Where Can I Find The Equivalent Tool Or Product In The Uk

[ClaireAshton]

Not sure if this topic is in the right place. What I would like to do is to get a moderator to 'Pin It' in the most suitable section in the Forums.

When I read posts about almost any subject on here, I seem to spend ages trying to hunt down the easily obtainable equivalents to those mentioned in the post. Even if items are obtainable they tend to be very expensive if UK stocked and dispatched and generally out of the question if sent from the States. There are one or two examples of the reverse problem, I'm thinking of Dixon Tools and Tiger thread which you who live in USA find difficulties with.

So what I am hoping for are lists of equivalents, suppliers posting with the items they supply at normal UK post rates and so on.

So who wants to start?

Claire

[gary]

Who do you already use and for what items? The UK members here could help but they may just repeat ones you already know of. A bit of a steer would help us list useful ones.

There are quite a few leather and associated goods suppliers over here but for some things like specific fasteners you have to think outside the box - for example, lift the dot fasteners from boat suppliers or car restorers, some buckles from parachute and aircraft seat manufacturers.

Gary

[ClaireAshton]

OK, here goes.....

My places of supply in UK are (I'm not bothering with addresses, links etc. as they go out of date. I'll let Google take the strain)

• Tandy Leather Factory Northampton Most tools, leather, hardware, dyes etc. (Online, phone and personal visits)
• Le Prevo Best Hardware, some tools, (difficult to order and deal with generally)
• Identity Store Mainly Tandy products
• Abbey in Walsall and Knutsford? Tiger thread and some dyes. Poor selection leather
• Dixons Walsall Tools, very good quality but pricey (personal visits)
• Ebay Various old tools, beware of 'rare vintage' rusty rubbish. Tools from china are rubbish quality, at least all the dealings I've had, but i can't resist!
• Etsy Ian Atkinson for small lengths of Tiger thread
• Toolstation Very cheap tools, things like rolls of sandpaper, real sheepskin bonnets (for dyeing and finishing - one of my best ideas!) smooth pliers for pulling needles etc.
• Amazon My first port of call for anything vaguely generic eg adhesivesu
• Goods Japan Brilliant web source for tools etc. Web site very clunky, but useable and payable by Paypal. NB Only order one item at a time, if you were to order, say, five items then you could get stung for VAT and import duty. I believe the limit for duty is £15 (pounds if this doesn't display correctly) and everything I've ordered always come with a value of $9 (dollers US) on it! As each item is free postage and no discount for quantity, I take the trouble to checkout each item individually. I leave a few hours between orders just in case. Delivery is very quick to UK considering.
• Axminster Tools Online, fantastic range of non-leather specific tools. Thinks like steel rules, dividers, knives

Now for products themselves - only really the ones I have had to use because I can't source the American ones.

• Contact Adhesive (various including Barge) EvoStik Contact - brilliant. Available with brush but my favourite is the very small tube for direct onto small items eg wallet.
• PVA adhesive HobbyCraft Craft PVA in Litre bottles, dirt cheap and dispensed into a sort of 'eyedropper' plastic dispenser I got on amazon
• Heavy Maul In process of making one, don't want to pay £70 for another Al Stohlman one. Have ordered a fork lift truck wheel..... watch this space....
• Grommet (Oval chrome with 1.6" inside clearance available at Ohio Travel Bag? but too expensive to UK) Amazon for a house door number 0 (zero) on its side - one of my better ideas.

Now for 'Wants'

• Beveller (such as the Bevan one from Australia or I believe there is one available in USA) which is about £175 to UK
• Decent Stitching Pony / Clam / Clamp / Horse Made my own (similar to Al Stohlman book on Stitching) but want a leg clam similar to Fred moreau of France. Went to Walsall Leather Museum and they had loads of these clams in a box on display, all just merrily rotting away.
• Rounder Again made my own, but better would have been a properly manufactured one. You can get them on Ebay USA but at extortionate prices.
• Fiebings Glycerin Bar Soap Not at £15 a go!

