Round Knife - Bargain!

[lightningad]

A year into my leatherwork hobby and i had asked for a Round Knife for Christmas. Being a novice, i suggested the Saddlers Round Knife as sold by LePrevo in UK. To be honest , i expected it to be a chinese knife, as the price was around half that of the knives sold by Dixon.

Imagine my surprise and delight when opening the pressie on Christmas Day to see the words "Geo. Barnsley and Sons, Sheffield, England" engraved onto the face of the blade.

After some careful honing and stropping I am absolutely blown away by how good a sharp round knife is. I have not tried any other round knife but i would not hesitate to recommend this one to anybody wanting a good cutting tool.

My only wonder is why Le Prevo haven't haven't marketed the blade by mentioning the maker, and upping the price accordingly!

adam

[Art]

Barnsley were better known as toolmakers to the shoe trade. They made good tools for the harness trade but were not known for it in their final years. They were one of the better toolmakers. Good find.

Art

[King's X]

Congrats and enjoy your new found present!

[lightningad]

some web trawling reveals that a couple of years back, the Barnsley brothers bought a woodturning business following the collapse of the original tool business and from that have continued to supply some of their back catalogue of other tools.

I also read that they had re-registered the Barnsley name and trademark and were intending to re-issue some tools. Info was very scant, and they don't seem to have a website, so I am assuming that this is possibly a new tool made to old specs. Its in too good a condition to have been left on a shelf for years!

[Half Goat]

nice one LePrevo are a great company to use, may pick one of those up in the near future

[Les No6]

some web trawling reveals that a couple of years back, the Barnsley brothers bought a woodturning business following the collapse of the original tool business and from that have continued to supply some of their back catalogue of other tools.

I also read that they had re-registered the Barnsley name and trademark and were intending to re-issue some tools. Info was very scant, and they don't seem to have a website, so I am assuming that this is possibly a new tool made to old specs. Its in too good a condition to have been left on a shelf for years!

I live just down the road from Sheffield (Barnsley ironically), Geo Barnsleys factory shut down some years ago the company just consists of an office these days so either they outsource the production or licence the name (as singer does). Personally I’ve always been a Dixons man.

[Trox]

I live just down the road from Sheffield (Barnsley ironically), Geo Barnsleys factory shut down some years ago the company just consists of an office these days so either they outsource the production or licence the name (as singer does). Personally I’ve always been a Dixons man.

Hi Les, this office? https://www.google.com/maps?q=&layer=c&z=17&iwloc=A&sll=53.390455,-1.471538&cid=12489703257558336934&cbp=13,191.2,-8.7,0,0&panoid=Qq1JE7WI7zDr-sBDyGr1bA&q=woodware+repetitions+sheffield&sa=X&ei=ig_qUIr-D8SH4gSZ-4CgBQ&ved=0CJABEKcf

The sons of George Barnsley`s have been operating under this name for some years. Maybe they now have got their old name back. Abbey sells many of their tools as economical priced leather tools. I have bought some of their reasonably priced tools, and they are worth their money. Some have tried to sell them as George Barnsley tools of the old stock, without the companies knowledge.

Maybe now when they got their name back they intend to get their tools back to the old standard. I wish I knew what plans they had, it is no future in competing with the third world on cheap stuff. If they want to survive in the leather tool business quality, quality, quality and high prices is the only way to do it.

George Barnsleys old tool catalog sure was impressive and the tools was very fine. Look at the plough gauge Le Prevo sells, its a woodware rep. I sure is a joke. However, the round knife looks like its a good buy for the money.

Tor

[celticleather]

There's a lot of information about George Barnsley in this thread - http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=20784&hl=barnsley

Their tools are still available, but the company name is now Woodware Repetitions, specialising mainly in wood-turning tools.

[Trox]

And stay away from Hale and Co, if he is still around. Some of our members are still waiting on their Barnsley tools from him, purchased for almost a year ago.

Les, being a neighbor of their office, why not pay them a visit and get a update on their business. Its been a lot of different stories/ rumors about them. I do not think they know about the tool scam done with their fathers name either.

[Les No6]

And stay away from Hale and Co, if he is still around. Some of our members are still waiting on their Barnsley tools from him, purchased for almost a year ago.

Les, being a neighbor of their office, why not pay them a visit and get a update on their business. Its been a lot of different stories/ rumors about them. I do not think they know about the tool scam done with their fathers name either.

Yes I was just thinking the same would be very interesting, I also have a thing about quality handles these days they are generally poor quality and poorly shaped.

[Trox]

Yes I was just thinking the same would be very interesting, I also have a thing about quality handles these days they are generally poor quality and poorly shaped.

If you have not read all the post about mr Hale and co, you can check this out

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=41396

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=42100&hl=%2Bhale+%2Band

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=38837&hl=%2Bhale+%2Band

I am sure they would be interested in whats has been going on with their and their fathers name.

Kayak45 sure would be interested in getting more info since he still have not got his money back from Hale, and it was some dollars too.

besides all this.

I am mostly interested in what they are doing regards their leather tools, if they are going to go for low priced tools or move up to their fathers company standard of tools again.

I hope they will see you and give you a update.

Good luck with that.

Thanks

Tor

[Les No6]

Im sure they will see me these types are always very nice and eager to chat to anyone with an interest, time permitting of course. The Hale subject dos look a bit dubious Goe Barnsley tools have always been priced below J Dixons, also there was a mention of steel, the old tools and Knives where made with hot forged spring steel nothing special, its the hot forging thats the special bit and expensive these days.

