New Handmade Belt End Punches From Ebay

[Leatherman87]

I just found these has anyone seen or used these b4?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290835219851&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:US:1123

[Glendon]

I don't think I'd go for those. The seller is a random chinese group that seems to work with "craft" suplies. I would assume the metal is pretty cheap, and it would be a good bet that they are completely unsharpened.

[cowboy bowhunter]

$10 including shipping from china. I would pass i try not to buy anything like that from those countrys.

[Leatherman87]

Thanks guys was just Woundering about them.

[simontuntelder]

I wouldn't buy from China too - based on bad experiences where I found something cheap, that I just decided to try out. The quality has been terrible and for some reason it always takes ages for the products to actually arrive.

But this is a really, really good deal. I mean, if you know how to polish/sharpen metal, I'm sure these could be sharpened.

If I were you, I would check the seller's feedback record and see if you could find other eBay memebers, who purchased some punches from the seller and simply ask them, what they think about the quality.

[billymac814]

Looks like it could be worth trying, especially if you don't use them as often. I recently purchased a brass stamp that came from Hobg Kong and it was a good experience. The people were very easy to deal with and I got a great deal. I also picked up a few hand made knives from a seller on eBay, his family makes them in Pakistan and they too are good quality and the price was cheap.

I'd much rather but everything American but these days its getting harder and harder and a lot of times very expensive. There's a whole lot of CRAP coming out of China but on the other hand there's quite a bit of good stuff too. Many of us are using Chinese sewing machines and are pleased.

You can get a whole set of strap punches for 36.00, that's cheaper than 1 punch here. As long as your expectations are in check Id imagine it would be worth the risk.the seller has over 5000 transactions and has a 99.9% positive feedback, and they say they are hand made, they can't be that bad.

Edited February 28, 2013 by billymac814

[Cyberthrasher]

Looks like it could be worth trying, especially if you don't use them as often. I recently purchased a brass stamp that came from Hobg Kong and it was a good experience. The people were very easy to deal with and I got a great deal. I also picked up a few hand made knives from a seller on eBay, his family makes them in Pakistan and they too are good quality and the price was cheap.

I'd much rather but everything American but these days its getting harder and harder and a lot of times very expensive. There's a whole lot of CRAP coming out of China but on the other hand there's quite a bit of good stuff too.

I always do my best to by local and avoid China, but you can't say that in a country with so many people there aren't some really good craftsman (not you Billy, just in general). AND, the big one, we all know that Americans are more than capable of producing low quality on a regular basis. I'll always support US companies first, but I'm not naive enough to think that the country of origin is an automatic guarantee of the level of quality.

If you do decide to buy some of those, let us know how they work out. I've been keeping my eye out for a good set in my price range.

[billymac814]

I agree 100%. Some of those people are fine craftsmen and can do a lot with very little. I may very well order some of those punches. I have the main ones I need but those are cheap enough to have for the odd all sizes too. I think I'd get the round version though as the pointed ones don't look like a true English point and I only use pointed for my belts and already have those. I'm thinking for straps and such for the rounded types.

Also the same seller has brass tips for a soldering iron to finish edges, I may try one or two of those too.

[Ferg]

I have only bought punches from GoodsJapan. I have a complete set of deco punches. The owner told me they were a little fragile, I needed to be careful when using. I found immediately you need to dampen the leather to make the holes. Most any size of the punches are this way. They are steel, not stainless. If they mark the dampened leather I have not noticed it. Shipping from HongKong was quick considering. The time lapse for this company is not the shipping, it is getting through customs here in the states.

ferg

[billymac814]

It took about 10 days to get my stamp from Hong Kong. Not the fastest reasonable I suppose.

What's involved with Customs? I do very little international shipping and even less receiving but I hear things about customs fees and all that but haven't a clue how it works. I didn't have to pay anything for that stamp, it just showed up in the mail.