I'm posting this so as not to lose, but will edit when I have a think. I may try to put it in my first post as well so it's 'on top'

Edited July 20, 2014 by ClaireAshton

[Renoir]

I'd add any shops or UK distributors worth visiting. For example:

A.W Midgely and son, Cheddar - huge range of leather, all types ( http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=56577#entry363093 ) More for advanced hobbyist/professional, although they will do you a single hide if you want.

Pittards leather ( http://www.pittardsleather.co.uk/ ) - Yeovill - lots of smaller thinner hides (mainly 1-2mm) in a large variety of colours and prints. a few larger hides in brown. Lots of 2nd and 3rd class stuff too, and scraps. Little or no veg-tan though, mostly or all chrome-tan, since they make gloves. They have a shop attached to the factory with a large room full of hides where you can browse.

Le Provo - used them, good tools and good leather, helpful on the phone but clunky online ordering.

Edited July 20, 2014 by Renoir

[gary]

Wow. That's most of them.

There's Marcus Gear, Sedgewicks, kangarooleather.co.uk, Neumann plus the ones you know of and a few more for leather.

For tools you have it licked. there's also Bowstocks.

www.kingsmerecrafts.com has a few pages devoted to suppliers.

For US style tools and accessories it does seem we're poorly provided for.

Gary

[fivewayswelshcobs]

I'm surprised about the comment for Abbey for poor leather as they actually have one of the largest supplies of leather in the UK, it may be they do not stock what you are looking for but that doesn't mean a poor leather selection and as for Dixon tools you get what you pay for these will last for the lifetime not just a couple of years. As for glue and thread go to Abbey it usually cost more to go else where.

[ClaireAshton]

I'm surprised about the comment for Abbey for poor leather as they actually have one of the largest supplies of leather in the UK, it may be they do not stock what you are looking for but that doesn't mean a poor leather selection and as for Dixon tools you get what you pay for these will last for the lifetime not just a couple of years. As for glue and thread go to Abbey it usually cost more to go else where.

Hi,

The leather they have at Walsall is OK, just that they don't have a great selection to choose from. The other reason I wouldn't bother going there again for leather is that is all behind the counter and unless I can get hands on I'd rather not bother.

Claire

[fivewayswelshcobs]

Walsall is not the main base Knutsford is and if you want to look at the leather they put it on the counter where the light is better and you can see the whole piece front and back or once you get to know them you can go behind the counter but the leather on the counter is more usual. If you want to see what they have either go to Knutsford or talk to them up there and get them to bring a selection down to Walsall. Abbey is very willing to work with you.

[Northmount]

Moved to "Suppliers" and pinned. Looks like a good resource list for the UK.

Tom

[ClaireAshton]

OK. time to pad it out a bit.

Suppliers

Le Prevo in Newcastle upon Tyne. Old fashioned supplier who cannot embrace the 20th century, never mind the 21st. If you order online they will email you back with the total and you have to then phone them, or snail-mail, with your card details. I don't know about you but I am an Amazon Prime Child, whose shopping cutoff time is not when a shop closes, but when Amazon can't deliver the following morning! Now Le Prevo has a good stock of some ranges, but doesn't try to cover everything. They don't tell you the carriage rates when you order, which to me personally I find off putting. Their prices online are less VAT, fair enough, but these days with Ebay and Amazon, unless a supplier is slick - then I tend to look elsewhere.

Update on Abbey - mixed I'm afraid. After being reprimanded ( ) for giving Abbey Walsall a hard time, I went online and ordered some stuff from them, including 936? ml of Tan Kote. I also ordered from Tandy Northampton (UK) and thought "no need to pay the extra for Tan Kote from Tandy, I've ordered it from Abbey". Received confirmation from Abbey, so Tandy ordered went off. |Too late the email from Abbey, no Tan Kote from Abbey in 639ml(?). I just hope that they HAD run out in the Quart size and weren't looking for some mythical pint and a half size.

