High cost of cantle/horn pliers got you down???

[Timbo]

Well, it did me and I am soon to start building a saddle, so I am amassing tools and supplies to that end. The one thing I was dreading was spending $50-100 bucks on one or more sets of pliers. I need cantle pliers and horn pliers, but thought I could probably get by with just one of either. I am also a notorious skin flint.

Long story short I used to dabble in stained glass and remembered using running pliers. I didn't have mine anymore so I ordered a pair off of ebay. One thing I did forget was that running pliers jaws are weird, they have one convex and one concave jaw. You line the mark on the jaws up over the score line and squeeze and it breaks the glass. So I ordered a pair off of ebay and took my grinder and buffing wheel to them. Got the jaws a little blue but that won't make any difference. The other bonus is they came with some soft tips that will help in not leaving marks.They are 8" long overall and the jaws are 3/4" wide at the tip and 1 and 1/4" deep.Grand total...................$13.00 with shipping!!!!!

Here's how they turned out:

Edited November 13, 2008 by Timbo

[Kevin]

I could be wrong, but I think the specialized, expensive pliers are what is new, everybody I personally know (not that many) uses glazier's pliers. I've bought a pair of Vice-Grips with a wide jaw to try because I think they will stay parallel and keep even pressure, 'cause I am a spaz.

Kevin

PS I got my pliers at the hardware store in beautiful downtown Sturgis,SD, but I s'pose its long gone like the Piggley Wiggley and A&W root beer stand. Used to be a little cow town, other than the grocery store being a Harley dealership, I didn't recognize anything the last time I was there. Christ, I sound like I'm 150 years old!

[rickybobby]

I use the "duck bill" vice grips too!!! I used a drum sander to round out any sharpe edges and glued some 3oz veg tan to them to make sure there were no marks and I have been using them for years!

Timbo, those look a little sharpe on the edges but if they work, good going!! Its great to save some money!

Take care,

Rick Jorgenson

[Timbo]

I've actually buffed the edges off pretty smooth........but I might buff them a little bit rounder.

Good idea covering them with leather though. Might give that a try.

I saw an article in LCSJ about Dusty Johnson modifying some RoboGrips from Craftsman for this purpose. He welded some steel plates on the jaws. The good thing is you don't have to adjust them the way you do vise grips.

I think these will work for now. Soon as I get my tree I can get started and see how they do.

Tim

[StolpSaddles]

I use slip joint pliers with a couple of tabs welded to them. Works great and can be adjusted for any thickness of leather.

Might also be called water pump pliers.

[tonyc1]

We call them Multi-Grips down here.

Tony.

[McJeep]

This topic has come up at exactly the time that I've been mulling over different ideas for making some non marring plyers for my leather work ... I love this place more and more everyday

Thanks folks!

Rob

[Shadar]

Buy a good pair of "Glass Pliers" for under $20 .......

[silverbullet]

I did the same thing and like the stop screw helps to stop mating my work.

[Virginian Southron]

What size glass pliers do you recommend? They come in 3/8, 1, 8, and 8 1/4 inch.

[St8LineGunsmith]

I know this is an old thread but you can get key fob pliers from Amazon for fifteen bucks and they work good for horn and cantle pliers in a pinch... See what I did there?