[Trox]

If you read/look in the book "Dictionary of leather-working tools, c. 1700-1950 and the tools of allied trades" by RA.A. Salaman. Impressing title and a very fine hand illustrated tool dictionary on about 400 pages.

There is at least twenty pages from Geo. Barnsleys tool cataloque, dated Sheffield 1898. He are represented in boot and shoe making tools, tools for tanners and Currier's, he also had some tools for harness and saddler's. He has a huge selection of different tools. Other Sheffield makers mention in the book is: Oxley, James and Wing, Thos.

In Ward & Payne`s Cataloque, Sheffield, there is a lot of Saddler/harness tools too. The tools look very similar to both Dixon and Barnsley.

There are two Dixon companies registered: Dixon, Thomas& son Walsall and Dixon, Joseph Tool co Walsall (who is the son of Thomas and still in business. He is a member of this forum and more than 90 years old, as you know) Their cataloque is not in the book. However, they look exactly as the tools who was sold by Hamton & Scott`s Equine Album Walsall, c 1900.

There is a lot of other English tool makers listed in the book, in the old times there was a tool maker in every backyard. The tools patterns was often the same used by many companies, this was also case with French and American tools.

So who made the first tool of it kind can be hard to find out if it was not patented, then when the patent expired other makers reproduced it if it was a popular tool or machine.

We see a lot of examples on this both in leather tools and sewing-machines. This book is very helpful to me when I buy old leather tools. I have old tools from both J,Dixon, T Dixon and Geo Barnsley.

Old steel is like wine, if you keep it the right way its getting better by the years.

I like both European and American tools and I have not found any new stuff that can match the good old hand made tools.

Then I have not payed 6 -700 dollars for a custom made round knife yet, so I do not know if they are better. However I am planning to buy a custom made Knipshield blade for my Dixon plough, they look awesome and I am told they preform very well too.

I cannot wait to get a update from the Barnsleys. Make sure to ask them if their tools can be bought directly from them, and if they will make new saddlers tools from the old pattern inthe good old quality. Tell them they have too., Ha Ha

In advance thanks.

Good luck

Leather Tool freak.

Tor

[Les No6]

I don't have the book you refer to, there still a few knife makers left in Sheffield, J Adams makes some leather knifes, shoe knives clip point and broad point and a French patern knife. I have a new old stock H Brindley blade in my plough and its very good it takes an acute edge and slow to dull, it came with a plough I had two still packed in grease and paper didn't like the ploughs though. As soon as I get a free day in the week I shall pop through to Sheffield, it's nice to see people collecting these old tools I collect old harness ornaments and don't have room for any thing else.

[Trox]

I don't have the book you refer to, there still a few knife makers left in Sheffield, J Adams makes some leather knifes, shoe knives clip point and broad point and a French patern knife. I have a new old stock H Brindley blade in my plough and its very good it takes an acute edge and slow to dull, it came with a plough I had two still packed in grease and paper didn't like the ploughs though. As soon as I get a free day in the week I shall pop through to Sheffield, it's nice to see people collecting these old tools I collect old harness ornaments and don't have room for any thing else.

Hi, The book are available on amazon. I did not know H Brindley still was in business, I think I saw the stuff from J Adams somewhere. I would love to see it again, Brindley too. Do they have a web page or some place they can be seen?

You are lucky to live in a place with so rich saddlery history, it is not much to be found here no more.

I saw a Danish saddler who has a lot of old harness ornaments, Heraldic crowns and such. He has done a lot for the Danish royal family apparently. http://www.sadelmager-dahlman.dk/side35.html

There is a lot of nice historic stuff from the French saddelry there too. The language is Danish and French, google translate will take care of it.

http://www.sadelmager-dahlman.dk/side32.html

[Les No6]

Hi, The book are available on amazon. I did not know H Brindley still was in business, I think I saw the stuff from J Adams somewhere. I would love to see it again, Brindley too. Do they have a web page or some place they can be seen?

You are lucky to live in a place with so rich saddlery history, it is not much to be found here no more.

I saw a Danish saddler who has a lot of old harness ornaments, Heraldic crowns and such. He has done a lot for the Danish royal family apparently. http://www.sadelmage....dk/side35.html

There is a lot of nice historic stuff from the French saddelry there too. The language is Danish and French, google translate will take care of it.

http://www.sadelmage....dk/side32.html

Hi H Brindley are not still in business the ploughs where new old stock my Father or Grandfather acquired them, sadly they are not with us any more so don’t know any more I found them in a box still packed in grease and paper. Here’s a link to J Adam.

http://www.sheffieldknives.co.uk/acatalog/7-121.html

We still have quite a large and buoyant Saddlery industry left here sadly most of everything else has gone apart from banking and services.

Thanks for the links there is a lot of very interesting stuff on that site.

Still haven’t had time to pop into Sheffield, the Wife and Kids are away on holiday next week so I’ll have plenty of free time then J

[Trox]

Thank you for the link, I look forward to hear about the visit to Sheffield.

Thanks

Tor

Hi H Brindley are not still in business the ploughs where new old stock my Father or Grandfather acquired them, sadly they are not with us any more so don’t know any more I found them in a box still packed in grease and paper. Here’s a link to J Adam.

http://www.sheffieldknives.co.uk/acatalog/7-121.html

We still have quite a large and buoyant Saddlery industry left here sadly most of everything else has gone apart from banking and services.

Thanks for the links there is a lot of very interesting stuff on that site.

Still haven’t had time to pop into Sheffield, the Wife and Kids are away on holiday next week so I’ll have plenty of free time then J

[simontuntelder]

Les, did you ever find the time to drop by and see what the new George Barnsleys/Woodware Rep were up to?