More to follow. Can peeps send me lots of money so I can do this shopping research properly?..............

[Macca]

[Sona]

Awesome idea. Actually that´s a topic I though about for a long time right now, even if I am more interested in the german alternatives. BUT as we are all in the european customs area, what about expanding this thread to get an even bigger overview? I mean, we got no such shipping costs we´d have for ordering from the USA and we got no VAT... normally the delivery is a little bit more expensive, but that shouldn´t be that much of a problem (Just mentioning... I could tell you a shop where you could buy that leg clam you´d like to have (not the fancy, gorgeous custom made ones, but simple ones from I think 40€ to higher Quality (blanchard and stuff) for about 120 €))

If you agree with the europe-idea I´d just start with a list for gemany as I know some shops here and there.... and maybe the "list" should be updated in the first post now and then for a better overview? Or even seperated posts for different stuff (countries, tools, hardware, [....]) Just as an idea.

[Camerius]

I get all of my Fiebing's from here (http://www.patin-a.de/ki/en/Leather-Dye-538.html), Sona. They are good, in Germany, got fast delivery and are way cheaper than getting it from say the US or UK.

As to thread, I tend to get my 0.8 mm poly over ebay (from China at the moment), while I'm still looking for a good supplier for 18/3 and 18/4 linen thread that does not cost a fortune. As to glue I use some danish version of a contact cement and Sikabond 530 (white PVA glue) that I too can get locally here.

Hope it helps.

[Sona]

@Camerius: Thanks, even if I know them already and ordered a lot of stuff there. Good shop.

I´ll jus list my suppliers here, if this should be a UK-Thread, I´ll open up on seperately.

So same for my list: use google to find them, maybe I´ll add some links later on.

Leder Detmer in Hamburg

Wholesaler. Mainly interesting for hide other than veg tanned. Got some tools (“Ivan”-brandt) and stuff like dyes and thread and just a lot of hardware like buckles and stuff. But as this is mostly zinc dyecasted, it´s not interesting for me at all. Got nearly nothin´ in brass or similar. Buying here means visiting the shop, as they deliver normally just to big customers

Lederhaus in Duisburg - Nice for dyes and maybe some scrap leather stuff. The veg tan is the worst I got so far and they don´t really sell a lot of tools. But on dyes they are the cheapest I found over here so far (even cheaper than “PATIN-A” mentioned above, but not with such a big selection)

Leder-Hobby in Berlin

Nice shopkeeper, got nearly all the Tandy stuff plus Fiebings. No experience with hide from there.

Leder Baumann in Munich

Little shop, little selection of tools, dyes and hides. Might be interesting if you are in a hurry as they are no leatherworkers at all and they are really expensive!

Bear Gallery near Munich

One person shop, good quality on the hide, but they only got tooling veg. Tanned cowhides (I guess american ones) Tools are from Tandy, even though they switch to craftsjapan right now and got some of Douglas- and Beard- tools. Nice hardware, casted as solid brass, dyes and thread. No online shop, mail would be the way to go.

Lederhandlung Klaus Flach in Kiel

My favorite one. Best hides I ever had are from here. Has a lot of tools (mostly Tandy again), hardware (brass as casted) dyes, thread... all in all everything you need, even pig an steel bristles. Plus he has a lot of fancy stuff: Tanned frogs, toad, some types fish, ostrich(-feet), even cow stomach and testicles ^^. Also, “damaged” stuff for the special look with warble fly-damages and stuff for like half the price. No online shop, mail would be the way to go.

Kappey.de

As Flach is my favorite for leather, this one is the one for tools. It´s a professional saddlery-supplier and therefore got all the professional tools you won´t get in all that hobbyshops around. Quality: Mainly Blanchard, Dixon and Osborn, some “Mauthe” and smaller/german ones, too. No online shop, mail would be the way to go. If they don´t answer send a second one or call them. Nice, but busy people.

Kuertengmbh.de

read it in a post from another member here but didn´t order anything yet. Supplier for shoemakers, no experiences but nice looking assortement.

So there are some more as "rickert-werkzeuge", "worring Leder" and so on. But either they are focused on medieval stuff (so, more on the low quality side of life) or are warehouses as well. But they all got in common: I didn´t order or buy leather from them, because I got my main supplier and I won´t expect them to beat the quality I get right now But they still might be worth to have a look at. They also got japanese tools (rickert i.e.) and other stuff.

So for some special ones:

Dye

– PATIN-A: huge selection of Fiebings stuff to a very low price. Fast delivering, nice service.

- http://www.lederfarbekaufen.de/angelus-lederfarbe.html: Just for the need of Angelus dyes and acrylics.

Thread

- www.croupon-lederhandel.de So called “Forellenfaden”, nice braided polythread from 0.8 to 1.4mm. 0.8 up to 1000m on a spool (for about 30,-) thicker ones up to 500m on a spool (for like 22,-)

Brass rings and similar

- www.toplicht.de/ made good experience with them. Solid stuff, polished and a little thicker than the stuff you usually get as it´s made for sailing. They also got some nice fasteners and carabiners.

Polymauls

– not ordered there as I´ll order some fancy stuff, but as a cheap alternative to the 100,- + mauls they might work quite good.

Medieval stuff

- http://lorifactor.com/katalog.html not settled in Germany, therefore longer time for delivery and higher price/order through the distance, but everything is solid stuff, brass, nice to work with!

- www.fahrendehaendler.de also nice buckles and hardware, settled in Germany. The assorment is a little bit smaller than from Lorifactor.

- http://www.reenactors-shop.de/index.php?cat=c232_Sonstiges-Guertelzubehoer.html Again a german supplier for buckles and fittings.

- http://www.todsstuff.co.uk/todsfoundry/strapends.htm settled in the UK, never ordered there but the products look quite nice and solid though they are a little bit more on the pricey side of life.

Contact cement

- http://shop.langlauf-schuhbedarf.de/Klebstoffe:::21.html as you can get it here in 4kg-canisters... much (!) cheaper than buying thos little cnas one by one. It´s Kövulfix, which I prefer over stuff like Pattex at least because it´s transparent.

In addition, I´d recommend to get on of those “Sparbehälter” mentioned on that side. Just a joy to work with.

So that´s for now... more might follow if I find some interesting shops.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Sona

[ClaireAshton]

Phew!

Comprehensive indeed. Hopefully, as this topic is 'Pinned' it will become the goto place for European supplies.

BW Claire

[Camerius]

@Camerius: Thanks, even if I know them already and ordered a lot of stuff there. Good shop.

I´ll jus list my suppliers here, if this should be a UK-Thread, I´ll open up on seperately.

So same for my list: use google to find them, maybe I´ll add some links later on.

Leder Detmer in Hamburg

Wholesaler. Mainly interesting for hide other than veg tanned. Got some tools (“Ivan”-brandt) and stuff like dyes and thread and just a lot of hardware like buckles and stuff. But as this is mostly zinc dyecasted, it´s not interesting for me at all. Got nearly nothin´ in brass or similar. Buying here means visiting the shop, as they deliver normally just to big customers

Lederhaus in Duisburg - Nice for dyes and maybe some scrap leather stuff. The veg tan is the worst I got so far and they don´t really sell a lot of tools. But on dyes they are the cheapest I found over here so far (even cheaper than “PATIN-A” mentioned above, but not with such a big selection)

Leder-Hobby in Berlin

Nice shopkeeper, got nearly all the Tandy stuff plus Fiebings. No experience with hide from there.

Leder Baumann in Munich

Little shop, little selection of tools, dyes and hides. Might be interesting if you are in a hurry as they are no leatherworkers at all and they are really expensive!

Bear Gallery near Munich

One person shop, good quality on the hide, but they only got tooling veg. Tanned cowhides (I guess american ones) Tools are from Tandy, even though they switch to craftsjapan right now and got some of Douglas- and Beard- tools. Nice hardware, casted as solid brass, dyes and thread. No online shop, mail would be the way to go.

Lederhandlung Klaus Flach in Kiel

My favorite one. Best hides I ever had are from here. Has a lot of tools (mostly Tandy again), hardware (brass as casted) dyes, thread... all in all everything you need, even pig an steel bristles. Plus he has a lot of fancy stuff: Tanned frogs, toad, some types fish, ostrich(-feet), even cow stomach and testicles ^^. Also, “damaged” stuff for the special look with warble fly-damages and stuff for like half the price. No online shop, mail would be the way to go.

Kappey.de

As Flach is my favorite for leather, this one is the one for tools. It´s a professional saddlery-supplier and therefore got all the professional tools you won´t get in all that hobbyshops around. Quality: Mainly Blanchard, Dixon and Osborn, some “Mauthe” and smaller/german ones, too. No online shop, mail would be the way to go. If they don´t answer send a second one or call them. Nice, but busy people.

Kuertengmbh.de

read it in a post from another member here but didn´t order anything yet. Supplier for shoemakers, no experiences but nice looking assortement.

So there are some more as "rickert-werkzeuge", "worring Leder" and so on. But either they are focused on medieval stuff (so, more on the low quality side of life) or are warehouses as well. But they all got in common: I didn´t order or buy leather from them, because I got my main supplier and I won´t expect them to beat the quality I get right now But they still might be worth to have a look at. They also got japanese tools (rickert i.e.) and other stuff.

So for some special ones:

Dye

– PATIN-A: huge selection of Fiebings stuff to a very low price. Fast delivering, nice service.

- http://www.lederfarbekaufen.de/angelus-lederfarbe.html: Just for the need of Angelus dyes and acrylics.

Thread

- www.croupon-lederhandel.de So called “Forellenfaden”, nice braided polythread from 0.8 to 1.4mm. 0.8 up to 1000m on a spool (for about 30,-) thicker ones up to 500m on a spool (for like 22,-)

Brass rings and similar

- www.toplicht.de/ made good experience with them. Solid stuff, polished and a little thicker than the stuff you usually get as it´s made for sailing. They also got some nice fasteners and carabiners.

Polymauls

– not ordered there as I´ll order some fancy stuff, but as a cheap alternative to the 100,- + mauls they might work quite good.

Medieval stuff

- http://lorifactor.com/katalog.html not settled in Germany, therefore longer time for delivery and higher price/order through the distance, but everything is solid stuff, brass, nice to work with!

- www.fahrendehaendler.de also nice buckles and hardware, settled in Germany. The assorment is a little bit smaller than from Lorifactor.

- http://www.reenactors-shop.de/index.php?cat=c232_Sonstiges-Guertelzubehoer.html Again a german supplier for buckles and fittings.

- http://www.todsstuff.co.uk/todsfoundry/strapends.htm settled in the UK, never ordered there but the products look quite nice and solid though they are a little bit more on the pricey side of life.

Contact cement

- http://shop.langlauf-schuhbedarf.de/Klebstoffe:::21.html as you can get it here in 4kg-canisters... much (!) cheaper than buying thos little cnas one by one. It´s Kövulfix, which I prefer over stuff like Pattex at least because it´s transparent.

In addition, I´d recommend to get on of those “Sparbehälter” mentioned on that side. Just a joy to work with.

So that´s for now... more might follow if I find some interesting shops.

Yeah, I use Klaus Flach in Kiel too. He has some of the best leather I have come across, besides the ones that I get from Laederiet here in Denmark.

[Sona]

Haha, yeah I just like to get the best quality I can and therefore I try to "hunt down" good shops, offering what I need/want. Besides, if I travel around I always have a look whether a shop is nearby so I get an impression of their stuff and of the shopkeepers.

