Tools Of A Swiss Sattler

[Macca]

Thanks Walter

I'm back home this evening, currently away on yet another business trip

I will try the very flat grind you suggested, I was concerned this would significantly reduce the life of the cutting edge, but that doesn't seem to be the case so I can grind flat with no worries, thanks for the help

Bruce, the nearest thing you will find off the shelf is a thumb screw, some are similar to the shape of the Blanchards but made very cheaply, they are not much good, machine shop is your best bet.

With regards the fences, there were many different designs over the years, some so close that you can swap them between brands, some with very different sizes, shapes, fixings.

Yet to find a good reason for the changes, even with the same brand the design changed over time but I don't see much difference in operation, must simply have been cost

I have a range of Blanchards, the old ones changed a little over time, the newer ones changed completely although they look similar ( hollow cast to cut cost no doubt and lever adjustments rather than screws)

Also the modern blades, while the shape is the same the steel is very different (is it possible the new ones are punched from steel plate ? certainly look it)

Will stick up some pictures when I get back home

Edited September 27, 2013 by Macca

[Macca]

Oh and Walter

I could use some replacement screws ( both the round head and screw with holes)

Some of mine could do with replacements

Let me know if you are ordering some more to be made

Thanks !

[walter roth]

Hi leather Craftsman...

Now I come once to a theme, which is very, .......very important for the Sattler.

There are the sewing Awls, the Awls-handles and the iron Awls.

Called the round Ahlen and the "cutting Awls", or also "sword Awls".

I have some of my old boxes shown here, ...wohl decades-old. Where are still Awls-iron of good old quality. You can see it because it still blue authorised the Awls-iron during the curing.

--

They are already so well polished one they hardly must polishing it.

There I have not found just the boxes the sword Ahlen. but here they must in contrast to the circular Ahlen are still cut and polished, until they slip into it almost by alone in the leather.

The edge top and bottom is doing something flat polished, and rather polished cutting edges on the Ahlen-iron, or made at least not dull.

Unfortunately, you can see all bad to very bad Sattler Ahlen where to go also, never I see something really nice.

When you see something like that, one wonders what they actually have in mind.

http://www.jelldrago...ather_craft.htm

At the handles, a distinction is made between those used for boring the stitch holes, so it uses the handles for "Cutting Awls". They must never simply round, they must have always a pronounced form,..., so you take them automatically in the same way and in the hand.

This is very important, always equal angle put the stitch holes and which approaches really is regular and beautiful.

Round handles are used only for round Awls, because where it is yes no matter how you put the Ahlen-iron into the hole.

The round Ahlen here by me, which I did about 20 years ago as replacement for me, but until now still not used.

The cutting Awls also. I myself have made their handles.

I turned it on the wood-turning machine and ground. the wood is original Turkish boxwood.

At the end, I did however not painted, but waxed.

The Awls I still work with, are from the old

Variety as it was Blanchard by approximately 50-60 years.

When I came to the professional teaching, because my master and I went to the tool Cabinet to see what so there were Awls handles.

There was not much to see except just 5-6 Awls wls handles by Blanchard otherwise wanted to have that no one.

They had a form that had gone out of fashion. I took them and remained faithful to them until today, it is the best that there is.

Later, I have made a little less distinctive form, but newly made also this ancient form in ebony.

Pictured here are but from my profession teaching time.

I see very beautiful decorations on the leather, and then often a loser for leather craftsmen to fasten the buckle.

Something completely devalues the whole work in my opinion.

the classic Sattler will assess as first is always the coming, and only if that is clean and fine, he will assess the work as well.

The seam is the most important quality criterion at all.

To get good sewing, a Saddler takes at least 3 years.

In my works the seams on the back are also always sunk, so with the Groover from serrated and in the Groove is the engraving set.

Seams that are sunk on the back hold 2 times as long, something which is very important for horses harnesses.

There is also one with a flat awl grip under my pictures. The form is also quite good, if it was even invented to graduate at the produce to save.

So now so much fun with the pictures.

Greeting

Walter

.

.

The small case with the Awls did for time at the beginning of my professional teaching.

That was in the Saddler course of your professional association, and he was held in the army barracks in Thun, near Bern.

Each Saddler in the Switzerland a..............lso Sattler wanted to be in the army and so there was an introductory course for young professionals from 2 x 1 week in the army barracks.

Edited September 29, 2013 by walter roth

[walter roth]

And here are the rest of the photos.

[Macca]

Nice stuff Walter

Very interesting shape you made on some of those, as you say, it must return to the same position when you pick it up !

I use the flat Blanchard ones, the smallest ones they make fit very well for me, I do small stitching so small handle & blade works well.

It is lucky you still have a stock of old blades, I find new ones are very soft in comparison

[simontuntelder]

I was just wondering, which maker/shop/company should I be buying awls from (preferably in the EU/UK)?

I need one suitable for 5-6 spi and one for 7-9 spi.

[simontuntelder]

I hope it's OK, that I ask questions like these here. I have a feeling some of the best people on the forum are watching this thread and it's mostly people that have a bigger passion for quality than I have.

[Macca]

http://www.laederiet.dk stock Blanchard tools, you could ask them to get some awls for you (they can order anything from Blanchard)

http://www.vergez-blanchard.fr/boutique/liste_produits.cfm?type=17&code_lg=lg_fr&num=2

Alene aux pinces are the diamond awls, you can order direct but I think the minimum order is 100 Euro, so a bit more than a few awls

[Macca]

Thank you Walter, Macca, and Tor! This is my favorite thread on the forum! One thing I am finding interesting after seeing several are the different configurations of the fences (guides). Steel, brass, two pieces of steel, etc. Then the shape viewed from the top is interesting. They all have some "flare" on the front. From there some have a long flat area. Others have a shorter flat area and may flare back out a bit on the back edge of the guide. This flare at the back seems to be a bit more common on some of the Dixons. One question I have is on the screws on the Blanchards. Is there a name for those with the rounded heads? Are they still available in Europe? One thing with them I found last year is at least some, the rounded head is threaded onto the shaft of the screw. I had a plough gauge that the head would unscrew from the shaft when it was loosened. Thank you, Bruce

Bruce, I had a look at my gauges, I would say the French ones are meant to have straight fences, some don't but I assume these were "modified" by the user ! The dixons definitely flares at the front

Pictures below, I tried to align the fences with the grid on the mat to show any flare, only the blanchard in the 2nd pic has any, so I think that was done by the user.

Finally, the dixons

[walter roth]

Hi Macca, Bruce, Simonuntelder.......................

Yes of course, the round handles I then bought by Blanchard, who are still exactly like this one.

The other sword-Awls handles it no longer gets, and also Dixon from England sold for sword-Awls its round handles.

Well, all of which have no idea how to sew properly ....)) -:

Round Awls can be good buy from Blanchard. The beech wood handles of Dixon are also good, but only for round-Awls.

Only the Awls are unfortunately poor quality today.

The rounds are often polished and the sword-awls made only for the patent folders, so the peaks are cut back and only half length.

"Patent awls terms" use no saddle here, that's what ignorant, are frowned upon by professional people.

My stocks of Awls iron I have for many years.

Also in the USA they make many beautiful handles, but those for Awls can be found anywhere.

It is probably so that is closer to real rare find, the other techniques of leatherworking are easier to learn and you put more value on as decoration on beautiful sew.

Greeting

Walter

Edited September 29, 2013 by walter roth