Good Brand Of Leather Tools?

[circleSranch]

hey i am looking to uprgrade my tools? i was wondering what some good brands are? thanks

[Johanna]

What kind of tools do you have? What kind of leatherwork do you do?

Johanna

[Casey Jordan]

Not to affend any tool maker because they are all good. Any custom tool maker is an upgrade. A lot of it will come down to price, and they do vary.

I personally have been upgrading with Barry King tools with no complaints.

Hope this helps some.

[sheridanman]

hi

i have been in the same kinda situation like you few months back this year. i bought so many tools and some with so many wrong makers and most of it in the production line. first, tell us what kinda tools are you looking for to upgrade? leatherworking hand tools or carving tools. i myself upgraded in both. i bought so many tools when i was starting working with leather and thought if i had all the tools i see online which most are production made(taiwan or china made) i figured i got it made. but to my surprise paying less for crappy tools will not help you save money coz in the end you still would want good tools where you will really see the difference for yourself once you get around leather working for several years. good tools for cutting hold their edge longer so that lessens your task form honing blades that you might end up reprofiling the edge and its ability to cut really well. if you take leather as a hobby and you would not be a full time worker, you can settle with mid priced tools, osbornes are great to start with and they last.

i have been leather working for a little less than 10 years and i have learned that as you become more immersed in this kinda craft you look for tools and good tools that will do the job that you are asking for. makes life easier. and good tools with good quality are worth well the investment since it will last you a long time and resale value is ok.

i invested in french made Blanchard tools for hand tools, stitching and other leather work. they are not too many since they are quite expensive. on the carving tools, i am blessed to have been given my first set of sheridan carving tools modified by my mentor from original craft tools that were made in the USA not the new ones that are produced in taiwan.

you can try joseph dixon tools i think he is a member here. his tools are great! i plan to invest on some as well. hope this helps. good luck on your search for quality tools.

[Randy Cornelius]

I have been going to the shows for the past several years and there are several people who make some really nice tools, all are of high quality. I cannot say that one is better quality than another, they all seem to be equal in materials and workmanship. I have been buying Barry King also because he has the best value for the money. I think he is able to offer that because of his manufacturing process, he has a modern shop with CNC machines that make most of his tools. If you ever have a chance to stop by his place, it is well worth the time, Barry is very nice and full of infomation. But every tool that leaves his shop is hand finished, that is he still does the final finish work by hand with file. He gets my money every time I see him.

But there are other tool makers that make different tools than Barry does and visa versa. It all depends on your needs.

Randy

[TwinOaks]

Osborne, Gomph-Hackbarth, King, Dixon.....they're all good. Heed the words of experience and purchase a few less tools for a little more money. It's a lot easier than learning the wrong way because you're having to work against the tool. Things like non-repeatable impressions from geometric stamps just shouldn't happen. I've got a good handful of Craftools (outsourced models) that I'm ready to scrap or trade in for one or two good tools. Looking back....I could have purchased a few good ones up front and saved myself the headache of learning that the stamp(s) doesn't run straight.....but then I couldn't claim to have gained wisdom.

Do a little more research on here and then spend towards the upper limit of your tool budget to get some QUALITY tools. It will make life much easier in the long run.

[BigDogPaul1962]

All of the replies here are very helpful. Like most, I started out buying inexpensive tools, supplies, leather, etc. I've come to see the error of my ways. So I've started doing exactly what y'all have suggested - buy less, but buy better quality.

As always, thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge.