Blanchard Clicking Knife Or L’Indispensable Knife

[Trox]

Hi all leather tool freaks,

I have been looking for a place to buy this style; thin blade brass handled pattern cutting knife for a long time now. Blanchard's L’Indispensable Knife is just what I am looking for. To buy this knife you have to place a minimum order of 100 Euro with Vergez Blanchard a Paris. Not anymore, you can now buy this knife Blanchard knife from http://www.fineleatherworking.com/leather-tools/indispensable-knife USA for 44 $ including the blade. I just ordered mine from them, because I need this tool now and nothing else.

With Blanchard it cost 23 euro ( 31 $ including the blade). Then of course you have to buy something else to fulfill the minimum order of 100 Euro.

I know that many of you have looked for this tool for a long time, bought similar tools with thinner blades (not any good) and some has also made their own. I followed an auction on Ebay a couple of moth ago where one went for nearly 100 $, crazy. Its been available hidden inside Blanchard's web site for some time (I do not know for how long), I have not seen it.

Thanks

Tor

[DavidL]

Just made a purchase from fineleatherworking but did not order the knife, but soon realized that i needed a new knife. Please tell if the knife works out for you.

[Trox]

Hi,

I haven't received it yet but I will post about it when I do. I purchased this knife to use it to cut out leather from cardboard patterns. If it has an double edge I will re grind it to have one on the right side only. This to get close up to the pattern without cutting in to it (I am right handed). I was told this blade was much thicker, stiffer than the other types on the marked; It has to be seen. Anyway,I know it`s a favorite of many European leather bag makers. I have also made some knifes myself, out of high speed hack saw blades. However, I find them to flexible. I have tried out many other US and European clicking knifes with changeable blades. And the same goes for them too, they all are to flexible. Most blades are only 0,8 mm thick, and thats to thin, they will flex and follow tracks in the cutting surface. I am sure you have experienced the same problems. Most of the time I trace the pattern on to the leather with an (round) awl and use a head knife to cut them out. I hope this knife will save me some time, at least on thinner leather (bag leather).

INFO TO FOREIGN BUYERS ON FINELEATHERWORKING.COM (like me)

I you are not able to check out from their website (international shipping). Please contact the shop owner and he will add your country to the shipping list. He is working with the list as we speak, to add as many new countries as his able to.

When I tried first try to check out my country appeared in the shipping list, but I was still not able to check out. If this happens, he have to add your country to the list. Send him an email and he will answer it right away. They did not expect that many Europeans to buy from them, since they are much closer to France. I was told to update you all about this and now I have done my duty.

Very fast and good customer service by the way (this are my own words)

I guess than many find European dealers with high minimum orders difficult to deal with, I do not blame them. Most of the times I buy for more than the minimum order anyway, but I do not like to add unnecessary thing to my order just to qualify. I understand the work load and that small orders do not pay. This is the same for all of us that do sell something. Nevertheless, I think it is disrespectful to the customers to have such rules. I do not have to mention any names here, but there are at least two big American dealers that do this (one way or the other). One of them recently had to rethink their market strategy, I guess they needed to sell more. Others has prepaid memberships to price their goods higher. Customer do not look kindly on to this systems and choose other options if they are able to. I am not talking about small tools companies like Blanchard and CS.Osborn, I am willing to pay extra to have them around. I am talking about greed and not need here. And I know the leather worker business can be very hard to survive in, but I still think the best business is to threat your customer right. European dealers has much to learn from their US counterparts when it comes to customer service. I buy 80 % of my tools and machine parts from the USA, despite the higher shipping costs. That speaks for itself.

Thank You

Tor

Edited March 27, 2014 by Trox

[Django57]

This company is also an alternative http://www.decocuir.com/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=9980813

[DavidL]

Hi all leather tool freaks,

I have been looking for a place to buy this style; thin blade brass handled pattern cutting knife for a long time now. Blanchard's L’Indispensable Knife is just what I am looking for. To buy this knife you have to place a minimum order of 100 Euro with Vergez Blanchard a Paris. Not anymore, you can now buy this knife Blanchard knife from http://www.fineleatherworking.com/leather-tools/indispensable-knife USA for 44 $ including the blade. I just ordered mine from them, because I need this tool now and nothing else.

With Blanchard it cost 23 euro ( 31 $ including the blade). Then of course you have to buy something else to fulfill the minimum order of 100 Euro.

I know that many of you have looked for this tool for a long time, bought similar tools with thinner blades (not any good) and some has also made their own. I followed an auction on Ebay a couple of moth ago where one went for nearly 100 $, crazy. Its been available hidden inside Blanchard's web site for some time (I do not know for how long), I have not seen it.

Thanks

Tor

receive that knife yet trox? pen knife is getting dull and there is nothing better than a new tool.

[Trox]

This company is also an alternative http://www.decocuir.com/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=9980813

Hi Django,

yes, this French company offers exactly the same Blanchard knife, its stamped Vergez Blanchard. However, you have to place an minimum order at 100 Euro here too. Its priced at 23 Euro, the same price as if you order it direct from Blanchard. Therefor, It makes no difference if you order it here or directly from Vergez Blanchard.

Hi DavidL, I have not received it yet. According to the tracking system, it past true LA yesterday.

Tor

[Django57]

My French isn't good but i thought it read free delivery if you spend a €100 or more , not sure what the delivery would be if you just bought the knife.

Just tried putting my country in checkout and the price didn't change so maybe it would be a good price?

Edited March 31, 2014 by Django57

[Trox]

It seams as its greater than mine, you right. I am sorry, I guess my mind was set on that "problem" when I read about it the other day. The site turned up in my google search when I looked for the knife. Sometimes you read what already in your mind, instead of what it actually says. My mistake. This mistake costed me some time and dollars too. Nice to deal with Fineleatherworking, they ship fast too. I should probably have dealt directly from Blanchard, because not I remember I need some small oval punches too. With them I am close to that magical minimum buy limit anyway. I think I am starting to be a bit absent-minded.

Thank you for setting me straight

Tor

[Trox]

By the way, as I mentioned above;

I am looking for some small good oval punches. I am long past buying cheep tools and some Blanchard's, Dixon or Osborn will do fine. I would prefer the Blanchard's over the others if the prices are similar. Oval punch bits for screw presses will also do fine. If anybody know a good supplier, please let me know.

Thanks

Tor

[DavidL]

By the way, as I mentioned above;

I am looking for some small good oval punches. I am long past buying cheep tools and some Blanchard's, Dixon or Osborn will do fine. I would prefer the Blanchard's over the others if the prices are similar. Oval punch bits for screw presses will also do fine. If anybody know a good supplier, please let me know.

Thanks

Tor

if you call or email sean(Fineleatherworker store owner) he can order the tools along with his shipments that he sells for his store.

[Trox]

Thank you, that is an option. But I am afraid it will take to long and be more expensive that the options I already have.

I can order the the small Blanchard sizes from 36,57 $ to 42,11 $ from Denmark (who is close to Norway where I am located). I see that CS Osborn sell them for 43,67 $ each regardless of size and Dixon's (from Abbey) cost from 26,64 to 28,30 $ each (for the small sizes).

The Danish option, Leaderiet.dk is the only European leather shop that sell tax free to private customers outside EU. In fact thats the only shop I know about that do this. We do have to pay that same amount in import tax and in most cases we pay that tax twice.

The Dixon are the cheapest ones, but they do not describe their sizes other than in numbers. Those numbers do not tell me much, other than they are getting bigger with increasing numbers. A friend that bought some new Dixon told me they was not as good as he had expected them to be. A bit "sloppy" made was his word, I would be very careful using this description when I have not seen them. The older Dixon tools I have are very good, and nothing are made as they use to 100 years ago. That goes for all the mayor leather tool manufacturers.

I guess I answered my own question, or maybe you know about some other options. The price differences are not that large on one tool, but buying several punches at once it will matter allot. Ovals for screw presses on the other hand, I have not seen many of them.

[Leatherhouseeu]

Hello

For Norway you can find the tools from Blanchard at no.leatherhouse.eu otherwise in English www.leatherhouse.eu

[Dunluce]

On 31/03/2014 at 4:59 PM, Trox said:

Hi Django,

yes, this French company offers exactly the same Blanchard knife, its stamped Vergez Blanchard. However, you have to place an minimum order at 100 Euro here too. Its priced at 23 Euro, the same price as if you order it direct from Blanchard. Therefor, It makes no difference if you order it here or directly from Vergez Blanchard.

Hi DavidL, I have not received it yet. According to the tracking system, it past true LA yesterday.

Tor

I just ordered the knife from Decocuir and it arrived promptly (they even included a small free gift) and can confirm you don't need a minimum order of 100 euro. I don't speak a word of French but I managed to navigate their site successfully