What Has Been Your Best (And Worst) Tool/supply Investment?

[billymac814]

Nice post, its good to show newer people that you don't need to spend a fortune to turn out good clean work. Sure nice tools are nicer to use but in the end practice goes a lot farther than expensive tools.

Now start raising your prices so you can buy better stuff!!

Hi Folks

Sigh.......wish I could afford Barry King or any other high end tools.

In defense of Tandy I have an old A-104 from the 1980's I was given which runs like magic! Seriously it is just a joy to use. Gives me a hint what good tools must be like.

My new Tandy bevelers not so good. However I am now completely ambidextrous when I tool or stamp because some of my new tools are so bad they will only run when I use my off hand. However now I can use either hand without even thinking about it. I can do some nice beveling with crap tools just because I practice and don't have a choice to afford expensive things right now. So take heart newbies and do the best with what you have until you can have the best.

Cheers, Toolingaround

My most recent thing.

[simontuntelder]

Best investment - Vintage tools by Dixon, Osborne or Barnsley.

Worst investment - Practically anything from Tandy!

Couldn't have said it any better.

[Pip]

best buy, was actually a swap a box of old but fab 1950/70/80 leather tools for an axe sheath and for me to name and show which each item did, I could only have the ones I knew from the box. I was disappointed how little I knew at the beginning, but after a (fluke) carving of a rose which came out stunning on the sheath (i still have no idea how!!) the guy left the rest of the box with my partner who was manning the table when i went off to pee. I came back and was well pleased with the few old tools I named, spent an hour sharpening and honing and polishing a round knife which fits my hand like a glove (even though at the time I had no idea how to use it), and thanked the guy again as he went passed. Only later did i find the entire box of tools in the car, the guy had made my partner promise not to tell me til we packed up for the day. The fair we were at, was empty, I lost money, was a little downhearted, but happy at the few tools the man had given me then SURPRISE. i never got his name, never saw him again and never got to say thanks properly. He rekindled my faith in humanity and the power of surprise, because of him every first 'none commission' item i make with his tools goes as a gift, or for charity.

Worst buys, a supposedly premium veg tan hide from Tandy which was on sale (not) which my Dad paid for, to be given a second class (if I am kind) hide, I later found he had paid full price for. I figured at the time 'Ah thats why its on sale!' but it wasn't....... I was gutted and will never buy leather from them again.

The best and worst..........The first piece of leather I bought from a local store which i travelled to especially, before I knew what to look for (i still don't fully).... asked for advise (as i hadn't found this site yet) and was sold a nice piece of waxy expensive bridle leather which was totally unsuitable for what I wanted/needed (and expensive at £70), to learn how to carve leather on (i know I should have done more research but I was young). As I left the shop, the assistant turned to her mate and said 'see I told you I'd sell that to someone today!'. I read up on what i had bought, after several very disappointing attempts, was really upset, so much so I never used it, and eventually swapped it for some other leather, and accidently found a teacher for a while, so not all bad.

Edited January 22, 2013 by Pip

[Art]

By favorite, I kind of take it as Used the most.

Favorites:

Barry King 96oz maul. What is hit stays hit.

U.S. Gov't 60" all steel desk from the'50s with ruberized top. Rock solid with a 4" surface plate on top. Doesn't move, ever.

Bob Beard Skiving Knives, right and left handed. There none better.

Ditto his swivel knives. Same for his figure carving tools and his geometrics are really grand.

Anything the BearMan makes, love the mauls and awl hafts.

Not too favorites:

Any newer Tandy tool, after 1998 or so. Manufacturing quality is abyssimal even when design is good.

Gomph-Hackbarth tools are of good quality, but my hands are too big to use them, they are too short.

Art

[Chief31794]

My best investment would be the contributing member I paid to support this site. What a great site with lots of good info.

Best tool investment: Hand Press with dies for rivets and snaps. Never could get the hang of setting snaps perfectly every time with an anvil and punch type set up. The press sets them perfectly every time has never missed in 5 years and 1000's of snaps and rivets. Barry King checkered and smooth Bevelers, Camo, Veiners, Basket Weave, Thumb Print, and Mules Feet.

Worst Tool Investment: cheap exacto knife set for cutting patterns, replaced it almost immediately with a good quality knife.

Chief

[K-Man]

Best tools: quality stamping tools such as Barry King, Gomph-Hackbarth, Bob Beard, BearMan Mauls. A quality sewing machine such as Cobra 4.

Worst tools: Tippmann BOSS machine.

[Bob Blea]

Yeah, I'm not one for jumping out and buying things. My first sale (a custom bracelet) went to the $50 for my Barry King knife. Now I keep on trying to convince myself that I really do need a Bear Maul and a more versatile cutting knife. Think I may be buying myself a LeatherWrangler's round knife for a present

I got a LetherWrangler's round knife last year. It was a huge step up from my Tandy round knife, and I discovered how much I was having to fight my old knife that I thought was sharp. It along with my LW SK-3 swivel knife and my Barry King tools have been the best investments I have made in leather craft. I've also started buying Robert Beard figure bevelers as I'm trying to learn to do figure carving well, but I'm finding I'm using the figure bevelers all over the place, so they have been great too.

Haven't had too many bad experiences, though I have many Tandy tools that have been replaced (like a stitching awl) that were never really used or didn't work well. The modern day figure carving tools from Tandy were particularly disappointing....

Bob

[Art]

Hi Bob,

If you are using Bob's figure bevelers, you notice that they have a steep back edge. I use his MB series Matter Bevelers to tamp down the aura the steep back produces and bevel it down to the background. I have a big MB 5 or 6 which I use for most of it and I think a 3 where things get a little tight.

Art

[Cyberthrasher]

I got a LetherWrangler's round knife last year. It was a huge step up from my Tandy round knife, and I discovered how much I was having to fight my old knife that I thought was sharp.

I had a nice discussion with Paul last night. Needless to say, as soon as I have the money in hand I'm getting my name in the queue for something extra special.

I picked up a bunch of old Craftool figure bevelers from usedleathertools.com (one of the members here) and I tend to use them in lots of places. I admit that I do need a lot more practice in order to use them to their full potential.

[Bob Blea]

Hi Bob,

If you are using Bob's figure bevelers, you notice that they have a steep back edge. I use his MB series Matter Bevelers to tamp down the aura the steep back produces and bevel it down to the background. I have a big MB 5 or 6 which I use for most of it and I think a 3 where things get a little tight.

Art

I've got two of the bevelers (B1 and B3.5) and I know what you mean. I've got a BF5 (same as your BM series except smooth, I think) too and as I work with them I keep finding more places to use them. They've been great buys and have let me start really exploring figure carving without getting too discouraged.