And I think your list might be even longer than mine, just better compressed and organized. XD

@Camerius:
Oh yeah, just forgot that one I keep an eye on this one for some time right now, but never ordered there, too. So you got some (positive) experience with them?
I am happy to hear that you like and "use" Flach, too. As said before, I just love him ^^.
But just for the overview - maybe delete the quote? I think it takes a lot of space

So one addition in Denmark:

www.laederiet.dk/ - Also carry Blanchard and similar for a good price as I think.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Sona

[Birdman]

A few years ago I used Bakers of Colyton . They do some very nice leather.

The boss actually does/did a regular route around the UK delivering the leather personally. I did not have to pay until it was delivered and approved in my workshop.

I would get a postcard from the firm saying that " their Mr.....would be in my area on...... and my esteemed order would b most welcome".

Very quaint old English service from a thoroughly charming gentleman!

http://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/

[Camerius]

I just tried to edit it, Sona, but no go. Seems like if you have been logged off for a certain period of time, you are no longer able to go back and edit your post. :/

[Northmount]

I just tried to edit it, Sona, but no go. Seems like if you have been logged off for a certain period of time, you are no longer able to go back and edit your post. :/

That is right. If you want to have parts of this thread edited, you can PM me with the edits you want. Or compile them into a PDF that we can post (I have PDF software I can use). I'll make the offer for this thread, but not for all threads. Have other stuff I should be doing! PM me and let me know, I'll provide my email for larger files.

Tom

[Sona]

Okay, than maybe we just collect a little more, and sum it up then a little later, before you got to update this one again and again

[ClaireAshton]

In regard to Splitter blades in the UK, see this other thread

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=57493

[Pogger]

I ordered a bridle butt from Bakers recently, leather quality was excellent and well packaged. Saving up for a personal visit!

[ClaireAshton]

I ordered a bridle butt from Bakers recently, leather quality was excellent and well packaged. Saving up for a personal visit!

That sounds good. The more the merrier with comments please.

[ClaireAshton]

I have found a really good resource for having blades sharpened professionally. I have just had 3 manual skiving machine blades totally reground, fully squared and rebevelled. About a couple of hours each honing them and now they are mega sharp. The bevels are now mirrors and performance in the machine is, wait for it, Awesome! (Sorry for using the A word)

Why take them and pay to get them ground? Well, they came back perfectly square in all respects, only a large industrial grinding machine can do this. To back this up, I took Medi (off this board) 8" splitter blade at the same time (he had posted it down to me and I posted it back after). This blade was in a sorry state. A large chip missing, some corrosion and blunter than a blunt axe. Caame back fantastic, (would you agree Medi?) I did a bit of work on it prior to sending it back to Medi)

THe place I went to is about 30 miles from me and they specialise in Paper Industry guillotines. I knew to go there as my father was a printer and his huge manual guillotine looked just like a splitter blade and can recall how well sharpened it was when it was sent away.

As a matter of interest, how many people have splitter or skiver blades they need sharpening? (not just touching up, I mean a serious start again)

As an afterthought, and as a little guide as to what I mean by sharp, I bought a Stanley plane blade to possibly replace one of my skiver blades if I had trouble sorting it out. When this arrived you could not bevel 6oz (2.4mm) veg tan with it unless you put the leather on the bench and pressed on.

Now having given it the Claire treatment, 2 sides of and oil stone, diamond 'stone' ceramic 'stone' then through the cloths, 4K, 6K, 8K, 12K then 3 grades of rouges i can hold up a piece of veg tan and bevel it without any holding it firm in the air. I tried the nail test with one of the skiver blades and it nearly went through so I don't do that anymore.

Only trouble now is my knives feel blunt. So it looks like many more hours of getting RSI to get them up to snuff.

I once heard of putting blades under a pyramid to sharpen them....... If this works, where can I get one!