Thoughts On C.s. Osborne Pricking Irons

[vicroll91]

Lately I have been looking to make a small investment in a nice set of pricking irons. Dixon, Osborne, Blanchard, I've looked at them all. As I'm in the U.S., the C.S. Osborne irons are easily obtainable, and at a reasonable cost. My issue, however, is that I can't seem to find any images/reviews of the C.S. Osborne pricking irons. The website just has a computer-generated stock image, and I was hoping to see the actual tool.

So, anyone here have experience with the Osborne pricking irons? I am looking to buy the 7 and 8 spi. I'm just trying to get an idea of how these differ from the Joseph Dixon/Blanchard irons.

Thanks

[Hi Im Joe]

I have an 8 sti CS Osborne pricking iron I'll sell you. Make me a reasonable offer. It is in like new condition. I just like the chisel more than the pricking irons.

[DavidL]

Not that great of an iron from what I saw. Teeth for the iron are slanted at different angles depending on SPI. Iron teeth are also huge. Dixon slim line (special order from factory) is the same price and better quality.

My understanding is cs.osborne just recently made pricking irons compared to the generations of experience of dixon or vergez. I don't think in western work they use pricking iron so this is most likely a recent addition. Not the same kind of training or dedication.

For 35 bucks if you grind the teeth down it might be worth it.

vergez > dixon> cs. osborne

[Hi Im Joe]

Not that great of an iron from what I saw. Teeth for the iron are slanted at different angles depending on SPI. Iron teeth are also huge. Dixon slim line (special order from factory) is the same price and better quality.

My understanding is cs.osborne just recently made pricking irons compared to the generations of experience of dixon or vergez. I don't think in western work they use pricking iron so this is most likely a recent addition. Not the same kind of training or dedication.

For 35 bucks if you grind the teeth down it might be worth it.

vergez > dixon> cs. osborne

Do you own the Osborne? Have you used it?

[Macca]

Do you own the Osborne? Have you used it?

of course not

[Hi Im Joe]

of course not

Exactly. Sorry OP not trying to hi-jack your thread but DavidL is notorious for commenting on things he has no actual experience with. He comments like he has real world first hand experience but in reality he is just making crap up.

[DavidL]

I have a dixon, vergez and japanese pricking iron. I have seen the osborne pricking iron on the site and the discussion was that the osborne has different angles depending on the SPI. Also they posted a picture of the iron teeth impression and of the iron itself. Osborne is rarely talked about for pricking irons and their tools arent that great (again IMO)

In my opinion dixon is best for the money, vergez is the best tool in terms of finish and is a more polished tool.

heres a direct quote from macca, we are basically saying the same thing:

If you are talking about pricking irons, Blanchard are a bit higher quality than dixons, finished off a bit better, I've compared them side by side.

Edited September 20, 2014 by DavidL

[Hi Im Joe]

I have a dixon, vergez and japanese pricking iron. I have seen the osborne pricking iron on the site and the discussion was that the osborne has different angles depending on the SPI. Also they posted a picture of the iron teeth impression and of the iron itself. Osborne is rarely talked about for pricking irons and their tools arent that great (again IMO)

In my opinion dixon is best for the money, vergez is the best tool in terms of finish and is a more polished tool.

heres a direct quote from macca, we are basically saying the same thing:

If you are talking about pricking irons, Blanchard are a bit higher quality than dixons, finished off a bit better, I've compared them side by side.

So you don't own the Osbornes and/or have never used them? You are comparing the dixons/blanchard irons which you own and use so you are qualified to compare those but how can you compare them to the Osbornes when you have zero actual experience? Do you see why this bothers me and others?

If you have no actual experience no one wants to hear your conjecture...especially when it is presented as facts.

[vicroll91]

Thanks for all of the helpful input. I will probably look into purchasing a slim version from Joseph Dixon.

[DavidL]

So you don't own the Osbornes and/or have never used them? You are comparing the dixons/blanchard irons which you own and use so you are qualified to compare those but how can you compare them to the Osbornes when you have zero actual experience? Do you see why this bothers me and others?

If you have no actual experience no one wants to hear your conjecture...especially when it is presented as facts.

Based on what you hear and see and from what others say is a good indication of something. I've never had the osborne iron, but I saw how big the teeth are and in my personal experience with my dixon iron (which wasn't the slimline) the teeth were even smaller than the the osborne based on the pictures.

The dixon size teeth are known to be large and in my personal experience with it, unless its thinned down its unusable as the cut is too large, roughly 4-5mm if you measure the diagonal cut. Its now somewhere between 3-4 mm from thinning it down, which is somewhere near the size of the slimline.

If you can prove to me that the osborne is on par to the dixon I'm willing to listen, and if I am wrong il correct how I think about the osborne. To me it looked like you were trying to pawn off your osborne iron before he had a chance to evaluate the different irons.

Edited September 20, 2014 by DavidL

[Hi Im Joe]

Based on what you hear and see and from what others say is a good indication of something. I've never had the osborne iron, but I saw how big the teeth are and in my personal experience with my dixon iron (which wasn't the slimline) the teeth were even smaller than the the osborne based on the pictures.

The dixon size teeth are known to be large and in my personal experience with it, unless its thinned down its unusable as the cut is too large, roughly 4-5mm if you measure the diagonal cut. Its now somewhere between 3-4 mm from thinning it down, which is somewhere near the size of the slimline.

If you can prove to me that the osborne is on par to the dixon I'm willing to listen, and if I am wrong il correct how I think about the osborne. To me it looked like you were trying to pawn off your osborne iron before he had a chance to evaluate the different irons.

Nope not trying to pawn it off. I just don't use it and would give him a better price than buying one new. It's a nice iron I just don't use it.

It is not even worth my time to try and "prove" anything to you. You never listen.

OP if you are interested let me know. Otherwise good luck...I have heard good things about the Dixon slimline irons.

[DavidL]

Good luck on your purchase.