Ferg Report post Posted September 11, 2011 (edited) Forgive me if this has been asked before. Anyone used the Pro Crafters Series stamps. They have some very interesting patterns. How were the impressions? ferg Edited September 11, 2011 by 50 years leather Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted September 11, 2011 Just repeating others' reviews, but the consensus is "better than the current run of TLF, but still not as good as Douglas and Beard tools.......but priced affordably." Somewhere along the lines of the old (20+ yrs) Crafttool. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King's X Report post Posted September 11, 2011 Ditto! I have had a couple of the shafts bend on me, but than again my nickname is Thor when I am handling a maul. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Billy P Report post Posted September 13, 2011 Ditto! I have had a couple of the shafts bend on me, but than again my nickname is Thor when I am handling a maul. Hey King, I just have a quick question for you. I'm not picking on you I'm just asking, I've been working with Leather off and on since about 1974. I've hit some stamps so hard that they cut through the leather and made a mark on my marble block. I use set stamps, carving tools, 3-D, etc, but in all my experience I've never bent a tool. I use a split head Garland Mallet, at about 3.5 lbs. on some things, but still have never bent a tool. You are by not the only one to say something about bending tools, by a long shot. I just wonder if I am not doing something right. I don't mean that to sound smart a**ed, but I don't see how ya'll are bending the tools unless you're hitting them at some sort of angle. Anyway just curious, thanks for now, Billy P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King's X Report post Posted September 13, 2011 I have three to my record. One craftool and two pro series. I blew the tandy manager away with the bent craftool, which happened to be a basketweave tool. So were the pro series tools as well. I used a 3lb maul to strike these tools. According to Ron at Hidecrafter's, he told me that has seen this happen to a couple of their tools. I dunno. It took me a while to learn how not to ruin leather....lol. Since I switched to BK, Hackbarth and Wayne J's I have not had one bend......period! That is all I am saying. I don't see this as picking on me just requesting information. No biggie here! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rickeyfro Report post Posted September 14, 2011 Billy, Ive bent four of the hidecrafter stamps, Im pretty sure it was because of low grade steel, never hit any of them that hard. They replaced them all without a problem and told me that I wasnt the first to do so. Hey King, I just have a quick question for you. I'm not picking on you I'm just asking, I've been working with Leather off and on since about 1974. I've hit some stamps so hard that they cut through the leather and made a mark on my marble block. I use set stamps, carving tools, 3-D, etc, but in all my experience I've never bent a tool. I use a split head Garland Mallet, at about 3.5 lbs. on some things, but still have never bent a tool. You are by not the only one to say something about bending tools, by a long shot. I just wonder if I am not doing something right. I don't mean that to sound smart a**ed, but I don't see how ya'll are bending the tools unless you're hitting them at some sort of angle. Anyway just curious, thanks for now, Billy P Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackey Cole Report post Posted September 15, 2011 I bent one of the craft tool's camouflage tools that came with the starter set in one of their kits. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BearMan Report post Posted September 16, 2011 Hi Everybody, Some of the less expensive tools are made out of something called "cintered" metal. Basically powdered metal, that is compressed under high pressure, to form a tool. Being made up the way they are, the grain structure, isn't nearly as strong as cold forged, hot forged, stainless, & especially special grades of tool steel. But, that being said, they do fill a need in leather work. Being very inexpensive, it makes it very affordable for people to try out a type of stamp, to see if they like doing that. Like basketweaves, & geometrics. Then if they really like that type of tooling, they can move on to one of the Top Shelf makers. I hope this helps,,, Ed the"BearMan" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JustKate Report post Posted September 16, 2011 Forgive me if this has been asked before. Anyone used the Pro Crafters Series stamps. They have some very interesting patterns. How were the impressions? The ones I have make much better impressions than Craftools. But they don't hold up to heavy use. Some of them are made of pewter (of all things!), and will bend over time under a lot of heavy pounding, as many of us have discovered. The bevelers I've got from that lot have been fantastic, but these tend to get lighter use. There is another type of metal used for some of the other ones (which has some kind of blue-ish/black-ish coating on them), that is relatively brittle and just eventually snaps in two under heavy use. These also make increadibly crisp impressions, but they don't last. I also have a few from the Pro Crafter line that are chrome plated, like Craftools. They have a better (smoother, tighter) finish than the CTs, so they make a slightly better impression, and hold up fairly well. Kate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
