to "walking" tools such as the beveler, shader, etc.? I think I am pretty decent with my swivel knife only to chop the pattern up with the beveler!

[terrymac]

The only way I have ever figured out to handle beveler tracks is to go back over the area just beveled and lightly tap the "tracks" themselves. If anyone out there can make a complete pass without any tracks on a single try, has my utmost admiration. If anyone does know how, I wish they would share it with me because I have tried every trick, angle, or gimmick I could come up with. I end up with an extremely smooth bevel line, it just takes more than one pass. Hope this helps.

Terry

[colby]

The only way I have ever figured out to handle beveler tracks is to go back over the area just beveled and lightly tap the "tracks" themselves. If anyone out there can make a complete pass without any tracks on a single try, has my utmost admiration. If anyone does know how, I wish they would share it with me because I have tried every trick, angle, or gimmick I could come up with. I end up with an extremely smooth bevel line, it just takes more than one pass. Hope this helps.

Terry

Thanks Terry! I have been doing that a little and it seems to help a lot.

[King's X]

Colby & Terrymac

Go to the front of the forum (main page); look up the free Paul Bennett instruction. He (in my opinion) is a great instructor. He has several lessons on beveling that could answer your question, plus he talk about the use other tools. The best thing is he uses photographs, good ones!

Good luck

If it can be work around everyone schedule, we can meet sometime. We can talk.